According to an exclusive report from Sifted, the European Union's €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund—managed by Swedish investment firm EQT—is already permitted to invest in British companies, even though the UK is not currently an investor in the fund. The fund can allocate up to 7% of its total capital to non-EU companies, which includes both the UK and the US.
A person familiar with the fund's strategy said the mandate allows for investments in the UK and US to support scaleups, filling a gap in the market. The fund is part of the European Commission's broader effort to boost the region's scaling ecosystem.
The report notes that the UK's absence as an investor does not block British companies from receiving backing. The article was corrected on September 24, 2025, to reflect the fund's mandate.