HarbourVest Global Private Equity : Annual Financial Report

12 May 2017

RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2017

10% NAV growth marks eighth consecutive year of increasing NAV

HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited ('HVPE' or the 'Company'), a closed-end investment company, announces its audited results for the year ended 31 January 2017. All figures relate to the year ended 31 January 2017 unless otherwise stated.

Strong performance

• Continued growth in net asset value ('NAV') per share
  • In the year, 10% growth to $18.47
  • Annual compound growth of 11% since 2010 (US dollars)
• Share price up 37% to £11.95 at 31 January 2017
  • Further rise of 7% to £12.78 between financial year end and 10 May 2017

• Discount to NAV narrowed from 26% to 19% over year

• • Continued to close post-reporting period
• Active portfolio management, supporting next wave of growth
  • $425m committed to new HarbourVest funds (2016: $526m)
  • $270m invested in private companies through HarbourVest funds (2016: $211m)
  • $148m value growth from investment portfolio (2016: $82m)
    • Direct-co-investments and buyouts key drivers
  • $251m realisations (2016: $363m); larger exits realised at an average 30% above carrying value
• Net cash of $175.2m on balance sheet, zero borrowings

Sir Michael Bunbury, Chairman of HVPE, said:

'I am very pleased to report another year of steady progress for HVPE. This represents the eighth consecutive financial year of positive NAV growth and reflects the continuing success of HVPE's consistent investment strategy.

'Through committing to HarbourVest-managed funds, this Company provides shareholders with access to a ready-made and globally diversified private equity programme - a strategy which aims to deliver long-term capital appreciation for shareholders. From inception in December 2007 to 31 January 2017, HVPE has delivered a share price total return of 140% in sterling terms.

'As we approach our tenth year of existence, we remain confident that the private markets will continue to offer superior returns and that your Company is well-positioned to take advantage of this.'

To view the Company's Annual Financial Report please follow this link: Annual Report - Year Ending 31 January 2017.

The annual financial report will also shortly be available on the National Storage Mechanism, which is situated at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

Enquiries:

Notes to Editors

About HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited:

HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited ('HVPE' or the 'Company') is a Guernsey-incorporated, closed-end investment company which is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index. HVPE is designed to offer shareholders long-term capital appreciation by investing in a private equity portfolio diversified by geography, stage of investment, vintage year, and industry. The Company invests in and alongside HarbourVest-managed funds which focus on primary fund commitments, secondary investments and direct co-investments in operating companies. HVPE's investment manager is HarbourVest Advisers L.P., an affiliate of HarbourVest Partners, LLC, an independent, global private markets investment specialist with more than 30 years of experience.

About HarbourVest Partners, LLC:

HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets asset manager with more than 30 years of experience and more than $40 billion in assets under management. The Firm's powerful global platform offers clients investment opportunities through primary fund investments, secondary investments, and direct co-investments in commingled funds or separately managed accounts. HarbourVest has more than 400 employees, including more than 100 investment professionals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This global team has committed more than $34 billion to newly-formed funds, completed over $16 billion in secondary purchases, and invested $6 billion directly in operating companies. Partnering with HarbourVest, clients have access to customised solutions, longstanding relationships, actionable insights, and proven results.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in any jurisdiction and should not be relied upon in connection with any decision to subscribe for or acquire any Shares. In particular, this announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States or to US Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended ('US Persons')). Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly to US Persons or in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions), Canada, Australia or Japan, or any jurisdiction where such action would be unlawful. Accordingly, recipients represent that they are able to receive this announcement without contravention of any applicable legal or regulatory restrictions in the jurisdiction in which they reside or conduct business. No recipient may distribute, or make available, this announcement (directly or indirectly) to any other person. Recipients of this announcement should inform themselves about and observe any applicable legal requirements in their jurisdictions.

The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act') or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and, accordingly, may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to US Persons. In addition, the Company is not registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 'Investment Company Act') and shareholders of the Company will not have the protections of that act. There will be no public offer of the Shares in the United States or to US Persons.

This announcement has been prepared by the Company and its investment manager, HarbourVest Advisers L.P. (the 'Investment Manager'). No liability whatsoever (whether in negligence or otherwise) arising directly or indirectly from the use of this announcement is accepted and no representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is or will be made by the Company, the Investment Manager or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, representatives or other agents ('Agents') for any information or any of the opinions contained herein or for any errors, omissions or misstatements. None of the Investment Manager nor any of their respective Agents makes or has been authorised to make any representation or warranties (express or implied) in relation to the Company or as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of this announcement, or any other written or oral statement provided. In particular, no representation or warranty is given as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on any projections, targets, estimates or forecasts contained in this announcement and nothing in this announcement is or should be relied on as a promise or representation as to the future.

Other than as required by applicable laws, the Company gives no undertaking to update this announcement or any additional information, or to correct any inaccuracies in it which may become apparent and the distribution of this announcement. The information contained in this announcement is given at the date of its publication and is subject to updating, revision and amendment. The contents of this announcement have not been approved by any competent regulatory or supervisory authority.

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, 'forward looking statements'. These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms 'believes', 'projects', 'estimates', 'anticipates', 'expects', 'intends', 'plans', 'goal', 'target', 'aim', 'may', 'will', 'would', 'could', 'should' or 'continue' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and include statements regarding the intentions, beliefs or current expectations of the Company. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may be beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. More detailed information on the potential factors which could affect the financial results of the Company is contained in the Company's public filings and reports.

All investments are subject to risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Prospective investors are advised to seek expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before making any investment decision. The value of investments may fluctuate. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee of future results.

This announcement is issued by the Company, whose registered address is Ground Floor Dorey Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2HT.

© 2017 HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited. All rights reserved.

Chairman's Statement

Dear Shareholder,

The year to 31 January 2017 was a year of steady progress for HarbourVest Global Private Equity ('HVPE' or the 'Company') following the landmark previous year which saw the establishment of a single class of voting shares, the listing of those shares on the Main Market in London and the entry of the Company into the FTSE 250 Index. Furthermore, in October 2016 HVPE announced that it had delisted its shares in Amsterdam and in November it moved its Home State to the United Kingdom.

The Company has witnessed a continuing transition in its share register. Shares have flowed East across the Atlantic such that the percentage owned by US Persons is estimated to have reduced from 42% in May 2016 to 29% as at the date of this letter. A number of new, mainly UK domiciled, shareholders and investment managers have become major shareholders. On behalf of the Board of HVPE I want to thank longstanding shareholders for their support and to welcome new shareholders, wherever they are located, and particularly those institutions and private wealth managers that have seen the merits of making a long-term investment in private equity through ownership of shares in your Company.

2017 is the tenth year of the Company's existence and the financial record since inception is shown at the foot of this Statement. Even approaching ten years is not a long time when investing in private markets and the Company is fortunate to be able to draw on, and be guided by, the experience of our Investment Manager, HarbourVest Partners ('HarbourVest'). Together with colleagues, in 1982 Brooks Zug, currently a Senior Managing Director of HarbourVest and a director of HVPE, formed the business that is now HarbourVest and over the last 35 years they have built a formidable track record of successfully investing in private markets. From small beginnings, HarbourVest has expanded to become a world-wide private equity manager presently managing in excess of $40 billion of investors' money from all around the globe. It is this wealth of experience and the global reach of the Investment Manager that underpins the proposition for investment in the shares of HVPE as being one of the very few large (a market capitalisation of £1 billion), liquid (a median turnover of shares to the value of approximately £343,000 per day) and widely diversified private equity vehicles listed on the London Stock Exchange.

This Annual Report seeks both to report on the progress of the Company during the year to 31 January 2017 and also to explain in some detail the process by which the Company is managed with the aim of delivering long-term net asset value ('NAV') appreciation. As a highly diversified company with underlying investments in more than 7,000 companies the NAV of HVPE is never likely to be materially affected by the performance of any one individual company. But over time the returns from successful early stage investing through funds in companies that have become household names such as Google, Facebook or, recently, Snapchat, can be significant. Taken together with the larger element of the Company's business, being investment in buy-outs and corporate turn-around situations, the aim is to deliver steady growth in NAV per share in normal market conditions. Of course, conditions are not always normal and the ten-year record reminds us of the effect of the Global Financial Crisis. However, since 2010 the NAV per share in US dollar ('USD') terms has grown at a compound rate of 11.4% per annum and in the year to 31 January 2017 grew by 10.3% to $18.47.

Performance and Asset Values
Although the share price does not directly track the growth in NAV per share, such growth is the bedrock which underpins the company. In the year to 31 January 2017 USD NAV per share grew by 10.3%. Unlike the previous year when NAV performance exceeded the total return of the MSCI All Country World Index by 12%, on this occasion growth of 10.3% was somewhat less than the return on that index which accelerated markedly from mid-summer of 2016. The total return from the MSCI Index was 18.6% for the 12 months, and that from the FTSE All World Index was 18.8%. In future the Company intends to benchmark performance against the FTSE All World Index which better matches HVPE's asset profile, albeit still not perfectly. This is not a softening of the benchmark as over the long term the FTSE Index has outperformed the MSCI.

Relative performance to any one single date is only a snapshot and heavily influenced by short-term movements in listed markets as opposed to valuations of private assets which typically are only revalued every three to six months. What matters is the long-term performance. Since inception in 2007 HVPE has delivered NAV per share total return in USD of 84.7% as against 38.6% total return for the FTSE All World Index.

HVPE's strategy is to deliver superior long term NAV per share performance. The aim is that this should exceed that of listed markets by 5% per annum and as reported a year ago that aim was achieved from inception in 2007 to 31 January 2016. It has not been for the year to 31 January 2017 as a result of a combination of rapidly rising listed markets towards the end of the period, lags in private equity valuations and deliberately increased commitments to new funds so as to lay the ground for growth in future years. All in all, though, the Board considers the outturn for the 12 months to 31 January to be fully satisfactory.

Share Price Performance, Share Trading and Discounts

Ultimately what matters to shareholders is share price performance. For UK investors the year to 31 January 2017 saw the share price as quoted in UK pounds sterling ('GBP') rise by 37% driven by NAV per share growth in USD and a decline in the GBP/USD exchange rate, resulting in a narrowing of the discount from 25.9% to 18.6%. At 31 January 2017 the share price ended the year at £11.95. For US based investors there was also substantial growth, albeit lower than
for UK shareholders, of 21%. Although some other companies and markets materially outpaced such growth, given low inflation and minimal returns on cash and near-cash assets, returns at such levels over 12 months for a long-term asset must be considered very respectable.

Nevertheless, as with all equity type of assets with a liquid market price, there was significant volatility in both the discount to NAV at which the shares traded over the 12 months and in the share price. In mid-summer, immediately following the shock Referendum vote in the UK, the discount exceeded 30% and the share price was below £9. By contrast at 31 January 2017 the discount was less than 19% with the share price heading towards £12. The Board regularly reviews the level of the discount and considers whether the Company has feasible options which might reduce the discount over the longer term. To date the Board remains of the view that good investment performance which delivers long term growth in NAV per share, together with increased acceptance by the market of the benefits of listed private equity as an asset class, are the key to lower discounts. Meanwhile shareholders do need to be prepared to tolerate volatility in both discount and share price and look beyond both to the value creation that increasing NAV per share will ultimately bring.

During the year there was a further welcome increase in the number of shares routinely traded and there was substantial movement in the register of shareholders. The Company estimates that some 42% of issued shares were traded in the year.

Currency

In earlier paragraphs I have referred to values in both UK pounds (market capitalisation and share turnover) and in US dollars (NAV). Currencies and their relative movements have a significant effect on your Company which needs to be borne in mind when considering results and prospects for the future.

HVPE's functional currency is the US dollar. The Company draws up its accounts in USDs and those accounts are presented under US accounting standards. The majority of the Company's assets are and are always likely to be USD assets. At year-end the US assets represented 62% of the Company's assets and the Investment Manager's target allocation is 65%. In addition many of the assets located outside of the US are heavily influenced by the performance of the USD and, with the exception of those 23% of underlying investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars, all funds in which HVPE is directly or indirectly invested are USD denominated. So both in terms of assets and in terms of currency the USD is significantly the most important currency as far as NAV is concerned.

Currencies impact on HVPE in a number of ways. The share price quote is in UK pounds as is required by the rules of the London Stock Exchange. The share price finds its own level but in the long run it is heavily influenced by, and indeed driven by, the USD NAV per share. So as was the case in the year to 31 January 2017, a substantial depreciation of the GBP relative to the USD has boosted the GBP share price return very substantially. During the year the GBP share price rose from £8.71 to £11.95, or by 37.2%. Translated back into USD the gain was 21.1% for a shareholder whose base currency is the USD.

Investors in HVPE shares are investing in what is very largely a USD asset even though the shares are quoted in GBP. Within HVPE the principal currency risk is that of the translation of the euro assets into USDs. The volatility of the exchange rate between the euro and the USD has resulted in both foreign exchange gains and losses in individual time periods since the inception of the Company. For a number of years the exchange risk was partly offset by the presence of borrowings in euros. However, since 2014 the Company has had no borrowings but has held substantial USD deposits and thus no hedge against depreciation of the euro is currently in place.

Company Portfolio, Balance Sheet and Fees

The Investment Manager's report following this Statement gives considerable detail on the affairs of the Company and as with last year I will confine my comments to a number of strategic matters.

Once again HVPE has seen significant uplifts in individual company valuations on the occasion of a liquidity event. This year the uplifts from carrying value on the day prior to the announcement of the liquidity event have averaged approximately 30%. Although this is lower than the uplifts reported for the previous five years, it still represents powerful evidence that the appraised fair value of the companies in which HVPE has an indirect underlying interest through its investment portfolio has regularly been uplifted on the occasion of a liquidity event. I see no reason why that trend should not continue in future years.

In order to lay the ground for future growth, and as reported by the Investment Manager, the Company has continued to make substantial commitments to new HarbourVest funds - being the only assets that the Company routinely invests in. During the year new commitments of USD 425 million were made and at the period end HVPE had yet-to-be funded commitments of USD 1.2 billion. As has been regularly reported, the profile of draw-downs of cash for a company investing, as HVPE does, principally through funds of funds, is both relatively predictable and, for primary funds, is typically spread over five to seven years. In the judgement of the Board and of the Investment Manager this permits HVPE to run a Balance Sheet with significant yet-to-be funded commitments in the firm expectation, built on HVPE's experience of nearly 10 years and HarbourVest's of 35 years, that realisations from existing assets will flow through to provide funding to meet those future commitments.

Once again the pace of realisations was substantial in the 12 months to 31 January 2017 and the Company ended the year with a cash balance of $175 million, only slightly reduced from $204 million 12 months earlier. During the year there were substantial cash movements amounting to $251 million of realisations and $270 million of cash calls for investment.

The Investment Manager has prepared cash flow models covering several different macroeconomic scenarios. All of those models predict a Balance Sheet which remains sound even in the event of a downturn worse than the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Although in most foreseeable circumstances the forecast level of borrowing remains very modest, as an 'insurance' the Board has chosen to have available secured and committed bank facilities amounting to $500 million as committed jointly by Lloyds Bank and Credit Suisse. During the year the maturity of those facilities was extended to December 2020. Increased capital requirements for banks have meant that the cost of such facilities has risen and HVPE is now paying a fee of 1.15% per annum on undrawn facilities and interest at a margin over LIBOR of upwards from 3% in the event that funds are drawn. Although such facilities are significantly more expensive than they were in the early years of the Company's existence, the Board and the Investment Manager are of the opinion that they provide the essential building block for future investment performance by allowing HVPE to run a commitment ratio materially higher than many of its peers. It is, therefore, intended that facilities will be regularly renewed and extended such that at any time the Company will endeavour to have facilities available for at least the following 36 months.

I indicated a year ago that the Company's increased pace of commitments would likely lead to the plateauing of the management fees, as a percentage of NAV, payable to HarbourVest via the funds in which HVPE is invested. That has indeed proved to be the case and management fees as a percentage of year-end NAV have remained at 1.1%.

The Board and Management

No structural changes were made during the year. At the AGM in July 2016 shareholders confirmed the appointment of two partners of HarbourVest, Brooks Zug and Peter Wilson, as continuing directors of HVPE for the following 12 months. Richard Hickman in London and Billy Macaulay in Boston head the team and have been joined by Charlotte Edgar as a Senior Marketing and Communications specialist located in London. As Chairman, I continue to be actively involved and am in regular contact with all of the key HarbourVest individuals.

As I reported in September, in 2016 the Board commissioned an external appraisal of its effectiveness which was undertaken by BoardAlpha Ltd. The report made a number of detailed recommendations; but it also endorsed the effectiveness of the current structure in respect of the management of the Company and the furtherance of the shareholders' interests.

I have referred in earlier Statements to the fact that a number of directors have served for nine years and that in due course new appointments to the Board would be made. To commence this movement the Board appointed external recruitment consultants to search for an additional director. Following a robust process I was very pleased to be able to announce in March 2017 that the Company had appointed Francesca Barnes as an independent non-executive director. Francesca has a wealth of experience in the private equity world, most recently as a director of Electra Private Equity PLC from which Board she retired in 2016. Prior to that appointment Francesca spent 16 years at UBS AG serving as Global Head of Private Equity for the last seven years and, prior to UBS, served 11 years with Chase Manhattan UK and US in roles spanning commodity finance, financial institutions and private equity.

At present the Board has no formal policy on tenure. However, I am clear that the process which commenced with the appointment of Francesca Barnes will be ongoing with an aim always to have a Board of an appropriate size and with individuals who are qualified and capable of directing the Company in the interests of all shareholders.

Annual General Meeting and Informal Shareholder Meeting

HVPE will hold its formal Annual General Meeting in Guernsey on 20 July 2017. Notice of the meeting, together with the resolutions to be tabled and voting forms, is expected to be dispatched to shareholders in the week commencing 22 May. Francesca Barnes will offer herself for election to the Board. All of the other Independent Directors, save for Alan Hodson, have served for more than nine years, and all, including Alan, will submit themselves for re-election at the 2017 AGM. This is in keeping with the AIC's Code.

Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, HarbourVest has the right to propose two persons for election to the Board and Brooks Zug and Peter Wilson, the two HarbourVest partners who currently serve on the Board of HVPE, have been duly proposed. Although it is relatively unusual for two representatives of the Investment Manager to serve on the Board of an investment company, as I have written before, in the special circumstances of HVPE I consider it to be wholly appropriate for this company and I ask shareholders to vote in favour of their re-election at the AGM.

In relation to the AGM, HVPE has recently appointed a specialist firm, Boudicca, to assist in the liaison between the company and its shareholders. Most shareholdings are registered in the names of nominee companies and frequently the chain between those registered holders and the decision makers in front offices of the managers has several links in it, including some spanning oceans. Boudicca will assist in ensuring that the relevant papers, including this Annual Report, reach the appropriate decision makers and we look forward to shareholders voting on the resolutions in front of the AGM by means of proxies executed by the registered holders.

In advance of the formal AGM HVPE will hold an informal meeting for interested shareholders at Sofitel St James, 6 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AN from 8.30am on Thursday 8 June 2017. The Investment Manager has recently issued invitations and details by email to major shareholders. Any shareholder who has not received an invitation but would like to attend should contact Charlotte Edgar at cedgar@harbourvest.com.

Conclusion

As always in the investment world uncertainties abound. Markets and economies have to pause, and indeed retrench from time to time. Political events are unpredictable. 2016 was a wonderful year for owners of many assets and one cannot expect returns to run so very far ahead of economic growth in the long run. However, investing in private equity assets through
a company such as HVPE, managed as it is by a highly experienced manager, should be seen as a long-term strategy to add value from which all shareholders should benefit over the longer term.

Michael Bunbury

Chairman
12 May 2017

Principal Risks and Uncertainties

Risk Factors

The Board and Investment Manager have identified a number of risks to the Company's business. A comprehensive risk assessment process is undertaken on a quarterly basis to re-evaluate the impact and probability of each risk materialising and the financial or strategic impact of the risk. Those risks which have a higher probability and a significant potential impact on performance, strategy, reputation or operations are identified below as principal risks faced by the Company.

The Company's Board is responsible for monitoring and oversight of the risks facing the Company and conducts a structured review of these risks, and associated mitigants, on at least a quarterly basis.

Board of Directors

Sir Michael Bunbury
Chairman, Independent Non-Executive Director, appointed October 2007
Sir Michael Bunbury (age 70) is an experienced director of listed and private investment, property and financial services companies. He is currently the Chairman of BH Global Limited, a former Director of Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust plc (which has been an investor in numerous HarbourVest funds, including funds in which the Company is invested), and Director of Invesco Perpetual Select Trust plc. Sir Michael began his career in 1968 at Buckmaster & Moore, a member of The Stock Exchange, before joining Smith & Williamson, Investment Managers and Chartered Accountants, in 1974 as a Partner. He later served as Director and Chairman and retired as a consultant to the firm in May 2017.

Keith B. Corbin

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, appointed October 2007
Keith Corbin (age 64) is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (A.C.I.B.) (1976) and Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (T.E.P.) (1990). He has been involved in the management of international financial services businesses in various international centres during the last 34 years. Keith is currently the Group Executive Chairman of Nerine International Holdings Limited, Guernsey, which also has operations in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, India, and Switzerland. He serves as a non-executive Director on the board of 3W Power S.A. and various regulated financial services businesses, investment funds, and other companies.

Alan C. Hodson

Independent Non-Executive Director, appointed April 2013
Alan Hodson (age 55) is a Director of JP Morgan Elect and Woodford Patient Capital Trust. Alan joined Rowe and Pitman (subsequently SG Warburg, SBC and UBS) in 1984 and worked in a range of roles, all related to listed equity markets. He became Global Head of Equities in April 2001 and was a member of the Executive Committee of UBS Investment Bank and of the UBS AG Group Managing Board. He retired from UBS in June 2005 and has since held positions on a variety of commercial and charity Boards.

Andrew W. Moore

Independent Non-Executive Director, appointed October 2007
Andrew Moore (age 62) is Group Chairman of Cherry Godfrey Holdings Limited, Chairman of Sumo Limited and a director of Sumo Acquisitions Limited. Andrew joined Williams & Glyns Bank, which subsequently became The Royal Bank of Scotland, after obtaining a diploma in business studies. He moved to Guernsey to establish and act as Managing Director of a trust company for The Royal Bank of Scotland in 1985. During his career, Andrew held a range of senior management positions, including acting as head of corporate trust and fund administration businesses for The Royal Bank of Scotland in Guernsey, Jersey, and Isle of Man, which provided services to many offshore investment structures holding a wide variety of asset classes. Andrew
has over 30 years of experience as both an executive and non-executive Director of companies including investment funds and banks.

Jean-Bernard Schmidt

Independent Non-Executive Director, appointed October 2007
Jean-Bernard Schmidt (age 71) is a former Managing Partner of Sofinnova Partners, a leading European venture capital firm based in Paris. Jean-Bernard joined Sofinnova in 1973 as an investment manager. In 1981 he became President of Sofinnova Inc. in San Francisco, managing Sofinnova's US venture capital funds until 1987, when he returned to Paris to head the Sofinnova group. He then began focusing on Sofinnova's investments in Europe and on technology and early stage projects in information technologies and life sciences. In 1989, he launched the first Sofinnova Capital fund. Jean-Bernard retired from Sofinnova group in September 2010. He is a past and current board member of many technology companies in the US and France. Between 1998 and 2001, he was a board member of AFIC, the French Venture Capital Association. From June 2003 to June 2004, he was Chairman of EVCA (the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, now Invest Europe). Jean-Bernard is a graduate of Essec Business School in Paris and holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Peter G. Wilson

Non-Executive Director, appointed May 2013
Peter Wilson (age 54) joined HarbourVest's London-based subsidiary in 1996. He is a member of HarbourVest's Executive Management Committee and co-leads HarbourVest's secondary investment activity in Europe. He serves on the advisory committees for partnerships managed by Baring Vostok Capital Partners, CVC Capital Partners, Holtzbrinck Ventures, Index Venture Management, Nordic Capital, and Paragon Partners. Prior to joining HarbourVest, Peter spent three years working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he originated and managed two regional venture capital funds in Russia. He served as founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of City Year London. Peter also spent two years at The Monitor Company, a strategy consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received a BA (with honours) from McGill University in 1985 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1990.

D. Brooks Zug

Non-Executive Director, appointed October 2007
Brooks Zug (age 71) is a senior managing director of HarbourVest Partners, LLC and a founder of HarbourVest. As Senior Managing Director, Brooks' continuing responsibilities include advising the current generation of managing directors and interacting with HarbourVest's most important global clients, including HVPE. He joined the corporate finance department of John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1977, and, in 1982, co-founded Hancock Venture Partners, which later became HarbourVest Partners. Brooks is a past Trustee of Lehigh University and a current Trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He received a BS from Lehigh University in 1967 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1970. Brooks received his CFA designation in 1977.

Directors' Report

The directors present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2017.

A description of important events which have occurred during the financial year, their impact on the performance of the Company as shown in the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements (beginning on Page 84 to 99) and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company, together with an indication of important events that have occurred since the end of the financial year and the Company's likely future development is given in this Report, the Chairman's Statement and the Notes to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and are incorporated here by reference.

Principal Activity

The Company is a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey on 18 October 2007 with an unlimited life. The Company has one class of shares (the 'Ordinary Shares') and its shares are admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Until 9 September 2015, the Company had two classes of shares in issue being Class A shares of no par value ('Class A shares') and Class B shares of no par value ('Class B shares'). On 6 December 2007 the Class A shares were admitted to listing and trading on Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext. On 12 May 2010, the Class A shares were admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange

On 27 August 2015 the Company's Articles of Incorporation ('Articles') were amended to permit the repurchase and cancellation of all Class B shares in issue and on 9 September 2015 all Class B Shares were repurchased for a value of $1 per Class B Share and immediately cancelled.

The transition from the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange took effect on 9 September 2015 and the Company joined the FTSE 250 index on 21 December 2015.

Effective 25 October 2016, in order to reduce administrative and legal costs and complexity, the Company consolidated its listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and its shares were delisted from Euronext Amsterdam. Subsequent to the delisting from Euronext, shareholders who obtained their shares through Euronext Amsterdam will continue to be able to trade these shares on the London Stock Exchange.

Please refer to Note 1 in the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding voting rights.

Investment Objective and Investment Policy

The Company's investment objective is to generate superior shareholder returns through long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of private equity investments. The Company may also make investments in private market assets other than private equity where it identifies attractive opportunities.

The Company seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily by investing in investment funds managed by HarbourVest, which invest in or alongside third party-managed investment funds ('HarbourVest Funds'). HarbourVest Funds are broadly of three types: (i) 'Primary HarbourVest Funds', which make limited partner commitments to underlying private market funds prior to final closing; (ii) 'Secondary HarbourVest Funds', which make purchases of private market assets by acquiring positions in existing private market funds or by acquiring portfolios of investments made by such private market funds; and (iii) 'Direct HarbourVest Funds', which invest into operating companies, projects or assets alongside other investors.

In addition, the Company may, on an opportunistic basis, make investments (generally at the same time and on substantially the same terms) alongside HarbourVest Funds ('Co-investments') and in closed-ended listed private equity funds not managed by HarbourVest ('Third Party Funds'). Co-investments made by the Company may, inter alia, include investments in transactions structured by other HarbourVest vehicles including, but not limited to, commitments to private market funds or operating companies in which other HarbourVest funds have invested.

Cash, at any time not held in such longer term investments is, pending such investment, held in cash, cash equivalents, and money market instruments.

The Company uses an over-commitment strategy in order to remain as fully invested as possible, consistent with the investment guidelines. To achieve this objective, the Company has undrawn capital commitments to HarbourVest Funds and Co-investments which exceed its liquid funding resources, but uses its best endeavours to maintain capital resources which, together with anticipated cash flows, will be sufficient to enable the Company to satisfy such commitments as they are called.

Diversification and Investment Guidelines

The Company will, by investing in a range of HarbourVest Funds, Co-investments and Third Party Funds, seek to achieve portfolio diversification in terms of:

// geography: providing exposure to assets in the United States, Europe, Asia and other markets;

// stage of investment: providing exposure to investments at different stages of development such as early stage, balanced and late stage venture capital, small and middle market businesses or projects, large capitalisation investments, mezzanine investments and special situations such as restructuring of funds or distressed debt;

// strategy: providing exposure to primary, secondary and direct investment strategies;

// vintage year: providing exposure to investments made across many years; and

// industry: with investments exposed, directly or indirectly, to a large number of different companies across a broad array of industries.

In addition, the Company will observe the following investment restrictions:

// with the exception, at any time, of not more than one HarbourVest Fund or Co-investment to which up to 40%. of the Company's Gross Assets may be committed or in which up to 40%. of the Company's Gross Assets may be invested, no more than 20%. of the Company's Gross Assets will be invested in or committed at any time to a single HarbourVest Fund or Co-investment;

// no more than 10%. of the Company's Gross Assets will be invested (in aggregate) in Third Party Funds;

// the Investment Manager will use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that no more than 20% of the Company's Gross Assets, at the time of making the commitment, will be committed to or invested in, directly or indirectly, whether by way of a Co-investment or through a HarbourVest Fund, to (a) any single ultimate underlying investment, or (b) one or more collective investment undertakings which may each invest more than 20%. of the Company's Gross Assets in other
collective investment undertakings (ignoring, for these purposes, appreciations and depreciations in the value of assets, fluctuations in exchange rates and other circumstances affecting every holder of the relevant asset);

// any commitment to a single Co-investment which exceeds 5%. of the Company's NAV (calculated at the time of making such commitment) shall require prior Board approval, provided however that no commitment shall be made to any single Co-investment which, at the time of making such commitment, represents more than 10%. (or, in the case of a Co-investment that is an investment into an entity which is not itself a collective investment undertaking (a 'Direct Investment'), 5%.) of the aggregate of: (a) the Company's NAV at the time of the commitment; and (b) undrawn amounts available to the Company under any credit facilities;

// the Company will not, without the prior approval of the Board, acquire any interest in any HarbourVest Fund from a third party in a secondary transaction for a purchase price that:

(i) exceeds 5% of the Company's NAV; or

(ii) is greater than 105% of the most recently reported net asset value of such interest (adjusted for contributions made to and distributions made by such HarbourVest Fund since such date).

Save for cash awaiting investment which may be invested in temporary investments, the Company will invest only in HarbourVest Funds (either by subscribing for an interest during the initial offering period of the relevant fund or by acquiring such an interest in a secondary transaction), in co-investments or in third party funds.

Company's Right to Invest in HarbourVest Funds

Pursuant to contractual arrangements with HarbourVest, the Company has the right to invest in each new HarbourVest Fund, subject to the following conditions:

// unless the Board agrees otherwise, no capital commitment to any HarbourVest Fund may, at the time of making the commitment, represent more than 35%. or less than 5%. of the aggregate total capital commitments to such HarbourVest Fund from all its investors;

// unless HarbourVest agrees otherwise, the Company shall not have a right to make an investment in or a commitment to any HarbourVest Fund to which 10 or fewer investors (investors who are associates being treated as one investor for these purposes) make commitments.

Leverage

The Company does not intend to have aggregate leverage outstanding at Company level for investment purposes at any time in excess of 20%. of the Company's NAV. The Company may, however, have additional borrowings for cash management purposes which may persist for extended periods of time depending on market conditions.

Results

The results for the financial year ended 31 January 2017 are set out in the Consolidated Statements of Operations within the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements that begin on page 84. In accordance with the investment objective of the Company, the directors did not declare any dividends during the year under review and the directors do not recommend the payment of dividends as at the date of this report.

Directors

The directors as shown beginning on page 62 all held office throughout the reporting period and at the date of signature of these financial statements. Brooks Zug is Senior Managing Director of HarbourVest Partners, LLC, an affiliate of the Investment Manager. Peter Wilson is Managing Director of HarbourVest Partners (U.K.) Limited, a subsidiary of HarbourVest Partners, LLC. Jean-Bernard Schmidt is a former Managing Partner of Sofinnova Partners, which manages partnerships into which HarbourVest fund-of-funds invest.

During the year under review, Andrew Moore was a director of HarbourVest Structured Solutions II GP Ltd., which acts as the general partner of a limited partnership managed by the Investment Manager. In the course of holding this position, Mr. Moore was in a minority on the Board of the general partner. Mr. Moore tendered his resignation as director of HarbourVest Structured Solutions II GP Ltd effective 25 February 2016. Mr. Moore received $10,000 per annum in respect of his position on the board of HarbourVest Structured Solutions II GP Ltd. The Board unanimously considers that there was no conflict of interest between Mr. Moore's directorship and the limited partnership due to the alignment between the interests of the limited partnership and the interests of the Company.

Save as disclosed in these financial statements, the Company is not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest between any duty of any of the directors owed to it and their respective private interests. All directors, other than Mr. Zug and Mr. Wilson, are considered to be independent. Mr. Corbin is the Senior Independent Director.

Directors' Interests in Shares

There has been no change in Directors' interests between 31 January 2017 and the date of signing of this report.

Shareholder Information

The Company announces the estimated net asset value of an Ordinary Share on a monthly basis together with commentary on the investment performance provided by the Investment Manager. These monthly statements are available on the Company's website.

The last traded price of Ordinary Shares is available on Reuters, Bloomberg, and the London Stock Exchange. A copy of the original Prospectus of the Company is available from the Company's registered office and on the Company's website.

All Ordinary shares may be dealt in directly through a stockbroker or professional adviser acting on an investor's behalf. The buying and selling of Ordinary shares may be settled through CREST.

Relations with Shareholders

The Board recognises that it is important to maintain appropriate contact with major shareholders to understand their issues and concerns. Members of the Board have had the opportunity to attend meetings with major shareholders, and the Board accesses major shareholders' views of the Company via, among other methods, direct face-to-face contact and analyst and broker briefings. The Chairman and other independent directors regularly meet with shareholders.

In addition, the Investment Manager maintains dialogue with institutional shareholders, the feedback from which is reported to the Board. The Company has also appointed J.P. Morgan Cazenove and Jefferies Hoare Govett as its joint corporate brokers to enhance communications with shareholders. Scott Harris and Edison have both been engaged to report on and to liaise with shareholders. In addition, Scott Harris also arrange shareholder meetings for the Investment Manager.

The Board monitors the Company's trading activity on a regular basis.

The Company reports formally to shareholders twice a year. In addition, current information is provided to shareholders on an ongoing basis through the Company's website and monthly newsletters. Shareholders may contact the directors, including the Chairman and the Senior Independent Director through the Company Secretary.

Substantial Shareholders

As of 10 May 2017, insofar as is known to the Company, the following shareholders were interested, directly or indirectly, in 5% or more of the total issued Ordinary Shares:

Corporate Responsibility

The Board of the Company considers the ongoing interests of investors on the basis of open and regular dialogue with the Investment Manager. The Board receives regular updates outlining regulatory and statutory developments and responds as appropriate.

Bribery

The Directors have undertaken to operate the business in an honest and ethical manner and accordingly take a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. The key components of this approach are implemented as follows:

// the Board is committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all its business dealings and relationships;

// the Company implements and enforces effective procedures to counter bribery; and

// the Company requires all its service providers and advisors to adopt equivalent or similar principles.

Disclosures Required Under LR 9.8.4R

Listing Rule 9.8.4R. requires that the Company include certain information in a single identifiable section of the Annual Report or a cross reference table indicating where the information is set out. The directors confirm that there are no disclosures to be made in this regard.

Investment Manager

A description of how the Company has invested its assets, including a quantitative analysis, may be found on pages 1 to 58 of this report, with further information disclosed in the Financial Statements and the Notes to the Financial Statements on pages 92 to 99. The Board have considered the appointment of the Investment Manager and, in the opinion of the directors of the Company, the continuing appointment of the Investment Manager on the terms agreed is in the interests of its shareholders as a whole.

In considering this appointment, the Board have reviewed the past performance of the Investment Manager, the engagement of the Investment Manager with Shareholders and the Board, and the strategic plan presented to the Board by the Investment Manager.

The Investment Manager is HarbourVest Advisors L.P. and the principal contents of the Investment Management Agreement are as follows:

// to manage the assets of the Company (subject always to supervision by the Board and subject to both the investment policy of the Company and any restrictions contained in any prospectuses published by the Company);

// to assist the Company with shareholder liaison;

// to monitor compliance with the Investment Policy on a regular basis;

// to nominate up to two Board representatives for election by shareholders at the Company's Annual General Meeting.

The Investment Manager is not entitled to any direct remuneration (save expenses incurred in the performance of its duties) from the Company, instead deriving its fees from the management fees and carried interest payable by the Company on its investments in underlying HarbourVest Funds. The investment management agreement, which was amended and restated on 27 August 2015 (the 'Investment Management Agreement'), may be terminated by either party by giving 12 months' notice. In the event of termination within ten years and three months of the date of the listing on the Main Market, the Company would be required to pay a contribution, which would have been $7.1 million at 31 January 2017 and $6.9 million as at 27 April 2017, as reimbursment of the Investment Manager's remaining unamortised IPO costs. In addition, the Company would be required to pay a fee equal to the aggregate of the management fees for the underlying investments payable over the course of the 12-month period preceding the effective date of such termination to the Investment Manager.

Delegation of Responsibilities

Under the Investment Management Agreement, the Board has delegated to the Investment Manager substantial authority for carrying out the day-to-day management and operations of the Company, including making specific investment decisions, subject at all times to the control of, and review by, the Board. In particular, the Investment Management Agreement provides that the Board and the Investment Manager shall agree a strategy mandate which sets out a five-year plan for the Company.

Board Responsibilities

The Board meets at least five times a year, and between these scheduled meetings there is regular contact between directors, the Investment Manager and the Company Secretary, including a formal strategy meeting and scheduled Board update calls. As a result of the changes in the UK Finance Act, on 12 August 2014, the Company amended its Articles to permit the Board to meet in the UK. However, the Board continues to hold the majority of its meetings outside the UK.

The directors are kept fully informed of investment and financial controls and other matters that are relevant to the business of the Company. Such information is brought to the attention of the Board by the Investment Manager and by the administrator in their quarterly reports to the Board. The directors also have access where necessary, in the furtherance of their duties, to professional advice at the expense of the Company.

In the financial year ended 31 January 2017, the Board held five scheduled Board meetings, two of which were meetings devoted solely to strategic issues, the remaining three of which were focused on the review of investment performance and associated matters such as gearing, asset allocation, marketing/investor relations, peer group information and industry issues. An additional four meetings were held at short notice to consider limited objectives; these meetings were attended by those directors available in the jurisdiction to constitute a meeting at the relevant time on limited notification. All directors received notice of the meetings, the agenda, and supporting documents and were able to comment on the matters to be raised at the proposed meeting. In addition to the formal quarterly, strategy, and ad-hoc meetings, the Board also receives detailed updates from the Investment Manager via update calls.

Below is a summary of the director attendance at the quarterly and strategic Board meetings held in the financial year:

Committees of the Board

On 24 November 2015, the Board announced that it had resolved to establish a Service Provider Review Committee and a Nomination Committee, in addition to the existing Audit Committee. Prior to the establishment of these committees the work undertaken by the new committees was performed by the Board as a whole.

The Audit Committee is chaired by Mr. Corbin and details of its activities and membership can be found on page 74 of this report.

The Service Provider Review Committee (equivalent to a management engagement committee) is chaired by the Chairman of the Company and its members are Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Hodson and Mr. Moore. The other directors of the Company may attend by invitation of the committee. The Service Provider Review Committee held two meetings in the year under review and all members of the committee attended those meetings. The Terms of Reference for this committee may be found on the Company's website.

In the course of the year under review, the committee reviewed the Company's contracts of engagement with the Investment Manager, Secretary, and other service providers and concluded that they were operating satisfactorily so as to ensure the safe and accurate management and administration of the Company's affairs and business and were competitive and reasonable for the shareholders.

The Nomination Committee is chaired by the Chairman of the Company and its members are Mr. Corbin, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Moore and Mr. Schmidt. The mandate of the Nomination Committee is to consider issues related to Board composition and the appointment of directors. The Nomination Committee held its first meeting on 11 February 2016 and all members of the committee attended this meeting. The Terms of Reference for this committee may be found on the Company's website.

Board Evaluation

The Board undertakes a formal annual evaluation of its performance and the performance of the Investment Manager and the Secretary. Each director's performance is reviewed annually by the Chairman, and the performance of the Chairman is assessed by the remaining directors by way of a performance evaluation questionnaire and a subsequent scheduled interview. As part of the review, succession planning, the scope of the director's role including any committee memberships, any training and development requirements, and the ability of the director to devote sufficient time to the Company are considered.

In addition to this annual evaluation, in recognition of the Company's move to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, the Board commissioned an external appraisal by Board Alpha Limited to review its operation and effectiveness during 2016. The conclusions of this report have been presented to the Board and were generally positive, and cited in particular the independence of the Board, the quality of debate, and the degree of engagement with shareholders. Recommendations included a review of the Board's composition including a skills audit, which has since been carried out.

Board Composition

The Board has a balance of skills, experience and length of service relevant to the Company, and the directors believe that any changes to the Board's composition can be managed without undue disruption. With any new director appointment to the Board, the new director will participate in an appropriate, structured induction process.

Further to reviewing the conclusions of the Board evaluation, the Board carefully considered its composition, with specific reference to the fact that Sir Michael Bunbury, Mr. Corbin, Mr. Moore, Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Zug had served on the Board for nine years in October 2016. The Board is of the view that these directors can continue beyond a tenure of nine years, noting that they will be subject to continuing scrutiny as to their effectiveness and independence, and to annual
re-election. The Board confirms that Sir Michael Bunbury, Mr. Corbin, Mr. Moore and Mr. Schmidt remain independent of the Manager, notwithstanding their nine years service.

In order to retain corporate knowledge and achieve an orderly succession the Board identified that an additional director should be appointed. Clear criteria were drawn up by the Board and Cornforth Consulting was appointed as external search consultants. Cornforth Consulting does not have any other relationship with the Company. Following this process, Francesca Barnes was appointed as a director of the Company on 3 April 2017.

Director's Indemnity

Under the Company's Articles, the Directors, Secretary and officers are indemnified out of the Company's assets and profits from and against all actions expenses and liabilities which they may incur by reason of any contract entered into or any act in or about the execution of their respective offices or trusts except as incurred by their own negligence, breach of duty or breach of trust.

Risk Review

The Board has an ongoing process in place for identifying, evaluating, and managing the significant risks faced by the Company. A description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company is given beginning on page 59. As part of the process for evaluating risks, the Board undertakes a review of its risk matrix. The risks reviewed are grouped into four categories: Financial Risks, Operating Risks, Strategic and Investor Relations Risk and Governance and Regulatory Risk. Risks are assessed and classed according to their probability of occurring and the likely impact upon the Company. Risks are then categorised based on priority, being grouped into Primary and Secondary risks which are reviewed accordingly.

During the financial year, the Board focused on consolidation of the governance changes implemented pursuant to the Main Market listing in the previous financial year. In addition the Board considered currency risk and how it might impact future returns; potential future liquidity requirements based on scenario analysis by the Investment Manager; and how to maintain the Company's NAV and share price growth. In general, the Board noted that those risks where the probability and impact remained high post-mitigation were outside of the Company's control and would affect global markets as a whole.

International Tax Reporting

The Company is subject to Guernsey regulations and guidance based on reciprocal information sharing inter-governmental agreements which Guernsey has entered into with a number of jurisdictions. The Board has taken the necessary actions to ensure that the Company is compliant with Guernsey regulations and guidance in this regard.

Going Concern

After making enquiries and mindful of the closed-ended nature of the Company with no fixed life and the nature of its investments, the directors are satisfied that it is appropriate to continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, and, after due consideration, the directors consider that the Company is able to continue for a period of at least the next 12 months. In addition, the Board monitors and manages the ongoing commitments via the criteria set out on page 64. When considering the criteria, the Board reviews detailed reports from the Investment Manager detailing ongoing commitments and the Investment Pipeline. Furthermore, the Board, as part of its regular review of the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities and debt position, considers model scenario outputs that are based on a look-through to the anticipated underlying fund and portfolio cashflows.

Viability Statement

Pursuant to provision C.2.2 of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2014 and Principle 21 of the AIC Code, the Board has assessed the viability of the Company over a three-year period from 31 January 2017. Whilst the Board has no reason to believe that the Company will not be viable over a longer period, it has chosen this period as this falls within the Board's strategic horizon and within the Company's expected investment lifecycle.

The Company's investment objective is to generate superior shareholder returns through long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of private equity investments. The majority of the Company's investments are in HarbourVest-managed private equity fund-of-funds, which have fund lives of 10-14 years as discussed on page 15.

While the Company's investment lifecycle spans a time period of ten years or more, the Board focuses on a five-year time horizon when considering the strategic planning of the Company, as discussed on page 30. The strategic planning focuses on building a portfolio of long-term assets through capital allocation into a set of rolling five-year portfolio construction targets defined by investment state, geography, and strategy. While reviewed and updated annually, this rolling five-year process allows the Board a medium-term view of potential growth, projected cash flow and potential future commitments under various economic scenarios.

As part of its strategic planning, the Board considered a model scenario that replicated the impact of the global financial crisis on the Company's portfolio, which caused large NAV declines and a material reduction in realisations from underlying company investments. This severe downside scenario included projected returns and cash flows based on certain assumptions at least as significant as HVPE's experience during 2008 and 2009. The Board concluded that new commitments would need to be materially reduced under this scenario, but that the Company's cash balance and available credit facility would be sufficient to cover any capital requirements (as it was during the global financial crisis). The results of these model scenarios showed that the Company would be able to withstand the impact of these scenarios occurring over the three year period.

The Board considers that a three-year period to 31 January 2020 is a more appropriate period of time to assess the Company's viability as this reflects greater predictability of the Company's cash flow and new commitments over that time period, and also reflects the term of the Company's revolving credit facility, which is a significant component in supporting the Company's over commitment strategy. This three year period of time is further supported by the Rolling Coverage Ratio metric that the Investment Manager uses, as explained further on page 54.

The Board, in assessing the viability of the Company, has also paid particular attention to the principal risks faced by the Company as disclosed on page 59. In addition, the Board has established a risk management framework, reviewed on a
quarterly basis, which is intended to identify, measure, monitor, report and, where appropriate, mitigate the risks to the Company's investment objective, including any liquidity or solvency issues. The Board does not consider any other risks to be principal risks as defined in the UK Corporate Governance Code.

Based on its review, the Board has a reasonable expectation that the Company will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over a three year period to 31 January 2020.

Financial Risk Management

The Company is wholly funded from equity balances, comprising issued ordinary share capital as detailed in Note 1 to the financial statements and retained earnings. The Company has access to borrowings pursuant to the Credit Facility of up to $500 million.
The Board does not intend to have aggregate leverage outstanding at the Company level at any time in excess of 20% of Company NAV (other than in respect of borrowings for cash management purposes, which may be held for extended periods of time).

The Company's financial risk management objectives and policies are outlined in the Audit Committee report beginning on page 74 and the Risk Review section of this report beginning on page 69. The Company's policy on hedging is considered under NAV risks in the Principal Risks section of this report beginning on page 59.

The Investment Manager and the Directors ensure that all investment activity is performed in accordance with the investment guidelines. The Company's investment activities expose it to various types of risks that are associated with the financial instruments and markets in which it invests. Risk is inherent in the Company's activities and it is managed through a process of ongoing identification, measurement and monitoring. The financial risks to which the Company is exposed include price risk, liquidity risk and cash flow risk and these risks are explained in greater detail in the Principal Risks section of this report beginning on page 59.

Statement of Directors' Responsibilities in Respect of the Financial Statements

The directors are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company in accordance with US GAAP at the end of the financial year and of the gain or loss for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the directors are required to:

// select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

// make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

// state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

// prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for ensuring that the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements include the information required by the Listing Rules and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (together 'the Rules'). They are also responsible for ensuring that the Company complies with the provisions of the Rules which, with regard to corporate governance, require the Company to disclose how it has applied the principles, and complied with the provisions, of the corporate governance code applicable to the Company.

Disclosure of Information to the Auditor

So far as each of the directors is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company's auditor is unaware, and each has taken all the steps he ought to have taken as a director to make himself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Company's auditor is aware of that information.

Responsibility Statement

The Board of Directors, as identified at pages 62 and 63, jointly and severally confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:

// this report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face;

// the Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with US GAAP, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profits of the Company and its undertakings;

// the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements taken as a whole are fair, balanced and understandable and provide the information necessary for Shareholders to assess the Company and its undertaking's performance, business model and strategy; and

// the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements includes information required by the UK Listing Authority for the purpose of ensuring that the Company and its undertakings comply with the provisions of the Listing Rules and the Dis- closure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

By order of the Board

Sir Michael Bunbury
Chairman

Keith Corbin
Chairman of the Audit Committee

11 May 2017

Corporate Governance

Statement of Compliance with the AIC Code

The directors place a high degree of importance on ensuring that high standards of corporate governance are maintained and have therefore chosen to comply with the provisions of the AIC Code of Corporate Governance for Investment Companies published in February 2015 (AIC Code).

The Board of the Company has considered the principles and recommendations of the AIC Code by reference to the AIC Corporate Governance Guide for Investment Companies (AIC Guide). The AIC Code, as explained by the AIC Guide, addresses all the principles set out in the UK Corporate Governance Code, as well as setting out additional principles and recommendations on issues that are of specific relevance to the Company.

The Board considers that reporting against the principles and recommendations of the AIC Code, and by reference to the AIC Guide (which incorporates the UK Corporate Governance Code), will provide better information to shareholders. Copies of the AIC Code and the AIC Guide can be found at www.theaic.co.uk.

The Company has complied with the recommendations of the AIC Code except as set out below. The UK Corporate Governance Code includes provisions relating to:
// the role of the chief executive;

// executive directors' remuneration; and

// the need for an internal audit function.

For the reasons set out in the AIC Guide, and as explained in the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board considers these provisions not relevant to the position of the Company, being an externally-managed investment company. In particular, all of the Company's day-to-day management and administrative functions are outsourced to third parties. As a result, the Company has no full time executive directors, no direct employees or internal operations. The Company has therefore not reported further in respect of these provisions. Other areas of non-compliance with the AIC Code by the Company, and the reasons therefore, are as follows:

// there is no separate remuneration committee, which is not in accordance with the AIC Code. Given that the Board is comprised of six independent directors and two directors affiliated with the Investment Manager, it is felt that it is appropriate for the whole Board to consider these matters;

// the Board has not formalised a policy on diversity. The Board has renewed its commitment to appointing the best appli- cant for any Board positions becoming open and may use external search consultants if required to ensure that there is a strong and varied pool of applicants. The Board's priority is to ensure that it is composed of directors with a broad balance of skills, experience and opinions.

// the Board has not formalised a policy on tenure, which is not in accordance with the AIC code. This is because the Board would like to retain the flexibility to consider the balance of skills and experience of the Board as a whole in order to manage changes to the Board's composition in accordance with the circumstances of the Company. The Board has agreed to keep the matter under review.

Directors' Remuneration Report

An ordinary resolution for the approval of this Directors' Remuneration Report will be put to shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to be held in 2017.

There are no long term incentive schemes provided by the Company and no performance fees are paid to directors.

No director has a service contract with the Company however each director is appointed by a letter of appointment which sets out the terms of the appointment.

Directors are remunerated in the form of fees, payable quarterly in arrears, to the director personally. The table below details the fees paid to each director of the Company for the year ended 31 January 2017.

The Company's Articles limit the fees payable to directors to $750,000 per annum. Francesca Barnes was appointed on 3 April 2017 and is entitled to remuneration of $60,500 per annum.

Signed on behalf of the Board by:

Sir Michael Bunbury
Chairman

Keith Corbin
Chairman of the Audit Committee

Audit Committee Report

The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Keith Corbin (Chairman), Mr. Andrew Moore and Mr. Alan Hodson. In the year under review, the Audit Committee examined the effectiveness of the Company's internal control systems, the annual and interim reports and financial statements, the auditor's remuneration and engagement, as well as the auditor's independence and any non-audit services provided.

Additionally, the Audit Committee is responsible for making appropriate recommendations to the Board and ensuring that the Company complies to the best of its ability with applicable laws and regulations and adheres to the tenet of generally-accepted codes of conduct.

The Audit Committee receives information from the Secretary's compliance department and the external auditor.

In the financial year ended 31 January 2017, the Audit Committee met five times. Below is a summary of director attendance at the committee meetings held in the financial year, compared with those for which they were eligible:

Audit Committee Meetings

The terms of reference of the Audit Committee are available on the Company's website and from the Company Secretary on request.

Internal Controls

The Board is responsible for the Company's systems of risk management and internal control. The Audit Committee reviews the effectiveness of such systems, on at least an annual basis, and reports its findings to the Board. The Audit Committee reviewed the Board's processes for evaluating risk to ensure that the systems covered all the potential risks facing the Company and confirmed to the Board that the risk review was both thorough and rigorous and the Company's risk management and internal control systems were effective. The Audit Committee confirms that there is an ongoing process for identifying, evaluating, monitoring and managing the significant risks faced by the Company. This process has

been in place for the year under review and up to the date of approval of this Annual Report and Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, and is reviewed by the Board.

The internal control systems are designed to meet the Company's particular needs and the risks to which it is exposed. Accordingly, the internal control systems are designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives and by their nature can only provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against misstatement and loss. The Company places reliance on the control environment of its service providers, including its independent administrator and the Investment Manager. In order to satisfy itself that the controls in place at the Investment Manager are adequate, the Audit Committee has reviewed a Type II SOC I Report - Private Equity Fund Administration Report on Controls Placed in Operation and Tests of Operating Effectiveness for the period from 1 October 2015 to 13 January 2017, detailing the control environment in place at the Investment Manager. There were no significant findings disclosed in this report which warranted further investigation by the committee. In addition, the Service Provider Committee conducted a detailed review of the performance of the Company's service providers, including the Company's administrator, and the Audit Committee reviewed their findings to ensure that the Company's control environment was operating satisfactorily.

The Company does not have an internal audit department. All of the Company's management and administration functions are delegated to independent third parties or the Investment Manager and it is therefore felt there is no need for the Company to have an internal audit facility. However, this matter will be reviewed annually.

Auditors

The Audit Committee reviewed the effectiveness of the external audit process during the year, considering performance, objectivity, independence and relevant experience, and concluded that Ernst & Young LLP's appointment as the Company's auditor should be continued. The Company's auditors, Ernst & Young LLP, have been appointed to the Company since 2007. The Company's auditors performed an audit of the Company's financial statements in accordance with applicable law, US Generally Accepted Auditing Standards ('GAAS'), and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). The audit approach remained unchanged relative to the prior year and the Audit Committee was informed that a majority of the audit field work would be performed by Ernst & Young in Boston, United States, under the direction and supervision of Ernst & Young LLP.

Auditor Independence

The Audit Committee understands the importance of auditor independence and, during the year, the Audit Committee reviewed the independence and objectivity of the Company's auditor, Ernst & Young LLP. The Audit Committee received a report from the external auditor describing its independence, controls and current practices to safeguard and maintain auditor independence. Non-audit fees paid to the Auditor by the Company were nil. The Auditor was paid non-audit fees of
$107,450 by the Investment Manager, in relation to tax services provided by the independent auditors for the year ended 31 January 2017, which were reimbursed by the Company. The Audit Committee considers all non-audit services to be provided to the Company by the Auditor prior to their appointment to ensure that the Auditor is the most appropriate party to deliver these services and to put in place safeguards, where appropriate, to manage any threats to auditor independence. It is the intention of the Committee that the value of non-audit services provided to the Company will not exceed the audit fee.

Auditor Tender

The Audit Committee advised in last year's report that it would be formulating a policy in the next financial year with a view to being able to follow FRC guidance, which provides for an audit tender to be carried out every ten years. As a result of this guidance, the Audit Committee commenced an audit tender process during 2017 in respect of the audit of the Company's financial statements for the year ending 31 January 2018. Four audit firms were approached to participate in the tender process, and two firms met with the audit committee in May 2017. The decision will be announced in due course.

Terms of Engagement

The Audit Committee reviewed the audit scope and fee proposal set out by the auditors in their audit planning report dated 29 November 2016 and discussed the same with the auditors at an Audit Committee meeting on 2 December 2016. The Audit Committee considered the proposed fee of $135,400 for audit services related to the 31 January 2017 annual accounts. Having been satisfied by the scope of the engagement letter and fee proposal, the Committee recommended to the Board to approve the fee proposal and letter of engagement.

Financial Statements and Significant Reporting Matters

As part of the 31 January 2017 year end audit, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the most relevant issues for the Company and received a report from the auditors.

The following sections discuss the assessments made by the Audit Committee during the year.

Investment Valuations

The Audit Committee reviews the monthly NAV statements issued by the Company prior to release. In the year under review, the Audit Committee met with operations staff of the Manager in Boston and conducted a detailed review of the Company's valuations process. The Audit Committee intends to conduct a similar review at least once every year. The Audit Committee has satisfied itself that the valuation techniques are accurate and appropriate for the Company's investments and consistent with the requirements of US GAAP.

Fees and Expenses

The Audit Committee reviewed the calculation of fees and expenses paid by the Company to the Investment Manager and primary service providers as well as the auditors' processes for checking those calculations. Discussing the calculation and disclosure of fees paid to the Investment Manager, the Audit Committee noted the enhanced disclosures and presentation in the Annual Report and concluded that the information was in a clear and understandable format. The Audit Committee noted the discussions between the Board and the Investment Manager to ensure that fees charged to the Company were comparable with those charged to other significant investors in HarbourVest funds. The overall percentage rate of fees and expenses paid to the Investment Manager continues to be reduced from the levels of previous financial years, and the Audit Committee also reviewed the information regarding those fees contained in this Annual Report to ensure that it was presented in a clear and consistent manner.

Risk Management

The Audit Committee reviewed the Board's policies and procedures regarding the identification, management, and monitoring of risks that could affect the Company, which were in place for the year under review and up to the date of approval of the annual financial report. No significant failings or weaknesses were identified in the review. The Audit Committee considers that the Board is engaged on an ongoing basis in the process of identifying, evaluating and managing (where possible) the principal risks facing the Company as shown on page 59 and 60. This is in accordance with relevant best practice detailed in the Financial Reporting Council's guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting. In addition, the Audit Committee members participated in the consideration by the Board of the viability of the Company until 31 January 2020, details of which are shown on page 70.

Corporate Governance

The Audit Committee continues to monitor the review by the Board of the Company's compliance with corporate governance standards following the admission to trading of the Company's Ordinary Shares on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange which took place on 9 September 2015.

Other Matters

The Board as a whole undertakes annual visits to the Investment Manager's offices usually alternating between Boston and London. In May 2016, the Board visited the Investment Manager's Boston office and the London office in November 2016. The Board receives presentations from various operational teams of the Investment Manager regarding investment strategy and other matters relating to the Company's affairs and also discusses these matters with the Investment Manager's managing directors.

In presenting this report, I have set out for the Company's shareholders the key areas that the Audit Committee focuses on. However if any shareholders would like any further information about how the Audit Committee operates and its review process, I, or any of the other members of the Audit Committee would be pleased to meet with members to discuss this.

Keith Corbin

Chairman of the Audit Committee

11 May 2017

Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities

At 31 January 2017 and 2016

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

The Audited Consolidated Financial Statements on pages 84 to 99 were approved by the Board on 11 May 2017 and were signed on its behalf by:

Michael Bunbury Keith Corbin

Chairman Chairman of the Audit Committee

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Years Ended 31 January 2017 and 2016

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

For the Years Ended 31 January 2017 and 2016

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Statements of Cashflows

For the Years Ended 31 January 2017 and 2016

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

At 31 January 2017

Includes purchase of limited partner interests for shares and cash at the time of HVPE's IPO.
Includes ownership interests in HarbourVest Partners VII-Cayman Partnership entities.
Includes ownership interest in Dover Street VII (AIV 1) Cayman L.P.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €47,450,000.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €100,000,000.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €63,000,000.
Fund denominated in Canadian dollars. Commitment amount is C$32,000,000.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

At 31 January 2016

Includes purchase of limited partner interests for shares and cash at the time of HVPE's IPO.
Includes ownership interests in HarbourVest Partners VII-Cayman Partnership entities.
Includes ownership interest in Dover Street VII (AIV 1) Cayman L.P.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €47,450,000.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €100,000,000.
Fund denominated in euros. Commitment amount is €63,000,000.
Fund denominated in Canadian dollars. Commitment amount is C$32,000,000.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

NOTE 1 COMPANY ORGANISATION AND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited (the 'Company' or 'HVPE') is a closed-end investment company registered with the Registrar of Companies in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended). The Company's registered office is Ground Floor, Dorey Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2HT.

The Company was incorporated and registered in Guernsey on 18 October 2007. HVPE is designed to offer shareholders long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of private equity investments. The Company invests in private equity through private equity funds and may make co-investments or other opportunistic investments. The Company is managed by HarbourVest Advisers L.P. (the 'Investment Manager'), an affiliate of HarbourVest Partners, LLC ('HarbourVest'), a private equity fund-of-funds manager. The Company is intended to invest in and alongside existing and newly-formed HarbourVest funds. HarbourVest is a global private equity fund-of-funds manager and typically invests capital in primary partnerships, secondary investments, and direct investments across vintage years, geographies, industries, and strategies.

Operations of the Company commenced on 6 December 2007, following the initial global offering of the Class A ordinary shares.

Share Capital

On 9 September 2015, HVPE's ordinary shares were admitted to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. The Company's market quote on the London Stock Exchange has been redenominated into sterling. There has been no change to the legal form or nature of the shares as a result of the redenomination of the market quote. The 101 Class B shares were repurchased and cancelled during the year ended 31 January 2016. The Company incurred non-recurring expenses of $12,710 related to the listing which are included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended 31 January 2017.

At 31 January 2017, the Company's ordinary shares were listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol 'HVPE'. The Company delisted from Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext in October 2016. At 31 January 2017, there were 79,862,486 ordinary shares issued and outstanding. The ordinary shares are entitled to the income and increases and decreases in the net asset value ('NAV') of the Company, and to any dividends declared and paid, and have full voting rights. Dividends may be declared by the Board of Directors and paid from available assets subject to the directors being satisfied that the Company will, immediately after payment of the dividend, satisfy the statutory solvency test prescribed by The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended).

Dividends will be paid to shareholders pro rata to their shareholdings.

The ordinary shareholders must approve any amendment to the Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation. The approval of 75% of the ordinary shares is required in respect of any changes that are administrative in nature, any material change from the investment strategy and/or investment objective of the Company, or any change to the terms of the investment management agreement.

There is no minimum statutory capital requirement under Guernsey law.

Investment Manager, Company Secretary, and Administrator

The directors have delegated certain day-to-day operations of the Company to the Investment Manager and the Company Secretary and Fund Administrator, under advice to the directors, pursuant to service agreements with those parties. The Investment Manager is responsible for, among other things, selecting, acquiring, and disposing of the Company's investments, carrying out financing, cash management, and risk management activities, providing investment advisory services, including with respect to HVPE's investment policies and procedures, and arranging for personnel and support staff of the Investment Manager to assist in the administrative and executive functions of the Company.

Directors

The directors are responsible for the determination of the investment policy of the Company on the advice of the Investment Manager and have overall responsibility for the Company's activities. This includes the periodic review of the Investment Manager's compliance with the Company's investment policies and procedures and the approval of certain investments. A majority of directors must be independent directors and not affiliated with HarbourVest or any affiliate of HarbourVest.

NOTE 2 SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the Company's consolidated financial position.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited and its five wholly owned subsidiaries: HVGPE - Domestic A L.P., HVGPE - Domestic B L.P., HVGPE - Domestic C L.P., HVGPE - International A L.P., and HVGPE - International B L.P. (together 'the undertakings'). Each of the subsidiaries is a Cayman Islands limited partnership formed to facilitate the purchase of certain investments. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain comparative amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

Method of Accounting

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with US generally accepted accounting principles ('US GAAP'), The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended), and the Principal Documents. Under applicable rules of English law implementing the EU Transparency Directive, the Company is allowed to prepare its financial statements in accordance with US GAAP instead of IFRS.

The Company is an investment company following the accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Boards (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification ('ASC') Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.

Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Investments

Investments are stated at fair value in accordance with the Company's investment valuation policy. The inputs used to determine fair value include financial statements provided by the investment partnerships which typically include fair market value capital account balances. In reviewing the underlying financial statements and capital account balances, the Company considers compliance with ASC 820, the currency in which the investment is denominated, and other information deemed appropriate. The fair value of the Company's investments is based on the most recent financial information provided by the Investment Manager, adjusted for known investment operating expenses and subsequent transactions, including investments, realisations, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and changes in value of public securities. This valuation does not necessarily reflect amounts that might ultimately be realised from the investment and the difference can be material.

Securities for which a public market does exist are valued by the Company at quoted market prices at the balance sheet date. Generally, the partnership investments have a defined term and cannot be transferred without the consent of the General Partner of the limited partnership in which the investment has been made.

Foreign Currency Transactions

The currency in which the Company operates is US dollars, which is also the presentation currency. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are recorded in the local currency at the exchange rate in effect at the transaction dates. Foreign currency investments, investment commitments, cash and equivalents, and other assets and liabilities are translated at the rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Foreign currency translation gains and losses are included in realised and unrealised gains (losses) on investments as incurred. The Company does not segregate that portion of realised or unrealised gains and losses attributable to foreign currency translation on investments.

Cash and Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount included in the balance sheet for cash and equivalents approximates their fair value. The Company maintains bank accounts denominated in US dollars, in euros, and in pounds sterling. The Company may invest excess cash balances in highly liquid instruments such as certificates of deposit, sovereign debt obligations of certain countries, and money market funds that are highly rated by the credit rating agencies. The associated credit risk of the cash and equivalents is monitored by the Board and the Investment Manager on a regular basis. The Board has authorised the Investment Manager to manage the cash balances on a daily basis according to the terms set out in the treasury policies created by the Board.

Investment Income

Investment income includes interest from cash and equivalents and dividends. Dividends are recorded when they are declared and interest is recorded when earned.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses include amounts directly incurred by the Company as part of its operations, and do not include amounts incurred from the operations of the investment entities.

Net Realised Gains and Losses on Investments

For investments in private equity funds, the Company records its share of realised gains and losses as reported by the Investment Manager including fund level related expenses and management fees, and is net of any carry allocation. Realised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between proceeds received and the related cost of the investment.

Net Change in Unrealised Appreciation and Depreciation on Investments

For investments in private equity funds, the Company records its share of change in unrealised gains and losses as reported by the investment manager as an increase or decrease in unrealised appreciation or depreciation of investments and is net of any carry allocation. When an investment is realised, the related unrealised appreciation or depreciation is recognised as realised.

Income Taxes

The Company is registered in Guernsey as a tax exempt company. The States of Guernsey Income Tax Authority has granted the Company exemption from Guernsey income tax under the provision of the Income Tax (Exempt Bodies) (Guernsey) Ordinance 1989 (as amended) and the Company will be charged an annual exemption fee of £1,200 included as other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Income may be subject to withholding taxes imposed by the US or other countries which will impact the Company's effective tax rate.

Investments made in entities that generate US source income may subject the Company to certain US federal and state income tax consequences. A US withholding tax at the rate of 30% may be applied on the distributive share of any US source dividends and interest (subject to certain exemptions) and certain other income that is received directly or through one or more entities treated as either partnerships or disregarded entities for US federal income tax purposes. Furthermore, investments made in entities that generate income that is effectively connected with a US trade or business may also subject the Company to certain US federal and state income tax consequences. The US requires withholding on effectively connected income at the highest US rate (generally 35%). In addition, the Company may also be subject to a branch profits tax which can be imposed at a rate of up to 30% of any after-tax, effectively connected income associated with a US trade or business. However, no amounts have been accrued.

The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of ASC 740, 'Income Taxes.' This standard establishes consistent thresholds as it relates to accounting for income taxes. It defines the threshold for recognising the benefits of tax-return positions in the financial statements as 'more-likely-than-not' to be sustained by the taxing authority and requires measurement of a tax position meeting the more-likely-than-not criterion, based on the largest benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realised. For the year ended 31 January 2017, the Investment Manager has analysed the Company's inventory of tax positions taken with respect to all applicable income tax issues for all open tax years (in each respective jurisdiction), and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Company's financial statements.

Shareholders in certain jurisdictions may have individual tax consequences from ownership of the Company's shares. The Company has not accounted for any such tax consequences in these consolidated financial statements.

Market and Other Risk Factors

The Company's investments are subject to various risk factors including market, credit, interest rate, and currency risk. Investments are based primarily in the US and Europe and thus have concentrations in such regions. The Company's investments are also subject to the risks associated with investing in leveraged buyout and venture capital transactions that are illiquid and non-publicly traded. Such investments are inherently more sensitive to declines in revenues and to increases in expenses that may occur due to general downward swings in the world economy or other risk factors including increasingly intense competition, rapid changes in technology, changes in federal, state and foreign regulations, and limited capital investments.

NOTE 3 MATERIAL AGREEMENTS AND RELATED FEES

Administrative Agreement

The Company has retained JTC Group ('JTC') as Company Secretary and Administrator. Fees for these services are paid as invoiced by JTC and include an administration fee of £14,202 per annum, a secretarial fee of £30,268 per annum, an additional value fee equal to 1/12 of 0.005% of the net asset value of the Company above $200 million as at the last business day of each month, and reimbursable expenses.

During the year ended 31 January 2017, fees of $119,607 were incurred to JTC and are included as other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Registrar

The Company has retained Capita as share registrar. Fees for this service include a base fee of £8,600, corporate portal fee of £1,550 per annum, register update requests of £2,900, proxy evaluation of £1,465, plus other miscellaneous expenses. During the year ended 31 January 2017, registrar fees of $64,442 were incurred and are included as other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Independent Auditor's Fees

For the year ended 31 January 2017, $135,400 has been accrued for auditor's fees and is included in professional fees in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Non-audit fees paid to the Auditor by the Company were nil. The Auditor was paid non-audit fees of $107,450 by the Investment Manager, in relation to tax services provided by the independent auditors for the year ended 31 January 2017, which were reimbursed by the Company.

Investment Management Agreement

The Company has retained HarbourVest Advisers L.P. as the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager is reimbursed for costs and expenses incurred on behalf of the Company in connection with the management and operation of the Company. The Investment Manager does not directly charge HVPE management fees or performance fees other than with respect to parallel investments. However, as an investor in the HarbourVest funds, HVPE is charged the same management fees and is subject to the same performance allocations as other investors in such HarbourVest funds. During the year ended 31 January 2017, reimbursements for services provided by the Investment Manager were $1,112,274.

During the year ended 31 January 2017, HVPE had two parallel investments: HarbourVest Acquisition S.à.r.l. (via HVPE Avalon Co-Investment L.P.) and HarbourVest Structured Solutions II, L.P. (via HVPE Charlotte Co-Investment L.P.).

Management fees paid for the parallel investments made by the Company were consistent with the fees charged by the funds alongside which the parallel investments were made during the years ended 31 January 2017 and 2016. Management fees included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations are shown in the table below:

For the year ended 31 January 2017, management fees on the HVPE Avalon Co-Investment L.P. investment were calculated based on a weighted average effective annual rate of 1.08% on committed capital to the parallel investment. For the year ended 31 January 2017, management fees on the HVPE Charlotte Co-Investment L.P. investment were calculated based on a weighted average effective annual rate of 0.95% on capital originally committed (0.90% on committed capital net of management fee offsets) to the parallel investment.

NOTE 4 INVESTMENTS

In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosures under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, the Company discloses the fair value of its investments in a hierarchy that prioritises the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure the fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to un- adjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The guidance establishes three levels of the fair value hierarchy as follows:

Level 1 - Inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including inputs in markets that are not considered to be active;

Level 3 - Inputs that are unobservable. Generally, the majority of the Company's investments are valued utilizing unobservable inputs, and are therefore classified within Level 3.

Level 3 partnership investments include limited partnership interests in other investment partnerships. For investments in limited partnerships and other pooled investment vehicles, the Company encourages all managers to apply fair value
principles in their financial reports that are consistent with US generally accepted accounting principles. Inputs used to determine fair value include financial statements provided by the investment partnerships which typically include fair market value capital account balances. In reviewing the underlying financial statements and capital account balances, the Company considers compliance with authoritative guidance on fair value measurements, the currency in which the investment is denominated, and other information deemed appropriate. If the Company shall in good faith determine that a manager is not reporting fair value consistent with US generally accepted accounting principles, the Company shall use best efforts to undertake its own valuation analysis using fair market value principles and adjust such value so it is in accordance with the authoritative guidance. Income derived from investments in partnerships is recorded using the equity pick-up method.

Because of the inherent uncertainty of these valuations, the estimated fair value may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a ready market for this security existed, and the difference could be material.

The following table summaries the Company's investments that were accounted for at fair value by level within the fair value hierarchy:

The Company recognises transfers at the current value at the transfer date. There were no transfers during the year ended 31 January 2017. Investments include limited partnership interests in private equity partnerships, all of which carry restrictions on redemption. The investments are non-redeemable and the Investment Manager estimates an average remaining life of nine years with a range of one to 16 years remaining.

As of 31 January 2017, the Company had invested $2,455,902,333, or 67.2% of the Company's committed capital in investments and had received $1,930,523,511 in cumulative distributions (including dividends from the formerly held investment HarbourVest Senior Loans Europe).

There were no investment transactions during the year ended 31 January 2017 in which an investment was acquired and disposed of during the period.

NOTE 5 COMMITMENTS

As of 31 January 2017, the Company has unfunded investment commitments to other limited partnerships of $1,200,527,203 which are payable upon notice by the partnerships to which the commitments have been made. Unfunded investment commitments of $1,112,521,708 are denominated in US dollars, $64,303,170 are denominated in euros, and $23,702,325 are denominated in Canadian dollars.

NOTE 6 DEBT FACILITY

On 4 December 2007, the Company entered into an agreement with Lloyds Bank plc regarding a multi-currency revolving credit facility ('Facility') for an aggregate amount up to $500 million. In April 2013, HVPE refinanced the facility which would remain at $500 million until December 2014 and would reduce to $300 million thereafter. During October 2014, the Company voluntarily cancelled $200 million of the facility with an effective date of 31 October 2014. The current facility was set to expire in April 2018. As of 28 September 2015, the debt facility was amended to include Credit Suisse as an additional lender to the Company's Facility Agreement with Lloyds Bank Plc. The total debt facility has been increased from $300 million to $500 million, with the Credit Suisse Commitment being $200 million. On 22 December 2016, the debt facility was amended to extend the facility to December 2020.

Amounts borrowed against the Facility accrue interest at an aggregate rate of the LIBOR/EURIBOR, a margin, and, under certain circumstances, a mandatory minimum cost. The Facility was secured by the private equity investments and cash and equivalents of the Company, as defined in the agreement. Availability of funds under the Facility and interim repayments of amounts borrowed are subject to certain covenants and diversity tests applied to the Investment Portfolio of the Company. At 31 January 2017 and 2016, there was no debt outstanding against the Facility. Included in other assets at 31 January 2017 are deferred financing costs of $4,532,395 related to refinancing the facility. The deferred financing costs are amortised on the terms of the facility. The Company is required to pay a non-utilisation fee calculated as 90 basis points per annum from 1 February 2016 to 22 December 2016 and 115 basis points per annum from 23 December 2016 to 31 January 2017. For the year ended 31 January 2017, $4,713,889 in non-utilisation fees have been incurred.

NOTE 7 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

For the Years Ended 31 January 2017 and 2016

Does not include operating expenses of underlying investments.
The turnover ratio has been calculated as the number of transactions divided by the average net assets.
Represents less than $.01.
Represents share price of £11.95 converted.

NOTE 8 PUBLICATION AND CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The NAV of the Company is equal to the value of its total assets less its total liabilities. The NAV per share is calculated by dividing the net asset value by the number of shares in issue on that day. The Company publishes the NAV per share of the Ordinary shares as calculated, monthly in arrears, at each month-end, generally within 15 days.

NOTE 9 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Other amounts payable to HarbourVest Advisers L.P. of $246,933 represent expenses of the Company incurred in the ordinary course of business, which have been paid by and are reimbursable to HarbourVest Advisers L.P. at 31 January 2017.

HarbourVest fund-of-funds invest in partnerships managed by Sofinnova Partners, of which director Jean-Bernard Schmidt is a former Managing Partner.

Board-related expenses, primarily compensation, of $572,744 were incurred during the year ended 31 January 2017.

Director Andrew Moore was also a director of HarbourVest Structured Solutions II GP Ltd. ('HVSS'), the general partner of HarbourVest Structured Solutions II L.P. Andrew Moore resigned as a director of HVSS on 25 February 2016.

NOTE 10 INDEMNIFICATIONS

General Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Company may enter into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide for general indemnifications. The Company's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Company that have not yet occurred. Based on the prior experience of the Investment Manager, the Company expects the risk of loss under these indemnifications to be remote.

Investment Manager Indemnifications

Consistent with standard business practices in the normal course of business, the Company has provided general indemnifications to the Investment Manager, any affiliate of the Investment Manager and any person acting on behalf of the Investment Manager or such affiliate when they act in good faith, in the best interest of the Company. The Company is unable to develop an estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments that could potentially result from any hypothetical future claim, but expects the risk of having to make any payments under these general business indemnifications to be remote.

Directors and Officers Indemnifications

The Company's articles of incorporation provide that the directors, managers or other officers of the Company shall be fully indemnified by the Company from and against all actions, expenses and liabilities which they may incur by reason of any contract entered into or any act in or about the execution of their offices, except such (if any) as they shall incur by or through their own negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust respectively.

NOTE 11 SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

In the preparation of the financial statements, the Company has evaluated the effects, if any, of events occurring after 31 January 2017 to 11 May 2017, the date that the financial statements were issued.

On 31 March 2017, the Company committed $30 million to the HarbourVest 2017 Global Fund, a global multi-strategy fund-of-funds.

On 31 March 2017, the Company committed $25 million to HIPEP VIII Partnership Fund, a HarbourVest international fund-of-funds programme.

On 28 April 2017, the Company committed an additional $10 million to the HarbourVest 2017 Global Fund and an additional $32 million to HIPEP VIII Partnership Fund.

There were no other events or material transactions subsequent to 31 January 2017 that required recognition or disclosure in the financial statements.

Supplementary Data

HVPE's HarbourVest Fund Investments

HVPE's HarbourVest Fund investments and secondary co-investments are profiled below. Financial information for each fund is provided in the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements.

V = Venture, B = Buyout, O = Other

P = Pimary, S = Secondary, D = Direct Co-Investment

*Year of secondary purchase

Vintage year is year of initial capital call. HarbourVest Fund-of-Funds typically call capital over a multi-year period.

// No single portfolio company represented more than 2.2% of the Investment Portfolio

// The five largest companies represented 7.2% of the Investment Portfolio

// The 25 largest companies represented 20.7% of the Investment Portfolio.

// In total, the top 100 companies represented $517 million or 40.0% of the Investment Portfolio

The 100 largest portfolio company investments based on Investment Portfolio value are listed by percentage of investment value. Some companies below are held at least in part in HarbourVest direct funds (shown in bold). In most cases, HarbourVest has access to more detailed financial and operating information on these companies, and in some cases, HarbourVest representatives sit on the companies' Board of Directors.

By Geography Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 1.8% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is the largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees

US
// The five largest managers represented 7.1% of the Investment Portfolio

// The 25 largest managers represented 22.1% of the Investment Portfolio

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 40.7% of the Investment Portfolio

By Geography Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 1.5% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is the largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees

Europe

// The five largest managers represented 5.4% of the Investment Portfolio

// The 25 largest managers represented 13.6% of the Investment Portfolio

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 14.0% of the Investment Portfolio

By Geography Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 1.0% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is the largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees

Asia Pacific and Rest of World

// The five largest managers represented 4.0% of the Investment Portfolio

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 11.2% of the Investment Portfolio

By Stage Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 1.8% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is the largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees

Buyout

// The five largest managers represented 7.3% of the Investment Portfolio

// The 25 largest managers represented 23.0% of the Investment Portfolio

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 40.9% of the Investment Portfolio

By Stage Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 1.3% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is he largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees

Venture Capital/Growth Equity

// The five largest managers represented 5.8% of the Investment Portfolio

// The 25 largest managers represented 15.9% of the Investment Portfolio

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 21.2% of the Investment Portfolio

By Stage and Geography Based on the Investment Portfolio

// No external manager represented more than 0.4% of the Investment Portfolio

// As the investment manager of the HarbourVest direct funds, HarbourVest Partners, LLC is the largest manager held in HVPE, although not listed here. In many cases, HarbourVest representatives participate in managers' advisory committees.

Mezzanine/Other

// In total, the largest managers (0.20% of investment value or larger) represented 1.7% of the Investment Portfolio

Disclosures

Investments
The companies represented within this report are provided for illustrative purposes only, as example portfolio holdings. There are over 7,000 individual companies in the HVPE portfolio, with no one company comprising more than 2.2% of the entire portfolio.

The deal summaries, general partners (managers), and/or companies shown within the report are intended for illustrative purposes only. While they may represent an actual investment or relationship in the HVPE portfolio, there is no guarantee they will remain in the portfolio in the future.

Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains certain forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, for-ward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as ''anticipate,'' ''believe,'' ''could,'' ''estimate,'' ''expect,'' ''intend,'' ''may,'' ''plan,'' ''potential,'' ''should,'' ''will,'' and ''would,'' or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements are based on the Investment Manager's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of future performance and market developments, taking into account all information currently available. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known or are within the Investment Manager's control. If a change occurs, the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties because they relate to events, and depend on circumstances, that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Any forward-looking statements are only made as at the date of this document, and
the Investment Manager neither intends nor assumes any obligation to update forward-looking statements set forth in this document whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law or other applicable regulation.

In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the events described by any such forward-looking statements might not occur. The Investment Manager qualifies any and all of its forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors.

Please keep this cautionary note in mind while reading this report.

Some of the factors that could cause actual results to vary from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

// the factors described in this report;

// the rate at which HVPE deploys its capital in investments and achieves expected rates of return

// HarbourVest's ability to execute its investment strategy, including through the identification of a sufficient number of appropriate investments;

// the ability of third-party managers of funds in which the HarbourVest funds are invested and of funds in which the Company may invest through parallel investments to execute their own strategies and achieve intended returns;

// the continuation of the Investment Manager as manager of the Company's investments, the continued affiliation with HarbourVest of its key investment professionals, and the continued willingness of HarbourVest to sponsor the formation of and capital raising by, and to manage, new private equity funds;

// HVPE's financial condition and liquidity, including its ability to access or obtain new sources of financing at attractive rates in order to fund short-term liquidity needs in accordance with the investment strategy and commitment policy;

// changes in the values of, or returns on, investments that the Company makes;

// changes in financial markets, interest rates or industry, general economic or political conditions; and

// the general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of HVPE's shares.

Publication and Calcuation of Net Asset Value

The NAV of the Company is equal to the value of its total assets less its total liabilities. The NAV per share of each class is calculated by dividing the net asset value of the relevant class account by the number of shares of the relevant class in issue on that day. The Company intends to publish the estimated NAV per share and the NAV per share for the Ordinary shares as calculated, monthly in arrears, as at each month-end, generally within 15 days.

Regulatory Information

HVPE is required to comply with the Listing, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom (the 'LPDGT Rules'). It is also authorised by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission as an authorised closed-ended investment scheme under the Protection of Investors (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1987, as amended (the 'POI Law'). HVPE is subject to certain ongoing requirements under the LPDGT Rules and the POI Law and certain rules promulgated thereunder relating to the disclosure of certain information to investors, including the publication of annual and half-yearly financial reports.

In the course of the year under review, HVPE was subject to the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht, 'FMSA') and was registered with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (the 'AFM') as a closed-end investment company pursuant to section 1:107 of the FMSA. Coincident with ceasing to be listed on Euronext Amsterdam, HVPE ceased to be registered with the AFM pursuant to section 1:107 of the FMSA

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited via Globenewswire