LONDON, October 28 /PRNewswire/ --
- Notion Capital to Fund, Advise and Grow UK Businesses
The team behind MessageLabs, and a number of other successful technology companies, has today launched Notion Capital, an investment vehicle and advisory business that aims to help accelerate the growth of technology businesses.
Ben White and Jos White, the brothers who founded MessageLabs, will be founding partners in Notion together with Stephen Chandler, Chris Tottman and Ian Milbourn, three of its most senior executives. The founders plan to invest GBP20m into the fund and will raise an additional GBP60m to GBP80m from a network of investors. Notion will invest in early to mid-stage, growth companies within the IT industry with a particular focus on services with recurring revenue models and Software as a Service ('SaaS'). Investments will span from GBP250K in an early stage business through to GBP10m to GBP20m for a mid-size, growth business.
After many years of building successful tech companies we know that, in addition to funding, often what growth businesses need the most, especially in today's challenging economic climate, is the right advice and experience to take their business to the next level. Notion will be focused on providing this powerful combination to our portfolio companies, said Ben White, founding partner, Notion Capital. We are passionate about good ideas and good businesses that have the ability to really shake up a market and we can't wait to put both our money and experience to work in helping to transform these ideas into strong businesses and ultimately into market leaders.
Notion will offer a unique 'Acceleration Program' to every business it invests in covering a number of modules that the partners believe are the foundation stones to successful growth and scale. The three main modules cover sales and marketing, financial management and people performance. The Acceleration Program will involve Notion's partners getting completely immersed in each portfolio company, drawing on their skills and experience, with a view to helping them unlock further potential and accelerate the development of their business.
So often, even companies with the best ideas fall short of their potential. Typically this is either due to a lack of funds or a lack of experience of how to strike the right balance between growth and profitability, something that is especially important during an economic downturn, said Jos White, founding partner, Notion Capital. In today's challenging times businesses need to be well financed and well prepared to survive in the short term in order to build a strong and sustainable business that can prosper in the longer term. Having been through it ourselves many times, we believe that Notion can identify high quality businesses that have what it takes to not only get through the next couple of years but to go on to be major success stories as the economic conditions improve.
The founding partners offer a wide range of skills and experience. Ben and Jos White are successful entrepreneurs having founded three companies and grown them all into market leaders each with revenues in excess of $100M: - RBR Networks in 1993, Star Internet in 1995 and MessageLabs in 2000. Stephen Chandler was a director at UBS Investment Bank advising leading global technology companies on funding and MA before joining the brothers in 2000 where he has served as the Chief Financial Officer for both Star and MessageLabs as well as fulfilling other senior leadership roles. Chris Tottman joined the group in 1999 and has served in a number of management roles both within Star and MessageLabs. Ian Milbourn is VP Corporate Finance at MessageLabs and has led a number of MA and financing transactions for the company.
About Notion
Notion Capital is an investment vehicle and advisory business that focuses on early to mid-stage growth businesses in the IT industry and beyond. Notion creates value by building long term partnerships and through a combination of capital injection, strategic initiatives and on-going participation in operational management.
Our partners are all proven entrepreneurs and senior line executives, who having founded and built a number of highly successful businesses, work with the management teams and get closely involved in the companies we invest in. For more information about Notion Capital please visit http://www.notioncapital.com.
Media Contacts: Kirsten Scott/ Kim Smith éclat Marketing Tel: +44(0)1276-486000 Email: star@eclat.co.uk General Contact: Vanessa Williams Notion Capital +44(0)844-736-1533 vwilliams@notioncapital.com
Media Contacts: Kirsten Scott/ Kim Smith, éclat Marketing, Tel: +44(0)1276-486000, Email: star@eclat.co.uk; General Contact: Vanessa Williams, Notion Capital, +44(0)844-736-1533, vwilliams@notioncapital.com
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