Octopus Investments Mergers and Acquisitions Summary

Private Equity Profile

In the last 3 years, Octopus Investments has invested in 2 companies.

Octopus Investments’ most common sectors for investment are media (12%) and technology hardware (12%). The Firm’s most common investment types include venture (47%) and buyout (lbo, mbo, mbi) (27%). In total, Octopus Investments has invested in 3 US states and 4 different countries. Its largest (disclosed) acquisition occurred in 2008 when it acquired Hydrobolt Group for $25M.

In the last 3 years, Octopus Investments has exited 6 companies. The Firm’s most common exit type is trade sale (60%). Octopus Investments’ largest (disclosed) exit occurred in 2016 when it sold TouchType for $250M.

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M&A Summary

  • M&A Total Activity95
    • M&A Buy Activity70
    • M&A Sell Activity25
  • Total Sectors Invested 28
  • Total Countries Invested 4
  • M&A Buy/Sell Connections 31
  • M&A Advisors 3

Octopus Investments

33 Holborn,
London, EC1N 2HT
United Kingdom
www.octopusinvestments.com
info@octopusinvestments.com

Octopus Investments Limited is a private equity group that invests in lower middle-market UK based companies. Octopus looks to invest in buyouts, buy-ins, industry consolidations, and situations requiring development capital. Octopus' target investment size is £250k to £5 million in sectors such as business services, food/beverage, education and training, environmental services, media, marketing, healthcare, consumer, retail, leisure, and manufacturing. The Firm seeks businesses with a sustainable competitive advantage, whether through a unique product, IP, brand names or trade marks. Octopus Private Equity was formed in 2004 and is based in London.


Investment Criteria

Sectors of Interest: Automotive, Business Services, Communications, Consumer Products, Consumer Services, Education, Electronics, Energy Services and Equipment, Environmental, Financial Services, Food, Healthcare Services, Information Technology, Internet Software and Services, Leisure, Life Science, Manufacturing, Marketing, Media, Medical Products, Plastics, Publishing, Renewable Energy, Restaurants, Retail, Safety/Security, Software, Staffing, Technology Hardware

Target Transaction Types: Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI), Consolidation, Growth Capital, PIPE

Geographic Preferences: United Kingdom, Western Europe, Eastern Europe

Transaction Criteria Min Max
Target Revenue - -
Target EBITDA - -
Investment Size 0 5
Enterprise Value - -
values in millions of GBP

M&A Summary

Buy vs Sell

Year ≤ '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 '21 T
Buy (0.4/yr) # 68 - 1 1 - - 70
vol $76M $76M
Sell (1.4/yr) # 18 1 2 2 1 1 25
vol $612M $154M $766M
  95

Most Recent M&A

Company Date Value Type
Simplycook Ltd. 2021-02-24 - Add-on Acquisition
London, United Kingdom · www.simplycook.com
Calastone Ltd. 2020-10-26 - Secondary Buyout
London, United Kingdom · www.calastone.com
Zynstra Ltd. 2019-12-23 154M GBP Add-on Acquisition
Bath, United Kingdom · www.zynstra.com
Nature Delivered Ltd. 2019-02-05 - Add-on Acquisition
Richmond, United Kingdom · www.graze.com
Simplycook Ltd. 2019-01-24 - Venture
London, United Kingdom · www.simplycook.com
Cazoo Ltd. 2018-12-01 - Venture
London, United Kingdom · www.cazoo.co.uk
Box-it UK Ltd. 2018-07-25 - Add-on Acquisition
Winchester, United Kingdom · www.boxit.co.uk
21Net Ltd. 2018-03-06 - Add-on Acquisition
Boortmeerbeek, Belgium · www.21net.com
Vista Retail Support Ltd. 2017-10-27 - Secondary Buyout
Cardiff, United Kingdom · www.vistasupport.com
LeanWorks Ltd. (dba YPlan) 2016-10-21 - Add-on Acquisition
London, United Kingdom · www.yplanapp.com
View All >>

M&A by Sector

Sector Current # Value All-time # Value
Technology Hardware 7 (18%) 3M (17%) 8 (11%) 3M (4%)
Internet Software and Services 2 (5%) - 8 (11%) -
Media 6 (15%) - 8 (11%) -
Software 4 (10%) - 7 (10%) -
Retail 2 (5%) - 4 (6%) -
Information Technology - - 3 (4%) 19M (25%)
Business Services 1 (3%) - 3 (4%) -
Communications 1 (3%) - 3 (4%) -
Consumer Services 1 (3%) - 2 (3%) -
Environmental - - 2 (3%) -
Financial Services 1 (3%) - 2 (3%) -
Food - - 2 (3%) -
Healthcare Services 2 (5%) - 2 (3%) -
Life Science 2 (5%) - 2 (3%) -
Engineering - - 1 (1%) 25M (32%)
Transportation 1 (3%) 15M (83%) 1 (1%) 15M (20%)
Electronics - - 1 (1%) 9M (12%)
Plastics - - 1 (1%) 5M (6%)
Automotive 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Building Materials 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Energy Services and Equipment 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Gaming 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Medical Products 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Real Estate 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Renewable Energy 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Restaurants 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Safety/Security - - 1 (1%) -
Semiconductors 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Total 39 $18M 70 $76M

Acquisitions By Geo

State/Country Current # Value All-time # Value
United Kingdom 36 (90%) 18M (100%) 66 (93%) 76M (100%)
United States 3 (8%) - 3 (4%) -
  Texas 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
  California 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Switzerland 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Belgium - - 1 (1%) -
Domestic 36 (90%) 18M (100%) 66 (93%) 76M (100%)
Cross-border 4 (10%) - 5 (7%) -
Total 40 $18M 71 $76M

Acquisitions by Deal Type

Type Current # Value All-time # Value
Venture 21 (53%) 18M (100%) 33 (46%) 27M (36%)
Buyout (LBO, MBO, MBI) 6 (15%) - 19 (27%) 48M (64%)
Growth Capital 12 (30%) - 18 (25%) -
PIPE 1 (3%) - 1 (1%) -
Total 40 $18M 71 $76M

Exits by Deal Type

Type Total # Value
Trade Sale - Public Company 11 (44%) 413M (54%)
Secondary Sale 5 (20%) 128M (17%)
Trade Sale 4 (16%) -
IPO 3 (12%) -
Stake Sale 1 (4%) 225M (29%)
Bankruptcy 1 (4%) -
Total 25 $766M

Top M&A Advisors

Financial Deals
Knight Corporate Finance Ltd.
 1
Legal Deals
Shoosmiths LLP
 3
Gateley Plc
 1

Deal Values

buy # Total
< $100M 6 $76M
TOTAL $76M
Largest Hydrobolt Group Ltd.
$25M (2008-04-11)
sell # Total
$100M to $1B 3 $629M
< $100M 4 $136M
TOTAL $766M
Largest TouchType Ltd.
$250M (2016-02-02)

M&A Connections

Deals
Exited to
Investor(s)
20%
5 (20%)
Strategic(s)
64%
16 (64%)

Investor Summary

Size

Mega

PE Assets

8.3B GBP

Established

2000

Specialist/Generalist

Generalist

Leadership

Ruth Handcock

CEO

Jonathan Digges

CIO

John Averill

Head of Risk and Compliance

Paul Latham

Managing Director

Jonathan Dees

COO

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