Harwood Private Equity
Harwood Private Equity is a UK lower mid-market private equity firm managing six funds with £731 million deployed across 67 companies since 1999, specializing in control buyouts and public-to-private transactions for businesses valued between £15 million and £75 million.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Harwood Private Equity does
Harwood Private Equity is a UK-based private equity firm specializing in the lower mid-market, established in 1999 (originally as JOHCM Private Equity before rebranding under the Harwood Capital Management umbrella in 2011). The firm manages six private equity funds with £731 million of cumulative capital deployed across 67 investments, of which 55 have been realized and the current portfolio comprises 12 companies valued at over £199 million as of 31 December 2025. It targets established UK small and medium-sized businesses with enterprise values between £15 million and £75 million, executing predominantly control buyouts, expansion capital, management buyouts, consolidation (buy-and-build) strategies and public-to-private (PTP) transactions, with PTPs accounting for 40% of all deals and 26 completed since inception.
The firm pursues a low-leverage, value-oriented strategy and operates as a specialist in PTP transactions within the UK small-cap listed space, with documented exits via trade sales, secondary buyouts, and nine portfolio IPOs since 2000. Its revenue model is conventional for the industry: management fees on committed fund capital plus carried interest from successful realizations. Fund sizes have grown across vintages — Fund 1 (1999, ~$30m), Fund 2 (2005, £64m), Fund 3 (2009, £78m), Fund 4 (2015, £152.5m), Fund 5 (2020, £160m at hard cap) — with Fund 6 holding its first close at £100m in June 2024 and a £200m hard cap, commenced December 2025 with first investment in Tissue Regenix.
Harwood invests across diverse, largely uncorrelated sectors including life sciences, biotechnology, precision manufacturing, healthcare components and services, multi-site leisure, financial services, and media. It maintains a team of seven investment professionals with 160+ years of combined experience, supported by six operational advisers spanning industrial, engineering, biomedical and life sciences disciplines. The firm is headquartered at 6 Stratton Street, Mayfair, London, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (number 973442), and operates as Harwood Private Equity LLP under parent Harwood Capital Management Limited.
Harwood Private Equity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harwood Private Equity
- Legal name
- Harwood Private Equity LLP
- Website
- http://www.harwoodpe.co.uk/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Harwood Private Equity is a UK lower mid-market private equity firm managing six funds with £731 million deployed across 67 companies since 1999, specializing in control buyouts and public-to-private transactions for businesses valued between £15 million and £75 million.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harwood Private Equity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity Investment Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Turnaround / Restructuring Private Equity Funds (FSANAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Equity Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAB)
Keywords
Where Harwood Private Equity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Harwood Private Equity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees and Carried Interest: Harwood Private Equity generates returns through managing six private equity funds. The firm earns management fees on committed capital and participates in carried interest from successful investments and exits. They invest in UK small and medium-sized companies across sectors including life sciences, biotechnology, multi-site leisure, precision manufacturing, financial services, media and healthcare components and services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Harwood Private Equity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harwood Private Equity manages six private equity funds that invest in established UK small and medium-sized companies with enterprise values between £15 million and £75 million. The firm pursues a low-leverage buyout strategy across diverse sectors and is a recognised leader in public-to-private (PTP) transactions, having completed 26 such deals since 1999. Across its six funds, Harwood has invested £731 million in 67 companies since 1999, generating returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest from successful exits.
Product overview
Harwood Private Equity is a private equity investment firm offering a suite of six private equity funds (Fund 1 through Fund 6) managing approximately £731 million in capital since 1999. The firm provides investment management services targeting UK small and medium-sized companies with enterprise values between £15 million and £75 million, with a focus on public-to-private transactions. The funds invest across diverse sectors including life sciences, biotechnology, healthcare, manufacturing, and leisure. The current portfolio comprises 12 investments valued at over £199 million as of December 2025, including Tissue Regenix (regenerative medicine), Crest Foods (food manufacturing), Source BioScience (laboratory services), SMT Corporation (electronic components), Fothergill's (horticulture), 3BL Media (ESG communications SaaS), Medica Packaging (pharmaceutical packaging), Assisi Pet Care (pet care), and APC Technology Group (electronic components distribution).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 1
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 2
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 3
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 4
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 5
- Harwood Private Equity Fund 6
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% of transactions since 1999 have been public-to-private deals
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Harwood Private Equity
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Harwood Private Equity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Harwood Private Equity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Harwood Private Equity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Livingbridge: UK mid-market private equity firm investing in UK SMEs with similar control-buyout and growth strategies, comparable fund sizes and a sector-diverse approach, making it a directly comparable lower mid-market sponsor.
- LDC (Lloyds Development Capital): The UK's most active lower mid-market PE investor, backing UK SMEs with management buyouts, buy-and-build and minority investments — directly comparable to Harwood's strategy and target company profile (£15m-£75m EV).
- ECI Partners: Long-established UK mid-market private equity firm investing across £10m-£100m enterprise values in UK SMEs, sharing Harwood's control-buyout, buy-and-build and value-add operating partner model.
- YFM Equity Partners: UK-focused lower mid-market PE firm (formerly YFM Group) investing in UK SMEs through buyouts, with regional offices and a similar ticket-size band, making it a directly comparable direct peer.
- Endless LLP: UK mid-market PE investor specialising in UK corporate turnaround, buyouts and management buyouts of SMEs, with a comparable value-oriented investment philosophy to Harwood's.
- Beechbrook Capital: UK lower mid-market private debt and equity firm financing and investing in UK SMEs, with overlapping deal sourcing networks and a similar focus on established UK businesses.
- Maven Capital Partners: UK regional private equity and venture capital investor across the North of England and Scotland, sharing Harwood's SME lower mid-market focus and UK regional deal origination strategy.
- Phoenix Equity Partners: UK lower mid-market PE firm investing in UK SMEs via management buyouts and development capital, with comparable fund sizes and a sector-diverse approach.
- August Equity Partners: Lower mid-market UK PE firm focusing on UK SMEs with EV between £10m and £75m via buy-and-build strategies — directly comparable in fund size, target profile and approach.
Broad incumbents
- BGF (Business Growth Fund): UK's largest investor in growth-stage SMEs with regional offices nationwide investing across many of the same sectors as Harwood; a broader incumbent with much larger AUM and a more extensive network of regional offices than Harwood.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Harwood Private Equity social profiles
Digital presenceHarwood Private Equity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harwood Private Equity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Harwood Private Equity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harwood Private Equity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A13 records
Investments7 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harwood Private Equity
What does Harwood Private Equity do?
Harwood Private Equity manages six private equity funds that invest in established UK small and medium-sized companies with enterprise values between £15 million and £75 million. The firm pursues a low-leverage buyout strategy across diverse sectors and is a recognised leader in public-to-private (PTP) transactions, having completed 26 such deals since 1999. Across its six funds, Harwood has invested £731 million in 67 companies since 1999, generating returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest from successful exits.
Is Harwood Private Equity a public or private company?
Harwood Private Equity is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Harwood Private Equity founded?
Harwood Private Equity was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harwood Private Equity based?
Harwood Private Equity is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Harwood Private Equity make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management Fees and Carried Interest.
Who are Harwood Private Equity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Livingbridge, LDC (Lloyds Development Capital), ECI Partners, YFM Equity Partners, Endless LLP, Beechbrook Capital, Maven Capital Partners, Phoenix Equity Partners and August Equity Partners. BGF (Business Growth Fund) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Harwood Private Equity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harwood Private Equity.
What industry is Harwood Private Equity in?
Harwood Private Equity's product category is Private Equity Investment Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAKAC, Turnaround / Restructuring Private Equity Funds, with a secondary code of FSAEALAB, Private Equity Fundraising Placement. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.