Your business deserves
a worthy continuation
We acquire well-run businesses from founders who want a professional, considered exit — without losing what they spent a career building.
Begin a confidential conversationWe are not here to take over —
we are here to carry forward
Most acquisition processes focus entirely on price. Ours begins somewhere different — with understanding what you have built and why it matters. We believe the best outcomes happen when a founder's legacy is treated as an asset in its own right, not a complication to be managed away.
That means slow conversations before fast decisions. It means honest terms rather than aggressive structures. And it means we are only the right buyer if continuity — of brand, people, and culture — is something you genuinely care about.
Your brand is preserved
We do not acquire to merge and dissolve. Your trading name, your reputation in the market, and your identity continue unchanged. What you built carries your name forward.
Your team stays
Your key people are the asset. We protect them through retention programmes and clear communication from the moment we complete. No surprises. No quiet restructuring.
No disruptive integration
No day-one reorganisation, no imposed systems. The transition happens at your pace, with your involvement for as long as you want it. We follow your lead on timing.
Established, cash-generative businesses in the UK middle market
We acquire founder-owned businesses across the UK middle market, with a particular focus on the B2B Services sector — and especially Fire Safety & Compliance and adjacent regulated service businesses. We look for companies with strong recurring revenue, capable management teams, and owners who are ready for a professional succession.
The businesses we pursue are rarely in distress. They are well-run, well-regarded operations in sectors with durable regulatory demand — where the challenge is succession, not performance. Revenue between £3m and £10m, EBITDA between £500k and £3m, and a management team that knows the business as well as you do.
Fire Safety & Compliance · Inspection, testing & certification · Maintenance & servicing · Passive & active fire protection · Regulated B2B services
From first conversation to completion —
discreet and direct
Confidential first meeting
We meet to understand your situation and your goals. No obligations, no third-party involvement. The conversation is entirely on your terms — and remains entirely private.
Indicative terms without delay
If the business fits what we are looking for, we deliver written indicative terms quickly. We respect that you have a business to run in the meantime.
Funding already in place
We have committed equity from strategic partners and work with experienced lenders. You will not face uncertainty about financing after we have agreed terms.
No complex earn-outs
We structure transactions with price certainty. You know what you will receive — without performance-linked conditions that create uncertainty for years afterwards.
The second bite of the apple
You do not have to take all your proceeds today to maximise what you receive.
For sellers who want to participate in the upside they helped create, we offer an equity rollover option. Rather than taking one hundred percent of your consideration at completion, you retain a meaningful stake in the acquiring entity — at the same valuation we pay — with the expectation of participating in a substantially higher exit multiple when the group is sold or refinanced.
The arithmetic is compelling. A business acquired at 4× EBITDA that is subsequently sold as part of a scaled, technology-enabled compliance platform at 10× delivers a materially better outcome on the retained equity than any cash alternative available at closing. This is not a deferral mechanism — it is an invitation to benefit from the growth phase you made possible. For the right sellers, it is the most valuable part of the conversation.
Stian Birkeland
Founder · Mercian Industries Ltd
I spent fifteen years in relationship-driven B2B environments across security and safety services — at Securitas, Hafslund Security, and Falck — working with clients and teams where trust was the foundation of every meaningful transaction. I know what it takes to build something that lasts, and I know what it costs.
When I speak with founders considering succession, I am not representing a fund with a mandate and a deadline. I am a principal operator with committed capital and a long-term view. That means I can engage honestly, move at a pace that suits you, and make decisions without a committee behind me.
My approach is straightforward: every conversation is treated with the discretion and respect it deserves. If there is a fit, we will find it together. If there is not, I will tell you clearly — and the conversation stays entirely confidential either way.