Strand Hanson

What Strand Hanson does

Strand Hanson Limited is an independent, advisory-led merchant bank headquartered in London at 26 Mount Row, founded in 1993. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of corporate finance advisory services—IPO advisory on AIM, the London Stock Exchange Main Market, and the Aquis Stock Exchange; Nominated Adviser (Nomad) and Sponsor services; fundraisings; public and private M&A; MBO and MBI advisory; restructuring and disposals; debt advisory; and general corporate advisory. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference 161661, with associated rights of audience that enable it to act in regulated roles on UK public-market transactions.

The firm serves public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and activist investors across the UK and emerging and frontier markets. Strand Hanson maintains offices in London, Africa (established November 2008), Singapore, South America & Caribbean, and Monaco, and has executed transactions in 28 African countries with direct investments in over a dozen. The firm operates a sub-brand, Strand Ventures, which advises and invests in early-stage and larger private companies. Its client base spans energy, mining, real estate, healthcare, gaming, technology, and construction materials; named mandates include the US$301m reverse takeover advisory for Savannah Energy plc in Nigeria, the $620m AFI Development restructuring, and cumulative IPO advisory valued at £1.5bn+ since 2009.

Strand Hanson employs 11-50 people and generates revenue on a professional services fee model with transaction-by-transaction negotiated pricing. There is no technology platform underpinning the offering—the firm explicitly identifies itself as a non-technology professional services business—and no public pricing disclosure. Distribution is exclusively direct, with the Managing Director, Head of AIM Advisory, Head of Debt Advisory, and Head of Corporate engaging client management and boards from the outset; business development relies on referrals from legal advisers, brokers, and other corporate-finance counterparties, supplemented by a corporate website and a LinkedIn presence.

Name

Strand Hanson

Legal name

Strand Hanson Limited

Website

https://strandhanson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strand Hanson is an independent London-based merchant bank providing corporate finance advisory services—IPO advisory, M&A, fundraisings, and Nominated Adviser roles—to public and private companies across the UK and emerging markets, particularly Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking / Corporate Finance Advisory

NAICS

Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps) (FSAEAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH)

Keywords

• Corporate finance advisory
• IPO advisory services
• Nominated adviser services
• Merchant banking
• M&A advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services Revenue: Strand Hanson generates revenue through providing financial advisory services including IPO advisory, nominated adviser services, sponsor services, M&A advisory, fundraisings, restructuring, and other corporate finance services to public and private companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Strand Hanson is an independent, advisory-led merchant bank providing financial and strategic advice to public and private companies, private equity firms and activist investors. Its core offerings cover the full corporate finance life-cycle: IPO advisory and flotations on AIM, the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and AQSE; Nominated Adviser (Nomad) and Sponsor services; fundraisings (debt and equity); public and private M&A; MBOs and MBIs; restructuring and disposals; debt advisory; and pre-IPO / private equity investment through its Strand Ventures sub-brand. The firm operates with an emerging-markets specialisation spanning Africa, Singapore, South America & Caribbean, and Monaco.

Product overview

Strand Hanson is an independent, advisory-led modern merchant bank offering a comprehensive suite of financial advisory services. The firm operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core portfolio includes: IPO Advisory (flotations on AIM, Main Market, and NEX), Nominated Adviser (Nomad) services for AIM companies, Sponsor services for Main Market access, Fundraisings, Public & Private M&A, MBO & MBI, Restructuring & Disposals, General Advisory, Private Equity/Pre-IPO (via Strand Ventures), Debt Advisory, and Aquis Stock Exchange corporate adviser services. The firm also has a dedicated Emerging Markets practice covering Africa, Singapore, South America & Caribbean, and Monaco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Strand Ventures: Through Strand Ventures, Strand Hanson is able to advise and invest in early stage companies and larger private companies

Products and services

• IPO Advisory Advising businesses on flotations in London on AIM, the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and AQSE, including structuring, valuation work, IPO execution and management. For issuers preparing to list.
• Nominated Adviser (Nomad) Provides independent, impartial financial and regulatory advice to high-growth companies on AIM, including IPOs, dual listings and reverse takeovers.
• Sponsor Services Provides independent expert advice to companies seeking to access the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, including regulatory guidance, IPO support, and post-listing advisory.
• Fundraisings Advises on all aspects of fundraising activities, including sourcing and structuring of both debt and equity financing for public and private companies.
• Public & Private M&A Full M&A advisory services including public and private acquisitions, strategic defence planning, and advice to corporate clients, financial sponsors, and activist shareholders.
• MBO & MBI Advisory services for management buyouts and management buy-ins, with expertise in debt and equity funding markets.
• Restructuring & Disposals Corporate restructuring advisory services, particularly for cross-border transactions and complex situations.
• General Advisory Wide range of general corporate advisory services for both private and public companies, complementing AIM and Main Market advisory practice.
• Private Equity / Pre-IPO (Strand Ventures) Through Strand Ventures, advises and invests in early-stage companies and larger private companies.
• Debt Advisory Arranges bespoke and flexible debt financing from various sectors, geographies, and currencies.
• Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) Corporate Adviser Approved Corporate Adviser on AQSE, providing regulatory and strategic guidance to companies seeking admission or already listed on AQSE.
• Emerging Markets Advisory Coverage of Africa (office since November 2008), Singapore, South America & Caribbean, Monaco, and proprietary investments across emerging and frontier markets.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Renaissance CapitalminorOthersCo-adviser alongside Strand Hanson on the Zambeef Products plc AIM-LuSE dual listing transaction. Worked alongside Pangea Renaissance as broker and book runner in London and Lusaka.
• Oakvale Capital LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Financial & Strategic Adviser with Strand Hanson on the NetPlay TV plc transaction, providing gaming-sector expertise alongside Strand Hanson's advisory capabilities.
• Shore CapitalminorOthersNetPlay TV's existing Nominated Adviser working alongside Strand Hanson on the Betsson acquisition advisory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Panmure Gordon (Stifel): UK merchant bank and broker (now part of Stifel) serving growth and mid-cap companies across AIM and Main Market — comparable integrated advisory model and similar transaction size band.
• Shore Capital: UK-listed investment banking group providing Nomad, broking, and corporate finance to AIM and small-cap clients. Explicitly cited as a co-adviser on Strand Hanson transactions (e.g., NetPlay TV), operating in the same niche.
• finnCap (now Cavendish): UK small-mid cap advisory and capital markets firm (formerly finnCap), long-established AIM Nomad and broker — directly comparable in client base, transaction size, and product offering.
• Zeus Capital: London-based independent adviser focused on small-mid cap UK growth companies, providing corporate finance, broking, and Nomad services — directly comparable niche positioning.
• Cenkos Securities: UK corporate finance and securities firm historically focused on small-mid cap advisory, AIM nominations, and fundraisings — a near-identical service offering to Strand Hanson and the closest direct competitor in the UK small-cap advisory space.
• Arden Partners: Birmingham- and London-based small-cap corporate finance and stockbroking firm serving AIM and Main Market clients with advisory and broking — overlapping service set and client profile.
• WH Ireland: UK wealth manager and corporate broking/advisory group with a small-cap and AIM franchise — overlapping client base and advisory offering despite broader wealth-management parent.
• SP Angel: London-based corporate finance and stockbroking firm focused on small-mid cap UK companies, with AIM Nomad and broker services — a direct comparability match for Strand Hanson's core mandate set.
• Allenby Capital: UK small-cap corporate finance firm providing advisory, placings, and Nomad services primarily to AIM-listed and growth companies — comparable scale and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Canaccord Genuity: Global mid-market investment bank with a substantial UK small-mid cap and AIM practice — competing for the same client set but with materially greater resources, balance sheet, and research distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strand-hanson-limited/about

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Strand Hanson