Author Archives: Matt Smith

Challenges of ESG Integration in Private Equity Firms: Strategies for Success

For Private Equity (PE) firms, addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations has become increasingly important as investor demand for sustainable and responsible investment funds intensifies and the regulatory landscape continues to change. This brings new reporting challenges to PE firms, both for their investments and within their own businesses and investment processes. Related Article | The UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) In this blog, we offer an alternative … Continue reading →

R&D Tax Relief: Don’t miss this valuable source of funds

Cash flow management is crucial during this challenging time; if your business incurs R&D expenditure, you may be able to reduce your corporate tax bill. R&D Tax Relief allows eligible profitable and loss-making small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to claim relief of around 20% of qualifying R&D expenditure. The R&D tax relief scheme underwent a significant overhaul in 2024.  Related Article | R&D tax relief has changed: What does this … Continue reading →

PE-backed acquisition: Investor, acquirer and target perspectives

Much has been written about the technical process of acquiring or exiting, but very little about the experience of going through a PE-backed acquisition. In 2022, Horizon Capital-backed Dains Accountants acquired Isosceles Finance. So, we decided to ask the target, acquirer, and investor to share their unique perspectives and learnings on going through this acquisition process with the iFD Community. Related Article | Isosceles acquired: The dawn of a new … Continue reading →

How to minimise the cost of your finance function

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. An in-house finance function is a fixed cost and a liability for growing companies, particularly during economic turbulence. When sales are unpredictable, and cash flow is constrained, identifying opportunities to minimise the cost of your finance function is a good way to maximise an early-stage business’ likelihood of surviving. This blog discusses the benefits of outsourcing some or all the finance function and … Continue reading →

Private Equity Carve Out Challenges

PE carve outs can create or unlock value. However, separation can present as many challenges as opportunities for PE firms. The anticipated value will not be realised if the newly formed company lacks the infrastructure, resources, and talent to operate effectively and independently. Related article | CFO options for investors and their portfolio companies In this blog post, we introduce the fractional role of an experienced CFO to manage the … Continue reading →

Top tips for growing companies on how to fundraise in 2023

Without a doubt, the investment landscape has changed. The bar has gone up and will stay up for some time. If you’re looking to fundraise in 2023, it won’t be easy – but for high-quality companies not impossible! Through our discussions with venture capital firms (VC) and private equity firms (PE), we can share in this blog (and the related articles included): What the investment landscape looks like for 2023 … Continue reading →

Can Insolvency Practitioners save companies from insolvency?

It’s a well-known fact that most companies facing insolvency call in an insolvency specialist too late; when it’s time to turn off the lights and hand in the keys. Had they called a specialist earlier, at the first hint of financial distress, the outcome could have been different, and the business could now be thriving. Every business, no matter its size or sector, will, at some point, experience stress. In … Continue reading →

Navigating UK interest rates: Insights from a part-time CFO

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Written by Joao Futscher, Fractional CFO In December 2023, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England voted by a majority of 6-3 to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%. After ten years below 1%, since 2022, in efforts to tackle inflation levels only seen in the 1980s, the Bank rate has soared, and some analysts predict that it could get higher. (Source: … Continue reading →

CFO options for investors and their portfolio companies

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. The economic environment of 2025 is as challenging for PE and VC firms as it is for those companies seeking investment. Having the option to appoint a part-time (or fractional) CFO who has worked with investor-backed portfolio companies before and can understand and anticipate the increased demands of an investor will almost certainly increase the probability of the investor making the return they expect. … Continue reading →

How to manage cash flow during economic turbulence

Whilst the UK economy bounced back from the impact of COVID-19, we now find ourselves in deeper economic waters. In this article, we offer leaders of scaling businesses, understandably concerned about the impact of current economic conditions and changes in the complexion of the trading environment, pragmatic advice on managing cash flow and working capital to safeguard their companies. Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for all … Continue reading →

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