UK early-stage businesses have received record backing over the last decade, but it’s the next step that will keep the cycle of life going for VCs. David Prosser looks at exit opportunities and where M&A will come from.
Non-AI software companies led a wave of exits, while AI firms dominated a strong year for first-time investments. But keep one eye on bankruptcies too, warns Beauhurst’s Henry Whorwood
Off the radar for many deal-makers, the South West boasts M&A stats that buck stuttering national trends. Rachel Willcox investigates what makes the region tick and whether its strong growth can be maintained.
It started as a charitable organisation, went private in 1999, became PE-owned in 2004, listed in 2014, and reverted to PE ownership in 2021. Is The AA now heading to a new home?
Stark stats for deals in the North East belie a region brimming with optimism that's attracting private equity firms. But government investment in infrastructure is sorely needed, says Nicholas Neveling.
Keen to build experience as a life sciences lawyer, there was only one place to go for Nadege Serna of Taylor Wessing. She talks about life in the Cambridge ecosystem.
At 11 years old, the British Business Bank has a new strategic plan, more capital at its disposal, and a new statement of intent. Marc Mullen speaks to its first-ever chief investment officer, Leandros Kalisperas, about the bank’s renewed purpose.
Businesses that faltered during the pandemic have bounced back stronger than ever, and five years on new niches are opening up, says Nicholas Neveling.
Almost two decades on from the global financial crisis, Scotland’s big energy deals have signalled a return to form. With a strong pipeline of start-ups and high-quality mid-market businesses lined up for investment, it’s later-stage capital that is in high demand. By Nicholas Neveling.
Amid tariff changes, reversals of changes, and stockmarket wobbles, Enfuse Group remained a standout investment target for Agathos. Nicholas Neveling reports.
HR due diligence is rapidly becoming a vital element of deal due diligence, as buyers seek out more accurate valuations. As its scope broadens, David Prosser looks at how the value of – and risk associated with – a workforce is quantified.
Management incentive plans (MIPs) can be modelled to three decimal places, and breeze through HMRC approval, but if CFOs don’t trust them and the management team don’t believe in them, they’re doomed from the start. Burges Salmon partner Nigel Watson and Francis Moore of Wyvern Partners, explain how to plan to succeed.
From nursery buy-and-builds to private school consolidation and university mergers, each education sub-sector is responding to its own specific challenges. Jason Sinclair looks at what’s driving activity in this busy UK market.
The UK sits in pole position for VC investment and global M&A is up in value, if not in volume, with dry powder reserves plentiful. Is the race to invest hotting up?
The healthcare sector has been busy this past decade. Private equity, corporates, and international investors have all been active – each responding to unique market drivers, regulatory challenges, and evolving public sentiment. Jason Sinclair looks at a resilient M&A sector.
Two-and-a-half centuries ago, Liverpool was a driving force behind the industrial revolution; now, it’s at the heart of a new movement. Jo Russell looks at how the city and wider region is spearheading the life sciences and technology revolution.
ICG’s sale of Kee Safety to Inflexion and 65 Equity proves that a high-quality business, polished by successive private equity owners, will always command a good valuation, whatever the market conditions. Nicholas Neveling reports.
The Jon Moulton Charity Trust, which applies investment principles to clinical trials funding, has backed nearly 200 pieces of research. Marc Mullen speaks to Moulton and the trust’s technical specialist, Dr Helen Critchley, to get under the skin of the operation.
There have been positive signs for UK M&A so far this year, but what does the future hold? Marc Mullen gets the views of three Corporate Finance Faculty board members.
Mobeus Equity Partners’ investment in Active Travel Group was rooted in a conviction that active travel is not merely a trend, but a reflection of changing consumer priorities. Jason Sinclair reports.
Investment may have fallen and valuations dropped for early stage companies but, says Beauhurst’s Henry Whorwood, these two things actually offer hope for such businesses.
Addressing the funding gap for small businesses, often women- or ethnic minority-led, has been a perennial problem as they fail to meet banks’ lending risk profiles. We look at community development finance institutions, an initiative with its roots in 1970s Chicago.
Dealmakers have had to cope with uncertainty for several years, but the constantly changing US tariff levels are creating new levels of unpredictability. How is that flowing into M&A valuations?
Resilience and ESG in supply chains have long been a focus for acquirers, but the US tariffs and Middle East troubles have thrust complex issues into the spotlight. David Prosser looks at how firms are mitigating global supply-chain risk in choppy waters.
Agriculture has been thrust into the spotlight with security of food supply and inheritance tax changes fuelling media interest. But what is going on with investment in the sector?
Early-stage investment is slowing. There may be local headwinds, but are we at the right stage of the cycle for VC exits, asks Beauhurst’s Henry Whorwood.
M&A inherently has risks that investors want to mitigate through a deal process. It’s no surprise that warranty and indemnity insurance uptake is seeing an uptick.
Around the deal table, female representation among corporate financiers has historically been poor. Retaining women and promoting them into senior M&A advisory roles is a long-term mission – and a journey firms are still on.
Female-founded businesses are beginning to see an increase in investment, but when it comes to scaling and achieving exit, there is much more to be done.
There are plenty of red flags being hoisted in the world of early-stage investing, but (almost) always the optimist, Henry Whorwood of Beauhurst looks for the positives.
Harnessing the opportunities technology offers M&A is a challenge. David Prosser speaks to advisers and investors about new technology and its impact on the future of dealmaking and execution.
