Ethical corporate finance advisor CapEQ has launched a new service to help business owners understand and optimise their financial strengths and weaknesses during the M&A process.
Due to increasing requests from clients, CapEQ now offers a transaction support service to assist vendor SME shareholders during the sale or fundraising process, and to perform acquisition due diligence to help company boards identify, qualify and assess risks of suitable targets.
To spearhead the initiative, CapEQ has hired experienced accountant and financial troubleshooter David Lewis. David has worked on a consultancy basis since 2004, supporting businesses going through due diligence, preparing financial projections and accounting analysis in complex situations.
He has sector expertise in software, food manufacturing, cosmetics, engineering, wholesale, retail and social care. Before his consultancy work, he was a Partner at medium-sized West End accountancy firm Jayson Newman.
David said: “Having previously worked with the CapEQ team, I am excited to be able to support new clients as they go through their M&A journeys. I was also drawn to the role by CapEQ’s B-Corporation status and integrity-driven approach.
“Many SME shareholders just don’t have in-house capability or bandwidth to quickly produce accurate projections or rework their financials. This doesn’t just slow down the acquisition process but can also derail transactions altogether.”
Commenting on David’s appointment, CapEQ co-founder James Pugh added: “I have worked on transactions with a lot of accountants over the years, and can honestly say that David is the best in the business. We started discussing this growing client need and are delighted to be able to augment our services with additional support.”
“David’s analytical and investigative skills, attention to detail, and strategic awareness are second to none. He resolves problems and focuses clients on the key issues and is a real asset to business owners.”
Transaction Support sits alongside CapEQ’s existing services of strategic growth advice, capital-raising, business sales, and acquisition consultancy. Established in 2020, CapEQ is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and is Europe’s first corporate finance advisor to be accredited as a B-Corporation.
