Technology specialist Smart Capital Technology in £17 million MBO

Published by

Peter Davison

Reading-based technology specialist Smart Capital Technology has undergone a management buyout in a deal backed by a £17 million private equity investment from WestBridge.

SCT’s flagship Inventory-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution offers technology infrastructure support on a global basis through a comprehensive IT engineering capability and operational network.

The company has a reputation for service excellence with its mission-critical offering being highly regarded by its blue-chip client base.

The MBO was led by CEO, Andy Morgan with support from the wider management team. The deal facilitates a partial exit for the founding directors, who will retain a small shareholding in the business.

The team will be augmented with the appointment of non-executive chairman Richard Cottrell, who brings extensive sector experience and will provide invaluable guidance and support in delivering SCT’s strategic objectives.

The WestBridge deal team comprised Ed Minton, Rory Whitrow, Valerie Kendall and James Wakefield.

Andy Morgan said: "We are delighted to complete the MBO and to have WestBridge on board to support us in achieving our vision for the business. SCT is at an exciting stage of its development. With a well invested operational core, global footprint and boasting industry-leading service levels, the business is well placed to capitalise on a significant market opportunity.

“We have found the right partner in WestBridge. Their collaborative and supportive approach is entirely aligned with our values, and crucially, they share the same enthusiasm for the growth opportunity.

“The investment will provide the firepower we need to drive business improvements, expand the service offering and build strategic density. We are really excited by this prospect and look forward to going on this journey with all our stakeholders.”

Ed Minton said: "Andy and the team have built a strong presence in the UK and internationally. They have developed long-standing relationships with an impressive list of customers.

"SCT is now well-positioned for further growth in a channel market characterised by increased outsourcing of IT support services. We are excited to be partnering with the team at this stage of their development journey.

“By implementing our WestBridge Value Creation Model, we believe that SCT’s best-in-class service can be rolled out to more customers across wider geographies.

"Using technology solutions, the team is committed to consistently delivering beyond service level agreements. This investment will allow the company to grow while remaining at the forefront of service delivery.”

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.