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Westbridge Capital supports bChannels MBO

The management team at Oxford company bChannels Limited has completed an equity backed buyout of the business.

Led by chief executive Matt Rowland-Jones, the four-strong team has acquired a majority stake in the company following a GBP3.5 million secondary buyout from RCapital.
 
The deal, backed by private equity house WestBridge Capital, also includes a significant amount of development capital to enable bChannels to pursue ambitious plans for further growth.
 
The business, which outsourced marketing services and customer engagement strategies to global technology companies, employs 126 staff at its headquarters in Oxford and has offices in the USA and Australia. 
 
bChannels has deep relationships with its blue chip customer base, which includes eighteen of the top twenty largest global technology companies.
 
Rowland-Jones set up the company in 1999 with colleague Phil Gowing. 
 
“Although bChannels is already in a very strong position with an enviable portfolio of clients, this transaction provides us with the opportunity to capitalise on further growth opportunities and expand our key client account programme,” says Gowing. “We are the trusted adviser to many global technology customers and the next phase of our development will allow us to continue to enhance our clients’ sales growth initiatives.
 
“We are particularly pleased to have backing from WestBridge Capital.  They have a proven track record in the technology sector and a partnership approach to investment which sees them contributing to the business over and above the provision of investment monies.”
 
Valerie Kendall, a partner at WestBridge Capital, will join the board of bChannels. 
 
“We have been so impressed by the management team at bChannels,” says Kendall. “They have consistently demonstrated their commitment to their clients, and the respect in which they are held is a testament to their thought leadership in this niche.  We are truly excited to be working with this engaging and professional team.”
 
Tony Stratton will remain non-executive chairman at bChannels.
 
Myles Halley, chairman of RCapital, says: “After working with this management team for two years, we are delighted at their performance over this period.  We believe that with WestBridge Capital's detailed knowledge in this sector, bChannels will go from strength to strength."
 
Tom Kelleher of Capital Law and Laura Shaw of BDO advised WestBridge Capital in the transaction, while Andrew Tacon of Grant Thornton and Michael Stace of Morgan Cole advised management.

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