LDC was named Private Equity Firm of the Year at The Solent Deals Awards last night.
The awards, organised by The Business Magazine, bring together the South’s investors, lawyers, bankers, accountants and funding specialists to celebrate the achievements of the local corporate finance community. LDC’s South team was recognised for its impact on the local M&A market and commitment to the region.
During the qualifying period, the team in the South achieved a record year, investing £100m in four businesses. This includes new partnerships with outsourced communications solutions provider Message Direct and specialist database, cloud and applications managed service provider DSP.
In addition, LDC supported its portfolio management teams to grow organically and through acquisitions, with 12 completed during the qualifying period including FSP’s acquisition of cyber security consultancy Savanti and DSP’s acquisition of cloud solutions provider Eclipsys Solutions.
LDC also invested heavily in its team in the South during the period to strengthen its support for businesses across the region. In December 2023, Aylesh Patel was promoted to Partner and Head of South, and Chris Baker was promoted to Partner. James Garland and Jacob Leone, Investment Directors, have also both relocated to the region.
Jacob Leone, Investment Director, LDC said: “We invest in local, high-growth businesses and are keen to do more deals and invest more in the region. Message Direct in Bournemouth was a standout deal for us – it is an exciting and growing business.