Real Deals
Real Deals is a London-based B2B media and intelligence company serving European midmarket private equity professionals with editorial coverage, a proprietary deals database, an AI-powered search assistant, and a portfolio of industry events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Real Deals does
Real Deals is a privately held B2B media and intelligence company headquartered in London (Real Deals Media Limited, registered in England and Wales) that has operated since approximately 2001 as the self-described independent voice of European midmarket private equity. The company serves general partners, limited partners, and advisers across the European midmarket, providing daily editorial coverage of deals, fundraising, people moves, sector and regional analysis, plus roundtables, profiles, videos, podcasts, and data insights.
The core product suite comprises the Real Deals editorial publication hosted on realdeals.eu.com, the Real Deals Database (positioned as Europe's most comprehensive midmarket PE deals database covering deals, sponsors, and advisers), and Ask Real Deals, an AI-powered conversational search assistant that surfaces intelligence from the proprietary database. The platform supports single-user professional subscriptions as well as multi-user professional and enterprise packages, and is complemented by a portfolio of flagship events including the Real Deals Nordic Forum, the Sustainable Investment Awards, the Value Creation Summit, PE Live, and the Sustainable Investment Forum, plus co-branded research products such as the BDO/Real Deals regional performance reports and the annual Lenders Report.
Real Deals monetizes through three primary streams: recurring annual subscription fees (the dominant stream, with a minimum one-year term and quote-based tiered pricing), events and conferences (sponsorship and attendance fees), and advertising/thought-leadership sponsorship. Distribution is sales-led via direct telephone, email, and online subscription sales with account management for enterprise packages, supplemented by a digital self-serve trial pathway. The company employs 51-100 staff, with an editorial team led by Editor Anjana Haines, Deputy Editor Shivani Khandekar, and Senior Reporter Stephanie Ball, plus sales, marketing, and support functions, and operates with coverage spanning the UK & Ireland, Nordics, France & Benelux, DACH, Southern Europe, and Central & Eastern Europe.
Real Deals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Real Deals
- Legal name
- Real Deals Media Limited
- Website
- https://realdeals.eu.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Real Deals is a London-based B2B media and intelligence company serving European midmarket private equity professionals with editorial coverage, a proprietary deals database, an AI-powered search assistant, and a portfolio of industry events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Real Deals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity Intelligence & Media
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business-for-Sale Marketplaces & Listing Platforms (FSAEAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)
Keywords
Where Real Deals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Real Deals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Annual subscription fees for access to editorial content, deal database, AI assistant, and events. Minimum subscription term is one year. Pricing is tiered based on user count (single, multi-user Professional, Enterprise packages).
- Events & Conferences: Revenue from prestigious award ceremonies and conferences including The Private Equity Awards, Real Deals Nordic Forum, PE Live, Value Creation Summit, and Sustainable Investment Awards/Forum. Sponsorship and attendance fees.
- Advertising & Sponsorship: Sales and marketing services including advertising, thought leadership content, and sponsorship opportunities on the platform and at events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Single user professional subscription |
| Per seat | Annual | Multi-user professional and enterprise packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Real Deals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Real Deals is a subscription-based B2B intelligence service for European midmarket private equity professionals. It delivers editorial coverage (news, analysis, reports), a proprietary deals database (Real Deals Database), an AI-powered search assistant (Ask Real Deals), and a portfolio of industry events and award ceremonies. Customers are GPs, LPs, and advisers who buy annual subscriptions (single-user, multi-user Professional, or Enterprise) to access deal flow intelligence, fundraising coverage, sector and regional analysis, and networking touchpoints.
Product overview
Real Deals is a unified intelligence platform for European midmarket private equity, combining a news and analysis publication, the Real Deals Database (Europe's most comprehensive midmarket deals database), and the Ask Real Deals AI assistant. The service also produces flagship events including the Real Deals Nordic Forum, Sustainable Investment Awards, Value Creation Summit, PE Live, and Sustainable Investment Forum, plus research reports like the annual Lenders Report. The product suite provides subscription-based access to breaking deal news, fundraising coverage, regional and sector analysis, and exclusive database tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Real Deals Database: Europe's most comprehensive midmarket deals database providing data on deals, sponsors, and advisers in the European midmarket PE space.
- Ask Real Deals
- Real Deals Nordic Forum
- Real Deals Sustainable Investment Awards
- Real Deals Value Creation Summit
- Real Deals PE Live
Products and services
- Real Deals subscription (news and analysis publication)
- Real Deals Database
Quantifiable outcome
- 54.6% EBITDA growth reported for PE-backed Midlands businesses (per BDO/Real Deals report)
Companies that use Real Deals
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Real Deals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Real Deals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BDOcoreReal Deals partners with BDO to produce annual research reports on PE-backed business performance, such as the report on Midlands PE businesses achieving 54.6% EBITDA growth over three years. BDO's Economic Engine survey data is published through Real Deals, combining Real Deals' editorial authority with BDO's research capabilities for mutual industry influence.
- Pemberstone Capital PartnersminorPemberstone Capital Partners-backed Sterling Thermal Technology was highlighted as the top performer in the Real Deals/BDO regional rankings report, showcasing Real Deals' role in producing authoritative PE performance analysis.
- BZ CapitalminorSponsor of the Real Deals Lenders Report 2025, contributing to the publication's production costs in exchange for brand visibility among the PE lending community.
- Dunport CapitalminorSponsor of the Real Deals Lenders Report 2025, supporting the annual publication on private credit lending landscape.
- InvestecminorSponsor of the Real Deals Lenders Report 2025, providing financial sector perspective on private credit markets.
- Leumi UKminorSponsor of the Real Deals Lenders Report 2025, contributing asset-based lending expertise to the publication.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Real Deals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (Invest Europe): Pan-European industry association providing research, data, and policy output on European PE/VC markets. Overlaps with Real Deals at the regional intelligence layer but operates as a non-profit member organization rather than a paid intelligence platform.
- S&P Global Market Intelligence: Large financial-data platform offering broad company, transaction, and sector datasets that include PE-related coverage. Overlaps with Real Deals' database and analytics, but as part of a much wider enterprise product portfolio.
- Bloomberg Intelligence: Enterprise terminal and research offering extensive PE deal, fund, and market analytics via Bloomberg's terminal-and-data stack. Competes on enterprise intelligence access, though it's a much broader business than Real Deals' midmarket specialism.
Emerging players
- Crunchbase: Company- and deal-intelligence platform with growing PE and private-company coverage. Overlaps with Real Deals' database proposition, particularly for users tracking midmarket activity, though more VC- and tech-skewed in primary focus.
Direct peers
- Buyouts Insider: US-focused PE trade publication and events operator with sponsor data and deal coverage. Provides a directly comparable editorial + database + events model, differentiated primarily by US-centric geographic focus.
- PitchBook Data: Subscription-based PE/VC intelligence platform with comprehensive deals, funds, and investor data — closest direct competitor to Real Deals' midmarket database and intelligence offering, though broader in scope (VC and growth equity included).
- Private Equity International (PEI Media): PE trade publication and events business (PEI 300, awards, conferences) serving the global PE industry. Closest like-for-like competitor given overlapping editorial coverage, award ceremonies, and conference-based community model.
- Preqin: Institutional alternative-asset data and intelligence platform (now part of BlackRock), with deep private equity deal, fund, and LP coverage. Comparable subscription model and customer base of GPs, LPs, and advisers, with similar database-driven value proposition.
- Mergermarket (Acuris): M&A and deal intelligence service providing proprietary deal flow intelligence, sector research, and adviser league tables. Direct overlap with Real Deals' core midmarket deal intelligence and news content, with comparable enterprise subscription pricing.
Regional players
- DealStreetAsia / DealStreetMedia: Asia-focused PE/M&A news and intelligence platform with editorial + data model similar to Real Deals' European operation. Competes on the same playbook in a different geography rather than head-to-head in Europe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Real Deals social profiles
Digital presenceReal Deals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Real Deals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Real Deals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Real Deals 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 Real Deals
What does Real Deals do?
Real Deals is a subscription-based B2B intelligence service for European midmarket private equity professionals. It delivers editorial coverage (news, analysis, reports), a proprietary deals database (Real Deals Database), an AI-powered search assistant (Ask Real Deals), and a portfolio of industry events and award ceremonies. Customers are GPs, LPs, and advisers who buy annual subscriptions (single-user, multi-user Professional, or Enterprise) to access deal flow intelligence, fundraising coverage, sector and regional analysis, and networking touchpoints.
Is Real Deals a public or private company?
Real Deals is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Real Deals founded?
Real Deals was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Real Deals based?
Real Deals is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Real Deals make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are events & Conferences and advertising & Sponsorship.
Who are Real Deals's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (Invest Europe), S&P Global Market Intelligence and Bloomberg Intelligence. Crunchbase is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Buyouts Insider, PitchBook Data, Private Equity International (PEI Media), Preqin and Mergermarket (Acuris). DealStreetAsia / DealStreetMedia is listed as a regional player.
Does Real Deals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Real Deals.
What industry is Real Deals in?
Real Deals's product category is Private Equity Intelligence & Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAIAK, Business-for-Sale Marketplaces & Listing Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMAGAD, B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms.