Castle Corporate Finance

What Castle Corporate Finance does

Castle Corporate Finance is an independent UK corporate finance advisory firm founded in 2007/2008 and headquartered in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with a registered office in the City of London. The firm provides lead advisory services on company disposals, acquisitions, management buyouts (MBOs), employee ownership trusts (EOTs), growth fundraising, and strategic exit planning, serving owner-managed and family-owned UK businesses with enterprise values typically in the £5m-£50m range. Its core proposition is senior, hands-on engagement delivered by a small, experienced team rather than by junior staff typical of larger City advisory firms, and it differentiates through an in-house network of 1,200+ UK contacts (private equity houses, banks, accountants, lawyers) and a personal international network spanning 23 countries.

The service portfolio is delivered as six discrete practice areas (Company Disposal, Acquisition, MBO, EOT, Growth Fundraising, and Strategic Roadmap/Exit Planning) under a single Corporate Finance Advisory offering, with transaction durations of 3-36 months. The firm does not sell proprietary technology, software, or APIs; outputs are advisory, negotiation, and project management services across legal, accounting, and banking counterparties. Notable transactions include the UK's first EOT transition by a funeral director (Lodge Brothers, 8th generation), the sale of Tribeca Technology Holdings to Abacus Group (Deal of the Year £10m-£40m, 2025), and the sale of Splice Cast to H.I.G. Capital-backed Vernacare.

The business model is professional services on a transaction-based fee structure, with fees negotiated per mandate and not publicly disclosed. Revenue is therefore lumpy, driven by completion of mid-market deals rather than recurring contracts. The firm is privately held by Managing Director Stuart Stepney (joined from Grant Thornton in 2013, owner since) with a team of approximately 5-7 people including corporate finance managers, a research manager, an office manager, and transaction support. Marketing is conducted primarily through direct referrals from the professional network, a News & Views blog, LinkedIn, and recurring regional award recognition (Insider South East Dealmakers Awards; Kent Corporate Finance Alliance).

Name

Castle Corporate Finance

Legal name

Castle Corporate Finance Limited

Website

https://castlecf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Castle Corporate Finance is an independent UK corporate finance advisory firm that provides M&A, MBO, EOT, and fundraising advisory services to owner-managed and family businesses with enterprise values between £5m and £50m.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Advisory

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

Keywords

• Corporate finance advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Management buyouts
• Business sale advisory
• Employee ownership trusts

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunbridge Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Finance Advisory Fees: Castle earns fees for providing corporate finance advisory services including company disposals, acquisitions, MBOs, EOTs, and growth fundraising. Revenue is transaction-based, earned upon successful completion of deals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Castle Corporate Finance is an independent corporate finance advisory firm that provides lead advisory services for UK owner-managed and family businesses with £5m–£50m enterprise value. The firm manages end-to-end corporate transactions including company disposals, acquisitions, management buyouts (MBOs), employee ownership trusts (EOTs), and growth fundraising across debt and equity markets. Services are delivered by a small senior team, supported by a network of 1,200+ UK contacts and international partners in 23 countries.

Product overview

Castle Corporate Finance is an independent, award-winning corporate finance advisory firm serving owner-managed and family businesses across the UK. The firm operates as a single unified advisory service rather than a software platform, providing end-to-end transaction support through its core offering: Corporate Finance Advisory Services. The portfolio encompasses Company Disposal Advisory, Acquisition Advisory, Management Buyout (MBO) Advisory, Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) Advisory, Growth Fundraising Advisory, and Strategic Roadmap and Exit Planning services. The firm focuses on transactions in the £5m-£50m enterprise value range, working with owner-led, founder-led, and family-owned UK-based businesses with typical timings of 3-36 months. Services are delivered by a small team of experienced advisers providing senior, hands-on support from initial planning through to transaction completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Finance Advisory Services Overall lead advisory offering for corporate transactions including business disposals, acquisitions, management buyouts, employee ownership trusts, and growth fundraising for UK owner-managed businesses.
• Company Disposal Advisory End-to-end advisory services for business owners seeking to sell to UK or international trade and private equity buyers, covering preparation, positioning, market research, approach to potential purchasers, negotiation, and project management through to completion.
• Acquisition Advisory Advisory services for business acquisitions including strategy review, target research, approach, negotiation, and process management for buyers ranging from first-time buyers to seasoned buy-and-build professionals.
• Management Buyout (MBO) Advisory Advisory services for management buyouts, including viability assessment, deal negotiation, fundraising support, and project management to facilitate transfer of ownership from existing shareholders to management teams.
• Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) Advisory Advisory services for Employee Ownership Trust transactions, including exit strategy exploration, independent valuation, transaction structuring, fundraising, and HMRC clearance management for business owners transitioning to employee ownership.
• Growth Fundraising Advisory Advisory services for business funding, including review of funding requirements, business plan development, funder approach, terms negotiation, and due diligence management across debt and equity markets.
• Strategic Roadmap and Exit Planning Strategic planning to help business owners build a 1–5 year route map based on long-term objectives, including preparation, positioning, options overview, and ongoing plan refinement and challenge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Deal of the Year awards at Insider South East Dealmakers Awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Shawbrook Bank: Shawbrook is a UK challenger bank providing acquisition and refinancing debt to mid-market borrowers. It is a funding partner/ecosystem counterparty rather than a competitor, but central to Castle's deal execution capability.

Direct peers

• Clearwater International: Clearwater is a UK-headquartered mid-market corporate finance advisory specialising in sell-side, buy-side, and fundraising mandates. Closely comparable to Castle in business model, customer segment, and service offering.
• Gambit Corporate Finance: Gambit is a boutique UK corporate finance advisory focused on owner-managed and family businesses in similar mid-market deal sizes. Competes head-to-head with Castle for the same founder-led client base.
• Hazlewoods LLP: Hazlewoods is a UK advisory firm with a corporate finance team serving owner-managed businesses and SMEs on M&A, fundraising, and succession. Directly comparable in niche, client profile, and service mix.
• Cobden Corporate Finance: Cobden is a UK boutique corporate finance advisory serving SMEs and owner-managed businesses. Similar service offering and target customer profile to Castle.
• Corporate Finance Associates (CFA) UK: CFA is an international mid-market M&A advisory firm serving owner-managed and family businesses across multiple geographies with similar transaction profiles. Overlaps with Castle in deal size, target customer, and lead-advisory model.
• BCMS: BCMS is a UK-based mid-market M&A advisory firm focused on owner-managed and family-owned businesses, typically in similar deal size ranges. It is one of Castle's closest direct competitors in the same niche.

Broad incumbents

• BDO UK LLP: BDO is a top-10 UK accounting firm with an active mid-market M&A and corporate finance practice. Competes with Castle for owner-managed and family-business mandates, but with materially greater resources.
• FRP Advisory: FRP is a larger UK advisory firm offering corporate finance, restructuring, and debt advisory. Overlaps with Castle on M&A and fundraising mandates but operates at greater scale and breadth.
• Grant Thornton UK LLP: Grant Thornton is a top-10 UK accounting firm with a substantial mid-market M&A practice; Castle's MD Stuart Stepney joined from a 20-year Grant Thornton career. It is a major competitor and talent pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castle-corporate-finance-ltd
• Xx.com/castlecf_

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Castle Corporate Finance