News

YFM Equity Partners has invested UK-based Ncam, a provider of augmented reality solutions for the entertainment industries. No financial terms were disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE

15 March 2018: Funds advised and managed by YFM Equity Partners (“YFM”), the specialist private equity fund manager have backed an investment into Ncam Technologies Limited, a provider of innovative and leading Augmented Reality solutions for the entertainment industries.

YFM’s investment comes from its two advised VCTs, British Smaller Companies VCT plc and British Smaller Companies VCT2 plc alongside the YFM Equity Partners 2015 Co-Investment LP.
Ncam was founded in 2012 by Nic Hatch (CEO), Sam Boivin (CTO) and Brice Michoud (Senior R&D Engineer) to develop a unique augmented reality solution which combines patented camera tracking hardware that fuses data from multiple sources with proprietary software to adapt the application to its target markets. The device uses a lightweight sensor bar attached to a camera to track natural features in the environment, allowing the camera to move freely in all locations while generating a continuous stream of extremely precise positional and rotational information that can feed all industry standard graphics engines via Ncam’s powerful and flexible software development kit.

Ncam’s award winning products are utilised globally across Broadcast, Film and Episodic TV production. Customers and users include Fantastic Beasts (Warner Bros), UEFA Champions League (BT Sport), NFC Championship Game (Fox Sports), Game of Thrones Season 8 (HBO), Monday Night Football (ESPN), Super Bowl XLVIII (Fox Sports), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel), Daytona (Fox Sports), and Jupiter Ascending (Warner Bros). In recent years Ncam has been awarded an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development, Experience & Technology Awards for Best use of Augmented Reality with Ford Motor Company and a Queen’s Award for Innovation for their work in augmented reality for film and television.

YFM’s funds will be used to support the development of new products, invest in the team, and help the business extend its reach into new territories, especially the USA where a new office opening is planned for 2018.

Charlie Robinson and Colin Granger led the Investment for YFM, with Charlie Robinson joining the Board.

Charlie Robinson, Investment Director at YFM, commented:
“Nic and his team have done a fantastic job in developing Ncam’s camera tracking technology from a standing start to a leading position in a rapidly developing Augmented Reality marketplace. There are exciting times ahead!”

Colin Granger, Investment Director at YFM, commented:
“We are delighted to be working with Ncam to support the future development of their products and their expansion into new global markets, two areas where we at YFM have significant experience of supporting.”

Nic Hatch, Co-Founder and CEO of Ncam, added:
“Our vision is to set a precedent of what can be achieved within real-time visual effects. Our relationship with YFM will allow us to expand our technological capabilities’ and keep Ncam at the forefront of augmented reality.”

Craig Deacon, CFO of Ncam, added:
“With the support of YFM we can rapidly execute our growth plans, allowing us to develop our market potential and fulfil our global ambitions of becoming a market leader of augmented reality.”

YFM’s legal advice was provided by Chris Reed of Gateley plc, Commercial Due Diligence by Geoff Rampton and Suzy Urch of RPL, Financial Due Diligence carried out by Paul Read of HMT, and organisational due diligence by Anna Cornwallis from Stratton HR. Brian Snelling and Marcus Allchurch from Acuity Advisors LLP acted as lead financial advisers to Ncam with support from Penny Garden and Harry Pearson from Field Seymour Parkes LLP.

About YFM Equity Partners
YFM Equity Partners are specialist, independently owned, private equity investors. With over 30 years of experience we seek to unlock value and growth potential by providing up to £10 million of equity to fuel the development of established business throughout the UK regions. We do this by helping our portfolio companies grow niche businesses, launch new initiatives, make transformative acquisitions and upgrade technologies and systems. Through our offices in Leeds, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield, we are dedicated to working alongside management teams to create long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in and a positive economic impact for the communities in which we work. We manage and advise funds in excess of £200 million which include venture capital trusts and private equity funds.

YFM Equity Partners conducts its investment business through its subsidiary YFM Private Equity Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 122120).
For more information, please visit www.yfmep.com or follow us on Twitter @YFMEP.

About Ncam
Ncam offers a complete and customizable augmented reality platform that captures photorealistic virtual elements in real-time. At its core is a unique camera tracking solution that offers film & TV productions virtual and augmented graphic technology without limits. The device uses a lightweight sensor bar attached to a camera to track natural features in the environment, allowing the camera to move freely in all locations while generating a continuous stream of extremely precise positional and rotational information that can feed all industry standard graphics engines via Ncam’s powerful and flexible SDK.

Our multi-award winning patented technology integrates seamlessly to any production, capable of adapting to a wide range of applications from indoor and outdoor use to mounted or even hand-held camera configurations. Through versatile real-time application and previsualisation of graphics, Ncam creates technological efficiencies that streamline the on-set production process, saving notable post-production time and incremental costs.