Managers
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has completed the sale of TRANZACT, a provider of direct-to-consumer sales and marketing solutions for individual Medicare and Life insurance policies across the US, to Willis Towers Watson. The total purchase price was USD1.3 billion.
Under CD&R’s ownership, TRANZACT capitalised on rapid growth in its core Medicare markets. TRANZACT’s success was supported by the company’s strong leadership team, entrepreneurial culture, and significant investments in its portfolio of differentiated technology and analytics capabilities.
As a leader in direct-to-consumer insurance sales, TRANZACT today employs approximately 1,300 individuals, including 850 licensed agents. The company integrates expertise in technology, marketing,
Bluegem Capital Partners, a European mid-market fund focused on consumer brands, has acquired Pool Service, an Italian professional hair care group and owner of the Medavita brand, from the private equity house Accord Management and the Cattaneo family.
Headquartered near Milan, the group is a leading developer and manufacturer of premium professional hair care products under both own and third party brands. The most prominent of the own brands is Medavita, with a history of over 50 years and known for its high efficacy, scientific formulas of its full range of professional haircare products.
The Group has strong R&D capabilities
BGF has invested GBP6.25 million in Christopher Ward, a Maidenhead-based premium British watch brand, founded in 2005 by Mike France, Chris Ward and Peter Ellis.
Christopher Ward, which has customers in more than 100 countries, creates high-quality timepieces that combine British style and innovation with Swiss watchmaking skills. The brand specialises in mechanical and quartz watches, that are designed in the UK and manufactured in the home of horology, Biel, Switzerland.
The brand is a leading innovator in the British watch industry and this year marks the fifth anniversary of the creation of the brand’s own in-house Swiss-made movement, Calibre
FFL Partners (FFL), a private equity firm focused on growth investments in middle market companies, has completed a majority investment in ALKU, a provider of highly specialised consulting and staffing services. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ALKU CEO and Founder Mark Eldridge and the Company’s management team have invested alongside FFL to retain a significant minority ownership stake in the business. WestView Capital Partners, an existing minority investor in ALKU, has also invested in the recapitalization.
“The acquisition of ALKU reflects FFL’s multi-year focus on identifying HR services firms with outstanding management teams, differentiated market opportunities
Bluecrest Health Screening, a provider of affordable health checks, has secured a GBP17 million investment arranged by private equity firm Vespa Capital.
The private healthcare provider offers comprehensive health screening tests and has delivered results to over 250,000 customers across the largest network of mobile clinics in the UK and Ireland.
Bluecrest Health Screening offers unrivalled convenience and affordability compared with traditional high-priced health checks offered by private hospital groups.
The business has achieved rapid growth since its launch in 2012 and is now being used by over 350 employers, who are able to carry out health screenings
The Apax Digital Fund, a technology-focused growth equity fund advised by global private equity advisory firm Apax Partners, is to acquire MetaMetrics, developer of the widely adopted Lexile Framework for Reading and Quantile Framework for Mathematics, from Pamlico Capital.
The transaction is expected to complete in September 2019, subject to regulatory approval. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Founded in 1984 and based in the Research Triangle in North Carolina, MetaMetrics is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve educational outcomes. MetaMetrics provides universal measures of reading and math skills achievement through the Lexile
Trak-rap Holdings Ltd, manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions, has become the 40th regional business supported by NPIF – Maven Equity Finance.
The fund has invested a total of GBP25 million since launch in February 2017, helping create over 200 new jobs. An additional GBP20 million has been raised through private sector funding.
The transaction that helped cross this significant milestone is a NPIF led GBP1.27 million investment in West Lancashire based Trak-rap Holdings Limited (TrakRap), a designer and manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions. A total of GBP750,000 was invested on behalf of NPIF alongside an additional GBP320,000 from existing
EV Cargo, a privately-owned logistics business in the UK, has completed a GBP150 million debt financing with Investec.
The financing involved all operating businesses within the EV Cargo group – Adjuno, Allport Cargo Services, CM Downton, Jigsaw, NFT and Palletforce – and includes cash flow loans, fixed asset loans and receivables based working capital revolvers. It leaves EV Cargo well-placed for the next phase of growth, providing flexibility for future acquisitions and investment.
EV Cargo has grown its revenues to GBP870m and its operations now span more than 120 countries. In all, it boasts operations totalling 9 million sq
CyberSmart, a GCHQ Cyber Accelerator alumni, has secured GBP1.3 million in new financing led by deep-tech investor IQ Capital, following two years in stealth mode.
The funding will allow CyberSmart to further accelerate its rapid growth, build next-generation technical capabilities and secure Britain’s future as a leader in cybersecurity.
CyberSmart’s core mission is to protect and empower SMEs, often the weak link in cybersecurity, but at the same time, the bread and butter of the UK business landscape. CyberSmart’s platform and products allow any size SME, with or without technical resources, to protect itself and its staff, easily and affordably.
PredictImmune, a fast-growth developer of prognostic tools for immune-mediated diseases, has secured a GBP10 million funding package to accelerate global commercial expansion and support its expanding product pipeline.
BGF will provide GBP4 million of growth capital alongside Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) and existing investors.
Founded in May 2017 and based at the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge, PredictImmune develops pioneering tools for guiding treatment options in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis (IBD). Based on ten years of research at Cambridge University, PredictImmune’s test kits help both clinicians and patients to understand, at the point of diagnosis,
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
