Early Stage Deal of the Year<\/strong><\/h3>\nMercia Ventures, EOS and others invested \u00a34m into Taisan Motors – Founders Law, Higgs LLP, Thorntons Legal<\/p>\n
Inicio AI secured \u00a32.6m in seed funding, including \u00a3500,000 investment from the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund, \u00a3500,000 from Rigby Group, and \u00a3300,000 from Haatch Ventures – Future Planet Capital, Freeths, Harty & Smith<\/p>\n
Future Planet Capital invested in electric motorcycle manufacturer Maeving as part of an \u00a311m Series A round to accelerate international expansion – Freeths<\/p>\n
Student Energy Group acquired Midland Business Solutions, an early-stage company specialising in energy pricing and cost-efficiency analysis – Hill Dickinson, Talbots Law<\/p>\n
J\u00e4germeister’s VC arm Best Nights, made a seed investment into live music platform GigPig – GOF G\u00fctt Olk Feldhaus, Higgs LLP<\/p>\n
Mercia Ventures made a seed investment in gut-friendly toothpaste company Gutology – Higgs LLP, White & Black Limited<\/p>\n
A consortium acquired Keymas Limited, an early-stage automation business, in a deal involving trust-based ownership and non-standard share arrangements – Alston Asquith, Hill Dickinson, KBS Corporate<\/p>\n
Small Deal of the Year (up to \u00a310m)<\/h3>\n
NorthEdge supported PebblePad’s acquisition of ‘myday’ education platform provider Collabco – Claritas Tax, Cortus, Crosslake, Fellwood, GCS, Goodwin Procter, Squire Patton Boggs<\/p>\n
BGF and OakNorth made a minority investment into tech-enabled HR solutions provider Opus Safety – BGF, Claritas Tax, Evolve CF, Fieldfisher, Higgs LLP, OakNorth, Pinsent Masons<\/p>\n
Foresight Group invested \u00a37m into TEC Electric Motors – Birketts, Confidas, DWF, Foresight Group, Lockton, PMSI, Saffery, Virgin Money<\/p>\n
WHS Plastics acquired the Polytec Car Styling business from Polytec Group – Freeths, Knights, Teneo<\/p>\n
Dains acquired tax consultancy TBAT Innovation – Cyber Crowd, Dains, DSW, Mercia, PDW, PKF Smith Cooper, Smith Partnership<\/p>\n
Pace Group completed a series of acquisitions – Exel Elevators, The Lift Company, DJ Lift Services and Lift Smart – with debt and equity support – Clearwater, Gateley, Higgs LLP, HSBC, LDC, Pinsent Masons<\/p>\n
Claritas Tax acquired the Tax Incentives & Reliefs business from Markel International – Claritas Tax, Eversheds, Fieldfisher<\/p>\n
West Midlands Co-Investment Fund made a seed investment into Nourished owner Rem3dy Health – Future Planet Capital, Higgs LLP<\/p>\n
Medium Deal of the Year (\u00a310m-\u00a350m)<\/h3>\n
Whale Tankers, a manufacturer of vacuum tankers and jetting equipment, was sold to Kaiser AG – Clairfield, Claritas Tax, Gateley, Grant Thornton, HCR Wright Hassall, HSBC<\/p>\n
August Equity made an equity investment in Higgs LLP – Equator, Lockton, MHA, PwC, Rothschild & Co, RSM, Squire Patton Boggs, Travers Smith<\/p>\n
LDC invested in Harper James, a full-service commercial law firm – Claritas Tax, Clearwater, Coppett Hill, Eversheds Sutherland, Freeths, Investec, KPMG, PMSI, RSM, Shoosmiths, Springboard<\/p>\n
Vestum AB acquired Nortech Management Holding – Baringa, Evolve Corporate Finance, Fieldfisher, Grant Thornton, HCR Law<\/p>\n
Knighthead Capital Management acquired a 49% stake in Birmingham Phoenix Limited, one of eight franchises in The Hundred cricket competition, for \u00a340m – Deloitte, JMW Solicitors, Latham & Watkins, Onside Law, Squire Patton Boggs<\/p>\n
Litron Lasers, a solid state laser systems manufacturer, and its subsidiaries were sold to Nilario – Alvarez & Marsal, Clearwater Corporate Finance, Eversheds Sutherland, Freeths, Gowling WLG, Pinsent Masons, Setterwalls, Snellman<\/p>\n
Wow Stuff was sold to Dutch toy group Troy, with Forte Capital backing the acquisition and BGF continuing as a minority investor – Claritas Tax, Higgs LLP, Marktlink, PKF Smith Cooper, RSM, Shoosmiths, Wilkes<\/p>\n
Rubicon acquired Erodex – FRP, HSBC, KPMG, Pinsent Masons, Roland Berger<\/p>\n
Spanish consumer group Idilia Foods acquired by Shaken Udder from LDC – Grant Thornton, KPMG, Freeths, EY, Clifford Chance<\/p>\n
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