Manchester-headquartered global investment bank GCA Altium has acquired Stella EOC, a London-headquartered technology and media investment banking “boutique”.
Stella EOC, founded in 2001, works with companies, entrepreneurs and investors on corporate advisory, from mergers, trade and financial sales, carve-outs and leveraged buy-outs to acquisitions, fund raises and strategic advising.
Stella EOC, which has offices in London, Stockholm and Lausanne, recently led on the £50m sale of the i newspaper to the publicly-listed owner of the Daily Mail, DMGT.
The bank said the acquisition will enable it to expand coverage into “key strategic markets” in the 海角视频, Europe, US and Asia and strengthen its technology practice and expand into the media and entertainment space.
Phil Adams, GCA Altium chief executive, said: “We are pleased to announce our acquisition of Stella EOC.
“GCA Altium and Stella EOC are a great fit in that we can expand our coverage even further into wider European markets including Nordics and Benelux, where we have not had a presence to date and where we see exciting opportunities for our clients across the globe.
“Stella EOC is a leader in the technology and media M&A space and as such, perfectly complements our strong technology sector focus.”
The acquisition will see GCA take on 44 members of staff from Stella EOC globally, bringing GCA’s total headcount to more than 510 employees - with more than 400 bankers - operating across 25 locations in 14 countries.
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In 2019 the two firms generated a combined revenue of around $240m and closed around 200 deals.
Fredrik Malmberg, a managing partner at Stella EOC, said: “This combination with GCA marks a new chapter for Stella EOC.
“After a sustained period of growth and having delivered landmark tech and media transactions across Europe, we’re delighted to embark on this next phase, extending our expertise to the US and Asia and delivering an extended range of services to our clients and stakeholders.”
Kristoffer Källeskog, also a Stella EOC managing partner, added: “The synergies between GCA Altium and Stella EOC are vast, and we will be able to offer Stella EOC’s existing client base so much more by being part of GCA Altium’s truly global platform.
“Their well-established US and Asia practices with extensive track records and large teams will enable us to deliver outstanding outcomes all round.”
Under the terms of the agreement, GCA will purchase 100 per cent of Stella EOC via an all share acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in April 2020.