The executive coaching industry in Europe is a rapidly evolving sector that focuses on enhancing individual leadership skills and organizational effectiveness. Companies range from digital platforms like CoachHub, offering virtual coaching, to traditional consulting firms specializing in in-person sessions. As workplaces are increasingly recognizing the importance of personal development, the demand for tailored coaching solutions is surging. Notably, with the rise of remote work, the industry is also shifting towards hybrid models, integrating technology into coaching strategies. The emphasis on mental health and well-being is becoming integral, influencing both coaching methodologies and entrepreneurial ventures in the sector.

This list highlights 13 influential investors in Europe's executive coaching space, showcasing a mix of venture capital, private equity, and corporate investors. They are headquartered across major cities—London, Stockholm, and Dublin—reflecting the vibrant investment activity across the continent. Notably, many investors, such as Accenture and SoftBank Investment Advisers, have invested significantly since their founding years—ranging from 1989 to 2018. With varying sizes, from small teams to extensive firms with thousands of employees, these investors completed numerous deals in 2024, showing rising interest in the sector's potential.

Top 13 Executive Coaching Investors in Europe

1. Accenture

• Website: accenture.com
• Type: Corporate
• Headquarters: Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
• Founded year: 2001
• Headcount: 10001+
• Number of deals in 2024: 51
• LinkedIn: accenture

Accenture is a global consulting firm based in Dublin, Ireland, specializing in information technology and management consulting services. Founded in 2001, the firm has grown to employ over 10,000 professionals and has made significant investments across various industries. Notably, Accenture has been active in the executive coaching and leadership development space through strategic acquisitions. For example, the acquisition of YSC Consulting, a global leadership strategy consulting firm, enhances Accenture's capabilities in leadership development, which is integral to executive coaching. Additionally, the acquisition of The Storytellers, a consultancy focused on change management, further strengthens Accenture's offerings in transformational change, a critical area for executive coaching. Furthermore, Accenture Ventures' investment in Praxis Labs, a VR learning platform, indicates a forward-thinking approach to leadership training and development, aligning with modern executive coaching methodologies.

2. Crowdcube

• Website: crowdcube.com
• Type: Corporate
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 2010
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 3
• LinkedIn: crowdcube-limited

Crowdcube is a London-based crowdfunding platform founded in 2010 that enables businesses to raise capital through equity investments. It connects startups and SMEs with potential investors, facilitating the funding process. The platform emphasizes promoting diversity and inclusion within its workforce while providing investment management services to its clients. Notably, Crowdcube has been involved in several transactions relevant to the executive coaching industry, including AQai, which raised $393,387 for adaptability assessments and coaching, and Cognomie, which raised $489,353 for its coaching services. These investments highlight Crowdcube's commitment to supporting businesses that contribute to personal and professional development, particularly in the coaching sector.

3. SoftBank Investment Advisers

• Website: visionfund.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 2017
• Headcount: 201-500
• Number of deals in 2024: 14
• LinkedIn: softbank-investment-advisers

SoftBank Investment Advisers, also known as the SoftBank Vision Fund, is a venture capital firm based in London, England, founded in 2017. The firm specializes in investing in technology-focused companies, particularly those innovating in artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. With a diverse portfolio, SoftBank has made notable investments in the executive coaching sector, including a $200 million Series C funding round for CoachHub, a Berlin-based digital coaching platform, and significant investments in Eruditus Executive Education, which raised $150 million in Series F and $650 million in Series E funding. These investments reflect SoftBank's strategy to support growth-stage companies that are enhancing executive coaching and education, thereby fostering technological advancement in these fields.

4. Ldc

• Website: ldc.co.uk
• Type: Private Equity
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 1981
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 15
• LinkedIn: ldc

Lloyds Development Capital (LDC) is a private equity firm based in London, England, specializing in providing growth capital and strategic support to mid-market businesses across various sectors. Founded in 1981, LDC is part of Lloyds Banking Group and focuses on fostering long-term partnerships to drive business success. Notably, LDC has invested in scarlettabbott, an employee engagement consultancy, which highlights their involvement in the coaching and consultancy industry. This investment aims to support scarlettabbott's growth, reflecting LDC's commitment to enhancing management teams' capabilities. Additionally, LDC has taken minority stakes in firms like Headland Consultancy and acquired a majority stake in Instinctif Partners, both of which operate in the consultancy space, further demonstrating their interest in sectors that overlap with executive coaching.

5. Almi

• Website: almi.se
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
• Founded year: 1994
• Headcount: 201-500
• Number of deals in 2024: 7
• LinkedIn: almi-ab

Almi AB is a financial services company based in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in 1994. It specializes in providing loans, risk capital, and business development support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sweden. Almi aims to enhance the growth and competitiveness of these businesses by offering tailored financial solutions and guidance. Notably, Almi has invested in companies like Winningtemp, which focuses on employee and organizational wellness, raising significant funds to develop its app aimed at improving workplace environments. This investment reflects Almi's commitment to supporting initiatives that can lead to better organizational health, a key aspect of executive coaching. Other investments include Appliedgroup Nordic and Racefox, although these do not directly relate to executive coaching, they showcase Almi's active role in nurturing innovative businesses.

6. Index Ventures

• Website: indexventures.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 1996
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 67
• LinkedIn: index-ventures

Index Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 1996, based in London, England. The firm invests in innovative startups across various sectors, including technology and healthcare, providing capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs. They focus on building long-term partnerships with founders to drive success. Among their notable transactions, Index Ventures participated in the funding rounds of Humu, a company focused on improving workplace culture and employee engagement, and Double, a service designed to assist executives and their teams with flexible support. These investments highlight Index Ventures' commitment to supporting businesses that enhance executive performance and productivity, making them a relevant player in the executive coaching space.

7. Ey

• Website: ey.com
• Type: Corporate
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 1989
• Headcount: 10001+
• Number of deals in 2024: 3
• LinkedIn: ernstandyoung

EY (Ernst & Young) is a leading professional services firm founded in 1989, headquartered in London, England. With over 10,000 employees, EY offers a comprehensive range of services including assurance, tax, consulting, and advisory. The firm has made several strategic acquisitions to bolster its consulting capabilities, such as the acquisition of Port Jackson Partners in 2020, which enhances their strategy consulting services in the Asia Pacific region. Additionally, EY acquired Gensquared in 2022 and Greenwich Consulting in 2013, both of which contribute to their consulting portfolio. These transactions reflect EY's commitment to providing expert guidance and innovative solutions, which are essential components of executive coaching.

8. Kima Ventures

• Website: kimaventures.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Paris, Île-De-France, France
• Founded year: 2010
• Headcount: 1-10
• Number of deals in 2024: 50
• LinkedIn: kima-ventures

Kima Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Paris, Île-De-France, France, founded in 2010. The firm specializes in investing in early-stage startups across various sectors, backing two startups per week with financial support and mentorship to help them navigate initial challenges and achieve success. Among their notable transactions, Kima Ventures invested in Simundia, which raised $2,259,338 in a Seed Round in April 2019. Simundia is a platform that focuses on coaching and development, making it directly relevant to the executive coaching industry. They also invested in Teale, which raised $2,401,543 in a Pre-Seed Round in May 2021, and Fifty, which raised $1,000,000 in a Pre-Seed Round in June 2019. These investments reflect Kima Ventures' commitment to supporting innovative companies that may contribute to the executive coaching landscape.

9. HV Capital

• Website: hvcapital.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Founded year: 2000
• Headcount: 11-50
• Number of deals in 2024: 28
• LinkedIn: hvventures

HV Capital is a venture capital firm based in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, founded in 2000. With over €2.8 billion under management, HV Capital specializes in investing in digital companies and supporting entrepreneurs from seed stage to exit. The firm has been actively involved in the executive coaching sector, notably through its investments in CoachHub, a Berlin-based digital coaching platform. HV Capital participated in several funding rounds for CoachHub, including a $200M Series C round in June 2022, an $80M Series B round in September 2021, and earlier rounds in 2020 and 2019. Additionally, HV Capital has invested in Greator, a Cologne-based coaching startup, which further demonstrates its commitment to the coaching industry. Through these investments, HV Capital provides not only capital but also strategic guidance to help these companies navigate growth challenges and achieve market success.

10. Eurazeo

• Website: eurazeo.com
• Type: Private Equity
• Headquarters: Paris, Île-De-France, France
• Founded year: 1969
• Headcount: 201-500
• Number of deals in 2024: 40
• LinkedIn: eurazeo

Eurazeo is a prominent investment management firm based in Paris, specializing in private equity, private debt, and real assets. Founded in 1969, the firm has established a significant presence in the investment management landscape across Europe. Eurazeo focuses on tailored investment strategies aimed at fostering growth and expansion in various sectors, including technology and healthcare. Notably, Eurazeo has participated in several transactions relevant to the executive coaching industry. For example, they invested in Double, a flexible assistant service designed for executives, which raised $8.5 million in Series A funding. This investment highlights Eurazeo's commitment to enhancing executive productivity. Additionally, their involvement with Scaled Agile, a company that provides training and resources for agile methodologies, further emphasizes their interest in supporting executive development and coaching. Overall, Eurazeo's diverse portfolio and strategic investments in companies that cater to executive needs position them as a relevant player in the executive coaching space.

11. Livingbridge

• Website: livingbridge.com
• Type: Private Equity
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 1995
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 3
• LinkedIn: livingbridge

Livingbridge is a private equity firm based in London, England, founded in 1995. The firm specializes in investing in established and growing businesses across various sectors, including technology, services, healthcare & education, and consumer markets. Livingbridge provides capital and strategic support to help its portfolio companies unlock their potential and achieve growth through mergers and acquisitions, internationalization, and talent management. Notably, Livingbridge has made significant investments in the executive coaching and consulting space, including the acquisition of YSC Consulting in 2013, a firm focused on leadership consulting, and an investment in The Up Group in 2016, which is an executive search firm aimed at enhancing delivery capacity and expanding internationally. These transactions highlight Livingbridge's active role in the executive coaching industry, making it a relevant investor in this field.

12. Bgf

• Website: bgf.co.uk
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom (UK)
• Founded year: 2011
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 53
• LinkedIn: bgfinvestments

BGF Investment Management Limited is a venture capital firm based in London, UK, founded in 2011. The firm specializes in providing growth funding and value creation support to small and mid-sized businesses across the UK and Ireland. BGF addresses the funding gap in the market through minority investments and extensive support services. Notable transactions include a £6m investment in TIG, a managed service provider, aimed at supporting its growth and acquisition strategy. BGF also invested £5m in Operam Education Group, which focuses on educational services, and has made significant investments in Metric Search, a recruitment company that is expanding into executive search and contract recruitment. These investments highlight BGF's commitment to supporting businesses that contribute to talent development and executive coaching.

13. Speedinvest

• Website: speedinvest.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Vienna, Vienna, Austria
• Founded year: 2011
• Headcount: 51-200
• Number of deals in 2024: 45
• LinkedIn: speedinvest

Speedinvest is a venture capital firm based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 2011. The firm specializes in funding early-stage tech startups across Europe, providing both capital and hands-on support to help these startups scale their operations. Speedinvest's investment focus spans various technology sectors, including Deep Tech, Fintech, and SaaS. Notably, Speedinvest has been actively involved in the executive coaching space through its investments in CoachHub, a Berlin-based digital coaching platform. They participated in multiple funding rounds for CoachHub, including a Seed round in 2018, Series A in 2019, Series B in 2020 and 2021, and a Series C in 2022, demonstrating their commitment to supporting innovation in the executive coaching industry. Speedinvest leverages a vast network of industry experts to assist their portfolio companies, further enhancing their value proposition in the tech startup ecosystem.

Executive Coaching Insights: Key Investors in Europe

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