• With Foresight’s investment, the speciality coffee brand grew from 6 to 21 sites across the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West
• More than 180 jobs created in the investment period

 

NOTTINGHAM, October 2024: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading listed regional private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has successfully exited 200 Degrees Coffee (“200” or the “Company”), the speciality coffee brand.

 

Founded in 2012 by Rob Darby and Tom Vincent, the Nottingham headquartered company partnered with Foresight in 2017 when it secured finance from Foresight’s fund focused on Nottinghamshire. 200 Degrees is well known for its speciality artisan coffee and its unique shops.

 

The investment supported 200’s expansion across the UK, developed the Company’s growing wholesale business and helped launch an online offering selling direct to consumers. At the time of investment, 200 operated 6 shops, employing 78 people.

 

Under Foresight’s guidance, 200 Degrees grew to 21 stores and expanded its regional footprint across the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, creating more than 180 jobs since initial investment, taking the total number of employees to over 270 at exit. The team was supported by highly experienced industry Chairperson, Paul Campbell.

 

Sustainability and community support were central to 200 Degrees growth ambitions. The Company partnered with a regional Nottingham based charity, Switch Up, which supports children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, with £1 donated for every kilo of coffee sold per year. The founders also took regular visits to its coffee suppliers to ensure the supply chain aligned with 200’s company values.

 

200 is joining The Nero Group, a family-owned operator of more than 1,100 Caffè Nero stores across 10 countries, and the largest independent chain of coffee shops in Europe. The Company will continue to operate as a standalone brand.

 

Jordan Lavender, Senior Investment Manager at Foresight Group, comments: “We are proud of the partnership with 200 Degrees and to have supported the Company through a period of significant regional expansion while maintaining 200’s commitment to sustainable growth. The Company has an excellent reputation and, by becoming part of The Nero Group, 200 will maintain its brand identity and have an excellent platform to achieve its ambitious expansion plans.”

 

Rob Darby, Founder of 200 Degrees, commented: “We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Foresight, together we have achieved significant growth, opening 200 Degrees shops and expanding our customer base across the UK. Foresight’s support has been invaluable, and we now look forward to our next phase of growth.”

 

Foresight provides growth and buyout funding to support founders, entrepreneurs and management teams to achieve their growth aspirations or release equity to reduce risk. It also invests venture capital funding into innovative, fast-growing companies in the enterprise software and deep-tech sectors that are looking to scale at pace. Foresight supports the companies it invests into to grow responsibly, and the firm invests regionally in growing companies to deliver strong economic and societal returns for all stakeholders.

 

ENDS

 

For more information contact:

Chris Barry, Influential: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

Lucy Sherwood, Foresight Group: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100