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Bishopsgate Corporate Finance has achieved 29th place on the 2023 edition of The Sunday Times 100, the prestigious annual ranking of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies.

Bishopsgate was recognised for its annual sales growth over three years of 121% with its fee income accelerating to hit £5.2 million in the year to March after it doubled the size of its team.

The distinguished list of companies featured must meet the entry criteria which includes the company being independent and privately owned, operating profit in the latest year, have four years of accounts, with sales growth measured by compound annual growth rate over the latest three financial years.

James McBain Allan, Partner at Bishopsgate Corporate Finance comments:
“It is a privilege to be part of the Sunday Times’ annual celebration of UK businesses and to receive such recognition for the achievements made at Bishopsgate. These results are testament to the high calibre of the businesses that we have the honour to work with and the hard work and dedication of our team of expert advisors and I am grateful for everything they have accomplished. Through further investment in the team and business we have an exciting pipeline of activity ahead of us and plan to maintain our growth trajectory and continue to achieve record deal values for our clients. At Bishopsgate we offer a level of professionalism and breadth of expertise that is second to none and achieve outstanding outcomes.”

About Bishopsgate Corporate Finance
Bishopsgate is a leading independent M&A advisory firm providing bespoke and specialist corporate finance advice to privately owned companies across the UK. Our experienced team advises owner managers, entrepreneurs and company shareholders on company sales, exits, acquisitions, management buy-outs, fundraisings and private equity transactions, utilising our extensive network of UK based and international buyers and investors. Since its launch in 1996 it has completed over 200 deals with a total fee income of over £2.5bn.

About The Sunday Times 100, Britain’s fastest-growing private companies
The league table takes on the baton from The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 series, which celebrated the country’s leading entrepreneurs for 24 years. The 2023 league table is supported by Barclays Private Bank, DHL Express and Inflexion.

The shortlist for the East Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2023 has been announced and Bishopsgate Corporate Finance has been nominated for 5 awards! This is a record number of nominations for us and a truly fantastic result, especially in one of the most competitive set of entries in the events history.

Bishopsgate Corporate Finance has been shortlisted for the following awards:
1. Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year
2. Edward Wesson in Emerging Dealmaker of the Year
3. Deal of the Year (under £10m): Thrive Operations’ acquisition of Custard Technical Services (Bishopsgate Corporate Finance, Browne Jacobson)
4. Deal of the Year (Above £10m): Forterro’s acquisition of OrderWise (Bishopsgate Corporate Finance, Wilkin Chapman, Duncan & Toplis, RSM, Charles Russell Speechly Law, Partners Group, Battery Ventures)
5. James McBain Allan in Dealmaker of the Year

Congratulations to all those who have been nominated. We very much look forward to celebrating at the awards ceremony in May.

M&A advisor Bishopsgate Corporate Finance has achieved a record 2022/23 year in terms of number of deals, total deal value and fee income. The 10 completed transactions included successful sales to trade and private equity buyers, management buy-outs and acquisitions and covered a range of sectors, including technology & software, industrials and business services.

Highlights for the year include:
– 10 completed transactions
– £220m of deal value
– 8x sales to trade and/or private equity buyers
– 2x management buy outs and acquisitions
– 70% of sales to PE firms or PE backed buyers
– 60% of deals in Technology & Software space
– 4 new joiners
o Morgan Atherton, Managing Partner
o Darren Hagan, Manager
o Tirayo Obileye, Analyst
o Sophie Robotham, Business Development

Morgan Atherton, Managing Partner comments:

“These results are a testament to the strength and talent of the Bishopsgate team, our close relationships in the local market, deep sector specialisms and the quality of our clients’ respective businesses.

“Having invested significantly in the team and the business, we have an exciting pipeline of deals and are looking forward to another successful year from April, delivering high quality, expert M&A advice and delivering outstanding results for our clients.”

Bishopsgate Corporate Finance is a specialist corporate finance boutique founded in 1996 operating from offices in Stamford and London. Since its inception Bishopsgate has advised on over 200 deals with a combined value in excess of £2.5bn. Bishopsgate advises owner managers and entrepreneurs on Exits, Acquisitions, Management Buy-outs, Fundraisings and Private Equity Transactions combining significant international and sector specific expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes for its clients.

We are pleased to announce that Darren Hagan has joined the growing team at M&A advisor Bishopsgate Corporate Finance. Darren is an ACA qualified accountant and brings with him substantial financial experience.

He joins from Grant Thornton where he has spent the past four years working with successful businesses, from smaller owner-managed businesses to large and complex enterprises based in Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas. He covered a variety of sectors and recent clients include well known British manufacturing brands and up and coming cyber security firms.

Morgan Atherton, Managing Partner comments:
“Darren’s skills in accounting, project and client management and his all-round business acumen are impressive and we are delighted to be welcoming him to the team. He joins at an exciting time for Bishopsgate Corporate Finance, having doubled the size of the team and about to close out a record year in terms of number of deals, total deal value and fee income. Darren’s experience and energy complements the team perfectly and will help us to maintain our growth trajectory and continue to ensure our clients receive high quality, expert advice and achieve outstanding outcomes.”

Darren Hagan comments:
“Bishopsgate Corporate Finance is renowned in the industry for providing specialist and tailored M&A advice to businesses and for delivering excellent results for shareholders. I am incredibly excited to be part of such a successful and experienced team and look forward to contributing to its continued success going forward.”

Bishopsgate Corporate Finance is a specialist corporate finance boutique founded in 1996 operating from offices in London and Stamford. Since its inception Bishopsgate has advised on over 200 deals with a combined value in excess of £2.5bn. Bishopsgate advises owner managers and entrepreneurs on Exits, Acquisitions, Management Buy-outs, Fundraisings and Private Equity Transactions combining significant international and sector specific expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes for its clients.

After a record-breaking year Bishopsgate Corporate Finance is delighted to announce the recruitment of Morgan Atherton as Managing Partner.

Morgan is an accomplished corporate finance professional and dealmaker, bringing over 25 years of international M&A and Private Equity experience to the Bishopsgate team. He began his career at Arthur Andersen before moving to NatWest Specialised Finance and then to KPMG in a senior position. He spent 10 years at KPMG working on a large number of international and private equity mandates, a selection of which are highlighted below:

• Advised HBOS on the £44m MBO of Sunseeker, a £240m revenue luxury yacht manufacturer.
• Advised LDC on the MBO of Vision Security Group, a £90m revenue guarding business.
• Advised the owners of a digital insurance distribution business on its £30m sale to a US trade buyer.
• Advised the shareholders (management and NBGI PE) on the £49m sale of Nationwide Autocentres to Phoenix Equity Partners.

After a successful career at KPMG, Morgan then moved in-house as CFO of Dimensions Clothing, the UK’s leading supplier of uniforms and workwear. During his time with Dimensions, he oversaw significant international growth and led numerous acquisitions and strategic projects, most recently the £50m MBO supported by LDC in 2019.

Simon Stephenson comments: “Morgan brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience as both an advisor and also as a principal during his time at Dimensions. We believe this unique blend of experience will be invaluable to our clients, and he is a great addition to the team. We are excited about the opportunities that Morgan’s appointment will create as we look to build on significant growth achieved in recent years. Morgan has joined the team as Managing Partner which signals our intent to continue to grow and service our client base. He will be followed by two further appointments who will join the business in August and September taking the dealmaking team to 10. This investment in the team follows significant investment in both our technology infrastructure and our balance sheet to ensure we are well placed for the future to continue to provide premium advisory services to the UK’s business community.”

Morgan Atherton comments: “I am delighted and incredibly excited to be joining the Bishopsgate team during a transformational period of growth for the business. I have known Bishopsgate for many years and have been hugely impressed by its success and the achievements of the team. I am looking forward to applying my knowledge and experience to help both the team build on its strong foundations and, most importantly, our clients realise their strategic goals and ambitions.”

Bishopsgate Corporate Finance is a specialist corporate finance boutique founded in 1996 operating from offices in London and Stamford. Since its inception Bishopsgate has advised on over 200 deals with a combined value in excess of £1.5bn. Bishopsgate specialises in advising owner managers and entrepreneurs on Exits, Acquisitions, Management Buy-outs, Fundraisings and Private Equity Transactions combining significant international and sector specific expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes for its clients. Notable recent transactions include:

• The sale of Bowman Stores to listed US business Americold for £74m
• The cross-border sale of £9m turnover EDI software business Data Interchange to US based Epicor
• The sale of £20m turnover gaming technology business Fanatical to TPG backed business Fandom Inc