ECI Partners
ECI Partners is a growth focused private equity group based in the UK and the US, first established by the Bank of England in 1976.
ECI typically invests up to £200m of equity in businesses valued at up to £300m across a number of subsectors, such as Cloud & Digital, Data, Financial Services, GRC, HealthTech, HR & Edtech, and Travel.
It was a founder member of both the European Venture Capital Association and British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association in 1983 having organised its first management buyout in 1980. Early investments included Williams Holdings – owner of Chubb and Kidde – founded by Nigel Rudd and Brian McGowan, Shanks & McEwan, National Express and Bloomsbury Publishing.
The turn of the millennium saw ECI raise their seventh fund with leading growth investments including Thinkmoney and
LateRooms.
In September 2023, ECI announced the final close of its twelfth buyout fund, ECI 12, hitting its £1 billion hard cap, beating a £900 million target.
Investments
In November 2024, ECI invested in CMap, a market leading provider of professional services automation software, and Insurance Insider, a leading digital platform providing insight and analysis for the world’s top insurers, distributors, service providers and investors. In October 2024, ECI invested in both Croud, a global, full-service digital marketing company, and Independent Governance Group, the UK’s leading provider of professional pensions trusteeship and governance services. In April 2024, ECI acquired London-based global travel management company TAG, from Apiary Capital for an undisclosed amount.In November 2023, ECI invested in ISMS.online, a UK data privacy and information security compliance software and service provider. In September 2023, ECI acquired Commify, a business messaging platform, from Hg Capital Trust for a sum of €300 million.
In June 2022, ECI acquired BCN Group, a UK-based cloud and IT managed services company, from Beech Tree Private Equity
Earlier investments have included CIPHR, Mobysoft, CSL, KB Associates, Peoplesafe, Travel Chapter, Moneypenny, 4Ways, Arkessa, The Clear Group, Bionic, Content+Cloud, Imagesound, Tusker, Investis Digital, Auction Technology Group, and Avantia, an online home insurance company that trades under the HomeProtect brand.
Exits
In February 2023, ECI sold Tusker to Lloyds Banking Group, for a value of c.£300m, generating a return of 6.2x.In September 2022, ECI realised its investment in MiQ, delivering a 6.1x return in a deal valued at a reported $900m. ECI originally backed the founders in a minority investment in 2017 with MiQ growing to $45m of profit in the year before ECI exited.
in June 2022, ECI sold The Clear Group, an insurance broking platform, to Goldman Sachs Asset Management having tripled Gross Written Premium to over £330m during the four year investment.
In October 2021, ECI sold CPOMS, a provider of safeguarding software to schools, based in Skipton, England, to US firm Raptor Technologies.
In February 2021, ECI announced the IPO of its portfolio company Auction Technology Group on the London Stock Exchange where it became a member of the FTSE250.
In November 2020, ECI exited MPM generating a return of 4.4x.
In February 2020, ECI exited both Encore Tickets, sold to TodayTix and Auction Technology Group, in a secondary buyout delivering 3.7x money whilst also reinvesting in the latter from its most recent fund.
ECI exited mthree in December 2019, selling to Wiley and generating a return of over 100% IRR.
In June 2018 ECI announced the sale of Great Rail Journeys, generating a 3.6x return.
In June 2017 ECI sold Kelvin Hughes to Hensoldt,, which generated a 3.3x return.
In February 2017 ECI announced the sale of Clarke Energy to Kohler Co for a reported £300m.
The sale of Reed & Mackay in August 2016 was ECI's 100th exit since 1990, and generated a multiple of 3.4x cost to investors.
In February 2016, ECI sold Citation, a provider of HR, employment law, and health & safety solutions to 16,000 SMEs, to HGCapital for a reported £185m. generating a 5.4x return on its investment.
In June 2015 it sold Fourth Hospitality, a restaurant management software firm to Insight Venture Partners.
In February 2015 ECI sold Wireless Logic, an M2M managed service provider, to CVC Capital Partners generating 6.1x money return.
In October 2014 ECI sold XLN Telecom to the company's management and Blackstone's credit business GSO Capital Partners generating a 3x return on its investment.
In March 2014 ECI sold CarTrawler to BC Partners for a reported €450m, returning 6x money to investors.
In February 2014 ECI sold M2 Digital to The Rigby Group through its technology brand SCC.
ECI sold healthcare IT company Ascribe to AIM-listed clinical software supplier EMIS Health Group in September 2013 generating a 2.1x return.