Sanford DeLand Asset Management

What Sanford DeLand Asset Management does

Sanford DeLand Asset Management Limited is a privately held UK boutique investment management firm founded in 2010, with the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund launching in March 2011 and a second product, the Free Spirit Fund, added subsequently. The firm applies a proprietary, Warren Buffett-inspired 'Business Perspective Investing' methodology, screening for comprehensible businesses with transparent financials, high returns on capital, strong free cash conversion, strong balance sheets, and management aligned with shareholders, then holding concentrated positions long-term at prices below intrinsic value. The firm serves UK FCA-regulated financial advisers and wealth managers on a B2B basis; it is not authorised to provide investment advice and explicitly does not market to retail investors under MiFID.

The firm's commercial model is a classic UK unit-trust structure: Thesis UnitTrust Management Limited acts as Authorised Corporate Director for fund administration, dealing, and regulatory oversight, while LGBR Capital London handles sales and distribution, and Share Communications handles PR. Sanford DeLand monetises through recurring management fees on the Buffettology Fund (available in Income and Accumulation share classes) and the Free Spirit Fund; no public pricing or fee schedule is disclosed. The Buffettology trademark is held under an exclusive ten-year licence for the UK and Ireland.

The firm is founder-led by Keith Ashworth-Lord with Chief Analyst Eric Burns, operates from 1-10 employees per the firmographics, and has no proprietary technology platform, no API, no app, and no disclosed AI tooling. Distribution is concentrated in a single country (United Kingdom) with content-marketing support via a webinar library and monthly e-mail fact sheets gated to FCA-authorised intermediaries. No parent company, external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Sanford DeLand Asset Management

Legal name

Sanford DeLand Asset Management Limited

Website

https://sanford-deland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sanford DeLand Asset Management is a UK boutique investment firm managing the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund and Free Spirit Fund via a proprietary Business Perspective Investing approach. It serves UK FCA-regulated financial advisers and wealth managers on a wholesale basis through Thesis UnitTrust Management as ACD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Asset management firm earning fees from managing the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund. The fund is structured as a UK unit trust with Thesis UnitTrust Management Limited serving as the Authorised Corporate Director.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sanford DeLand Asset Management is a UK-based investment management firm that manages the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund and the Free Spirit Fund. The firm applies a proprietary Business Perspective Investing process inspired by Warren Buffett's principles, building concentrated portfolios of quality UK businesses bought below intrinsic value for long-term capital growth.

Product overview

Sanford DeLand Asset Management operates as a specialized investment management firm offering two distinct fund products: the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund and the Free Spirit Fund. The Buffettology Fund is available in both Income and Accumulation share classes, launched in March 2011. Both funds follow the proprietary Business Perspective Investing Process, which applies Warren Buffett-style investment principles to identify quality businesses trading below intrinsic value for long-term holding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Buffettology Fund: A concentrated portfolio investing in businesses meeting Business Perspective Investing criteria, with an unconstrained, quality-focused approach.
• Free Spirit Funds

Products and services

• TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund - Income Shares An income-focused share class of the flagship Buffettology Fund, a concentrated portfolio investing in businesses meeting Business Perspective Investing criteria with an unconstrained, quality focused approach. Targets long-term capital growth through a disciplined, Warren Buffett-inspired selection process.
• TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund - Accumulation Shares An accumulation share class of the flagship Buffettology Fund that reinvests income rather than distributing it, targeting long-term capital growth through Business Perspective Investing principles.
• Free Spirit Fund One of the two flagship funds managed by Sanford DeLand following the Business Perspective Investing philosophy, alongside the Buffettology Fund.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 core and minor.

• Thesis UnitTrust Management LimitedcoreOthersThesis UnitTrust Management Limited serves as the Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) to the TM SDL UK Buffettology Fund. The ACD handles all fund administration, dealing enquiries, and regulatory compliance. Contact: 0345 1136965 or +44 (0)1243 531234.
• LGBR Capital London LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLGBR Capital London Limited handles sales and distribution for Sanford DeLand Funds. Contact: [email protected], 020 7071 3930.
• Share Communications LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR and media enquiries handled by Share Communications Limited. Contact: [email protected], 07866 639014, 020 7071 3949.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sanford DeLand Asset Management