Hilco Capital
Hilco Capital is a London-based special situations investor, asset-based lender, and outsourced retail services provider, targeting distressed and transitioning businesses with £10m-£1bn in revenue across the UK, Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hilco Capital does
Hilco Capital is a London-headquartered private investment and advisory firm operating as the UK, EU, and APAC arm of the Hilco Global network. Founded in 2000 by Paul McGowan as a joint venture with Hilco Trading, the firm specializes in special situations investment, asset-based lending, and outsourced retail services. It targets businesses with revenues between £10m and £1bn that are experiencing financial distress, underperformance, ownership transitions, or require turnaround support. To date, the firm has executed over 56 investments across 9 sectors, deploys £120m+ of capital annually, and reports £0Bn+ in portfolio turnover. Its office footprint spans London, Melbourne, Sydney, and Toronto, covering UK, Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Hilco Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hilco Capital
- Legal name
- Hilco Capital Limited
- Website
- http://www.hilcocapital.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hilco Capital is a London-based special situations investor, asset-based lender, and outsourced retail services provider, targeting distressed and transitioning businesses with £10m-£1bn in revenue across the UK, Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hilco Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Situations Investment & Asset-Based Lending
- NAICS
- Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capital Raising Advisory (Debt/Equity/Private Capital) (BPAHADAG)
Keywords
Where Hilco Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Hilco Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Special Situations Investment: Equity and debt investments in underperforming, distressed, or turnaround businesses. Provides funding together with financial and operational support. Generates returns through business improvement and eventual exit.
- Asset-Based Lending: Flexible funding solutions including bridge financing, DIP funding, working capital revolvers, term loans, acquisition financing, and inventory financing. Provides rapid, straightforward funding to help clients navigate times of change.
- Retail Services: Outsourced retail services including workouts, store closures, stock disposals, ad hoc projects, transition support, and realisation advisory. Europe's largest and most experienced team of retail field specialists providing resources for retailers, investors and turnaround professionals.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Hilco Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hilco Capital is a private special situations investor, asset-based lender and provider of outsourced retail services. It invests in and lends to underperforming, distressed or transitioning businesses with revenues typically between £10m and £1bn, supplying both capital and hands-on financial and operational support. It also operates Europe's largest team of retail field specialists delivering store closures, workouts, stock disposals and realisation advisory across the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
Product overview
Hilco Capital operates as a multidimensional financial services company offering three interconnected core services: Special Situations Investment (acquiring and turnaround of underperforming businesses with revenues £10m-£1bn), Asset-based Lending (rapid funding solutions with typical facility sizes of £1m-£10m), and Retail Services (operational support and stock realisation strategies). The company operates across the UK, Western Europe, Canada, and Australia, with over £120m+ funds extended annually, £0Bn+ portfolio turnover, 56+ investments made, and 9 sectors invested.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Special Situations Investment Equity and debt investments in underperforming, distressed or transitioning businesses with revenues between £10m and £1bn, combined with hands-on financial and operational support. Typical transactions include MBOs/MBIs, non-core acquisitions, retirement sales, accelerated M&A and turnarounds, targeting management teams, investors and advisers across the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
- Asset-based Lending Flexible and rapid funding solutions including bridge financing, DIP funding, working capital revolvers, term loans, cash flow loans, refinancing, supply chain finance, acquisition financing and turnaround funding. Typical facility sizes range from £1m to £10m, completed on average in 11 days, serving companies needing working capital during periods of change or transition.
- Retail Services Outsourced retail operational support and stock realisation strategies delivered by Europe's largest team of retail field specialists. Services include workouts, store closures, stock disposals, ad hoc projects, transition support and realisation advisory for retailers, investors and restructuring professionals across the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £165m of funding extended to help clients navigate challenging times
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Hilco Capital
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hilco Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hilco Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Spread a SmilecoreSpread a Smile is Hilco Capital's lead charity partner since 2023. The charity brings joy and laughter to seriously ill children in hospitals across the UK through visits from entertainers. Hilco staff participate in fundraising activities.
- Children With Cancer UKminorHilco Capital supports Children With Cancer UK, which funds life-saving research into childhood cancer causes, develops better treatments, and provides support for families through treatment.
- Roundabout DramatherapyminorHilco Capital supports Roundabout Dramatherapy, dedicated to transforming lives of vulnerable people using creative power of dramatherapy to enhance mental health.
- Charities TrustminorCharities Trust administers Hilco Capital's payroll giving scheme, through which employees can donate to charities. Hilco received Gold Payroll Giving Quality Mark recognition.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hilco Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gordon Brothers: Gordon Brothers is a global advisory and investment firm specializing in retail, inventory, and asset valuations, together with turnaround and restructuring services. It was co-shortlisted with Hilco for the Poundland process and competes for the same distressed-retail mandates, including ABL, inventory realization, and store closures.
- Endless: Endless is a UK-based turnaround private equity firm focused on investing in distressed and underperforming mid-market businesses. It targets similar deal sizes, sectors, and turnaround-style equity investments, and was also shortlisted alongside Hilco for Poundland.
- Alteri Partners: Alteri Investors is a specialist retail-focused turnaround investor in the UK and Europe. Its mandate of taking control positions in underperforming consumer/retail businesses directly overlaps with Hilco Capital's special situations investment arm and retail services business.
- Modella Capital: Modella Capital is a UK turnaround investor focused on mid-market distressed and special situations deals, including retail. It competed with Hilco in the Poundland bid process and targets a similar £10m–£1bn revenue segment.
Broad incumbents
- Hilco Global: Hilco Global is the parent conglomerate of Hilco Capital, operating broader advisory, valuation, and disposition services across multiple jurisdictions. It overlaps in providing turnaround, restructuring, and asset disposition services but at much greater scale and geographic breadth than Hilco Capital alone.
- Apollo Global Management: Apollo operates one of the largest private credit and special situations platforms globally, with active debt and equity turnaround operations across the UK and Europe. It is a competing capital provider for the same distressed mid-market and large-cap opportunities.
- Cerberus Capital Management: Cerberus is a major private investment manager with deep distressed debt and special situations operations across Europe. It competes for non-bank lending, turnaround equity, and formal restructuring mandates similar to Hilco Capital's deal set.
- Alvarez & Marsal: Alvarez & Marsal is a leading global professional services firm specializing in turnaround, restructuring, and performance improvement advisory. It shares the restructuring talent pool with Hilco Capital and intersects on formal insolvency and independent business review mandates.
Emerging players
- Teneo: Teneo is a global advisory firm offering restructuring and special situations advisory that intersects with Hilco's restructuring and turnaround advisory work. It is a younger, growing competitor in the same restructuring talent pool and corporate advisory engagements.
Others
- Crestline Investors: Crestline Investors is a credit and special situations alternative asset manager with asset-based lending capabilities in the US and Europe. It is thematically related through its focus on special situations, ABL, and distressed credit mandates comparable to Hilco Capital's lending activities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hilco Capital social profiles
Digital presenceHilco Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hilco Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Hilco Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hilco Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A13 records
Investments6 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hilco Capital
What does Hilco Capital do?
Hilco Capital is a private special situations investor, asset-based lender and provider of outsourced retail services. It invests in and lends to underperforming, distressed or transitioning businesses with revenues typically between £10m and £1bn, supplying both capital and hands-on financial and operational support. It also operates Europe's largest team of retail field specialists delivering store closures, workouts, stock disposals and realisation advisory across the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
Is Hilco Capital a public or private company?
Hilco Capital is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hilco Capital founded?
Hilco Capital was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hilco Capital based?
Hilco Capital is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Hilco Capital make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Special Situations Investment is the primary driver. The others are asset-Based Lending and retail Services.
Who are Hilco Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gordon Brothers, Endless, Alteri Partners and Modella Capital. Broad incumbents are Hilco Global, Apollo Global Management, Cerberus Capital Management and Alvarez & Marsal. Teneo is listed as an emerging player. Crestline Investors is listed as an others.
Does Hilco Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hilco Capital.
What industry is Hilco Capital in?
Hilco Capital's product category is Special Situations Investment & Asset-Based Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAG, Capital Raising Advisory (Debt/Equity/Private Capital). Its NAICS code is 522 and its SIC code is 6153.