News

YFM Equity Partners has provided 1.5 million pounds to e2E Engineering Limited. UK-based e2E is a technical consultancy focusing on the telecommunications sector.

PRESS RELEASE

02 October 2017: YFM Equity Partners (“YFM”), the specialist private equity fund manager, has backed a £1.5 million investment into e2E Engineering Limited (e2E), a leading technical consultancy operating in the telecommunications market, with particular expertise in satellite communications. YFM’s funding comes from its two advised VCTs, British Smaller Companies and British Smaller Companies 2.

Based in offices in Welwyn Garden City and Gateshead, e2E has been at the forefront of evolving technologies and service innovations since 1999. With support from the European Space Agency and Innovate UK, e2E has used its wealth of experience to develop its own suite of products and services that will solve communications-based problems in the telecommunications industry. The investment will be used to commercialise and launch the first product of this nature, NEATaccess, an innovative communications node, which is unique in the market place.

As part of the investment, YFM has introduced Mark Hurley to join the board, a highly experienced director who holds a number of executive and non-executive positions across a wide range of sectors. Mark has worked with YFM successfully in the past, most recently with the investment and successful exit from Insider Technologies.

The company will continue to be led by Barry Ross, Eliot Minn and Chris Clarke, who together founded the business.

Andy Thomas, Investment Director at YFM said: “We were attracted to this opportunity due to the strength of the long-established management team and the exciting, unique technology that they had developed over recent years. NEL Fund Managers introduced the deal and it was particularly pleasing to work with both them and local advisers to help bring this deal to completion. We look forward to helping this business to grow in the North East and Welwyn Garden City.”

Barry Ross, CEO at e2E said: “The telecommunications and satellite communications market is rife with opportunities at the moment, given the complex networks and ever-expanding communications channels on offer. At e2E we have proven experience of developing bespoke and successful solutions and, with YFM’s support we look forward to launching these to the wider market.

“YFM is known for its impressive expertise in this sector and I look forward to working with them and Mark Hurley to enable e2E to reach its full potential.”

YFM was advised by hlw Keeble Hawson (Matt Ainsworth and Michael Hall), and e2E by Bird and Bird (Richard Bloomfield and Struan Penwarden, Robert Taylor). Financial Due Diligence was undertaken by Irving Ramsay (Michael Cook), Commercial DD by Access Partnership (Colin Thomson) and Human Resources DD by Stratton HR (Anna Cornwallis).

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 have over £220 million in assets under management, 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 e2E
With “end-to-end” awareness at its core, e2E was initially established in 1999 to provide specialist systems engineering and technical consultancy services to clients operating mainly within the Satellite Communications Industry. These activities branch across both governmental and commercial domains. The delivery of communications solutions is keeping e2E at the forefront of innovation which be being reflected in the release of leading technologies into the market.

e2E’s vision is founded on the belief that newer innovative delivery platforms including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), High Altitude Platforms (HAPs), High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) and small nano-satellites will provide for more cost efficient communications solutions to niche enterprises that find current satellite alternatives restrictive or prohibitively expensive. This is fuelling the company’s quest to provide cheaper communications and underpins its underlying R&D initiatives.

For more information, please visit www.e2eservices.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @e2eservices1