What investment strategy does ECI Partners focus on?

ECI Partners focuses on Buyout, Growth strategies in the private equity space.

How many portfolio companies does ECI Partners have?

ECI Partners has 19 active portfolio companies and 21 completed exits and 6 funds tracked on GP Intel.

Where is ECI Partners headquartered?

ECI Partners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

What is ECI Partners's assets under management?

ECI Partners manages approximately €2.8B in assets under management.

When was ECI Partners founded?

ECI Partners was founded in 1976.

What sectors does ECI Partners invest in?

ECI Partners invests across TMT, Software, Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Financials.

What are ECI Partners's recent exits?

Recent realized exits by ECI Partners include: Peoplesafe (2026) to Summa Equity, 2.7x; CSL (2025) to ECI-managed continuation fund (backed by Carlyle AlpInvest, HarbourVest Partners and Pantheon), 3.5x; Tusker (2023) to Lloyds Banking Group, 6.2x; Clear Group (2022) to Goldman Sachs Asset Management; KB Associates (2022) to Waystone Group, 3.8x; Bionic (2022) to OMERS Private Equity, 4.8x; Imagesound (2022) to Livingbridge; MiQ (2022) to Bridgepoint, 6.1x.

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ECI Partners

London, United Kingdom·Founded 1976·

Buyout Growth Equity

·ecipartners.com

ECI Partners is a UK growth-focused mid-market private equity firm founded in 1976 as Equity Capital for Industry under a Bank of England initiative, with offices in London, Manchester and New York and authorised by the FCA (FRN 209968). The firm backs high-growth, tech-enabled UK companies through its ECI buyout fund series, which reached a GBP 1bn hard cap with ECI 12 in 2023, and manages around USD 3bn.

AUM

€2.8B

Funds

vintages 2000–2023

Portfolio

Exits

ECI Partners is a London buyout firm with €2.8B AUM, 19 active companies and 21 exits.

SectorsTMT Software Business Services Consumer Healthcare Financials

Key takeaways

·11 exits in the last 5 years · consistent DPI cadence.
·Average hold across 21 realized deals: 5 years.
·Best return: 6.2x MOIC on Tusker (2023).
·Fund cadence: ~5Y between vintages · last raise 2023.

Sector breakdown

40 companies

Financials

6 · 15%

Business Services

6 · 15%

SaaS

4 · 10%

TMT

3 · 8%

IT Services

3 · 8%

Telecom

3 · 8%

AdTech

2 · 5%

Data & Analytics

2 · 5%

Geography breakdown

3 geographies

37 · 93%

Ireland

2 · 5%

Netherlands

1 · 3%

Key facts

HQLondon, United Kingdom

Founded1976

Employees50+

Websiteecipartners.com

Recent exits

ECI Partners sold Peoplesafe to Summa Equity in 2026 after 8 years.

2.7x

ECI Partners sold CSL to ECI-managed continuation fund (backed by Carlyle AlpInvest, HarbourVest Partners and Pantheon) in 2025 after 7 years.

3.5x

ECI Partners sold Tusker to Lloyds Banking Group in 2023 after 8 years.

6.2x

ECI Partners sold Clear Group to Goldman Sachs Asset Management in 2022 after 4 years.

Partners

David EwingManaging Partner

Tom WrennManaging Partner

George MossManaging Partner

Chris WattManaging Partner

Coverage notes

6 funds tracked, 40 portfolio companies (19 active · 21 realized). Verified weekly from public filings and deal announcements.

Investment team

Senior partners. Hand-checked from public filings and the firm's own site.

David Ewing

Managing Partner

Tom Wrenn

Managing Partner

George Moss

Managing Partner

Chris Watt

Managing Partner

Funds & portfolio

Every fund ECI Partners has raised, with its portfolio companies. Hand-checked from public filings.

6 funds

Fund

Strategy

Vintage

Size

Assets

Exits

ECI 12

Buyout2023€1.2B10 assets

Buyout

2023 · 3yr

€1.2B

–

Unrealized

10 held

Company	Entry
CMap SaaS · UK	2024
Commify TMT · UK	2023
Croud AdTech · UK	2024
Helio Intelligence Data & Analytics · UK	2026
Independent Governance Group Financials · UK	2024
Insurance Insider TMT · UK	2024
IO Cybersecurity · UK	2023
Paragin Group EdTech · Netherlands	2026
Shaw Gibbs Financials · UK	2026
TAG Business Services · UK	2024

ECI 11

Buyout2018€819M9 assets8 exits

Buyout

2018 · 8yr

€819M

Unrealized

9 held

Company	Entry
4Ways Healthcare HealthTech · UK	2018
Avantia InsurTech · UK	2021
BCN IT Services · UK	2022
BCN Group IT Services · UK	2022
Ciphr SaaS · UK	2020
Mobysoft Data & Analytics · UK	2020
Moneypenny Business Services · UK	2018
Travel Chapter E-commerce · UK	2020
Zenergi ClimateTech · UK	2022

Realized

8 exits

Company	Entry	Exit	Type	Buyer	MOIC
Auction Technology Group Consumer · UK	2020	2021	IPO	–	–
Clear Group Financials · UK	2018	2022	Secondary	Goldman Sachs Asset Management	–
Content+Cloud IT Services · UK	2018	2021	Secondary	Sword Group	–
Cpoms Software · UK	2018	2021	Trade Sale	Raptor Technologies	–
CSL Telecom · UK	2018	2025	Continuation Vehicle	ECI-managed continuation fund (backed by Carlyle AlpInvest, HarbourVest Partners and Pantheon)	3.5x
KB Associates Financials · Ireland	2019	2022	Trade Sale	Waystone Group	3.8x
mthree Business Services · UK	2018	2019	Trade Sale	John Wiley and Sons	–
Peoplesafe SaaS · UK	2018	2026	Secondary	Summa Equity	2.7x

ECI 10Realized

Buyout2014€585M0 assets4 exits

Buyout

2014 · 12yr

€585M

Realized

4 exits

Company	Entry	Exit	Type	Buyer	MOIC
Bionic Business Services · UK	2017	2022	Secondary	OMERS Private Equity	4.8x
Imagesound TMT · UK	2016	2022	Secondary	Livingbridge	–
MiQ AdTech · UK	2017	2022	Secondary	Bridgepoint	6.1x
Tusker Financials · UK	2015	2023	Trade Sale	Lloyds Banking Group	6.2x

ECI 9

Buyout2010€511M0 assets7 exits

Buyout

2010 · 16yr

€511M

Realized

7 exits

Company	Entry	Exit	Type	Buyer	MOIC
CarTrawler SaaS · Ireland	2011	2014	Secondary	BC Partners	–
Citation Business Services · UK	2012	2016	Secondary	HgCapital	–
Great Rail Journeys Hospitality · UK	2014	2018	Secondary	Duke Street	–
Hoseasons Hospitality · UK	1999	2003	Secondary	HgCapital	–
Reed & Mackay Business Services · UK	2011	2016	Secondary	Inflexion	–
Wireless Logic Telecom · UK	2011	2015	Secondary	CVC Capital Partners	–
XLN Telecom · UK	2010	2014	Secondary	GSO Capital Partners	–

ECI 8Realized

Buyout2005€298M0 assets1 exits

Buyout

2005 · 21yr

€298M

Realized

1 exit

Company	Entry	Exit	Type	Buyer	MOIC
Clarke Energy Energy · UK	2007	2017	Trade Sale	Kohler	–

ECI 7Realized

Growth2000€205M0 assets1 exits

Growth

2000 · 26yr

€205M

Realized

1 exit

Company	Entry	Exit	Type	Buyer	MOIC
Think Money Group Financials · UK	2002	2007	Secondary	Alchemy Partners	–

About ECI Partners

ECI Partners is an alternative investment platform with capital deployed across 8 active fund vehicles, headquartered in London. The firm deploys capital across European mid and small-cap businesses spanning TMT, consumer, software, financials, business services and industrials.

Investment thesis

The platform combines complementary investment strategies, deploying capital across TMT, consumer, software, financials, business services and industrials businesses in the United Kingdom and broader European market. Multi-strategy capital deployment enables flexibility across the business lifecycle, with the partnership culture supporting management teams through growth, transmission and selective M&A across multiple fund vintages and asset classes.

Recent activity

Realised exits across the current platform vintages remain limited, with the portfolio in active deployment and value-creation phase. The platform tracks 8 fund vehicles, 54 active portfolio companies and 0 realised exits across the strategy's history.

Frequently asked questions

What investment strategy does ECI Partners focus on?: ECI Partners focuses on Buyout, Growth strategies in the private equity space.
How many portfolio companies does ECI Partners have?: ECI Partners has 19 active portfolio companies and 21 completed exits and 6 funds tracked on GP Intel.
Where is ECI Partners headquartered?: ECI Partners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
What is ECI Partners's assets under management?: ECI Partners manages approximately €2.8B in assets under management.
When was ECI Partners founded?: ECI Partners was founded in 1976.
What sectors does ECI Partners invest in?: ECI Partners invests across TMT, Software, Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Financials.
What are ECI Partners's recent exits?: Recent realized exits by ECI Partners include: Peoplesafe (2026) to Summa Equity, 2.7x; CSL (2025) to ECI-managed continuation fund (backed by Carlyle AlpInvest, HarbourVest Partners and Pantheon), 3.5x; Tusker (2023) to Lloyds Banking Group, 6.2x; Clear Group (2022) to Goldman Sachs Asset Management; KB Associates (2022) to Waystone Group, 3.8x; Bionic (2022) to OMERS Private Equity, 4.8x; Imagesound (2022) to Livingbridge; MiQ (2022) to Bridgepoint, 6.1x.