Shawbrook Bank backs Access Partnership’s growth ambitions

By Bridging Loan Directory 14th April 2021

Private-Equity backed Access Partnership is set for a period of sustained expansion by acquisition following an undisclosed investment from Shawbrook Bank.

The international firm, also backed by Mobeus Equity Partners, specialises in shaping international public policy for the global technology sector.

The Group has witnessed rapid growth in recent years, driven by market dynamics around increasing regulatory pressures in data security, communications and artificial intelligence.

Supported by Mobeus, the Access Partnership management team are pursuing a period of organic and acquisitive growth, further funded by an undisclosed commercial facility from Shawbrook Bank, a specialist lender to UK SMEs.

“Governments and their citizen-stakeholders want technology on terms that are fair and, as much as possible, secure and future-proof,” said Greg Francis, Access Partnership’s Managing Director.

“Our clients demand that we create forward-looking policies to achieve this. Shawbrook’s experience of working with consultancy and professional services businesses like ours was immediately obvious and the facility they have provided will enable us to best meet client demand.”

Established in 1999, Access Partnership is the world’s leading public policy firm dedicated to opening markets for technology.

The company shapes national, regional and international policies to ensure a fair, long-lasting environment for technology that drives growth.

Its teams across the globe uniquely mix policy and technical expertise to drive outcomes for clients operating at the intersection of technology, data and connectivity.

Headquartered in London but with operations globally in the US, Senegal, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, they have a deep understanding of national regulatory landscapes, laws and policy trends, along with the means to create, access and influence them.

Mobeus Equity Partners is a respected SME mid-market Private Equity house which specialises in investing between £2m and £20m in UK SMEs.

Mobeus has experience of successfully backing and helping to scale specialist consultancy businesses, including Tessella and Kinneir Dufort in recent years.

Freddie Bacon, Investment Director at Mobeus, added:

“We were attracted to working with Shawbrook as a result of its strong track record of supporting sponsor-backed SMEs in the UK.

The funding facility they’ve structured will provide us with flexibility and demonstrates that the Shawbrook team are attuned to how we operate.

“It has been a pleasure working with Shawbrook and their support will enable Access Partnership to leverage its position in the market and to expand both here in the UK and internationally.”

Oliver Sutton, Relationship Director within Shawbrook’s Corporate Lending team, said:

“The Mobeus team has built a strong relationship with the senior management at Access Partnership Group, as you’d expect, and we’re now very happy to support the strategy of further growth through acquisition by putting in place this financing.

Exciting times for Greg and the team.”

Shawbrook was introduced to this deal by John Weeden of Cadence Advisory LLP.

John Weeden, Managing Partner at Cadence Advisory LLP, added:

“Cadence is pleased to have advised Greg Francis, Mobeus and Access Partnership’s management team throughout this process, and to have supported in the delivery of a flexible and well-structured facility.

Shawbrook’s Corporate Lending team demonstrated a genuine willingness to capture the essential features of this mandate from the outset, and I’m confident that with Shawbrook’s financial support, coupled with an excellent management team and Mobeus’ strategic expertise, the Company is ideally-positioned to fully achieve its acquisition and growth targets.”