Connecting Investors, Investee Companies and Executive Talent

Business Origination

Our consultants and researchers are constantly looking for businesses that will be attractive to our range of investors
These can be “carve-outs” from larger corporate entities or privately-owned businesses in need of growth capital or where the owners wish to exit
Such companies are found though our own research or through the many conversations we have with Pathfinder Executives in our network
We are able to help clients wanting to sell on a company through a “secondary” or subsequent disposals particularly when these are though an introduction to another or a larger private equity firm or private investor within our network
We are keen to advise the owners of private or public companies who wish to attract capital or effect an exit.

Pathfinders are senior executives who have an outstanding command of their sector or sub-sector.
They know how capital can best be deployed in their sector and we support them to identify potential acquisitions that will be attractive to our clients, often “carve-outs” or exits where they have some understanding of the situation
We work with them to produce an overview of the company in order to give the potential acquirer or investor enough information to adequately explore the opportunity before deciding whether to engage in due diligence
We list the most likely investors or funds to be interested in the deal and approach them usually singly with an off-market opportunity
Should an investor or fund wish to progress the opportunity, they and their professional team conduct due diligence and proceed to a transaction
The Pathfinder may offer himself/herself as the chairman or chief executive and we work together to place the remainder of the Board or Executive Team as required
We constantly look for and are pleased to hear from executives who truly have “Pathfinder” capabilities

We can be formally retained to undertake an search assignment to place the required Board or executive team members
Requests for Information are sent to the client prior to our attending a briefing meeting
The consultants and researchers to be involved attend and often use an Orientation Brief to show our understanding of the sector and investee company
We then gather sufficient information to enable us to produce a full proposal covering the background to the role, the candidate specification, our search strategy, remuneration, timescale and level of confidentiality
Once this is accepted it usually takes 6-8 weeks to arrive at a shortlist of between 3-5 candidates for the client to interview
We support the interview, negotiation and appointment process which often takes another four weeks to complete

We find capital from a range of non-bank sources including private capital, venture capital, search capital, corporate venture, private equity, private debt, specialist risk transfer, insurers, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds
We work with management teams or funds to compile a list of the investors most likely to be interested in the opportunity
This can be a combination of differing investors happy to syndicate together
We help develop an overview of the opportunity which we use to introduce the opportunity to potential investors
Potential investors conduct financial and commercial due diligence and, if this is successful, they progress to a transaction supported by their inhouse teams or professional advisers
We receive an introductory fee paid out of the deal and often benefit further by placing NEDs or Executive Team members