Castle Square Corporate Finance

What Castle Square Corporate Finance does

Castle Square Corporate Finance Limited is a UK-based boutique corporate finance advisory firm founded in Sheffield in October 2009 by Kevan Shaw, with a secondary office in Leeds. The firm provides lead advisory services across seven core service lines: company acquisitions, corporate disposals, management buy-outs, management buy-ins, development capital and refinancing, company valuations, and Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) transactions. It targets owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurial management teams, and growth-stage companies in the UK mid-market, with a particular concentration in the Yorkshire region and selective national and international mandates. Deal values publicly disclosed range from single-digit millions to £35m+ in combined-revenue acquisitions, with a 2026 record year covering £110m+ of value-enhancing deals.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, generating revenue from advisory fees negotiated on a per-transaction basis with no publicly disclosed pricing. Services are delivered through direct partner-led engagement, with sourcing driven primarily by referrals from professional advisors (lawyers, accountants) and repeat clients. Castle Square leverages a broad ecosystem of funding relationships — including HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, Shawbrook, SME Capital, Thincats, Foresight Group, and family offices — and legal partners (Taylor Emmet, Knights, Squire Patton Boggs, Freeths) to structure and execute transactions. The team comprises 8 named professionals with pedigrees from EY, Mazars, Azets, BNY Mellon, and DC Advisory, and the firm has accumulated over a dozen regional and national awards since 2020, including five wins at the 2026 South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards.

Name

Castle Square Corporate Finance

Legal name

Castle Square Corporate Finance Limited

Website

https://castlesquarecf.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Castle Square Corporate Finance is a Sheffield-based boutique advisory firm founded in 2009 that provides lead M&A, MBO/MBI, EOT, valuation, and development capital services to owner-managed and mid-market UK businesses, with offices in Sheffield and Leeds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Advisory

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Mergers acquisitions advisory
• Corporate finance advisory
• Management buyouts
• Company valuation services
• Private equity advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

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. Corporate Finance Advisory Fees: Castle Square generates revenue through advisory fees for corporate finance services including company acquisitions, disposals, management buy-outs/buy-ins, development capital fundraising, company valuations, and employee ownership trust transactions. The firm acts as lead adviser on M&A transactions, providing deal origination, structuring, negotiation, and project management services to business owners and management teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Castle Square Corporate Finance Limited is a UK boutique advisory firm providing corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) services to mid-market business owners and management teams. Its core offerings include advising on company acquisitions and disposals, management buyouts (MBOs) and management buy-ins (MBIs), sourcing development capital and refinancing, formal company valuations, and Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) transactions.

Product overview

Castle Square Corporate Finance is a mid-market independent corporate finance advisory boutique offering a unified portfolio of advisory services. The core offerings comprise seven distinct service lines: Company Acquisitions, Corporate Disposals, Management Buy-Outs, Management Buy-Ins, Development Capital & Refinancing, Company Valuations, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOT). These services work together to support clients through the full corporate transaction lifecycle—from initial valuation and feasibility assessment through transaction structuring, funding facilitation, and post-deal completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Taylor EmmetcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-established Yorkshire-based legal firm providing legal advice on multiple transactions including Masteel UK acquisition and Just Motor Group EOT.
• KnightscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational legal services firm providing corporate legal advice on transactions including Project Heating Solutions acquisition of AMCO.
• Squire Patton BoggscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInternational law firm providing legal advice on Rowley Contract Hire sale and Eden Mobility transaction to Foresight Group.
• Freeths LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational law firm providing specialist tax advice and legal services on various transactions including Alca Fasteners MBO.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with UK corporate finance advisory operations. Competes for mid-market M&A mandates, particularly larger transactions with cross-border elements or PE-backed sellers.
• BDO UK Corporate Finance: Top-tier UK accountancy-affiliated corporate finance practice with significantly larger scale. Offers overlapping M&A advisory, valuations, and refinancing services as part of a wider portfolio, particularly competing for larger mid-market mandates.
• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with significant UK mid-market M&A advisory presence. Competes for larger transactions in the same client segment, particularly where private equity or larger owner-managed businesses are involved.
• RSM UK Corporate Finance: Mid-tier UK accountancy-affiliated corporate finance practice providing M&A advisory and corporate finance services to mid-market businesses. Wider portfolio of services but directly competing for similar client mandates.

Direct peers

• Clearwater Corporate Finance: UK-headquartered mid-market M&A advisor providing sell-side, buy-side, and capital raising services for owner-managed and PE-backed businesses. Closely comparable boutique mid-market advisory model with national reach.
• FRP Advisory Corporate Finance: UK mid-market advisory firm with significant corporate finance offering covering M&A, refinancing, and valuations. Direct competitor for owner-managed business transactions across similar deal sizes and regional markets.
• Cavendish Corporate Finance: One of the UK's leading independent mid-market corporate finance advisors with similar M&A advisory, fundraising, and capital advisory services. Directly comparable service offering, mid-market focus, and boutique positioning targeting UK owner-managed businesses.
• KBS Corporate: UK specialist M&A advisor focused on owner-managed businesses and SME disposals. Directly comparable mid-market advisory services with regional offices and similar deal size focus.
• Oakley Corporate Finance: Independent UK mid-market corporate finance advisor specializing in M&A, MBOs, and development capital. Directly comparable boutique advisory model serving owner-managed businesses in the lower-mid-market.
• Dow Schofield Watts Corporate Finance: Regional UK corporate finance advisor with strong mid-market presence. Direct comparable for SME M&A, MBOs/MBIs, and corporate disposals across similar owner-managed business segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castle-square-corporate-finance
• Xx.com/castlesquarecf
• Facebookfacebook.com/CastleSquareCorporateFinance

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 Castle Square Corporate Finance