SME

Private Equity

11 minutes

09/10/2024

Data innovator Assured Insights sets sights on Wales growth after investment

IFW – Foresight Equity Finance has invested alongside Assured Insight’s founders, as well as the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”), which is also operated by the British Business Bank.

  • Assured Insights receives cash injection for expansion plans
  • Investment from the £50 million IFW – Foresight Equity Finance, which is managed by Foresight Group as part of the Investment Fund for Wales
  • Operated by the British Business Bank, the £130 million Investment Fund for Wales supporting Wales’ smaller businesses at all stages of their development 

CARDIFF: Foresight Group (“Foresight”) - a leading regional private equity and infrastructure investment manager - has announced an equity investment, through the Investment Fund for Wales (“IFW”), into Assured Insights (“the Company”), a fast-growing and disruptive data analytics business. 

IFW – Foresight Equity Finance has invested alongside Assured Insight’s founders, as well as the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”), which is also operated by the British Business Bank. Foresight was appointed as fund manager to MEIF in 2018.

Assured Insights will use the funding to scale its operations, including opening a new office in South Wales where the Company plans to set up its data engineering hub.

Assured Insights has developed DataWorks which supports its clients in consolidating siloed data from business systems into a single, trusted platform. This platform is used to deliver easy to digest, reliable and performant core business metrics to the business, providing several use cases such as Business Intelligence, Analytics and Ai.

Current customers include financial services companies and hospitality groups, including The Ivy Restaurant Group, Sucden Financial and Vernon Building Society. 

Jon Singleton, Co-founder and CEO of Assured Insights, said: “Foresight has a strong track record of working with fast-growing businesses as they scale up and professionalise.  We are pleased to select Foresight as our equity partner as we look to accelerate our growth trajectory.

“Assured Insights has discovered that most organisations find themselves in a position where their data capabilities don’t support their aspirations. There are many technologies and solutions which claim to help with this, however, these all rely on good quality data.  

“Achieving a state of data maturity which sees trusted data being available to the whole business is a big challenge for many companies. DataWorks, by Assured Insights, addresses this and builds a solid data foundation needed to support any modern, data proficient business. The simplicity of delivery, a competitive price point and quick delivery time makes DataWorks an obvious choice.”

Steve Galvin, Principal for IFW – Foresight Equity Finance, added: “Assured Insights is a tremendously exciting, fast-growing business with a hugely ambitious management team. Its new Welsh office will have a positive impact on the local economy through the creation of skilled jobs. We are thrilled to be supporting Assured Insights and look forward to partnering with the team on their growth journey.
“Businesses with multiple software systems are increasingly managing complex data sets and Assure Insights’ software is a step change in the market. By creating the data architecture and combining it with analytics and visualisation, the software provides an excellent end-to-end solution.”

Mark Sterritt, Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said: “We are pleased to see the Investment Fund for Wales actively working for innovative businesses like Assured Insights, who are committed to expanding their operations in Wales, with the opening of their new Cardiff office.

“Their activity in the market is impressive and we hope that our support will help them as they continue to scale.”

The £130 million Investment Fund for Wales (“IFW”) covers all areas of Wales and provides loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead. 

The purpose of the Investment fund for Wales is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across Northern Ireland. The Investment fund for Wales will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for Wales’ smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance. 

Foresight invests in promising, growing companies, providing equity or debt to meet the needs of founders, management teams and specialist lenders wherever they are on their journey. Foresight works with the growing companies it supports to enable founders and management teams to build resilient and prosperous companies that have a positive impact on the societies in which they operate. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For more information contact:

Lucy Sherwood: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100 
Chris Barry: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

About the Investment fund for Wales

• Operated by the British Business Bank, the IFW provides a mix of debt and equity funding. IFW will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the in-region small business finance ecosystem, including local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support Wales’s smaller businesses at all stages of their development. www.investmentfundwales.co.uk

 • The funds in which the IFW invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations across the whole of Wales.

• Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government.

Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

• For investment by NRIL at the sub-fund level the investment from the Nations and Regions Investments Limited into Assured Insights does not amount to any endorsement or warranty from Nations and Regions Investments Limited, the British Business Bank plc or the government of the United Kingdom.

 • For investment by IFW sub-fund at the investee company level the investment from The Investment fund for Wales into Assured Insights does not amount to any endorsement or warranty from Nations and Regions Investments Limited, the British Business Bank plc or the government of the United Kingdom.

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  • Assured Insights yn derbyn chwistrelliad arian parod ar gyfer cynlluniau ehangu
  • Buddsoddiad o £50 miliwn IFW/CBC– Foresight Equity Finance, a reolir gan Foresight Group fel rhan o Gronfa Buddsoddi Cymru
  • Yn cael ei gweithredu gan Fanc Busnes Prydain, y Gronfa Buddsoddi gwerth £130 miliwn i Gymru sy’n cefnogi busnesau llai Cymru ar bob cam o’u datblygiad

CAERDYDD: Mae Foresight Group (“Foresight”) – rheolwr buddsoddi ecwiti preifat a seilwaith rhanbarthol blaenllaw – wedi cyhoeddi buddsoddiad ecwiti, drwy Gronfa Buddsoddi Cymru (“IFW/CBC”), i Assured Insights (“y Cwmni”), sef cynllun cyflym. - busnes dadansoddet ddata sy'n tyfu ac yn tarfu.

IFW - Mae Foresight Equity Finance wedi buddsoddi ochr yn ochr â sylfaenwyr Assured Insight, yn ogystal â Chronfa Buddsoddi Mewn Injan Canolbarth Lloegr (“MEIF”), sydd hefyd yn cael ei gweithredu gan Fanc Busnes Prydain. Penodwyd Foresight yn rheolwr cronfa i MEIF yn 2018.

Bydd Assured Insights yn defnyddio’r cyllid i raddfa ei weithrediadau, gan gynnwys agor swyddfa newydd yn Ne Cymru lle mae’r Cwmni’n bwriadu sefydlu ei ganolbwynt peirianneg data.

Mae Assured Insights wedi datblygu DataWorks sy'n cefnogi ei gleientiaid i gyfuno data siled o systemau busnes yn un llwyfan y gellir ymddiried ynddo. Defnyddir y platfform hwn i ddarparu metrigau busnes craidd dibynadwy a pherfformiwr hawdd eu deall i'r busnes, gan ddarparu sawl achos defnydd megis fel cudd-wybodaeth Busnes, Dadansoddeg ac Ai.

Mae cwsmeriaid presennol yn cynnwys cwmnïau gwasanaethau ariannol a grwpiau lletygarwch, gan gynnwys The Ivy Restaurant Group, Sucden Financial a Vernon Building Society.

Dywedodd Jon Singleton, Cyd-sylfaenydd a Phrif Swyddog Gweithredol Assured Insights: “Mae gan Foresight hanes cryf o weithio gyda busnesau sy’n tyfu’n gyflym wrth iddynt gynyddu a phroffesiynoli. Rydym yn falch o ddewis Foresight fel ein partner ecwiti wrth i ni geisio cyflymu ein taflwybr twf.

“Mae Assured Insights wedi darganfod bod y rhan fwyaf o sefydliadau yn cael eu hunain mewn sefyllfa lle nad yw eu galluoedd data yn cefnogi eu dyheadau. Mae yna lawer o dechnolegau ac atebion sy'n honni eu bod yn helpu gyda hyn, fodd bynnag, mae'r rhain i gyd yn dibynnu ar ddata o ansawdd da.

“Mae cyrraedd cyflwr o aeddfedrwydd data sy’n gweld data dibynadwy ar gael i’r busnes cyfan yn her fawr i lawer o gwmnïau. Mae DataWorks, gan Assured Insights, yn mynd i'r afael â hyn ac yn adeiladu sylfaen ddata cadarn sydd ei hangen i gefnogi unrhyw fusnes modern sy'n hyfedr o ran data. Mae symlrwydd y cyflenwad, pwynt pris cystadleuol ac amser dosbarthu cyflym yn gwneud DataWorks yn ddewis amlwg.” 

Ychwanegodd Steve Galvin, Pennaeth IFW – Foresight Equity Finance: “Mae Assured Insights yn fusnes hynod gyffrous sy’n tyfu’n gyflym gyda thîm rheoli hynod uchelgeisiol. Bydd ei swyddfa Gymreig newydd yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar yr economi leol drwy greu swyddi medrus. Rydym wrth ein bodd yn cefnogi Assured Insights ac yn edrych ymlaen at weithio mewn partneriaeth â’r tîm ar eu taith dwf.

“Mae busnesau sydd â systemau meddalwedd lluosog yn rheoli setiau data cymhleth yn gynyddol ac mae meddalwedd Assured Insights yn newid mawr yn y farchnad. Trwy greu’r bensaernïaeth data a’i gyfuno a dadansoddet a delweddu, mae’r feddalwedd yn darparu datrysiad penben rhagorol.”

Dywedodd Mark Sterritt, Cyfarwyddwr Cronfeydd Buddsoddi’r Gwledydd a’r Rhanbarthau ym Manc Busnes Prydain: “Rydym yn falch o weld Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymru yn gweithio’n frwd dros fusnesau arloesol fel Assured Insights, sy’n ymrwymedig i ehangu eu gweithrediadau yng Nghymru, gyda’r swyddfa newydd yng Nghaerdydd agor.

“Mae eu gweithgaredd yn y farchnad yn drawiadol ac rydym yn gobeithio y bydd ein cefnogaeth yn eu helpu wrth iddynt barhau i gynyddu.”
Mae Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymru o £130 miliwn (“IFW/CBC”) yn cwmpasu pob rhan o Gymru ac yn darparu benthyciadau o £25,000 i £2 filiwn a buddsoddiad ecwiti hyd at £5 miliwn i helpu amrywiaeth o fusnesau bach a chanolig i ddechrau busnes, cynyddu neu aros ar y blaen.

Pwrpas y Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru yw sbarduno twf economaidd cynaliadwy drwy gefnogi arloesedd a chreu cyfleoedd lleol i fusnesau newydd a busnesau sy’n tyfu ledled Gogledd Iwerddon. Bydd Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymru yn cynyddu cyflenwad ac amrywiaeth cyllid cyfnod cynnar ar gyfer busnesau llai Cymru, gan ddarparu cyllid i gwmnïau na fyddent o bosibl yn cael buddsoddiad fel arall, a helpu i chwalu rhwystrau o ran mynediad at gyllid.

Mae Foresight yn buddsoddi mewn cwmnïau addawol sy’n tyfu, gan ddarparu ecwiti neu ddyled i ddiwallu anghenion sylfaenwyr, timau rheoli a benthycwyr arbenigol lle bynnag y maent ar eu taith. Mae Foresight yn gweithio gyda'r cwmnïau cynyddol y mae'n eu cefnogi i alluogi sylfaenwyr a thimau rheoli i adeiladu cwmnïau gwydn a ffyniannus sy'n cael effaith gadarnhaol ar y cymdeithasau y maent yn gweithredu ynddynt.

DIWEDD

Nodiadau i Olygyddion

Am fwy o wybodaeth cysylltwch â:

Lucy Sherwood: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100 
Chris Barry: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

Ynglŷn â Chronfa Buddsoddi Cymru
• Wedi'i weithredu gan Fanc Busnes Prydain, mae'r IFW/CBC yn darparu cymysgedd o gyllid dyled ac ecwiti. Bydd IFW yn cynnig amrywiaeth o opsiynau cyllid masnachol gyda benthyciadau llai o £25k i £100k, cyllid dyled o £100k i £2m a buddsoddiad ecwiti hyd at £5 miliwn. Mae’n gweithio ochr yn ochr â’r ecosystem cyllid busnesau bach yn y rhanbarth, gan gynnwys cyfryngwyr lleol megis cyfrifwyr, rheolwyr cronfeydd a banciau, i gefnogi busnesau llai Cymru ar bob cam o’u datblygiad. Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymnru 

• Mae’r arian y mae IFW yn ei fuddsoddi yn agored i fusnesau sydd â gweithrediadau materol, neu sy’n bwriadu agor gweithrediadau deunydd ledled Cymru gyfan.

• Gyda chefnogaeth Nations and Regions Investments Limited, is-gwmni i British Business Bank plc, mae’r Banc yn fanc datblygu sy’n eiddo’n gyfan gwbl i Lywodraeth EM.

• Nid yw Nations and Regions Investments Limited na British Business Bank plc wedi’u hawdurdodi na’u rheoleiddio gan yr Awdurdod Rheoleiddio Darbodus (PRA) na’r Awdurdod Ymddygiad Ariannol (FCA)

• Ar gyfer buddsoddiad gan NRIL ar lefel yr is-gronfa nid yw’r buddsoddiad gan y Nations and Regions Investments Limited i Assured Insights yn gyfystyr ag unrhyw ardystiad neu warant gan Nations and Regions Investments Limited, Banc Busnes Prydain ccc na llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.

• Ar gyfer buddsoddiad gan is-gronfa IFW ar lefel y cwmni buddsoddi nid yw’r buddsoddiad o Gronfa Fuddsoddi Cymru i Assured Insights yn gyfystyr ag unrhyw ardystiad neu warant gan Nations and Regions Investments Limited, Banc Busnes Prydain ccc na llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.

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