Reading: Spectrum Corporate Finance advises Access-IS on investment from Mobeus Private Equity

Spectrum Corporate Finance has advised Access-IS and shareholders on an investment by Mobeus Equity Partners to support the management team in growing the electronic data-capture business.

Spectrum acted as lead adviser to the owners – introducing potential investors, helping to structure the deal, and project managing the project through to a successful completion.

Founded in 1985 as a specialist keyboard maker, today Access-IS designs and manufactures equipment that enables fast and accurate capture and transfer of information into electronic systems based on bar codes, RFID and image processing techniques. The business is based in Reading and exports 80% of its sales to global customers in its main verticals: airlines and airports, identity and security, public transport and ticketing.

Access-IS is a market leader in airlines and airports with its hardware present in more than 200 airports, including 36 of the world’s top 50. Within the ID and security market, Access-IS is the leading global provider to the fast-growing video ATM market and supports customers across a range of ID verification and ‘Know Your Customer’ applications.

Access-IS has also seen rapid growth in its transport and ticketing business having had its technology deployed in ticketing barriers in a number of high-profile locations including Kings Cross and Marylebone stations in London.

Mobeus’s investment will be used to accelerate growth plans in these large new markets and support the business as it moves into significant volume manufacturing.

The management team is led by CEO Guy-Franck Nakach and supported by chairman Alistair Crawford, former CEO of Psion plc, CMG and CSC.

Darren Miller, director at Spectrum Corporate Finance, commented: "Access-IS has been a great local success story for many years.  Having advised shareholders on the MBO in 1994 it was particularly satisfying to lead this latest transaction which also involved many other local advisers.  The business is now exceptionally well placed in a high growth sector and with an excellent management team led by Guy-Franck Nakach.  Through the support of Mobeus we hope management will be able to achieve even greater success in the future.”