Octopus Group
A privately held United Kingdom investment and operating group active in investment management, venture capital, energy, infrastructure, real estate, financial technology, and related consumer services.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Octopus Group is a privately held United Kingdom holding and investment group founded in 2000 by Simon Rogerson, Christopher Hulatt, and Guy Myles. It began as a fund-management business and developed into a diversified group whose businesses operate across investment management, venture capital, renewable energy, real estate, financial technology, estate planning, and consumer financial services. The group’s best-known businesses include Octopus Investments and Octopus Energy. Octopus Investments manages products for retail and institutional investors, including venture capital trusts, enterprise investment schemes, business-relief-qualifying investments, and funds investing in listed UK smaller companies. Its institutional activities include renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, real estate, healthcare, venture capital, and private debt. The investment business also houses Octopus Ventures, a venture-capital platform, and Octopus Capital, an institutional alternative-asset manager. Octopus Investments is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is a certified B Corporation. Octopus Energy was established in 2015 as a UK electricity and gas supplier. It subsequently expanded into business energy, energy services, renewable-energy generation, and software licensing. Its customer-service and account-management technology has been offered to other energy suppliers, while Octopus Energy Generation owns and manages renewable infrastructure, particularly solar and onshore wind assets. In July 2021, Octopus Energy acquired the energy-generation business that had previously operated as a separate part of the wider group. Other group businesses broaden the organisation beyond conventional asset management. Octopus Inheritance Tax Service offers investments in unquoted UK companies intended to qualify for inheritance-tax relief. Octopus Legacy provides estate planning, probate, and bereavement support. Seccl Technology supplies investment-platform infrastructure and custody services to advisers, wealth managers, and consumer-facing financial businesses. Octopus Money, launched in 2023 after the earlier acquisition of Hatch Financial Coaching, provides money coaching and related guidance, often through employers. Octopus has also used its investment platforms to back technology and consumer businesses. Octopus Ventures has invested in companies including SwiftKey, ManyPets, Graze, and Zoopla. Through its energy and infrastructure activities, the group has pursued renewable generation, broadband infrastructure, and other assets intended to combine financial returns with wider economic or social outcomes. Because the group consists of multiple operating companies and investment vehicles, its scale, ownership arrangements, customers, and regulatory status vary by subsidiary. The parent remains privately held, while certain associated investment vehicles, such as Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, have been publicly listed.
History
Octopus Group was founded in 2000 by Simon Rogerson, Christopher Hulatt, and Guy Myles as a fund-management company. The founders built the organisation around specialist investment products and gradually expanded its activities beyond conventional fund management. Octopus Investments became the principal investment-management platform, serving retail and institutional investors through tax-efficient products, venture capital, and alternative-asset strategies. The group’s investment activities developed in several directions. Octopus Ventures became a venture-capital business investing in technology, healthcare, consumer, and other growth companies. Its portfolio has included SwiftKey, ManyPets, Graze, and Zoopla. Octopus Institutional Investments, later associated with Octopus Capital, focused on institutional strategies involving real estate, energy and infrastructure, and private debt. These activities reflected a broader Octopus approach of investing in assets and businesses intended to generate financial returns while addressing structural economic or social needs. Octopus entered the energy market in 2015 with the creation of Octopus Energy as a UK electricity and gas supplier. The company expanded from household supply into business energy, energy services, and software. Its technology platform was designed to support customer management and billing and was also made available to other suppliers. The energy business grew rapidly; by December 2019 it was reported to have more than 1.35 million domestic and business customers. Renewable-energy investment became another major part of the group. Octopus Energy Generation owns and manages renewable infrastructure, especially solar and onshore wind projects. It also manages Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, an investment vehicle listed on the London Stock Exchange in December 2019. In July 2021, Octopus Energy acquired the generation business, bringing the retail, technology, and renewable-generation activities into a more closely integrated energy group. Octopus also expanded its financial-services infrastructure. Seccl Technology was founded in Bath in 2017 by Dave Harvey and Hugo Thorman. It provides platform and custody technology that enables financial advisers, wealth managers, and consumer-facing financial businesses to operate products such as individual savings accounts, general investment accounts, and self-invested personal pensions. Octopus acquired Seccl in 2019. Seccl’s platform has been used by businesses including Monzo, MoneySuperMarket, Tide, and Söderberg & Partners, and the company later pursued European expansion through an Irish operation. A separate strand of the group’s development involved estate planning and personal financial support. Guardian Angel was founded in 2016 by Sam Grice after the death of his mother, with a focus on making estate planning, probate, and bereavement administration easier to navigate. It became part of Octopus Group in 2022 and was subsequently known as Octopus Legacy. Octopus also acquired Hatch Financial Coaching in 2021. That transaction preceded the launch of Octopus Money in 2023, a service offering money coaching and guidance, frequently through employers. Octopus Money replaced the earlier Octopus Wealth proposition. The group’s tax-efficient investment activity includes the Octopus Inheritance Tax Service, which invests in unquoted UK companies intended to qualify for business-relief treatment. Reported portfolio exposure has included Fern Trading, a diversified UK trading company with activities including short-term lending to experienced property professionals and the development and management of fibre-broadband networks. Vorboss, a UK broadband-network builder, was added to the Fern portfolio in 2020 with reported funding of £250 million. By the mid-2020s, Octopus Group had become a multi-business organisation rather than a single investment manager. Octopus Investments remained its central investment platform, while Octopus Energy developed into a major energy and renewable-infrastructure business. The group continued to combine regulated financial products, private-market investing, operating companies, technology infrastructure, and consumer services. Its parent entity remained privately held, although certain investment vehicles associated with its businesses were publicly listed.
- 2023
Octopus Money launches
[1]The group launches a money-coaching service aimed substantially at consumers through their employers.
- 2022
Guardian Angel joins Octopus Group
[1]The estate-planning and bereavement-support business becomes part of the group and is later branded Octopus Legacy.
- 2021
Hatch Financial Coaching is acquired
[1]The acquisition provides the foundation for Octopus’s later money-coaching proposition.
- 2021
Octopus Energy acquires the generation business
[1]Octopus Energy brings Octopus Energy Generation into its structure in July.
- 2020
Vorboss joins the Fern Trading portfolio
[1]Vorboss, a UK broadband-network builder, receives reported funding of £250 million through Fern Trading.
- 2019
Seccl is acquired
[1]Octopus Group acquires Seccl in a transaction reported at £10 million.
- 2019
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust is listed
[1]The renewable-infrastructure investment trust managed by Octopus Energy Generation is floated on the London Stock Exchange.
- 2017
Seccl Technology is founded
[1]Dave Harvey and Hugo Thorman establish the Bath-based investment-platform technology company.
- 2016
Guardian Angel is founded
[1]Sam Grice establishes Guardian Angel, the business that later becomes Octopus Legacy.
- 2015
Octopus Energy is established
[1]The group enters UK electricity and gas retailing through Octopus Energy.
Products and positioning
A diversified investment and operating group combining specialist asset management with businesses in renewable energy, financial infrastructure, and consumer financial support.
Investment management · 2000
Octopus Investments
Octopus Investments is the group’s principal investment-management business. It offers retail products such as venture capital trusts, enterprise investment schemes, business-relief-qualifying investments, and funds focused on listed UK small and medium-sized companies. Its institutional strategies span renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, real estate, healthcare, venture capital, and private debt. The business is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is a certified B Corporation.
Energy supply and services · 2015
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy began as a UK retail electricity and gas supplier and expanded into business energy, energy services, and energy-technology licensing. Its software supports customer account management and related supplier operations and has been made available to other energy companies. The brand is closely associated with the group’s renewable-energy generation and infrastructure activities.
Renewable-energy investment and generation
Octopus Energy Generation
Octopus Energy Generation owns and manages renewable-energy infrastructure, particularly solar and onshore wind assets. It manages Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust and became part of the Octopus Energy structure in July 2021 after previously operating as a separate group entity. Its activities connect infrastructure investment with the development and ownership of operating renewable projects.
Venture capital
Octopus Ventures
Octopus Ventures is the group’s venture-capital platform. It invests in growth-oriented businesses across technology, consumer, healthcare, and related sectors. Reported investments include SwiftKey, ManyPets, Graze, and Zoopla. The platform operates within the broader Octopus Investments organisation.
Institutional alternative-asset management
Octopus Capital
Octopus Capital is an institutional asset-management division specialising in alternative assets, including real estate, energy and infrastructure, and private debt. It was previously associated with the names Octopus Institutional Investments and Octopus Real Estate. Its strategies are positioned around financial returns and investment in wider economic and social challenges.
Tax-efficient investment
Octopus Inheritance Tax Service
Octopus Inheritance Tax Service gives investors access to shares in unquoted UK companies intended to support economic activity and qualify for inheritance-tax relief. Reported investments include Fern Trading, whose activities include lending to experienced property professionals and developing fibre-broadband networks. The product sits within the group’s specialist tax-efficient investment offering.
Estate planning and bereavement support · 2016
Octopus Legacy
Octopus Legacy provides estate-planning, probate, and bereavement-support services. It originated as Guardian Angel, founded by Sam Grice in 2016 after the death of his mother, and became part of Octopus Group in 2022. The service is intended to make legal, administrative, and practical aspects of later-life planning and bereavement easier to manage.
Financial technology and custody infrastructure · 2017
Seccl Technology
Seccl Technology provides investment-platform infrastructure and custody services for financial advisers, wealth managers, and consumer-facing financial businesses. Its technology supports propositions including individual savings accounts, general investment accounts, and self-invested personal pensions. The company was founded in Bath in 2017 and acquired by Octopus Group in 2019. Its platform has been used by businesses including Monzo, MoneySuperMarket, Tide, and Söderberg & Partners.
Financial coaching · 2023
Octopus Money
Octopus Money provides money coaching and related financial guidance to consumers, often through employer-sponsored programmes. It followed Octopus’s acquisition of Hatch Financial Coaching in 2021 and launched as a distinct brand in 2023. The proposition replaced the earlier Octopus Wealth financial-advice business.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch Octopus MoneyProduct launchBackground
Octopus had acquired Hatch Financial Coaching in 2021 and had previously operated a financial-advice business under the Octopus Wealth name.
Action taken
The group launched Octopus Money as a money-coaching and guidance service, often distributed through employers.
Aftermath
The launch expanded the group’s consumer-facing financial-support activities beyond investment products and estate services.
2021
Integrate Octopus Energy Generation with Octopus EnergyM&ABackground
The group had developed separate retail-energy, energy-technology, and renewable-generation capabilities and moved to bring the generation business into the energy company.
Action taken
Octopus Energy acquired Octopus Energy Generation in July 2021.
Aftermath
The transaction created a more integrated energy platform spanning energy supply, technology, renewable generation, and infrastructure management.
2019
Acquire Seccl TechnologyM&ABackground
Octopus sought to expand its financial-services infrastructure capabilities through ownership of an investment-platform and custody-technology provider.
Action taken
Octopus Group acquired Seccl in a transaction reported as valued at £10 million.
Aftermath
Seccl continued operating as a platform provider for advisers, wealth managers, and consumer-facing financial businesses within the wider Octopus organisation.
Reported transaction value. £10 million (2019)
Recent events
- 2026
Seccl establishes an Irish business[1]
Other
Seccl established an Irish operation as part of a planned expansion of its investment-platform services into European markets.
- 2023
Octopus Money launches[1]
Product launch
Octopus introduced Octopus Money, a workplace-oriented money-coaching and financial-guidance business developed after its Hatch acquisition.
- 2022
Guardian Angel becomes part of Octopus Group[1]
M&A
The estate-planning and bereavement-support company founded by Sam Grice became part of Octopus Group and was subsequently known as Octopus Legacy.
- 2021
Octopus acquires Hatch Financial Coaching[1]
M&A
The acquisition formed the basis for the later Octopus Money proposition.
- 2021
Octopus Energy acquires Octopus Energy Generation[1]
M&A
In July 2021, Octopus Energy acquired the renewable-generation business that had previously operated as a separate entity within the group.
- 2019
Octopus acquires Seccl[1]
M&A
Octopus Group acquired investment-platform infrastructure provider Seccl in a transaction reported as being valued at £10 million.
- 2019
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust floats on the London Stock Exchange[1]
Other
The renewable-infrastructure investment trust managed by Octopus Energy Generation was admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange.
- 2019
Octopus Energy reports more than 1.35 million customers[1]
Other
By December 2019, Octopus Energy was reported to serve more than 1.35 million domestic and business customers.
- 2015
Octopus Energy established as a retail energy supplier[1]
Other
Octopus Energy entered the UK electricity and gas retail market and later expanded into business energy, energy services, and energy-technology licensing.
Octopus launches inheritance-tax investment service[1]
Product launch
Octopus Investments developed a service offering investments in unquoted UK companies intended to qualify for inheritance-tax relief.
Sources2 sources
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