With both private equity and public capital markets continuing to give access to new capital this year, we are pleased to have been appointed to advise on a London battery-tech IPO, and concurrently concluded on financial commitments into UK real estate. Our domestic and cross-border investment focus for scaleups provides increased liquidity to founders and this Q1 update highlights how supportive the markets are across ever-broad sectors:

• Energy and Renewables continues to be a focus for our investor network, and this month we are into DD on a SAAS based energy management solution to reduce power consumption, and CO2 output accordingly – seeing great momentum in ethical investing. We expect to see a further allocation of capital into this sector through the year, with some great entrepreneurs presenting their technology to us.
  
• Battery technology of varying forms are high on the agenda for the foreseeable future, and as we progress the terms and pricing for a £100m IPO of our client in the commercial battery regeneration space the co-investment interest from both our UK and North American network is overwhelming. More headlines to follow in the months ahead.
  
• Many experienced property developers will cite the increasing costs of materials and reducing availability of skilled labour across the industry. And this continues to be the case on both counts. In spite of this the market remains buoyant and this month we concluded investment terms for a 14 dwelling development in Suffolk to be built and sold over the coming 18 months.