What CapEQ does

CapEQ (Cap Equity Advisors Ltd) is a London-headquartered M&A advisory firm serving founder-led, independent UK and European businesses generating £5m to £100m in revenue. Founded in 2020 as a private limited company registered in England & Wales (company number 12689305), the firm operates four core service lines: sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, growth capital advisory, and transaction advisory, supported by a structured Three-Year Shareholder Exit Roadmap program that prepares sellers over a 12-to-36-month horizon. CapEQ markets itself as one of Europe's only certified B Corporation M&A advisers and holds additional Living Wage Employer and Good Business Charter accreditations, differentiating on transparent fees, absence of conflicts of interest, and protection of founder legacy and culture in transaction terms. The firm reports over 100 completed business exits cumulatively and operates a partner-led engagement model in which senior advisors personally lead every engagement from first call to completion.

CapEQ operates eight offices across the UK (London, Reading, Belfast), the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Australia, and South Africa, with a dedicated Baltics-Nordics practice. The firm is co-founded by James Pugh and Mark Sapsford; co-founder Mark Sapsford is reported to have led 51+ transactions and overseen 115+, with additional partners Douglas Edmunds (15-year M&A career) and Audrius Sankalas (Baltics-Nordics). The revenue model is hybrid: most engagements blend a modest retainer with a success fee tied to final deal value, with fees discussed openly before commitment. Technology infrastructure includes an AI-driven Integrated Intelligence Platform used for real-time sector scanning, niche buyer identification, and stress-tested financial modelling, alongside HubSpot for meeting scheduling and client engagement.

Notable transactions include the July 2025 acquisition of Lithuanian electronics manufacturer UAB Selteka by Nasdaq First North-listed Inission AB, the 2024 sale of Autus Data Services to ISS Market Intelligence (ISS STOXX GmbH group), the 2022 sale of AI social media monitoring firm Factmata to Cision, and the 2018 sale of CAN Geotechnical to RSK. The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent entity, and is structured as a founder/partner-owned practice with no indicated institutional investment.

Name

CapEQ

Legal name

Cap Equity Advisors Ltd

Website

https://capeq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CapEQ is a London-based, B Corp certified M&A advisory firm serving founder-led UK and European independent businesses with £5m-£100m in revenue, offering sell-side, buy-side, growth capital, and transaction advisory services through a partner-led engagement model across eight international offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)

Keywords

• M&A advisory
• Business sale advisory
• Business acquisition advisory
• Growth capital advisory
• Transaction advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: Most engagements blend a modest retainer with a success fee tied to the final deal value. Transparent fees discussed openly in first conversation before any commitment. No hidden costs or surprise invoices.
2. Transaction Advisory: Independent advice on specific deal moments including handling unsolicited offers, vendor due diligence, and deal structuring. Supports client boards or investors when objective second opinion is needed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CapEQ is a partner-led, B Corp certified M&A advisory firm that helps founders of independent UK and European businesses sell, acquire, and grow their companies. It delivers four core service lines — sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, growth capital advisory, and transaction advisory — supported by a Three-Year Shareholder Exit Roadmap program, targeting founder-led businesses generating £5m to £100m in revenue.

Product overview

CapEQ is a B Corp certified M&A advisory firm offering a unified platform of advisory services rather than a modular software product. The core portfolio consists of four interconnected service lines: Selling a Business (sell-side M&A advisory), Acquiring a Business (buy-side M&A advisory), Growing a Business (growth capital and financing advisory), and Transaction Advisory (independent deal-specific advice). These services are supported by the Three-Year Shareholder Exit Roadmap, a structured planning program for founders preparing to sell. The company focuses on UK and European independent businesses generating £5m to £100m in revenue across sectors including software, healthcare, recruitment, manufacturing, and professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selling a Business

Quantifiable outcome

• 6% to 25% higher valuations achieved with adviser-led sales
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• B Lab (B Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapEQ is one of Europe's only certified B Corporation M&A advisers. B Corp certification provides independent verification of social, environmental, and governance performance - not just promises but externally audited standards of honesty, transparency, and accountability.
• Living Wage FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited Living Wage employer, committing to paying the real Living Wage to all employees, demonstrating commitment to fair compensation and ethical employment practices.
• Glimstedt Law FirmsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisory partner for sell-side transactions. Acted as sell-side legal advisor for UAB Selteka acquisition by Inission AB.
• EcologisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental platform partnership for sustainability and carbon offset initiatives, supporting CapEQ's B Corp and ESG commitments.
• Freeths (Legal)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisory partner. Advised shareholders of Autus Data Services alongside CapEQ on sale to ISS Market Intelligence.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GP Bullhound: European tech-focused M&A and growth advisory firm with offices across the UK, mainland Europe, and the US. Directly comparable on serving software and tech-enabled mid-market companies in the UK/European sell-side market.
• Oakley Advisory: UK-focused independent corporate finance advisor serving mid-market businesses, public companies, and private equity. Comparable on UK mid-market advisory positioning and partner-led execution model.
• Clearwater International: European mid-market corporate finance advisor with offices across the UK, France, Germany, Nordics, and Iberia. Closely comparable on UK/European mid-market sell-side advisory for founder-led and family-owned businesses.
• Livingstone Partners: European mid-market M&A advisor with offices across the UK, Germany, Nordics, and Iberia, targeting founder-led and family-owned businesses. Closely comparable to CapEQ on geography, deal-size sweet spot, and founder-centric advisory positioning.
• Arma Partners: European technology-focused M&A advisory firm headquartered in London. Comparable on targeting founder-led businesses in the UK and European mid-market, particularly in software and tech-enabled services that overlap with CapEQ's technology sector deals.
• Benchmark International: Global mid-market M&A advisor with strong UK and European presence, focused on founder-led and family-owned businesses with deal sizes typically below £100m. Directly comparable on sub-£100m founder-led sell-side advisory positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln International: Global mid-market M&A advisor with deep European coverage across industrials, TMT, healthcare, and business services. Comparable on advisor-led sell-side execution for mid-market founders, with a notably larger platform and broader buyer relationships.
• Robert W. Baird: Global mid-market investment bank with a sizable European M&A practice serving founder-led and family-owned businesses. Comparable on mid-market sell-side execution, with broader sector and capital-markets coverage than CapEQ.
• Alantra: European independent financial advisory firm with a sizable mid-market M&A practice across the UK, Spain, and other European markets. Comparable on European mid-market advisory focus, with broader coverage and capital markets capabilities.
• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with one of the most active mid-market M&A advisory franchises and a strong European presence. Comparable on advisory services and mid-market focus, though significantly larger and broader in sector coverage than CapEQ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cap_eq
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAPEQ2020
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capequity

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CapEQ