3i Group plc is a British multinational private equity and venture capital company based in London, England.

Its foundation was inspired by the Macmillan Committee, and resulted from the recognition in the 1930s, given new impetus in the postwar era, that smaller businesses faced a gap in available corporate finance due to banks being unwilling to provide long-term capital and the companies being too small to raise capital from the public markets.

[5] During the 1950s and 1960s, and particularly after 1959 when the shareholder banks allowed it to raise external funds, ICFC expanded significantly.

[6] 3i Group was created in 1987 when the banks sold off their stakes to form a public limited company.

Sectors invested in are business and financial services, consumer, industrials and energy, and healthcare.