Investment type
- Carve out
NBS is a global leading technology platform that combines the best content and connectivity for anyone involved in the design, supply and construction of the built environment. Headquartered in Newcastle, it employs more than 200 people.
LDC invested £31.8m for a significant minority shareholding in NBS to drive future product development and international expansion plans. Our investment in NBS was named Private Equity Deal of the Year at the North East Dealmaker Awards and the Yorkshire Dealmaker Awards.
Our partnership with LDC has both transformed our business and supercharged our growth. They backed our ambition to expand internationally and invested in our technology development, helping us to meet our objectives sooner than expected despite the uncertainty in the market.”
Organic and acquisitive international expansion
Supported by LDC, the team expanded its presence internationally, opening new permanent bases in both Australia and Canada.
The company also completed the acquisitions of SCL Schumann and EzySpec in Australia to create Australia’s most comprehensive platform for building product information and architectural specifications, supported by consulting services.
Transformational technology
The firm also invested significantly in new product development, moving from legacy on-premise products to cloud based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. NBS Chorus and NBS Source both construction specifiers and manufacturers together, improving the quality of decision making and driving product specification.
A successful international exit
In November 2020, LDC and RIBA agreed the sale of NBS to Byggfakta Group, a leading data and software provider to the European construction industry headquartered in Sweden and backed by private equity firms Stirling Square Capital Partners and TA Associates.
The acquisition of NBS will enable Byggfakta Group to broaden its scope both geographically and functionally, and to strengthen its position as a leading data and technology provider to the European construction industry, spanning project information, product information, specification, e-tendering, and e-billing.