1813 Club and Premier Members
1813 Club and Premier Members
Greater Birmingham’s leading companies
Mergers and acquisitions activity in the third quarter of the year shot up by ten per cent, according to a new report by Birmingham-based Bracebridge Corporate Finance. The firm said that in the third
quarter, around 770 deals were announced, an increase of around 10 per cent compared to the second quarter. This analysis is based on all deals announced in the period which involved the acquisition of a stake of 20 per cent or more in a UK based company. Bracebridge managing director
Andy Moore said: “As we predicted in our last quarterly review, we have seen a step up in deal activity in the quarter. In fact, this is the first time we have seen any significant increase in deal volumes for some time. “Our current view on the outlook
for 2017 is around 3,000 deals for the year. This is still significantly lower than the previous three years, but we are certainly seeing an upturn in deal activity.” Cross border deals made up around 25 per cent of all deals
‘This is the first time we have seen any significant increase in deal volumes for some time’
Premier Membership
Contact: Howard Blow T: 0121 607 1841
Increase in acquistions activity
global venture capital firm Accel and early-stage investor PTB Ventures. Meanwhile, Darktrace, a leading
cyber security firm, raised a $75m Series D financing round. Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System uses AI algorithms to automatically detect and take action against cyber-threats. Healthcare continued to show
Andy Moore: Upturn in deal volumes
announced, with US purchasers accounting for more than 40 per cent of these. Strong levels of activity were
noted in the travel and leisure, technology (particularly cyber security), and healthcare sectors. In the former, Australian group Webjet acquired JacTravel from Vitruvian Partners for £200m, which makes the combined group
the number two business-to- business player globally. Also in the travel sector, Mobeus invested £6m in the secondary buyout of Ski Solutions, the specialist premium ski tour operator and travel agent. Deals in the cyber security sector
continue to be very active. Callsign, a leading artificial intelligence-based authentication platform, has raised a $35m Series A investment led by
strong levels of activity, both in terms of medical devices and healthcare technology. Investments included an £18m funding round for Ieso Digital Health, the UK’s largest provider of online mental healthcare, to accelerate growth in its home market and the commercialisation of its transformative technology platform in the US. Push Dr, the provider of on-line mobile face-to-face doctor consultations, also announced a £20m second round funding. Andy said: “We are now
experiencing an upturn in deal volumes and a general increase in valuations in the SME market. This is good news for business owners seeking an exit over the next couple of years.”
Theatregoers to get a kick out of Kinky Boots On tour: Kinky Boots
The musical version of popular film Kinky Boots is calling in at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre next autumn during a nationwide tour. The production will be at the Grand from 16-27 October 2018. Kinky
Boots, which features songs by pop star Cyndi Lauper, was inspired by real life events. It tells the story of a struggling Northampton shoe factory which found
unusual salvation when the owner, Charlie Price, hatched a plan to design and sell footwear to drag queens. Previously, Price and Son was known for men’s dress shoes, not ‘kinky
boots’ – but thanks to a link-up with drag queen Lola, the new line is a success and the factory is saved. Four years ago, the film was turned into a Broadway musical, and
composer and lyricist Cyndi Lauper said: “It has been a wonderful adventure and a privilege for me, to play a part in creating Kinky Boots. “Everyone can relate to this universal story, and I am overwhelmed that
people in the UK have embraced it with open arms. I am thrilled that this fabulous show will be touring the country.” Scott Bird, press and PR manager at the Grand, said: “It is hugely exciting
to be one of the first venues announced on the UK tour of Kinky Boots. It is a show with big heart and even bigger heels! “The production is a huge success around the world and it’s certainly going to leave Wolverhampton audiences feeling fabulous.”
22 CHAMBERLINK December 2017/January 2018
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