Virgin Group Ltd. is a British multinational branded venture capital conglomerate founded
by entrepreneur Richard Branson.
Its core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle, and it also manages ventures
in financial services, transport, health care, food and drink, media and telecommunications;
together, Virgin's businesses consist of more than 400 companies worldwide.
Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as
a holding company; however Virgin's business and trading activities date to the 1970s.
The net worth of Virgin Group as of September 2008 was £5.01 billion.
Name The brand name "Virgin" arose when Branson
and Powell were starting their first business, a record shop.
They considered themselves virgins in business.
The current Virgin logo was originally sketched on a paper napkin by graphic designer Trevor
Key and worked on by Ray Kyte.
Branson has described the "V" in the logo as an expressive tick, representing the Virgin
seal of approval.
Corporate affairs Virgin Group operates from its headquarters
at The Battleship Building in the Paddington district of the City of Westminster.
Previously it was in The School House in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Although Branson retains complete ownership and control of the Virgin Brand, the commercial
set-up of companies using it is varied and complex.
Each of the companies operating under the Virgin brand is a separate entity, with Branson
completely owning some and holding minority or majority stakes in others.
Occasionally, he simply licenses the brand to a company that has purchased a division
from him, such as Virgin Mobile USA, Virgin Mobile Australia, Virgin Radio, Virgin Music
and Virgin Media.
In mid-May 2013, the Virgin Group expressed its intention to seek out opportunities in
Australia's healthcare industry to consolidate on the Group's Australian fitness centres.
The Group also owns more than 100 National Health Service services in the United Kingdom
and the healthcare division of medical services group Assura after entering the British healthcare
industry in 2011.
Subsidiaries and investments
AirAsia X — long-haul budget airline operating from Malaysia
V Festival — two-day music festival held in two separate locations in the United Kingdom
V Festival — an Australian version of the V Festival
Virgin Festival — a North American version of the V Festival
Virgin Active — a health club chain in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Singapore,
Portugal, and Italy Virgin America — a United States budget
airline based at San Francisco International Airport
Virgin Atlantic Airways — an international carrier based in Crawley, West Sussex, UK
Virgin Australia Holdings Limited Virgin Australia — an Australian-based airline
Virgin Samoa — a Samoan-based airline Blue Holidays — The holiday programme of
Virgin Australia, now a joint venture between Virgin Australia
Virgin Balloon Flights — a hot air balloon operator
Virgin Books — publisher, retailer and distributor of books
Virgin Care — provides National Health Services care, formerly Assura Medical
Liquid Comics — comic book producer Virgin Connect — broadband Internet access
and telephony in Russia Virgin Digital Help — technical support
Virgin Drinks — drink manufacturer Virgin Cola — carbonated cola soft drink
Virgin Vodka — alcoholic beverage v-Mix - spirit mixers
Virgin Earth Challenge — competition to find solutions to global warming
Virgin Experience Days — corporate and consumer experience events
Virgin Galactic — a venture to market and operate commercial space flights, using spacecraft
designed by Scaled Composites Virgin Green Fund — venture capital firm
for investing in petroleum alternatives Virgin Health Bank — a business enabling
parents to store their baby's stem cells Virgin HealthMiles
Virgin Holidays — UK travel agency and tour operator for worldwide destinations served
by Virgin Atlantic and its partner companies Virgin Holidays Cruises — UK cruise holiday
agent Travel City Direct - UK Online Travel Agent
for holidays to Florida.
Acquired from the now defunct XL Leisure Group after it went into administration.
Travel City Direct Cruises — UK cruise holiday operator for holidays to Florida and the Caribbean
Bales Worldwide Ltd - Small UK Tour Operator
Virgin Hotels Virgin Life Care — fitness group in South
Africa Virgin Limited Edition — exclusive hotel
operator Kasbah Tamadot — exclusive Moroccan holiday
destination Lady B — luxurious Catamaran available for
Caribbean charters The Lodge — ski lodge
Natirar — private spa located in Somerset County, New Jersey
Necker Island — exclusive island in British Virgin Islands for private hire
The Roof Gardens and Babylon — 1.5 acres open air gardens, venue, nightclub and restaurant
in Kensington, London Ulusaba — exclusive game reserve in South
Africa
Virgin Limobike — passenger bike service in London
Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile Canada — provider of mobile
phone service in Canada - joint venture with Bell Canada
Virgin Mobile South Africa — provider of mobile phone service in South Africa - joint
venture with Cell C Virgin Mobile France — provider of mobile
phone service in France - Virgin Group owned Virgin Mobile Colombia — provider of mobile
phone service in Colombia Virgin Mobile India — provider of mobile
phone service in India - franchise agreement with Tata Teleservices
Virgin Money — providers of financial services Virgin Money UK — a UK bank
Virgin Money Australia — Virgin Money South Africa
Virgin Credit Card
Virgin Money Giving — Online fundraising website
Virgin Radio — Radio station in France, Canada, Italy, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Thailand,
Turkey, United Arab Emirates Virgin Rail Group
Virgin Trains — a railway operator in the United Kingdom
Virgin CrossCountry - part of Virgin Trains, services transferred to Arriva in 2007
Virgin Trains ExpressCoach — Intercity bus & coach services
Virgin Unite — charitable foundation Virgin Wines - Online wine market
Virgin Vacations — U.S. travel agency Virgin EMI Records - Soundtrack label
Virgin Records - American music soundtrack label
References
External links Official website
Virgin Group on Google+