Tesco pledges £20m to Henry Dimbleby’s Bramble Partners fund
Tesco has committed £20 million to Bramble Partners’ first venture capital fund, which aims to raise £100 million for healthier and more sustainable food businesses. The investment follows Tesco’s existing participation in the W23 Global supermarket venture fund and reflects its strategy to prioritize food innovation.
Bramble Partners will target UK and European companies at Series A to growth stage, typically investing several million pounds in each business. The fund’s focus spans health and nutrition, sustainable food production, the circular economy, artificial intelligence, shifting public policy, climate pressures, new nutritional science and the growth of weight‑loss drugs. Tesco’s £20m commitment adds to its venture activity, having previously pledged $25 million over five years to the W23 Global fund alongside four other major grocery groups. Henry Dimbleby, co‑founder of Leon and managing partner of Bramble, launched the firm in 2024 after leading the government‑commissioned National Food Strategy. Bramble also runs an advisory business that works with food‑industry companies to improve sustainability and product development.
Tesco is already one of five supermarket groups behind W23 Global, a $125 million (£93 million) venture fund established in 2024 with Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths Group, Canada’s Empire Company and South Africa’s Shoprite. Chief executives from each of the five groups sit on W23 Global’s investment committee.
What we know
Tesco has pledged £20m to a venture capital fund set up by Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby to back businesses developing healthier and more sustainable food.
It is investing in Bramble Partners’ first fund, which is targeting £100m to invest in businesses across the food supply chain.
Dimbleby launched Bramble Partners in 2024 after previously co-founding healthy fast-food chain Leon and leading the government-commissioned National Food Strategy.
Tesco is already one of five supermarket groups behind W23 Global, a $125m (£93m) venture fund established in 2024 alongside Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths Group, Canada’s Empire Company and South Africa’s Shoprite.