Law firm active in range of multimillion-pound deals during 2018

European law firm Fieldfisher advised on more than £330m of venture capital and venture debt deals in 2018, spearheaded by Manchester-based corporate partner, Tom Ward.

The deals were a range of internationally-backed investments into businesses across the UK and Europe, with particularly strong interest in the tech sector (£235m); life sciences (£53m); and leisure and media (£30m).

Technology was by far Fieldfisher’s most active area for VC transactions in 2018.

Of the £235m, around £93m was directed at fintech opportunities, from emerging blockchain to mobile payment technologies and data analytics platforms providing core services to financial institutions.

A deal highlight included advising UK-based software platform developer Fuse Universal on its $20m Series B preferred equity investment round from 8 Roads Ventures.

The investment will enable Fuse to remain at the forefront of educational technology innovation.

Life sciences accounted for approximately 16% of the firm’s total deal value in 2018, making it the second largest sector for the VC practice.

Deals ranged from advising investors on equity investments in cannabis-based medicinal products, to advising medical device companies on their growth fundraisings.

Fieldfisher’s Manchester office was integral to the success of the firm’s VC practice last year, offering a regional presence to companies and investors interested in the opportunities for growth within the UK market as a whole.

Commenting on Fieldfisher’s 2018 deals data, Tom Ward, a partner in Fieldfishers corporate M&A and venture capital group, said: “This data shows that our VC practice is going from strength-to-strength across all stages of the VC ecosystem and a broad range of sectors.

“Our market-leading technology and life sciences practices were particularly strong performers last year, particularly in fintech, AI and ‘Big Data’.

“Fieldfisher’s breadth and depth of expertise in these and other high growth areas, including advising on a wide range of financial and biopharmaceutical regulatory matters, ensures that we are well-placed to continue helping both investors and innovative high-growth companies in these sectors throughout 2019.”