Growth Capital Ventures backs SME acquisitions platform Valius with six-figure investment
County Durham-based Growth Capital Ventures (GCV) has expanded its portfolio following a six-figure investment into Valius, a technology-enabled marketplace designed to make buying and selling SMEs easier.
Founded in 2015 by brothers Craig and Norm Peterson, GCV is an investment and venture-building business with a portfolio spanning sectors including banking, fintech, software and technology.
The investment was facilitated through GCV Invest, GCV's private investor network, which provides experienced investors with access to carefully selected private market investment opportunities.
Valius is designed to simplify the SME acquisition process – one which can often involve searching across multiple brokers, listing platforms and other fragmented sources.
Founded by experienced business acquisition specialists Paul Griffiths and Andrew Botham, the platform already features hundreds of UK businesses for sale.
Valius is the latest addition to GCV's portfolio, with the GCV Invest Private Investor Network having previously backed high-growth businesses including Atom Bank, QikServe, Intelligence Fusion and n-gage.io.
“One of the strengths of the Growth Capital Ventures model is our ability to support founders throughout their growth journey, and Valius is a strong example of that approach in action,” said Norm Peterson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Growth Capital Ventures.
“The company is addressing a genuine market need and has a clear vision for how technology can improve the SME acquisitions landscape.
“We are delighted to have supported the fundraising through our private investor network and to be working alongside the founders as the business continues to develop and scale.”
The investment will support the continued development of the Valius platform, providing business buyers with access to a marketplace featuring hundreds of UK businesses for sale, alongside enhanced search tools, more detailed business information and functionality designed to make engagement between buyers, sellers and intermediaries easier.
Business opportunities on the platform are sourced through established intermediary relationships, allowing buyers to identify businesses that more closely match their acquisition criteria.
Valius is also developing relationships with business sale intermediaries across the UK, bringing buyers, sellers and advisers together through a single digital platform.
Paul Griffiths, Founder of Valius, said: “Buying a business remains one of the most effective routes into entrepreneurship and business ownership, yet the process has changed very little over the years.
“We have seen first-hand how difficult it can be for buyers to identify suitable opportunities, while sellers and intermediaries continue to rely on fragmented channels and manual processes.
“Our aim with Valius is to make it easier for serious buyers to discover quality opportunities and engage with the market more efficiently. This investment represents an important step in the development and growth of the business.”
As part of the partnership, Valius will also work with GCV Labs, the venture-building division of Growth Capital Ventures, which will support the company across product development, technology, operations and growth.
The partnership gives Valius access to GCV's wider network, experience and venture-building expertise as the company develops its platform and scales.
Craig Peterson, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Growth Capital Ventures, said: “The SME acquisitions market is large, fragmented and still heavily reliant on manual processes. We believe there is a significant opportunity to use technology to connect the market more effectively and improve the experience for buyers, sellers and intermediaries.
“We see significant potential in Valius and are pleased to be supporting the team through both GCV Invest and GCV Labs.
“Combining access to investment capital through our private investor network with the hands-on venture-building expertise of GCV Labs means we can support ambitious founders beyond an initial funding round, working alongside them as they develop, grow and scale their businesses.”
Further enhancements to the Valius platform are planned, including functionality designed to improve opportunity matching, automate elements of the acquisition process and provide buyers with greater insight into available businesses.
Andrew Botham, Director of Valius, added: “We are building the infrastructure required to support the future of SME acquisitions.
“The opportunity to improve the experience for buyers, sellers, brokers and advisers is significant, and technology can play an important role in making the process more efficient.
“Our focus now is on continuing to develop the platform, grow our network and build the tools that will make SME acquisitions more accessible and easier to navigate.”
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