LDC wins Private Equity Firm of the Year at North East Dealmakers Awards

LDC was named Private Equity Firm of the Year at the North East Dealmakers Awards last night.

The awards, hosted by North East Business Insider and held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, celebrate the contributions and achievements of the region’s dealmaking community.

LDC completed 12 transactions during the qualifying period, including its successful exit of iamproperty, investment in Kick ICT and supporting portfolio companies Aspire and Lomond to make a series of strategic acquisitions.

The judges noted that LDC has built excellent connections with the local advisory community and leverages this in every transaction, covering the full spectrum of corporate finance advice from legal and tax to commercial due diligence and insurance.

LDC’s exit of iamproperty to Perwyn was also named Deal of the Year (£20m+). LDC completed a minority investment in iamproperty in 2019 backing entrepreneurs Ben Ridgway and Jamie Cooke. During the partnership, iamproperty recorded transformational growth and when LDC exited in October 2023, the transaction marked a 278% increase in the enterprise value of the business.

Also honoured at the awards was Chris Fraser, CEO of LDC-backed Aspire Technology Solutions, one of the UK’s leading managed service and cyber security providers. LDC invested in the business in March 2022 to support the management team’s organic and acquisitive growth strategy. The judges said Chris’ leadership and the business’ acquisition of Cloud Cover IT in January made him stand out.

LDC extends its congratulations to all of the companies and individuals that won awards or were shortlisted at Insider’s North East Dealmakers Awards 2024. You can view the full list of winners here.