Berkeley is a financial services company based in Jersey, Channel Islands, specializing in venture capital and consulting.
It evolved from a financial consulting business, The Berkeley Consulting Group, formed in 1977. That business focused on financial consulting services and venture capital finance for U.S. high technology companies from non-U.S. institutional financing sources. The Company was incorporated in 1985 in Jersey, Channel Islands. It had obtained a listing on the London Stock Exchange ("LSE") in that same year and our Ordinary Shares currently trade under the symbol "BEK.L." Since 1985, they grew with the establishment of life insurance and annuity businesses in both the U.S. and Jersey, and through acquisitions in the financial advisory services and asset management areas. In 2002, they lost management control of the U.S. life insurance business due to the dilution in the level of the life insurance company's capital arising from bond and equity losses in poor market conditions. It continues to service the policyholders of London Pacific Assurance Limited ("LPAL") in Jersey, but new policies were not sold in 2003 to avoid the capital requirements related to the sales of new policies. In 2003, it sold two of its operating businesses: Berkeley Capital Management ("BCM"), a U.S. based asset management company; and London Pacific Advisory Services, Inc. and its affiliates ("LPA"), a U.S. based online investment consulting service. They now focus on their venture capital business. They are working with North American private technology companies that are looking to grow their businesses and to expand their investor base overseas, primarily in Europe and Japan. |
