Cenkos Securities

What Cenkos Securities does

Cenkos Securities is a UK-based mid-market investment bank, founded in 2004 and headquartered in London, providing corporate finance advisory services to companies across sectors and stages of growth. Its core offerings span the roles of Nominated Adviser (Nomad), sponsor, broker, and financial adviser, with mandates across M&A advisory, IPO advisory, equity capital markets activity, and broader financial advisory work.

The firm's primary customer segment is mid-market UK companies seeking advisory support for transformative transactions such as M&A and IPOs. Cenkos positions itself as a horizontal-advisory platform — serving public and private companies across industry verticals rather than concentrating on a single sector niche — and competes principally with other UK small- and mid-cap advisers.

In September 2024, Cenkos announced a merger with FinnCap Group, a transaction explicitly framed as a scale play ahead of an anticipated rebound in UK mid-market M&A and IPO activity in H2 2024 and H1 2025. The merger is one of several notable consolidations reshaping the UK mid-market advisory landscape (alongside deals such as Panmure Gordon & Liberum and Redburn Europe & Atlantic Equities), and it represents the dominant strategic event for the firm in the recent period.

Name

Cenkos Securities

Legal name

Cenkos Securities

Website

https://cenkos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cenkos Securities is a London-based UK mid-market investment bank founded in 2004 that acts as Nomad, sponsor, broker and financial adviser to growth-stage companies across sectors, currently merging with FinnCap Group to scale ahead of an expected M&A and IPO rebound.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mid-Market Investment Banking

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (52315)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Equity Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Issuance Strategy & Readiness) (FSACAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Investment banking
• Financial advisory
• Capital markets
• Brokerage services
• Corporate finance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

Cenkos Securities is a UK mid-market investment bank that acts as Nominated Adviser (Nomad), sponsor, broker and financial adviser to companies across all sectors and stages of growth. The firm provides M&A advisory, IPO advisory, and broader equity capital markets and corporate finance services, targeting mid-market companies seeking access to public capital markets and transaction support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nominated Adviser (Nomad) Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FinnCap GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenkos Securities is merging with FinnCap Group as part of a significant consolidation wave among UK mid-market investment banks. This merger is reshaping the UK financial advisory landscape, with the combined entity expected to achieve greater economies of scale ahead of an anticipated rebound in M&A and IPO activity in H2 2024 and H1 2025. This is one of several major mid-market consolidations occurring at record rates, alongside Panmure Gordon & Liberum and Redburn Europe & Atlantic Equities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cavendish: UK mid-market full-service investment bank offering ECM advisory, M&A, debt advisory and private growth capital to ambitious UK companies — directly comparable to Cenkos' Nomad, sponsor, broker and advisory franchise across the same mid-market segment.
• Zeus Capital: UK mid-market investment bank providing advisory, broking and equity capital markets services to growth companies — directly comparable boutique mid-market franchise.
• WH Ireland: UK mid-market wealth management and corporate finance house with broking, advisory and capital markets services targeted at similar mid-market issuers.
• Peel Hunt: UK-focused mid and small-cap investment bank with ECM advisory, corporate broking and M&A — directly comparable mid-market franchise competing for the same mandates.
• Arden Partners: UK mid-market corporate finance and stockbroking firm serving AIM and main-market clients with ECM, M&A and Nomad services — directly comparable UK mid-market advisory peer.
• Shore Capital: UK stockbroker and corporate adviser with capital markets, advisory and fund management businesses serving small and mid-cap UK companies — directly comparable niche positioning.
• Panmure Gordon: UK mid-market broker and adviser that itself merged with Liberum as part of the same consolidation wave — directly comparable in scale, client type, and product mix to Cenkos.
• FinnCap Group: UK mid-market investment bank announced as Cenkos' merger partner in September 2024; serves the same mid-market client base with comparable Nomad, broker, and advisory services prior to the combination.
• Liberum: UK mid-market investment bank with research-led brokerage and advisory franchise; merged with Panmure Gordon, making it one of the combined-entity competitors reshaping the same mid-market segment as Cenkos.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with strong mid-market M&A advisory franchise; broader incumbent that competes with Cenkos on larger mid-market and cross-border mandates while operating from a much wider footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cenkos Securities