Manolete Partners
Manolete Partners Plc is the UK's leading insolvency litigation financing company, holding 67% market share. It funds or outright acquires insolvency claims from Insolvency Practitioners, retaining 30–50% of net recoveries after legal costs across cases valued £20k to £70m+.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Manolete Partners does
Manolete Partners Plc is the UK's leading insolvency litigation financing company, holding an estimated 67% share of the third-party insolvency litigation market. Founded in 2009 by Steven Cooklin and listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market in December 2018 (ticker: MANO), the company finances or outright acquires insolvency claims from Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) across the UK — from Big Four restructuring practices down to single-partner regional firms — providing complete indemnity and an immediate cash injection to creditor estates. Manolete retains 30–50% of net recoveries after legal costs, with case values ranging from £20,000 to over £70 million and an average case duration of approximately 11 months.
The company's core operating model is distinctive within the broader litigation finance market: rather than funding claims under Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs) or using After-the-Event (ATE) insurance, Manolete self-insures adverse cost risk and, in roughly 90% of cases, acquires the claim outright — a structure made possible by UK insolvency law changes in 2015/2016. An in-house legal team of approximately 12 lawyers (nearly tripled since IPO) underwrites and manages cases directly, supported by a regional Associate Director network covering London, the East, South-West/Wales, the South, the North-West (Manchester) and Scotland. The firm does not use brokers, and all cases are sourced direct from IPs or their solicitors. Headcount is 11–50, with offices in London (HQ) and Manchester.
Commercially, Manolete monetises completed cases as transaction-based returns rather than recurring fees: revenue is recognised when cases settle or complete, generating an inherently lumpy revenue profile. FY2026 realised revenue was £27.9 million on a 37% gross margin, with a record £67 million forward book representing 37% year-over-year growth. Management has set medium-term targets of £42 million realised revenue, a 12% PBT margin, and £150,000 average realised revenue per completed case (up from approximately £93,000 currently). Distribution is anchored by three-year exclusive litigation funder partnerships with the industry's principal bodies — R3, the Insolvency Practitioners Association and the ICAEW — and the company has won TRI "Insolvency Litigation Funder of the Year" four times in five years (2016–2020), with FT Growth Award recognition in 2025.
Manolete Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Manolete Partners
- Legal name
- Manolete Partners Plc
- Website
- https://manolete-partners.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Manolete Partners Plc is the UK's leading insolvency litigation financing company, holding 67% market share. It funds or outright acquires insolvency claims from Insolvency Practitioners, retaining 30–50% of net recoveries after legal costs across cases valued £20k to £70m+.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Manolete Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Litigation Financing
- NAICS
- Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Lending — Specialty Finance (Consumer/SME Lending Platforms) (FSAHAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bankruptcy Claims Trading / Claims Investing Funds (FSANAKAI)
Keywords
Where Manolete Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Manolete Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Litigation Financing Returns: Manolete generates returns by financing or purchasing insolvency claims. The company takes a share of net recoveries after all legal costs have been paid. Case durations average approximately 11 months. Revenue is realized when cases settle or complete.
- Claim Acquisition: In approximately 90% of cases, Manolete buys claims outright from insolvency estates, acquiring ownership of the claim and taking all proceeds after costs. Manolete retains 30-50% of net recovery after all legal costs are paid.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Manolete retains 30-50% of net recovery after all legal costs have been paid - no upfront fees or premiums charged to estates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Manolete Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Manolete Partners Plc is a specialist insolvency litigation financing company. It either funds or outright purchases insolvency claims from UK Insolvency Practitioners (IPs), providing an immediate cash injection to creditor estates while taking on the full litigation risk. In approximately 90% of cases Manolete acquires the claim outright; in the remainder it funds the litigation, paying legal fees as incurred. The company self-insures adverse cost risk rather than using ATE insurance, pays solicitors on a time-spent basis rather than via Conditional Fee Arrangements, and provides complete indemnity to the IP and the estate. It retains 30–50% of net recoveries after all legal costs have been paid, with the balance (50–70%) returned to the creditor estate.
Product overview
Manolete Partners Plc is a single-service company offering insolvency litigation financing. The company funds or buys insolvency claims from Insolvency Practitioners, providing upfront cash injection to estates while taking on all litigation risk. Their model does not use ATE insurance or Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs), instead self-insuring adverse cost risk and paying solicitors on a time-spent basis. The company operates as a unified service offering without distinct product modules or sub-brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Insolvency Litigation Financing Funding of insolvency claims pursued by UK Insolvency Practitioners on behalf of creditor estates. Manolete pays legal fees as incurred and self-insures adverse cost risk, providing complete indemnity to the IP and the estate. Approximately 10% of cases are financed under this structure.
- Outright Insolvency Claim Acquisition Outright purchase of insolvency claims from creditor estates. Used in approximately 90% of cases; Manolete acquires ownership of the claim and retains 30–50% of net recovery after all legal costs have been paid, with the balance returned to the estate. Provides immediate cash injection to the estate.
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% case success rate across all completed cases
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Manolete Partners
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Manolete Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Manolete Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- R3 (Association of Business Recovery Professionals)coreR3 is a critically important partner for Manolete with relationship dating from 2018. Manolete is an active sponsor of R3 annual conference, regional conferences, SPG and Contentious Insolvency and Creditors Forums. Three-year exclusive litigation funder partnership.
- Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA)coreManolete has worked in partnership with IPA for over five years, sponsoring many events including highly valued regional roadshows. Three-year partnership extension.
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)coreStrategic partnership with ICAEW for Business Development. Manolete has presented many successful webinars through this partnership. Three-year partnership arrangement.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Manolete Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Burford Capital: Largest pure-play litigation finance company globally, listed on the LSE and NYSE. Burford finances commercial litigation and arbitration across multiple jurisdictions, sharing Manolete's core model of funding legal claims in exchange for a share of recoveries, though at a much larger scale and broader scope.
- Calunius Capital: London-based litigation funder focused on commercial disputes, insolvency claims and international arbitration. Calunius directly competes with Manolete for UK insolvency practitioner referrals and operates a comparable single-case funding model.
- Omni Bridgeway: Global litigation funder resulting from the merger of IMF Bentham and Omni Bridgeway, listed on the ASX. Operates across arbitration, commercial litigation and insolvency matters globally with a substantial book of single-case and portfolio investments comparable to Manolete's model.
- Harbour Litigation Funding: One of the largest global commercial litigation funders, formed from the merger of Lake Capital and the European operations of Bentham IMF, later absorbing Vannin Capital. Harbour is a direct peer to Manolete in funding commercial disputes and insolvency claims, with a strong UK presence.
- Vannin Capital: Originally a Jersey-headquartered litigation funder with a strong UK and European presence that was acquired by Harbour Litigation Funding in 2019. Vannin was a historic direct competitor to Manolete in UK commercial and insolvency litigation funding and continues to operate within Harbour's platform.
- Therium Capital Management: London-headquartered litigation funder with a UK and European focus, financing commercial disputes, insolvency claims and class actions. Therium competes with Manolete for UK insolvency practitioners and offers similar third-party funding structures.
- IMF Bentham: Australian-origin litigation funder (now part of Omni Bridgeway) historically focused on commercial disputes and insolvency claims. Operates a comparable single-case funding model with UK case flow that overlaps with Manolete's target IP client base.
- Balance Legal Capital: London-headquartered litigation funder focused on UK and European commercial disputes, insolvency claims and group actions. Balance Legal Capital is a smaller but directly comparable competitor to Manolete's UK-focused litigation funding model.
- Woodsford Litigation Funding: UK and global litigation funder providing single-case and portfolio funding across commercial litigation, arbitration and insolvency claims. Woodsford is a direct competitor to Manolete in the UK market for funding or acquiring legal claims.
Emerging players
- Augusta Ventures: London-based litigation funder focused on insolvency claims and commercial disputes in the UK. Augusta is smaller than Manolete but directly competes for UK insolvency practitioner case flow with a similar claim acquisition and funding model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Manolete Partners social profiles
Digital presenceManolete Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Manolete Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Manolete Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Manolete Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Manolete Partners
What does Manolete Partners do?
Manolete Partners Plc is a specialist insolvency litigation financing company. It either funds or outright purchases insolvency claims from UK Insolvency Practitioners (IPs), providing an immediate cash injection to creditor estates while taking on the full litigation risk. In approximately 90% of cases Manolete acquires the claim outright; in the remainder it funds the litigation, paying legal fees as incurred. The company self-insures adverse cost risk rather than using ATE insurance, pays solicitors on a time-spent basis rather than via Conditional Fee Arrangements, and provides complete indemnity to the IP and the estate. It retains 30–50% of net recoveries after all legal costs have been paid, with the balance (50–70%) returned to the creditor estate.
Is Manolete Partners a public or private company?
Manolete Partners is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Manolete Partners founded?
Manolete Partners was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Manolete Partners based?
Manolete Partners is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Manolete Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Litigation Financing Returns are the primary driver. The others are claim Acquisition.
Who are Manolete Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Burford Capital, Calunius Capital, Omni Bridgeway, Harbour Litigation Funding, Vannin Capital, Therium Capital Management, IMF Bentham, Balance Legal Capital and Woodsford Litigation Funding. Augusta Ventures is listed as an emerging player.
Does Manolete Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Manolete Partners.
What industry is Manolete Partners in?
Manolete Partners's product category is Litigation Financing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAHAJAF, Direct Lending — Specialty Finance (Consumer/SME Lending Platforms), with a secondary code of FSANAKAI, Bankruptcy Claims Trading / Claims Investing Funds. Its NAICS code is 525920 and its SIC code is 8111.