Livingbridge invests in Catalyst Development

Kenny Wastell
16 October 2017

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Livingbridge has invested in UK-based financial markets consultancy Catalyst Development.

Financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed, though the GP drew capital from Livingbridge Enterprise 2, which typically invests £5-15m.

A spokesperson for Livingbridge said the firm had taken a "significant" stake in the business, though they declined to comment on whether this amounted to a minority or majority stake.

Following the deal, Catalyst will undertake an international expansion strategy, with the GP committing to provide follow-on funding to pursue potential acquisitions. The business will also expand its range of services, invest in infrastructure and increase its operations in talent development and acquisition strategy. It aims to treble its headcount following the investment.

According to a statement, Catalyst is experiencing strong organic growth due to G20 countries' increased regulations in response to the global financial crisis.

Company
Founded in 1994, London-headquartered Catalyst is a financial market consultancy focusing on regulatory change, organisational improvement and employee development. According to publicly available documents, the business generated a turnover of £9m in the year ending in March 2016, with profit before tax of £1.1m.

People
Livingbridge – Paul Landsman (investment director).
Catalyst Development – Andrew Middleton (CEO).

Advisers
Equity – Livingstone Partners, Alex John, Jeremy Furniss, Nick Manning, Will Evans (corporate finance); Eversheds Sutherland, Mark Beardmore, Dan Shilvcock, Charlotte Singh (legal); Alvarez & Marsal, Adrian Balcombe, Rachel Copley (financial due diligence); Osborne Clarke, Mark Spinner, Tom Try, Tim Birt (legal); CIL Management Consultants, Alex Marshall, Tom Stevens, Toby Fisher (commercial due diligence); BDO, Jamie Austin, Sapna Sandher (corporate finance); Stratton HR, Anna Cornwallis (management due diligence); Avendris, Mike Robb (IT due diligence).