PEM Corporate Finance

What PEM Corporate Finance does

PEM Corporate Finance is a UK-based boutique corporate finance advisory firm established in 2004, headquartered at Salisbury House, Station Road, Cambridge, with a secondary presence in London. It serves owner-managed businesses across Cambridgeshire, London, and the wider East of England, providing specialist advice on the full M&A lifecycle: selling and buying businesses, management buyouts and buy-ins, succession planning, raising debt and equity finance, business valuations, financial due diligence, and exit strategy planning. Sectors covered include Business Services, Construction, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Technology Media & Telecommunications, and Agri-food, with named engagements spanning manufacturers (Chell Instruments, Orbital Fabrications, George Lister Engineering), legal services (Shoreside Law), calibration (Young Calibration), healthcare (Bourn Hall Clinic, Essex Medical & Forensic Services), energy software (eSight Energy), and scientific supplies (Molecular Dimensions).

The firm operates as the corporate finance arm of PEM, a Cambridge accountancy and business advisory firm with 150 years of history, and accesses international reach through the Kreston Global network of 160 accounting firms across 114 countries. Core technology is not applicable — PEMCF delivers human-advisor services rather than software — and there are no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary platforms. The seven-strong team combines over 50 years of advisory experience and has earned regional recognition, including Insider Central & East Dealmakers Awards for 'Deal of the Year (under £10m)' in 2020 and 'Dealmaker of the Year' in 2021 (Philip Olagunju).

Revenue is generated on a professional services, success-based fee model tied to transaction outcomes and engagement complexity; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Cumulative completed transaction value exceeds £100m, with over 50 business valuations and multiple MBOs completed since founding. Distribution is entirely direct, via senior-level relationship management and a referral network of legal advisers (Leathes Prior, Birketts, Greene & Greene, HCR Hewitsons, Shoosmiths, Stevens & Bolton, Phillips Dempsey) and funders (HSBC). Marketing is content-driven through blog, e-newsletter, and earned PR via award recognition. The trading entity is 1875 CF Limited, a private limited company registered in England (company number 17014348).

Name

PEM Corporate Finance

Legal name

1875 CF Limited

Website

https://pemcf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PEM Corporate Finance is a Cambridge-based boutique advisory firm providing M&A, business sale, management buyout, valuation, and succession planning services to owner-managed businesses across Cambridgeshire, London, and East Anglia, operating as the corporate finance arm of PEM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capital Raising Advisory (Debt/Equity/Private Capital) (BPAHADAG), Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

Keywords

• M&A advisory
• Business sales
• Management buyouts
• Corporate finance
• Business valuations

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Transaction Fees: PEM Corporate Finance generates revenue through success-based fees for M&A advisory, business sales, and management buyout engagements. The firm also earns fees for business valuations, financial due diligence, and exit strategy planning services. Success-based fee structures align adviser interests with client outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PEM Corporate Finance provides specialist corporate finance advisory services to owner-managed businesses, delivering end-to-end support across the M&A lifecycle including business sales and acquisitions, management buyouts and buy-ins, succession planning, debt and equity fundraising, business valuations, financial due diligence, and exit strategy planning. Engagements are delivered by a seven-strong senior team operating from Cambridge and London for clients in Cambridgeshire, London, and across the East of England.

Product overview

PEM Corporate Finance is a specialist corporate finance advisory firm offering a unified suite of advisory services for owner-managed businesses. The firm provides eight interconnected service lines covering the complete M&A lifecycle: Selling a Business and Buying a Business for transaction execution; MBOs & MBIs and Succession Planning for ownership transitions; Raising Finance and Business Valuation for deal preparation and funding; and Due Diligence and Exit Strategy Planning for transaction support. These services are delivered to clients across multiple sectors including Business Services, Construction, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Technology Media & Telecommunications, and Agri-food, primarily serving companies in Cambridge, London, and the East of England region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selling a Business

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Phillips DempseyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Legal adviser to vendors (Olly Phillips and Matt Dempsey) for Shoreside Law sale to Davies.
• Stevens & Bolton LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Legal adviser to buyer (Davies) for Shoreside Law acquisition, joining Keoghs legal solutions business.
• HCR HewitsonsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Legal advisers to vendors (Inger Anson, Monty Chamberlain, Annabelle Oomens) for Orbital Fabrications sale to Bergman & Beving.
• ShoosmithsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Legal adviser to Bergman & Beving (Nina Smith) for the Orbital Fabrications acquisition.
• Greene & Greene SolicitorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Legal adviser to vendors for Young Calibration sale to NMi Certin. Andrew Cooper at Greene & Greene provided legal counsel on the transaction.
• Leathes PriorminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Legal adviser appointed by vendors for the Chell Instruments sale to SDI Group. Provided all legal aspects of the transaction for the vendors.
• BirkettsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Buy-side legal adviser for the Chell Instruments transaction, advising on acquisition legals for SDI Group.
• Kreston GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEM Corporate Finance is part of the Kreston Global network, providing ties to 160 accounting firms across 114 countries. This international network enables the firm to support clients with cross-border transactions and access to global expertise when needed.
• PEMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEM Corporate Finance is the corporate finance arm of PEM, an established accountancy and business advisory firm providing financial advice in Cambridge for 150 years. The relationship provides immediate access to tax specialists through the sister company for deal-related tax advice.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KBS Corporate: UK boutique M&A advisory firm specialising in selling owner-managed businesses in the £1m–£30m range. Operates a near-identical sell-side and MBO advisory model to PEMCF across regional UK markets.
• Catalyst Corporate Finance: UK mid-market M&A advisor focused on owner-managed and founder-led businesses across the North West and nationally. Directly comparable boutique corporate finance model targeting similar deal sizes and sectors.
• Cavendish Corporate Finance: London-based mid-market M&A advisory firm with similar service lines (sell-side, buy-side, MBOs, capital raising) but operating at the larger mid-market end. Most comparable UK M&A specialist by structure and service mix.
• Clearwater International: UK mid-market corporate finance adviser providing M&A and capital raising services to owner-managed and mid-market businesses. Comparable in service offering but generally larger mandate sizes than PEMCF.
• Alantra: Independent mid-market financial advisory firm offering M&A and capital markets advisory across Europe. Comparable in core M&A advisory services but with a broader international footprint and larger team.
• Dow Schofield Watts: UK boutique corporate finance and advisory firm operating across the North West and nationally. Closely comparable boutique structure serving owner-managed businesses in similar transaction sizes.
• Evolution Capital: UK M&A boutique advising owner-managed businesses on sales, acquisitions, and management buyouts. Direct peer in terms of service lines, target client profile, and boutique delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• BDO UK: Top-tier UK accounting and advisory network with a corporate finance practice spanning M&A, due diligence, and valuations. Overlaps with PEMCF on mid-market transactions but operates at a much larger scale with broader sector coverage.
• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK advisory firm offering corporate finance, transaction services, and due diligence. Overlaps with PEMCF on owner-managed business M&A but as part of a full-service audit/tax/advisory portfolio.
• Grant Thornton UK: Major UK mid-tier advisory firm with corporate finance and deal advisory capability. Competes for similar owner-managed and mid-market M&A mandates but at larger scale and with a broader service mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pemcf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pem-corporate-finance-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 PEM Corporate Finance