Industry excellence

Maintaining robust, responsive industry standards remains central to our mission. In 2025, against a backdrop of rapid regulatory change, geopolitical developments and heightened scrutiny around valuation, transparency and sustainability, we continued to deliver guidance developed by the industry, for the industry. This included modular, adaptable tools and targeted forums for peer exchange on critical and fast-moving topics. Together, these efforts help members bridge the gap between EU rules and practical market realities, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen reporting practices.

Delivering clear and accessible guidance remained a core priority. During the year, we published a member-only guide on the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s review of valuation practices, supporting firms in understanding supervisory expectations within the UK funds market. We also continued our role as Secretariat to the IPEV Board, leading the review process and overseeing the publication of the 2025 IPEV Valuation Guidelines, which provide a globally recognised framework for valuing private assets in a more complex and scrutinised environment.​

Sustainability continued to be a major area of focus. We released the 2025 update of the Invest Europe ESG Reporting Template, a key component of our ESG Reporting Guidelines, following a renewed and expanded review process with broader member input. The update consolidated and refined the template, resolved ambiguities, and enhanced its relevance and user-friendliness, while maintaining alignment with EU legislation and leading industry initiatives.

We also introduced a new Human Rights Due Diligence Tool, designed specifically for investment and ESG teams. This high-level, sector-agnostic framework assists general partners in identifying potential risks, recognising warning signs, and evaluating governance and mitigation capacity, in accordance with international best practices.

Alongside our suite of publications, we delivered a structured, high-frequency webinar programme, translating complex policy and market developments into timely, actionable insights as they unfolded. Sessions covered topics including artificial intelligence, impact investing, ESG reporting and sustainability in a shifting geopolitical context, as well as the launch of the Human Rights Due Diligence Tool.

Fostering a strong and collaborative community remained a cornerstone of our work. The third annual Invest Europe ESG Gathering brought members together to share best practices, discuss common challenges and explore emerging trends in ESG.

Internally, we continued to lead by example. We completed our 2024 carbon footprint assessment as part of our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. We also successfully concluded our diversity programme, reaching 30% female representation across our governance structure, including all elected bodies.

Our long-standing efforts to advance responsible investment and ESG integration across the industry were further recognised in 2025. The European Commission identified Invest Europe as one of the more proactive and transparent organisations in its climate performance, and as a leader in aligning private capital with EU climate objectives – setting a benchmark for peer organisations across sectors.​

Looking ahead, Invest Europe will continue to build on this progress, working with the broader private equity, venture capital and infrastructure community to further strengthen industry standards. By championing best practices, fostering collaboration, and promoting peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing, we will continue to equip members with the tools and insights needed to navigate an evolving global landscape and seize emerging opportunities.