'These companies are making a real difference in their communities': Three Northern Ireland firms sweep top honours at BVCA Vision 2025 Award

Three Northern Ireland-based businesses have been recognised at the prestigious British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Vision 2025 Awards, highlighting the region’s growing economic impact and innovation underpinned by private capital investment.

Belfast-based Neurovalens, Kingsbridge Healthcare and Lisburn’s Lowe Rental each took home top honours in their respective categories, showcasing the breadth of talent and enterprise flourishing across Northern Ireland.

The awards, supported by Grant Thornton and Santander, celebrate high-performing, private equity and venture capital-backed companies across the UK. A new BVCA report, Private Capital in Northern Ireland, launched alongside the event, reveals that private capital-backed businesses contribute £3 billion annually to the Northern Irish economy and support over 47,000 jobs.

Neurovalens was recognised in the Early Stage category. The Belfast-based medical technology company, backed by IQ Capital, impressed judges with its development of non-invasive neurostimulation treatments for chronic insomnia.

Dr. Jason McKeown, CEO at Neurovalens, said: “We’re honoured to receive this recognition from the BVCA. This award highlights the impact that strategic investment and a strong partnership can have on early-stage companies in Northern Ireland.

“Our goal at Neurovalens is to transform the way chronic health conditions are treated. We’re grateful for the backing we’ve received and proud to be recognised for the progress we’ve made in bringing non-invasive neurostimulation to market through the Modius technology.”

Kingsbridge Healthcare, a leading private medical group also based in Belfast, won in the Large category. Previously backed by Foresight and 57 Stars and now supported by Exponent, Kingsbridge was commended for its significant post-pandemic growth and innovation. The business has expanded into new services, made substantial site investments, and more than doubled its workforce and revenue, all while helping to ease pressure on the NHS.

Representatives from Foresight, 57 Stars, and Exponent praised the dedication of Kingsbridge’s management team and the positive social impact the business continues to deliver across Northern Ireland.

James Livingston, partner and co-head of Private Equity at Foresight Group, explained: "In partnership with 57 Stars, we are thrilled to have won the BVCA Vision 2025 Large Category award for Northern Ireland, recognising the exit from Kingsbridge Healthcare. During 57 Stars and Foresight’s investment holding period Kingsbridge helped ease pressure on the NHS in Northern Ireland reducing the post-pandemic operations backlog, expanded into new services and more than doubled its number of employees and revenue. It was a pleasure to work with Suresh and Ash, the founders of Kingsbridge, supporting them and the talented management team through a period of significant growth while maintaining the Group’s commitment to the highest standard of patient care, support and social impact. It's wonderful to be recognised with 57 stars for this award, congratulations to all involved!"

David McGovern, partner at Exponent continued: “Kingsbridge is comprised of a fantastic team, doing important work in a differentiated way. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to build on its success by investing in capabilities, expanding capacity and entering new procedure areas and markets. Many congratulations to the team for this outstanding award.”

Bernard McGuire, managing director at 57 Stars added: “In addition to achieving this recognition, we are proud to have participated in building this important business to provide badly needed healthcare and to shorten waiting times for critical procedures, thereby creating lasting improvement in healthcare delivery for the people of Ireland, both in NI and the ROI. We believe this investment exemplifies our ability to identify opportunities, such as this award-winning one, in interesting yet less competitive markets, while aligning with our target sectors, one of which is healthcare. Our efforts in such markets are a core aspect of 57 Stars’ global investment program.”

Lisburn-headquartered Lowe Rental took the top honour in the International Expansion category. Backed by Perwyn, the commercial refrigeration and catering equipment rental company was celebrated for its rapid global growth and strategic capital investment during the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Rachel McCausland described the award as a testament to the company’s global ambitions and its ability to deliver flexible, ESG-aligned solutions at scale. With 12 distribution hubs across three continents, Lowe Rental has positioned itself as a key international player in the sector.

Rachel McCausland, CEO, Lowe Rental Corporation was delighted: “We’re honoured to be recognised as the winner of the BVCA Vision 2025 award in the International Expansion category. This award is testament to the dedication and vision of our entire team, whose hard work drives our success. Our rapid worldwide deployment capabilities and innovative technology allow us to meet diverse client needs at scale. By delivering tailored services—from ESG-aligned equipment to flexible rental solutions for refrigeration, catering, and kitchen infrastructure—we continue to expand with purpose. This recognition reflects our commitment to ambitious, responsible global growth.”

Mark Blower, partner at Perwyn, agreed: “We are very proud of Lowe Rental’s impressive achievement in winning this award. It highlights the company’s standing as a critical provider of commercial refrigeration, kitchen infrastructure and catering equipment with 12 distribution hubs on three continents.”

“The award also validates Perwyn’s investment in the company, made in 2018. Since then, we have supported Lowe by providing hands-on engagement, and we are delighted to have worked so successfully alongside the talented management team to guide the company towards attracting customers such as M&S, Target, Neom and The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”

The awards coincided with the publication of a new BVCA report, Private Capital in Northern Ireland, which highlighted the growing importance of private equity and venture capital in the regional economy. According to the report, businesses backed by private capital contribute £3 billion annually to the Northern Irish economy and support over 47,000 jobs as of 2025.

Michael Moore, BVCA chief executive concluded: “We are proud to honour the outstanding successes of this year’s winners who have demonstrated the impact that private equity and venture capital has in Northern Ireland and across all the nations and regions of the UK.

“These businesses and their private capital backers exemplify how our industry is supporting jobs and growth in every part of the country.”

Charlie Kerlin, director, deal advisory at Grant Thornton NI Advisors, added: “It’s inspiring to see the energy, innovation and ambition driving businesses across Northern Ireland — from early-stage disruptors to established leaders, these companies are making a real difference in their communities and sectors. Congratulations to all the winners for the positive impact they are delivering. These companies provide really important reference stories in Northern Ireland, demonstrating the benefits of private equity. “We’re proud to support the Vision 2025 Awards, recognising the entrepreneurial talent shaping the region’s future and the essential contribution of private equity and venture capital in helping these businesses scale sustainably and thrive for the long term.”