3i

About 3i

3i Group plc is a UK listed mid-market private equity and infrastructure investor with £34.5 billion of assets under management as of December 2024 (Private Equity £28.3 billion plus Infrastructure £6.2 billion per September 2024 reporting), headquartered in London and a FTSE 100 constituent (LSE: III). The firm traces its origins to 1945 as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation established by HM Government and the Bank of England, before evolving into the modern 3i Group through privatisation in 1994 and listing on the London Stock Exchange. The platform operates a permanent capital model anchored by Action, the European discount retailer (57.9% stake, €13.8 billion 2024 net sales).

Investment thesis

3i Group deploys proprietary balance-sheet capital through a long-hold compounding model rather than traditional fund vintages, complemented by selective Eurofund vintages and the listed 3i Infrastructure plc vehicle for infrastructure deployment. Sector focus spans business and technology services, consumer, healthcare and industrial technology, with capital deployed across Northern Europe, Benelux, DACH and North America. The permanent capital model enables long-duration partnerships unconstrained by typical fund-life timing, with the Action investment compounding for over a decade and generating outsized returns that anchor the listed group's NAV growth.

Recent activity

Recent realised exits include WP (business services, 2024), MAIT Germany (industrial technology, 2025) and YDEON (industrial technology, 2025). Recent acquisitions include Comptest Group (commercial services, 2026) plus bolt-ons via Royal Sanders (Karium and Treaclemoon, consumer, 2024-2025) and Regional Rail (Cincinnati Eastern Railroad 2024, Minnesota Commercial Railway 2025). The platform continues active mid-market deployment alongside compounding Action exposure.

Frequently asked questions

What investment strategy does 3i focus on?

3i focuses on Buyout, Growth strategies in the private equity space.

How many portfolio companies does 3i have?

3i has 35 active portfolio companies and 6 completed exits and 1 fund tracked on GP Intel.

Where is 3i headquartered?

3i is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

What is 3i's assets under management?

3i manages approximately €43.1B in assets under management.

When was 3i founded?

3i was founded in 1945.

What sectors does 3i invest in?

3i invests across Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, Business Services.

What are 3i's recent exits?

Recent realized exits by 3i include: MAIT (2025) to Deutsche Beteiligungs, 2.7x; MPM (2025) to Partners Group, 3.2x; WP (2024) to Silgan Holdings, 2.2x; Trescal (2013) to AXA Private Equity (Ardian), 2.0x; CalaChem (2010) to AURELIUS AG; Refresco (2006) to Stodir (FL Group) / Kaupthing Capital Partners / Vifilfell Bottling Group consortium, 3.0x.