Deals

We handle larger, more complex deals, working discreetly with strategic buyers such as large corporates and private equity.

Our process is advisory led, involving detailed valuations, structured sale process and expert negotiation. We provide high-level strategic guidance, typically engaging with fewer clients and delivering a more bespoke service.

By limiting the number of deals we handle, we concentrate 100% on delivering an exemplary outcome for our clients.

To date, we have advised on over 16 transactions both in the UK and overseas.

Every deal is unique, below are some case studies with a brief overview of how each project’s key requirements were met:

Please note, these are just examples from a growing list of ‘entrepreneur – founder’ exits that we have handled over the past decade.

In each case, we meticulously planned the exit route and supported the process with highly attentive and personal support.

We research hundreds of potential buyers per client, build deep financial modelling and negotiate at the highest level with some of the world’s largest companies – all while keeping things friendly, human and stress free.

Understand how we could support your exit in a confidential appraisal with no obligation by contacting us here or completing the form at the bottom of this page.

The Sempre Group – sold to Oxford Metrics plc

The Sempre Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of high specification metrology and inspection systems to blue chip industry. We were retained by the shareholders to identify a suitable strategic buyer and to guide them through the sales process. In preparation for a sale, we supported the team upstream for a period of around 12 months, which involved various adjustments to the business in order to ensure the business was ‘match fit’.

Once ready, we conducted a global search to identify potential strategic buyers. Using our own proprietary research together with specialist data from Pitchbook and Experian, our analysts gathered an initial list of 900 target companies in 43 countries, from which we took a deep dive into each, eventually whittling this down to 75 target companies we felt were an excellent strategic match.

Once we had confidentially approached each target organisation and ascertained the level of interest, we discretely managed discussions with a number of interested parties, hand-holding the shareholders and management through various management meetings.

We received 5 strong offers for the business, all curated to ensure the value expectation and deal structure was aligned to the shareholder expectation. Each of the bidders were larger corporates, with a couple in excess of £1bn revenue.

The final selection was driven ultimately by the perceived strategic and cultural fit. Oxford Metrics plc is a leading smart sensing and software company, specialising in providing data-driven solutions for the life sciences, entertainment, and engineering sectors. The company’s flagship products include motion capture systems, which are widely used in clinical trials, sports performance analysis and movie production. Through its Vicon division, Oxford Metrics is a global leader in motion measurement technology, serving clients worldwide, including researchers, filmmakers and municipal governments.

The deal allowed the shareholders to immediately exit the business and for the employees (including family members) to grow under the wings of excellent new ownership.

Empower Energy – sold to Good Energy Group plc

Having started only in 2010, Empower had grown to be one of the UK’s leading nationwide providers of commercial solar photovoltaic installations.

The business was growing at a significant rate and installing over 10MW of power each year.

In a fast-growing market, the principal shareholder and managing director recognised the strategic value that a larger market-aligned company could deliver both for the business and employees. We were engaged to conduct a highly confidential search and to manage the sales process.

We started our research by analysing the European market for acquisitions in the renewables sector, primarily using the Pitchbook M&A platform which provides extensive global market data. This provided useful insight into the current market, key buyers, and typical enterprise values (‘EV’) achieved. We then conducted our own proprietary research with over 100 man-days labour input, eventually arriving at 700 potential strategic acquirers spread across 26 countries.

With a good understanding of where the potential enterprise value lay, we were able to hand-pick 61 target companies that met both strategic and financial criteria for an acquisition of this size.

The level of interest was extremely strong, and we whittled the list down to 5 key bidders, all of whom submitted bids following management meetings that we managed throughout.

Like many of our clients, the final choice was made based principally on cultural and strategic fit – and Good Energy Group plc was chosen as a front runner. The deal was exceptionally strong for the shareholders and placed the business in a good long-term home for the employees and wider stakeholders.

Good Energy Group PLC is a supplier of 100% renewable electricity supplier and energy services provider. Since it was founded 25 years ago, the Company has been at the forefront of the charge towards a cleaner, distributed energy system. Its mission is to power a cleaner, greener world and make it simple to generate, share, store, use and travel by clean power.

The Mayfield Group – sold to Epwin Group plc

Established in 1999, The Mayfield Group had become one of the UK’s most prominent producers of outdoor decking solutions used in the leisure sector.

Having dominated the market for many years, the shareholders were approaching retirement and reached out for discussions on potential options for exit.

Whilst very profitable and financially very strong, after initial internal due diligence prior to exit, the business required various housekeeping actions. Working closely with Steele Raymond LLP commercial solicitors, we guided the shareholders through a number of steps that covered areas such as intellectual property (IP) and contract law, as well as the development of a next-layer management team.

Delivered over a period of 24 months, we eventually ‘raised the flag’ to commence the sales process. Searching again for a strategic buyer, we initially screened over 1,200 relevant companies in over 40 countries! With one of our larger research projects to date, we whittled this down to 37 target strategic buyers in 6 countries.

After guiding the shareholders through a series of management meetings and assessing all of the interested parties, it became clear that Epwin Group plc offered by far and wide the best strategic fit for the business and employees. With existing product lines in decking, Epwin Group had the scale and ambition to allow The Mayfield Group to grow.

AIM-listed Epwin Group plc is the leading UK-based manufacturer and supplier of energy efficient and low maintenance building products including windows, doors and fascia systems with some of the best known manufacturing and service names in the sector. Group businesses also produce high quality cladding, guttering, decking and prefabricated building components.