Capital at risk
Private growth investing
Some of the world’s most disruptive and rapidly growing businesses are privately owned. We invest on your behalf in a select number of private growth companies with the ambition and potential to become generational leaders.
Approach
Public markets have changed. Greater availability of private capital means companies can fund more of their growth away from the public markets’ quarterly reporting cycle. The average age of a company at initial public offering (IPO) is now 11 years, up from 7 years a decade ago.
Private markets therefore contain a growing number of those businesses that are developing new business models and disrupting industries. We seek to give our clients access to fast-growing companies with a proven product, across sectors and geographies. We then use our network and experience to support them as they scale.
Our private growth track record since 2012
$10+ billion
As at: March 2026
170
As at: March 2026
Global, unconstrained
A proven track record
We invest in category-defining private growth companies – from SpaceX and Databricks to Stripe – as well as businesses beyond the traditional venture ecosystem, where we believe they can become generational winners.
With a heritage in public markets, we take a long-term approach: we’ve held investments in Amazon, ASML and Tesla for more than a decade and stayed invested through volatility. Our public-markets mandates also allow us to remain invested after IPO, and we retain significant holdings in Affirm, Alibaba, Spotify, Tempus AI and Wise.
The private/public advantage
Our public market heritage provides us with a distinct, enduring advantage in private investing:
- Pattern recognition: More than 100 years of investing in transformational companies, and the accumulated knowledge of around 130 growth investors across the firm
- Exceptional deal origination: Over 80 per cent of deals sourced from our unique network
- Preferred partner: Toolkit and people to enable transition to the public markets
Access to leading private companies is competitive. Businesses are selective about who they partner with and look for shareholders who can support their long-term ambitions. We aim to be a trusted long-term partner for ambitious founders and management teams, bringing our experience and network to support their growth journey.
Searching for investment partnership?
We have a strong history of helping exceptional private companies grow. If this sounds like you, contact us to discuss an investment partnership.
Companies
We invest in businesses pushing boundaries and driving transformational change. Investing since 2012, we have funded and forged relationships with private companies. Explore some of them here.
Affirm
Affirm is a fintech company with a buy now, pay later service.
Airbnb
Airbnb connects property hosts and guests for short-term rentals.
Altruist
Altruist’s software helps financial advisors serve clients better.
Anduril
Anduril develops advanced technologies for defence and security.
Anthropic
Anthropic builds advanced AI models for chat, coding and more.
Astranis
Astranis’s low-cost satellites expand access to the internet.
Avanci
Avanci licenses patents essential to global technology standards.
Bending Spoons
Bending Spoons acquires and develops consumer applications.
BillionToOne
BillionToOne detects diseases by counting DNA molecules in blood.
Blockstream
Blockstream’s products strengthen and expand Bitcoin’s ecosystem.
bolttech
bolttech makes selling insurance easy wherever people buy online.
Brex
Brex is a card and expenses platform for high-growth businesses.
ByteDance
ByteDance is the internet firm behind Douyin, TikTok and Toutiao.
Carbon
Carbon makes advanced 3D-printing hardware and software.
Cellares
Cellares helps biotechs mass-produce cell-based treatments.
Chime
Chime is a fintech with mobile-first, fee-free banking services.
Chi Forest
Chi Forest is a low-calorie and sugar-free soft drinks company.
ClearStreet
ClearStreet provides cloud-based, real-time technology for capital markets.
Cohesity
Cohesity helps clients protect data and gain insights from it.
Cosm
Cosm powers immersive experiences for entertainment and learning.
Daily Hunt
Daily Hunt is an Indian-language news and video aggregator.
Databricks
Databricks helps clients analyse, manage and optimise data use.
Epic Games
Epic Games develops Fortnite and 3D creation tool Unreal Engine.
Faire Wholesale
Faire connects independent brands and artisans with retailers.
Flix
Flix is a transport company with bus and train booking platforms.
Grammarly
Grammarly provides an online writing assistance tool.
HeartFlow
HeartFlow develops software to diagnose coronary artery disease.
Honor Technology
Honor connects seniors to tailored in-home caregiver support.
Human Interest
Human Interest helps companies provide retirement plans to staff.
Insightec
Insightec treats brain disorders with targeted ultrasound waves.
Jiangxiaobai
Jiangxiaobai is a baiju spirits company in China.
JRSK
JRSK’s Away brand sells stylish luggage and travel accessories.
Kepler Computing
Kepler develops materials for energy-efficient chips.
Loft
Loft runs an online residential real estate platform in Brazil.
McMakler
McMakler is a technology-driven residential real estate agency.
Merlin Labs
Merlin is developing an autonomous flight system for planes.
Meter
Meter designs, installs and manages business internet networks.
Mottu
Mottu makes and rents motorbikes, primarily to low-income workers.
Northvolt
Northvolt makes batteries for electric vehicles and power grids.
Nuro
Nuro makes self-driving vehicles for local deliveries.
Oddity Tech
Oddity is a technology-driven beauty company.
Oscar Health
Oscar Health is a technology-driven US health insurance provider.
Pet Circle
Pet Circle is an online pet supplies and medication retailer.
PsiQuantum
PsiQuantum is developing photon-based quantum computers.
Quince
Quince sells quality clothing and home goods direct from factories.
Rappi
Rappi is an ecommerce and fintech operator in Latin America.
Revolut
Revolut is a digital bank with wide-ranging financial services.
Rippling
Rippling unifies HR, IT, payroll and expenses on one platform.
Runway AI
Runway AI develops video-creating generative AI models and tools.
Solugen
Solugen makes chemicals via a carbon-negative biological process.
SpaceX
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches rockets and spacecraft.
STORD
STORD optimises ecommerce supply chains, inventory and deliveries.
Stripe
Stripe provides tools for companies to accept and make payments.
Tanium
Tanium’s platform secures and manages clients’ computing devices.
Tekever
Tekever’s drones and systems gather real-time aerial intelligence.
Tempus AI
Tempus AI uses AI to improve medical treatments.
Tenstorrent
Tenstorrent makes specialised computers and software for AI.
Toss
Toss is South Korea’s leading consumer fintech ‘super app’.
Upside Foods
Upside Foods grows cultivated meat directly from animal cells.
Vinted
Vinted is the world’s leading marketplace for pre-owned fashion.
Warby Parker
Warby Parker designs and sells eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Wayve
Wayve is building AI software to control self-driving cars.
Wise
Wise is an international money transfer business.
Workrise
Workrise runs an energy industry workforce and vendor platform.
Zetwerk
Zetwerk helps companies source certified, custom components at scale.
Zipline
Zipline runs drone delivery services in Africa, the US and Japan.
Disclaimer
Please note that when you click on any external site hypertext link, you will leave our site and access the external site at your own risk. Baillie Gifford does not sponsor, maintain or have any control over the contents of other websites. Therefore, we are not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of any of the information you may view, nor do we undertake to ensure successful transmission to any linked website.
Searching for investment partnership?
We have a strong history of helping exceptional private companies grow. If this sounds like you, contact us to discuss an investment partnership.
Meet the team
We are dedicated to identifying exceptional private growth companies and supporting their extraordinary leaders on their growth journey.
Peter Singlehurst
Head of Private Companies, Partner
Chris Evdaimon
Investment manager
Robert Natzler
Investment manager
Tom Slater
Investment manager
Luke Ward
Investment manager
Alexander Nicolier
Investment manager
Shan Shan
Investment manager
Hendrik Borginon
Investment manager
Tara Sophia Sallis
Investment manager
Kitsu Egerton
Investment manager
Michael O’Dwyer
Investment manager
Christopher Smith
Company relations manager
Get in touch
Get to know the individuals on our team above, or contact the team via email.
We have tried to break down an artificial divide between private and public companies because it’s in the interest of our clients and the companies we back.
Important information
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