Knight CF has worked alongside the thevoicefactory for the last couple of years and provided advice and assistance on business and financial planning, enhancing its management information and planning and preparing the business for exit.
thevoicefactory blazed a trail in what has become known as “verticalization” partnering, with vertical-specific resellers and developing products to target specific markets. This value proposition resulted in accelerated growth and some serious interest in the company from a large international organisation. As a direct result, in 2016 thevoicefactory took the decision to expand and Knight CF were on hand to assist in raise growth capital, negotiating a package from Finance Wales. This enabled a full US launch that put the company firmly in the sights of the larger US players as a competitor as well as an acquisition target.
Following further growth and recognition by its industry peers the business received regular approaches from acquirers, but when the business was approached by Evolve IP, the shareholders felt they had met the perfect partner for their business that would enable thevoicefactory to move to the next stage of its development. Knight CF, with its industry knowledge and deal expertise, ensured that the business was prepared for an approach with detailed management information at hand together with a full business plan. These attributes were brought to bear to negotiate a compelling deal for all parties.
Knight Corporate Finance recently featured on Comms Business Live in the quarterly Funding Surgery. See what they said about raising funds for growth below.
Paul Harrison (pictured right), CEO of thevoicefactory commented “Working with Knight enabled us to prepare and instill disciplines that were key to unlocking value and realising the potential of our business. When the time came, we could clearly articulate a compelling strategy for a deal that met our aspirations. These have been realised as part of the sale and we are very excited to be joining Evolve IP and thrilled with the opportunities it provides for our associates and partners”.
Ian Whitman, COO of thevoicefactory added “We have been working with Knight for almost 3 years and they have supported us on strategy, funding and now an exit and have been fundamental in helping us achieve our long-term goals”.
Paul Billingham, Director at Knight Corporate Finance, said: “This is a fantastic deal for both parties and provides a perfect example of a successful and well executed exit plan. We have seen an increasing amount of interest from overseas in UK businesses, particularly for hosted platforms, and expect several more announcements this year. This deal highlights the importance of planning and strategy to ensure that your business truly stands out to investors and acquirers”.