Data, death, digital, deliveries and Delia’s egg pan - all in time for the Easter Bunny
A wrap up of deals around the country from the team at TheBusinessDesk.com
Hello Rainmakers,
This is your weekly freebie for browsers of the Rainmakers, which seems to show that deals have been racing to get over the line this week, before the Easter break.
We’ve also got some national data for you on why venture deals are aiming big, and what that might mean.
Paid for subscribers have been treated to the inside scoop on how the float of accountancy firm MHA got off the ground just as Trump seemed intent on crashing world market.
Last week they got a fantastic profile interview with Endless founder Garry Wilson.
Rainmakers subscribers usually get two unique pieces a week (when it isn’t Easter) but 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 the likes of Endless, River Capital, Foresight, Mercia, Puma and LDC. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber, or sign up for a free trial...
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These days data makes the world go round just as much as money does, and capitalising on this is Leeds-based data analytics and AI firm HyperFinity, which has just completed a seven-figure investment round.
The business, which has been around since 2019, uses data and AI to help retail customers make smart decisions around customer loyalty and pricing, leading to increased profitability.
HyperFinity's expertise is attracting some serious attention, as its client list includes big names such as Asda, Costa Coffee, Card Factory and Toolstation.
Investment from Finance Yorkshire's growth fund will enable HyperFinity to build its sales and marketing function, as well as support product development. Meanwhile, co-investor River Capital has also backed the firm from its fund:AI, along with existing investor Snowflake Inc, a global leader in data and AI technology.
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National investment figures revealed that a shift towards larger investments has created a challenging environment for UK start-ups.
The latest KPMG Private Enterprise Venture Pulse report showed that the UK notched up a total of £4.1 billion raised across 507 deals during the first quarter of 2025, securing four out of the top 10 deals including the biggest in Europe after London-based AI drug discovery Isomorphic Labs scooped a £453m award.
This was also partly driven by strong investment in the health and biotech sector during Q1 2025, including UK-based Verdiva Bio securing £309 million and Cera £113 million.
However, overall, the quarter recorded a fall when compared to Q4 2024 in both the overall level of investment (from £4.4bn to £4.1bn) and total volume of UK VC deals (from 569 to 507) – driven by investor confidence currently being aligned with more established, proven start-ups given uncertain market conditions and ongoing lack of exits.
Nicole Lowe, UK Head of KPMG’s Emerging Giants practice, said: “In a financial climate that is currently fluctuating on a daily basis following the recent activation of tariffs across the globe, investors are backing companies that offer the fastest path to profitability.
“This has made it challenging for UK start-ups in IP rich areas as these are longer term investment areas, which, while not favourable at this moment, could actually provide excellent opportunities in the coming weeks, months and years.
“This switch could indicate we are at risk of missing out on important investment in these sectors, which are key to driving long-term economic growth and supporting our future workforce, and therefore should ensure we all be doing as much as we can to make these investments as attractive as possible.”
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Infrastructure specialist M Group is making a smart move with its latest acquisition - snapping up technology giant Telent.
Known for its work across water, energy, highways, telecoms, rail, and aviation, M Group is now wiring itself into the digital infrastructure market with its acquisition of Warwick-based Telent.
The deal, subject to regulatory approval, will amp up M Group’s workforce to around 14,000 and extend its reach into transport, defence, education, emergency services and the public sector.
Telent, which previously teamed up with private equity firm JC Flowers, will now switch on its mission-critical network services and help M Group tackle “ageing infrastructure.”
This acquisition also strengthens the connection with key clients, including Transport for London, National Highways, Network Rail, BT, EE, Openreach, and Virgin Media O2.
Together, M Group and Telent seem to be charging ahead to deliver smarter, more connected infrastructure for the UK.
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A.W. Lymn, the family-run funeral director, is digging deeper into the funeral services market with its latest acquisition of Serene Funeral Planning.
For the first time in its 117-year history, the company can now offer all aspects of funeral arrangements under one roof.
Now part of A.W. Lymn’s parent company, LR Bereavement Holdings, Serene has opened the door to new opportunities, enabling the company to offer FCA-regulated services and directly provide pre-paid funeral planning to clients - completing what they’ve dubbed the “final piece of the puzzle.”
Operating 25 funeral homes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, A.W. Lymn has already broadened its services to include stonemasonry, floristry, luxury vehicle hire, and plans to put down roots with a new cemetery and barrows site in Calverton.
Looks like A.W. Lymn has got it covered from headstone to hearse.
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Liverpool-based parcels delivery group, Yodel, has been taken over by Polish logistics group InPost, making it the third largest logistics player in the UK.
It has provided Yodel parent, Judge Logistics Ltd (JLL), with a £106m finance package in return for its 95.5% stake in Yodel. PayPoint retains its 4.5% holding in Yodel.
The deal follows InPost’s acquisition of Menzies Distribution in October 2024, which gave it full control over its entire logistics process in the UK.
The JLL acquisition was structured as a debt-to-equity conversion, with InPost converting its existing loan to JLL into equity.
Until the transaction date, InPost had provided JLL with financing amounting to £106m in the form of convertible loan notes.
InPost says it has a clear plan on the integration of Yodel and its goal for this deal is to be EBITDA accretive within one year.
The acquisition builds on the partnership established between InPost and Yodel in October 2024, when Yodel began providing last-mile services through InPost’s ‘locker-to-door’ service.
In February last year Yodel, previously owned by the Barclay family which also controls Liverpool-based online retailer Very Group, was rescued in a takeover deal by a privately-funded consortium, protecting thousands of jobs.
The consortium comprised YDLGP, backed by Jacob Corlett, founder of international parcel delivery group Shift, and merchant bank Solano Partners.
Last August it secured an £85m funding package to enable it to invest in plans for further automation and modernisation over the next three years, particularly focusing on the acceleration of consumer out of home deliveries.
The investment was supported by a consortium of investors including PayPoint and IGF (Independent Growth Finance).
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Years ago, TV cook Delia Smith eulogised over a special omlette pan and sent a nation into eggstacy.
The best place to buy the said implement, was kitchen and homewares brand, Lakeland, which has completed a sale of the business, including its 58 retail stores, to a management buyout team led by existing Lakeland CEO Catherine Nunn, as its family owners Sam, Martin and Julian Rayner formally retire from the 60-year-old business.
Backed by Hilco Capital which has provided financial backing for Lakeland’s Operating Board to complete the buyout of Lakeland from the Rayner Family, a new long-term capital funding structure will provide a foundation for the future growth and success of the business.
The newly formed Board will be led by Catherine Nunn, who continues as Lakeland’s CEO having joined the business in 2016. She will continue to lead the day-to-day running of the business, alongside Chief Financial and Operating officer, Stephen Hill and Chief Commercial Officer, Neil Piggot.
Founded in the heart of the Lake District in 1964, Lakeland has been owned by the three sons of its founder, Alan Rayner for over 50 years.
Commenting on the sale of the business, Catherine Nunn said, “It’s been a great privilege to work alongside Sam, Martin and Julian since I joined the business nearly ten years ago. Their energy and commitment to our customers and colleagues is a shared passion, and one that I know will always belong at the heart of our business. Whilst it’s not easy to end such an important chapter of Lakeland’s story, I’m excited to look to the future and grow our business, working collaboratively with the team at Hilco Capital.”
She’ll also be hoping for a few celebrity endorsements along the way.
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TheBusinessDesk.com’s Rainmaker Awards return this summer and will showcase a wider cross-section of the region’s deals community.
The hotly-contested regional corporate finance awards will continue to recognise teams, individuals and deals, and the shortlist and winners will be decided on by the community, as always.
This year we have asked all firms to submit a short entry, along with the key deals they have advised on, to ensure our judges have the full information when making their selections.
Once entries have been submitted the shortlists will be drawn up in the usual way, with TheBusinessDesk.com hosting 40+ leading corporate finance professionals on a judging day. Those shortlists are then voted on by a wider group of people from across the community, on a strict one vote per firm basis, to decide our 2025 winners.
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