Cooking up star appeal deals to e-sign on the dotted line
Our weekly free round up of key deals and major moves in the Rainmakers world
Hello Rainmakers,
We’ve picked out a real mixed bag of deals from around the country for you today. BGF has e-signed on the dotted line with Bristol tech firm, sports fashion retailer Footasylum has rescued a cult clothing brand endorsed by Rihanna, Stormzy and Jay-Z, and kitchens supplier, Howdens, has cooked up a £390m acquisition of the parent company behind West Yorkshire-based DIY Kitchens. And that’s not even our best pun this week.
This is free to all who have signed up, however Rainmakers subscribers get two unique pieces a week, and also full access to our back catalogue of investigations, scoops, and insights, including updates from The Secret Investor, interviews with entrepreneurs, and the leaders from VC and PE investors like Endless, and River Capital, Foresight, Mercia, Puma and LDC.
Bristol-based Signable has secured multimillion-pound growth capital from BGF, backing the eSignature platform used by businesses including Aardman and Krispy Kreme.
Founded by serial entrepreneur Olly Culverhouse as an internal tool for his web design business, Signable switched to focusing exclusively on digital workflows and electronic signatures in 2012.
The platform now employs around 70 people and has carved out particular strength in regulated sectors.
The investment will fund expansion into qualified electronic signatures, letting the platform handle more complex use cases while continuing to serve SMEs. Not a bad outcome for an internal tool...
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Footasylum, Rochdale-based sports-fashion and lifestyle retailers, has won the scramble to rescue pioneering British streetwear brand, Trapstar.
Dressing it up as “a new partnership” with Trapstar’s founders Mikey Aryee, Lee Langaigne and Will Thomas, who are staying with the business to “lead the brand’s design and creative direction”, Footasylum will “provide the infrastructure and reach” to roll-out sales across selected Footasylum stores and online.
Backed by the European private equity firm Aurelius, Footasylum has grown to become one of the UK’s leading fashion streetwear and sportswear retailers.
Trapstar was founded in West London in 2006 and has received high-profile celebrity endorsements from the likes of Rihanna, Stormzy and Jay-Z and signed partnerships with Puma and OM New York. But administrators Interpath were appointed on 29 May 2026, putting 57 jobs at risk. Frasers Group were also reported to have been interested.
The transaction comprised a sale of the company’s business and assets and was overseen by Will Wright, Howard Smith and Rebecca Makaruk from Interpath who were appointed joint administrators to Trapstar Collective Limited.
Its most recent accounts, for the year to the end of 2023, showed turnover of £29.5m and pre-tax profits of £1.67m, but the period to the end of 2024 has been extended for six months and no accounts have been filed.
The company faced strike off action in July, but by August 2025 it was withdrawn.
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Wordsmith AI has raised $70m in a Series B funding round co-led by Highland Europe and Index Ventures, taking its total funding to more than $100m.
Over the past 12 months, the lawtech firm’s revenue has grown by more than 14 times, with around 500 companies - including BT, the FT, Canva, Sage and Starling - signed up to use the back office tech.
The Edinburgh-headquartered business is now looking to scale from 110 staff to 300 by the end of this year, across the UK, US, Europe and Middle East – with a particular focus on building engineering and product teams.
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Higgs LLP has put pen to paper on another acquisition, snapping up Shrewsbury-based McKenzie Law as it continues to build its presence in the private client and owner-managed business market.
The deal is the firm’s third acquisition this year and sees McKenzie Law fully integrated into the Higgs brand, extending its reach while strengthening its specialist legal offering.
Both firms said the partnership was a natural fit, with shared values and a common focus on client service helping seal the deal.
For McKenzie Law clients, the agreement opens the door to a wider range of legal expertise, while Higgs continues to build a stronger case for growth through acquisition.
With three deals already under its belt in 2025, Higgs appears determined to keep the momentum in session.
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Leonard Design Group has gone back to the drawing board - in the best possible way - after completing a management buyout that secures the future of the international architectural practice.
The Nottingham-headquartered firm has been acquired from CFS Restructuring’s Andrew Cordon and James Everist in a deal that safeguards jobs and gives the business fresh foundations for growth.
With offices stretching from Nottingham and London to Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, the practice is now looking to build on its global presence and sketch out its next phase of expansion.
The buyout was supported by Eversheds Sutherland, with partner Mark Wood describing the transaction as creating a “stronger platform” for the business.
For Leonard Design Group, the deal represents more than a change in ownership - it’s a chance to design its future from the ground up.
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Kitchens supplier, Howdens, has cooked up a £390m acquisition of the parent company behind West Yorkshire-based DIY Kitchens. The deal will give it direct access to the UK’s non-trade consumer market for the first time. The acquisition of Ultima Furniture Systems - which trades as DIY Kitchens - will see Howdens pay £292.5m in cash and issue £97.5m of new shares to the seller.
DIY Kitchens will have been a tempting proposition for Howdens. It sells directly to consumers through a digital platform that allows customers to design, plan and order kitchens themselves. The business generated revenues of £136m and EBIT of £37m in 2025. Howdens has explained the takeover will complement rather than compete with its core trade-only model, with DIY Kitchens continuing to operate independently following completion of the deal.
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The 2026 Rainmaker Awards
The North West, Yorkshire and West Midlands Rainmaker Awards are upon us, once again bringing together the region’s deals community to celebrate the standout deals, teams, and individuals of the past 12 months.
Voted for by the corporate finance community itself, the awards are decided on a one-firm, one-vote basis – making the Rainmaker a genuine peer-led recognition.
Voting forms have landed, after the shortlists have been agreed by a judging day involving all the region’s leading firms.
The Rainmaker Awards ditch black-tie formality and speeches in favour of a relaxed evening focused on what the deals and the people who made them happen.
The evening is also a great way to connect with leading firms and individuals shaping the regional deal landscape.
There is a new individual category this year, as we will recognise Lifetime Achievement of one of our Rainmakers for the first time.
The 2026 Yorkshire awards are on June the 11th at New Dock Hall in Leeds, the North West awards will take place on the 25th of June 2026 at the Kimpton Hotel in Manchester city centre, and the West Midlands at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham on the 2nd of July.
We have also now announced dates and an opening for entries for the East Midlands event on the 5th of November in Nottingham and the South West event on the 26th of November in Bristol.
Last years events sold out, so book early to secure your table.
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