An investment business focused on global mobility, automotive software-as-a-service, and fintech is now the focus for Peter Vardy, after he sold or closed most of his dealerships last year.
The new venture, Peter Vardy Global, aims to back “world-class ventures” that will support the future of motor retailing and mobility.
“After selling most of our retail operations in 2024, we’ve retained our Porsche Centres and are redeploying our capital, energy and talent into building and investing in world-class ventures,” said Peter Vardy, chief executive.
“We’re leaning into the future by backing innovation that improves lives and rethinking how value is created.”
Peter Vardy Global already includes the entrepreneur’s existing ventures CarMoney, an international car finance platform, and FlexAuto, which offers customisable vehicle leasing options for consumers.
It also includes Peter Vardy Global Ventures, which has a portfolio of 11 active investments already in early-stage companies, mostly overseas, which are aiming to drive transformative change in transportation, finance and vehicle technology.
Almost 20 years ago, at the age of 27, Vardy bought his first dealership and steadily built up an AM100 motor retail group in Scotland, after his father Sir Peter Vardy sold Reg Vardy plc to Pendragon.
At its peak the AM Award-winning dealer group represented BMW, Mini, Porsche, Vauxhall, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Vardy said it created close to £200 million in enterprise value, with nearly £15 million donated to charitable causes.
Alongside commercial ventures, the group has been a major contributor to social change globally and in Scotland through The Peter Vardy Foundation. Supporting those with a social vision to build social capacity for change, alongside meeting immediate needs through practical expressions of compassion in grassroots and national charities.
At the heart of this mission is Gen+, an educational charity co-founded by Peter and Victoria Vardy, which has helped over 40,000 young people in Scotland develop ‘Meta Skills’, those life capabilities that AI cannot replicate but which underpin success in an uncertain future.
Vardy said: “We want to build great businesses and contribute to building better futures. For us, those two goals are connected.”
As Peter Vardy Global moves into its next phase, the mission is twofold: to scale its success in the innovation economy and to deepen its impact on young lives across the UK and beyond.
“The last 20 years were about building value and contributing to society,” said Vardy.
“The next 20 will be about doing both, just faster, further and with even more purpose.”