Comparison · 16 material differences
UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA) vs Level 20
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA)
UK private equity, venture capital and private credit fund managers, their institutional investors, and the advisers and service providers around them
Networking organization
Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
What the records say
- Minimum investable assets — UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA): Family offices joining as limited partners must have at least £20m invested in European private equity and venture capital; Level 20: No published minimum investable assets.
- Accredited-investor status — UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA): General partners must hold FCA or equivalent regulatory approval; Level 20: No published accredited-investor status.
- Geographic restriction — UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA): UK general partners must have an office or investments in the UK; Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe.
- Industry restriction — UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA): No published industry restriction; Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry.
- Annual dues — UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA): £3,100–87,450 a year; Level 20: £0 a year.
Side by side
| UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA) | Level 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Networking organization |
| Founded | 1983 (Founded in 1983 as the British Venture Capital Association; the organization's own site says it has been the voice of private capital in the UK for over four decades) | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | United Kingdom; members are fund managers, investors and advisers with a UK office or UK investments | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London |
| Members | 600as of September 2026 | 7,250as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | Not applicable — the association has no chapter structure | 13 |
| Primary audience | UK private equity, venture capital and private credit fund managers, their institutional investors, and the advisers and service providers around them | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles |
| Typical member | Member firms fall into four groups: general partners (PE, VC and private credit fund managers with a UK office or UK investments and FCA or equivalent regulatory approval), limited partners (pension funds, insurers, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, plus funds of funds and secondaries managers), professional services and financial institutions, and investee companies. | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. |
| Qualification | ||
| Minimum investable assets | Family offices joining as limited partners must have at least £20m invested in European private equity and venture capitalUnregulated family offices with £20m–£100m invested must also supply a written reference from an FCA-authorised member at partner level or aboveverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum investable assets |
| Accredited-investor status | General partners must hold FCA or equivalent regulatory approvalverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published accredited-investor status |
| Geographic restriction | UK general partners must have an office or investments in the UKverified September 2026 · source ↗ | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| Application process | Firms contact the membership team at membership@ukprivatecapital.co.uk or apply through the relevant membership category page. Eligibility is checked against the category criteria and the code of conduct, and a subscription band is set from the firm's size. Unregulated family offices in the £20m–£100m band additionally need a written reference from an FCA-authorised member at partner level or above. | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed — the association publishes eligibility criteria but no acceptance data | Not publicly disclosed for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | £3,100–87,450 a yearUK General Partner category, banded by European funds under management: £3,100 (£0–25m); £6,050 (£25–50m); £9,750 (£50–100m); £11,900 (£100–200m); £18,150 (£200–300m); £25,250 (£300–400m); £32,400 (£400–500m); £39,450 (£500–625m); £47,200 (£625–750m); £55,100 (£750–875m); £62,950 (£875m–£1bn); £70,850 (£1–5bn); £76,500 (£5–10bn); £87,450 (over £10bn)verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry" — Annual Review 2025verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual subscription | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A year-round calendar of conferences, summits, dinners and training courses, mostly in London | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions |
| Peer forums | No peer-forum structure; members engage through committees, working groups and events | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA) · Level 20