We buy wonderful local businesses
and hold them forever.
Excited to be advancing a new micro PE model - partnering founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team, preserve legacies and strengthens communities.
Selling your company should be a joy, not look like this:
After being a victim of a large acquisition failure and going through the misery of selling a company to traditional buyers, we started Rising Tide to become the partner I wish existed in the market.
We do things differently. A fair offer in 14 days. Close in as quick as 30. Keep your culture intact and you retain equity to benefit from future upside.
No months of negotiations, no middle-men snake oil brokers, no overweight legal bills and fee surprises. Explicitly, no watching your life’s work get blown up once you hand over the keys.
A unique model to the Nation!
We partner with founders to compress years of innovation & transformation into months by applying capital, talent, proven playbooks, modern technology and hands-on execution. Our model empowers local ownership, delivers strong returns, and fuels growth & transformation across the South Coast.
Invest
Wonderful local businesses
We buy 20-100% equity from tired founders without viable succession plans.
Empower
Talented Leadership
We find & develop high quality professionals to become epic owner-operators.
Value Creation
Outsized financial & social returns
Grow
Platform Architecture
We provide capital to fuel growth & install an operating system to maximise it.
Here's what founders have to say:
Rising Tide vs the rest
Rising Tide is a long-term, location-based succession alternative to traditional private equity.
Venture Capital
- Huge valuation
- 3–6 month process
- Founders committed to 5+ years
- Terms could make your equity worthless
- Pressure to provide 10–100X returns
- No cash to founders, just money to grow
Private Equity
- Full or partial cash out
- 3–6 month process
- Founders locked in with earnout structure
- Terms could make your equity worthless
- Intervene and change your culture
- Typically flip your company in 3–5 years
Rising Tide
- Full or partial cash out
- Deal size ranging from £500k to £5M
- Potential 30-day process
- Founders can stay or go, we're flexible
- Simple structure with cash upfront
- Hold companies for the long term
We like to...
A solid brand in your community or niche
Industry agnostic, located preferably on the South Coast
A simple business model
You can explain it to your parents
Consistent revenues & profitability
From £250K to £1.5m Profits
Successful operations
Of three years or longer
A high-quality team
A great team with a positive culture
A positive and ethical approach
No sketchy stuff
Are optimistic about the future of the business
Investments in recruitment, sales, marketing, technology etc could make a big difference
Are tired of running the business
Looking for a slow or fast transition away from business
Have no viable succession plan
Looking for someone to drive the next phase of growth
Want to take cash/equity out of the business
Seeking full or partial liquidity, flexibility in deal structure & terms
Don’t want to miss out on future earnings & growth
Grow your retained equity bigger than your original pay-out
Are keen to protect their legacy & team
Alignment with business principles is as important as competitive valuation