NBS is a market-leading provider of technology, content and data services to professionals in the architectural, engineering and construction industries.

Investment type
  • Carve out
Investment

£31.8m

Exit type
  • International trade sale
Exit date

November 2020

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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.”

Colin Smith, Executive Chairman
NBS

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.

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The team supported our decision to join Byggfakta Group and we’re excited about the future for NBS as part of a larger international group.”

Colin Smith, Executive Chairman
NBS

Awards

Private Equity Deal of the Year

NBS – Insider Yorkshire Dealmakers