Gymshark: How going public could help take on ‘monster rivals’ Nike and Adidas May 7, 2025 Gymshark, the activewear brand co-founded by billionaire Ben Francis, could be pushed towards becoming a public company in its bid to “achieve the kind of global domination enjoyed by monster rivals Nike and Adidas”. According to Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, the Solihull-headquartered business would need to “amp up its presence” [...]
Private capital investment into UK business jumps 44 per cent May 6, 2025 The volume of private equity and venture capital cash flowing into UK businesses jumped by 44 per cent last year as investors increasingly look outside of London for opportunities. Private capital firms invested £29.4bn into UK businesses over 2024, compared to £20.4bn in 2023, research from the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association revealed. [...]
Zoopla: Rightmove rival handed £500m price tag April 30, 2025 Online property portal Zoopla has been put up for sale with an asking price of around £500m, it is understood. The company, which was launched in 2008, has put on the market by Silver Lake Partners which has owned the group it forms a part of following a £1.6bn deal in 2018. That group also includes [...]
The Ivy owner sheds jobs as potential £1bn sale drags on April 28, 2025 The group behind restaurant chain The Ivy shed 300 jobs as billionaire owner Richard Caring continues to weigh a £1bn sale, it has been revealed. The business has only just published its financial accounts for 2023, seven months after the Companies House deadline. The results show The Ivy’s owner cut its headcount from 5,962 to [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder returns to board after £5.4bn takeover April 21, 2025 The billionaire co-founder of Hargreaves Lansdown has made a surprise return to the investment platform’s board following its private equity takeover last year. Peter Hargreaves, who helped set up the investment site in 1981 and stepped down as a director a decade ago, will reappear on the company board in a non-executive role. Hargreaves has [...]
Are private markets approaching a tipping point? April 15, 2025 As money continues to pour into private markets, concerns are mounting that the sector is expanding too fast in an unfriendly environment. In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in private markets, with fundraising doubling over the last decade, leading to $13.1 trillion (£9.9 trillion) in assets under management across the sector. [...]
Grant Thornton gains double-digit growth following PE approval April 15, 2025 Grant Thornton UK has generated double-digit revenue over the last 12 months, just as the firm's private equity investment gained regulatory approval
UK private equity deals crash to pandemic lows April 10, 2025 UK private equity deals crashed to their lowest level since 2020 in the first quarter of this year, as a tepid IPO market and geopolitical uncertainty continued to hamper dealmaking. There were only 320 private equity deals in the first quarter of 2025, totalling £18bn, compared to 534 deals totalling £28.2bn in the quarter before, [...]
Trump must decide what tariffs are for – Private equity chief April 9, 2025 President Donald Trump must decide what his sweeping tariffs are for in order to rescue markets from their ongoing collapse, a private equity chief has said. “The markets are in turmoil because they aren’t sure what we’re solving for, because the messages have been quite mixed,” Hamilton Lane co-CEO Erik Hirsch told Morning Wire. Trump [...]
Volleyball World: How CVC Capital Partners woke sport’s sleeping giant April 9, 2025 Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor on how CVC Capital Partners has commercialised the sport, its successful D2C platform and ambitions to woo British fans. Private equity in sport can provoke suspicion that it will be funds rather than fans who benefit most from the transaction, yet in volleyball there can be little doubt that it [...]