CARDIFF-based Gambit is behind a new organisation representing theinternational corporate finance in the middle-market sector. Gambit Corporate Finance has become a founder member of CFI (Corporate Finance International). CFI is a select grouping of boutique investment banks with a presence in geographic markets around the world with a focus on North America, Europe and Asia.
The association will concentrate on middle-market transactions with a deal size of approximately 10-200 million euros within key industry and sector segments.
Their services will be targeted at owner-managed businesses, small-cap public companies, large company subsidiaries and private-equity firms.
CFI believes the association will allow member firms to leverage industry knowledge in foreign geographies for the benefit of clients.
Dr Godfrey Ainsworth, Gambit's founder and managing partner, said,"Gambit has always pursued cross-border opportunities for our clients and we have had a number of successes across Europe, in the US, South America and Asia. We advised regional airports group Omniport in its acquisition of Maastricht-Aachen Airport – the first airport privatisation in the Netherlands – and advised on a number of cross-borderacquisitions for Biotrace, including one in Australia.
"We are currently working on a transaction in sub-Saharan Africa.
"Joining CFI underpins but also extends this expertise and allows us to be extremely confident about our cross-border capabilities whenpitching for client assignments. It was important in winning a recent assignment where we were up against one of the large international firms."
Gambit director Simon Marsden, who has recently returned from a CFI conference in Barcelona, said, "CFI will only appoint one exclusiverepresentative in each jurisdiction. Gambit is the exclusive representative for the UK. It is a considerable coup for a Welsh firm to represent the UK in CFI, particularly when one considers the very significant lead advisory capability in London and other provincial cities."
Gambit advised on transaction valued in excess of £400m in 2006. They have continued this year with further notable successes including the recent sale of Peters Food Service for £20m and the £27m deal for Cardiff University raising commercialisation funds in a deal with Aim-listed Biofusion.
Bart de Groot, a partner in Mazars Berenschot in the Netherlands and board member of CFI, said, "CFI's objective is to be able to advise and execute seamlessly on cross-border deals and has members who are proactive in the pursuit of business objectives. Gambit has demonstrated these attributes over many years and will complement the skillsand expertise we have around the world."
