Alex Bayliss

#Hargreaves_Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown backed the £5.4 billion bid for the FTSE 100 fund manager today from a private equity consortium, a deal that will end its time as a listed company. The Bristol-based finance firm has been listed in London since 2007. It said today that the final offer valued its shares at 1140p in cash and would include a 30p per share dividend for the financial year which ended on 30 June. Compared to the Hargreaves Lansdown share price before the approach was first made in April, the price is at a premium of over 54%. The consortium is made up of CVC, Nordic Capital and ADIA. Hargreaves Lansdown is named after its founders – Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown – who set it up as an investment tip sheet. It now runs a state-of-the-art trading platform from which clients can run their own portfolios and pensions. https://lnkd.in/dKpizupy

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Great webinar with FT Live on the Global M&A Outlook in the EMEA Region. There is a feel of the optimism in EMEA’s M&A landscape, with private equity leading the charge and valuations on the rise. Geopolitical certaintly, growth agenda, and interest rates certainly will provide confidence in the market, therefore, the future is looking really good. #wheredealsaremade #privateequity #mergers

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Excellent role modelling

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If anyone would like hear my thoughts on stressed and distressed acquisitions please book your place on the link below or give Lizzy Tindall a shout

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We recently published our first Responsible Investment Report – an important milestone for us as a firm. The report outlines the efforts EMK and our portfolio companies have made over the past year in advancing sustainability.   You can read the full report below.   #ResponsibleInvestment

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This one’s a big edition for you medtechies out there. We’re seeing the transaction market turnaround. Also a few special items in here about the transplant market, women’s health (which we’ve started coverage on), election impact considerations, care-based AI and our biomaterials deal.

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HETI RIPORT #Neuberger_Berman Neuberger Berman, an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager, announced its NB Private Markets Access Fund LLC has reached a significant milestone, surpassing $1bn in net assets. Launched in January 2021, the NB Access Fund has grown consistently, highlighting both financial advisor and institutional investor demand for a differentiated, registered, evergreen private equity fund focused on direct private equity investments managed by an experienced and dedicated private equity team. The NB Access Fund provides a broader universe of investors access to Neuberger Berman’s private equity co-investments and GP-led secondary private equity solutions. The Fund invests in institutional-quality direct investments alongside leading private equity managers. As of April 30, 2024, the portfolio includes 68 private equity investments alongside 55 unique, lead private equity sponsors. https://lnkd.in/debswmz6

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This is exactly what we hear from the VCs that we back. In the UK, there is no shortage of capital for world-class founders. There is a shortage of world-class founders. We need to create the conditions where the very best founders choose the UK as the place to build their companies. If we do this, then the capital will follow. Strong-arming UK pension funds to invest in UK VC funds or, even worse, directly into UK companies, is not the answer. For a more detailed view on this, please see the white paper we published last year on the Mansion House initiative. https://lnkd.in/e86HSxrY

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In the recently published 𝗔&𝗠 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 (𝗔𝗔𝗔) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸, the team presents five key predictions for shareholder activist activity in Europe over the next year. 1. Increased M&A activity will be a key driver of shareholder activism; 2. There will be greater focus on public to private transactions; 3. Operational transformation will be an additional value-add for activists; 4. Internal vs external capital allocation decisions will come under greater scrutiny; 5. The desire for near term investment yield will slow the ESG momentum. Find out more in the latest Activist Alert: https://okt.to/A5fV7s #ActivistAlert #Activism #Europe

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Another wild day. 🙃😉🙃😉 4 new opportunities brought to our Operator Network cohort of PE, VC and Family Office clients. One is particularly interesting on a number of levels but largely because it’s a carve out of a £1bn+ Family Office portfolio…. £1.5m revenue D2C with 60% GMargin. Exceptional client list of MRR subscribers. Another opportunity involved an eco/retrofit business who have just done £1.8m revenue yr1 and growing to £8m yr2 with some cashflow finance required. There’s a £20m rev, £3m EBITDA specialist travel company raising £3m… Our vast community of Chairs and Non-Executives are plugged in to the SME deal-flow eco system. And guess what - these are largely completely “off-market”. Find out more at https://lnkd.in/eha-9Zxq #DealDirect #Virtualnonexecs

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Thank you for all the feedback on my recent post on Mattia and my interview on our 25 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞.  On popular request, below are our key reflections on the new age of leadership in our industry as well as a link to the full interview. ➡ 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲 – What might surprise some: Private equity is an incredibly creative industry. And since exhaustion is the death of creativity, we are focusing on balance and recovery. ➡ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Our cultural values are firmly embedded in our performance review. If you burn out your team, you won’t be a partner. ➡ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 – We are winning together and losing together. But together, we are winning much more. https://lnkd.in/ednvfNnd

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Excited for tomorrow's "Meet the Manager" webinar! If you're an investor interested in private equity secondaries, this is a must-attend event. Register now: https://lnkd.in/gRSwEnMy 👈 *For professional investors only. #privatequity #secondaries #dotinvesting #webinar

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I find this story to be particularly interesting as I have closely followed Antoine Drean's career in private markets over the past 2 decades. He was the Founder and Chairman of leading boutique private markets advisory firm Triago which was recently successfully sold to advisory firm Houlihan Lokey, and is also a #Founder and Chairman of leading online private markets secondary market place Palico. Therefore, his leadership in identifying strong middle-market fund managers and LPs appreciative of this market are noteworthy and his firm Mantra Investment Partners are definitely a private markets fund manager to track. They aim to build a diverse portfolio of small GP stakes in up-and-coming managers, ranging in value from around USD 1 million to USD 15 million apiece. #gpstakes Mantra Investment Partners are also seeking specialized #privateequity opportunities for the primary fund strategy, selecting funds in sectors #uncorrelated to broader economic trends, such as litigation finance, #digital infrastructure and #agribusiness. It also targets small to #middlemarket #secondary transactions similarly unanchored to mainstream markets. The primary fund commitments will be primarily in the US, while secondaries a mix US/ #europe and some rest of world. I see the exciting alpha potential in GP stakes and private markets overall in the middle-market and niche strategies. I also highly value industry experience and respect for market cycles and industry data. This is definitely a group to track. #alternativeassets #privatemarkets #capitalmarkets #fundmanagers

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2024 at MD Capital… Firstly I would like to give a special thanks to all of our clients and partners that have supported us throughout the year, despite such a problematic start. For MD CAPITAL UK & UAE this year has been full of opportunities to solidify our position for the upcoming year and the rest of the decade, as for myself - even better: Q1 (JAN-MAR): - First project of the year while most of my businesses were on pause was “G-Code”, an e-learning platform providing free courses and resources teaching all aspects of coding from programming languages to UX Design. Q2 (APR - JUN): - Started the quarter with a small exit on a microsaas in the hospitality niche we invested into in Q4 2023. - Invested in @STS CREATIVE - Web App Development agency specialising in consumer oriented Ai web apps for businesses, local & international (now inactive due to Din Capital). - MD Performance UK & UAE & E-COM CARTEL are now authorised to continue operations and are free of any restrictions previously imposed. Q3 (JUL - SEP): - Turned 20 (getting old ik) - Launched DIN CAPITAL - First step into the Islamic business/finance industry (VERY bullish on this). - Improved fleet for MD Performance (new additions to the fleet for both UAE & PK). - Acquired multiple islamic niche consumer fitness brands to merge them and invest into the halal supplement/fitness space. - Acquired multiple fashion brands to merge and expand into the modest fashion industry. Q4 (OCT - DEC): - Flew my family to Umrah, spent 3 months in Jeddah & Mecca where I began development of “Project Mecca” (more on this VERY soon). - Secured funding for a project in the Natural Resources industry in Pakistan with a strong focus to significantly drive the country’s economy forward and welcome new opportunities for its future generations. - Investing into halal fintech with “Rizq” app - Islamic banking & investing solution. - Diversifying our portfolio with property, land & other tangible investments across the gulf & southeast asia. - Acquiring multiple construction, development & contractor firms to integrate with MD Capital’s (property) operations in PK (still pending). - MD Performance expands into PK with 2 vehicles currently boosting the fleet. - MD Performance has all cars FULLY BOOKED for 2 consecutive weeks, and again for new years This year, we focused on pivoting into emerging markets that we are highly optimistic about for the coming decade. Including: Islamic business development, Halal supplements and fitness, Modest fashion, Consumer e-com in GCC & SE Asia, investments in emerging economies in SE Asia, demographic expansion across GCC (a prime opportunity for hospitality & travel-focused businesses), and ventures in cyberwarfare & cybersecurity. Would also like to say that some projects above haven't been shared due to inconsistent updates. however, in 2025, I aim to document my journey & come up, and grow my personal brand. Happy New Year 🙌🏽

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Really enjoyed being on the panel at Private Equity Insights conference in London last week discussing best sectors for Private Equity going forward. PE investments are long term and it’s important for PE to invest in sectors with long term positive trends. Operational improvement is key for PE managers to deliver best returns and hence specialization is a key trend we can observe in the industry. In our selection of managers, Cubera Private Equity focuses on their sector expertise and ability to improve businesses.   #privateequity

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Gain.pro's research got featured in the Financial Times :) more about the current state of PE below!

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For those that might be interested, we are running the following strategies with teams in both the UK and UAE: 1. Equity and Debt Advisory - Helping companies raise $5m-200m from global investors including VCs, growth funds, family offices, corporate ventures and sovereigns. Giving our investor partners access to the best global deals. We do all the heavy lifting for our corporate clients running their fundraising process and giving them access to global capital 2. Our co-investment vehicle (awaiting DFSA approval) - we put our money where our mouth is and co-invest with the globe's best investors. We will be fundraising for the fund for those interested (professional clients only) 3. Alternatives offering - access to global trophy assets globally. Previous allocations in SpaceX, Epic Games and Stripe. Many more in the pipeline with monthly access If you are thinking about raising money, looking for investment opps, need corporate advisory services (M&A, MBOs, buy and builds), looking at refinancings or debt options or selling your business please do get in touch. Our team is ex VC, family office, co-founders, big and small advisers, M&A professionals and fund managers so we have sat on both sides of the desk and can help accordingly

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You will never retain great companies when your stock market is perceived as unattractive. LSE has a chronic lack of liquidity. Of the $11.9 billion raised via IPOs in Europe this year, just over 2% was in the UK—the lowest in decades, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. This compares to an average share of 31% between 2012 and 2023, the data shows.

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🌱 Emerging VC managers - a topic close to my heart, having seen it from both the GP and the LP side. 🌱 Thank you for moderating our panel Lisa Edgar, a pleasure to discuss with you and Charles Conn ,Regina Cho and Ertan Can. Thanks to everyone who listened and engaged in conversations after. For those who couldn't join us, here are two emerging managers profiles we touched upon: 1. Partners who are leaving established firms to start their own ➕ available track record to dilligence ❓can they replicate that performance without the infrastructure and support of the bigger brand ❓ can they actually build a firm from scratch, are they entrepreneurial enough 2. Founders turned funders i.e. entrepreneurs who've been through the fundraising process themselves, had some success with their ventures, typically an angel investing portfolio and are now looking to take their investing to the next level ➕ usually they can relate to founders on a deeper level ➕ entrepreneurial mindset that should help with firm building ❓ can they secure the right allocations ❓ can they think about portfolio construction in a disciplined way Regardless of profile, something that has stayed with me is a conversation with one of our GPs who said there are 3 types of people in investing, those who: 👍 like it ❤️ love it 💥 are prepared to live it If you just like venture and investing, then being an emerging manager is probably going to be too demanding. You have to be somewhere between "love it" and "live it". #SuperVenture SuperReturn #VC

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