Hg, the Manager of HgCapital Trust plc ("HgT"), today
announces an investment in Focus Group, one of the UK's leading
providers of essential business technology to
SMEs.
The terms of the transaction are not
disclosed.
HgT will invest approximately £21.3 million in Focus Group,
with other institutional clients of Hg investing alongside HgT
through the Hg Genesis 10 Fund.
HgT, whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange,
gives private and institutional investors the opportunity to
participate in all Hg's investments.
Note that these figures only relate to HgT's share of Hg's
overall investment in Focus Group.
HgT's liquid resources available for future deployment
(including all announced transactions, the undrawn bank facility
and the full year dividend payable in May 2024) are estimated to be
£670 million (29% of the estimated 29 February 2024 NAV of £2.3
billion).
The investment will reduce HgT's outstanding commitments to
invest in Hg transactions to approximately £927 million (40% of the
estimated 29 February 2024 NAV).
HgT will announce its Q1 results in May
2024.
Focus Group secures new
investment from Hg
to accelerate its position as a
leading technology provider for SMEs
Brighton & Hove,
UK. 15th April 2024: Focus Group, one of the UK's leading providers of essential
business technology to SMEs, today announces that it has secured a
significant investment from Hg, a leading investor in European and
transatlantic software and services businesses. This partnership
will support Focus Group's continued growth in the UK.
Founded in 2003 by Ralph Gilbert and
Chris Goodman in Brighton & Hove, UK, Focus Group provides
digital workplace solutions to around 30,000 SME customers. The
company offers a single point of contact for the information
technology needs of these clients, providing communications and
software solutions, connectivity and
value-added IT services.
Chris Goodman, co-founder of Focus Group, said:
"Having enjoyed four fantastic years with our
previous investor Bowmark, we are thrilled to now be partnering
with Hg. Not only do they recognise the commercial
opportunity that lies ahead and the capability of the team, but
they also understand that it is the culture that we've built at
Focus over the past 20 years that is the foundation of our
success. This is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter
for the business and our incredible team."
Ralph Gilbert, co-founder of Focus Group, said:
"Hg have demonstrated their ability to create
value using their extensive experience in backing companies who
sell business services to SMEs. They show a deep understanding of
how to maximise and accelerate growth using data and AI; this has
resonated with us as we already have sector leading data on which
we are excited to capitalise. Alongside this we found that we have
well-aligned views of the future of the ICT industry, both in terms
of product and future M&A opportunities. We are very excited as
to what the future holds in partnership with Hg."
Hg's investment will support Focus
Group's organic growth plan, M&A ambitions and product
development initiatives, enhancing its ability to deliver
innovative solutions for the UK SME sector. Hg has made more than a
dozen investments in SME Tech Services over two decades and this
depth of expertise will support a valuable partnership for future
growth.
Nick Jordan and Joris Van Gool, Partners at Hg,
said: "The long-term trends in small
business technology adoption offers Focus a great opportunity to
continue its impressive growth trajectory by offering a
one-stop-shop for ICT for UK SMEs. In partnering with the Focus
leadership and close to 1,000 exceptional colleagues we are excited
about the opportunity to build a national champion in this
industry."
Conor Stewart, Principal at Hg, added:
"We are delighted to partner with Chris, Ralph and
the rest of the Focus management for the next stage of Focus's
journey - we've been impressed by the teams' vision, commitment and
ambition for future growth."
Focus and Bowmark were advised by
Houlihan Lokey, Osborne Clarke and PwC. Hg was advised by Arma
Partners, Linklaters and EY
Terms of the transaction are not
disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary closing
conditions.
For further
details:
Hg
Tom Eckersley
+44 (0)208 148 5401
HgCapital Trust
Laura
Dixon
+44 (0)20 8396 0930
Brunswick
Azadeh
Varzi
+44 (0)207 404 5959
Hg@brunswickgroup.com
About HgCapital Trust
plc
HgCapital Trust plc, whose shares are listed on the London
Stock Exchange (ticker: HGT.L), gives investors exposure through a
liquid vehicle to a portfolio of high-growth private companies in
the software and services sector. The selection of new investments
and creation of value in these businesses are managed by Hg, an
experienced and well-resourced private equity firm with a long-term
track record of delivering superior risk-adjusted returns for its
investors. For further details, please see
www.hgcapitaltrust.com.
The contents of the Hg, HgCapital Trust, Focus Group and
Bowmark's websites are not incorporated into, and do not form part
of, this announcement.
