Knight Corporate Finance is pleased to announce its successful advisory role in the sale of the business and assets of AIM-listed cybersecurity business, Crossword Cybersecurity Plc. The Company had identified a funding gap and, alongside discussions to raise finance, they appointed Knight Corporate Finance to seek acquirers for the business and assets of the company.
With its sector expertise and rich network of potential acquirers, the team developed and executed a strategic plan to maximise value through an asset-by-asset divestment that was tailored to attract potential buyers for specific technology and product segments. In an accelerated transaction, this enabled the business to achieve a better overall financial outcome and reduced the exposure risk to any single buyer. In these time-sensitive situations, where protecting staff and customers is paramount, the team worked intensively to complete four transactions within an 8-week period.
As part of the K3 Capital Group, Knight Corporate Finance worked alongside the restructuring team at its sister company Quantuma. Simon Campbell, Managing Director at Quantuma Advisory said “The sales of the individual business units were executed with discretion and efficiency, ensuring seamless transitions for customers, job retention, and value realisation”.
The transaction was led by Adam Zoldan and Katie Horsfield. “This was a high-stakes and complex transaction where our combined expertise in the tech and cyber sectors was crucial,” said Katie Horsfield, Senior Manager at Knight Corporate Finance. “We are proud to have navigated the sale process effectively and to have helped our client achieve the best possible outcome under challenging circumstances.”
Stuart Jubb, CEO of Crossword added, “We really appreciated how Knight Corporate Finance were able to rapidly deploy a team with the know-how and professionalism required for a deal with such complexities. They had the network to identify and engage with an ideal set of potential buyers within the cybersecurity and IT managed services sectors. Their ability to navigate this complex landscape ensured that we were able to achieve the best outcome for stakeholders. I certainly valued that, in the heat of a fast paced and stressful transaction, the team remained grounded with cool heads to alleviate some of the pressure which was a major contribution to the successful outcome of the deals.”
The deal represents a strategic example of how Knight Corporate Finance leverages industry expertise and tailored strategies to unlock value for assets in all situations, positioning clients for long-term success.
- The group’s consulting division was sold to SysGroup: SysGroup Acquisition – November 19, 2024 – SysGroup
- The group’s threat intelligence tools were sold to Boxphish: Boxphish Acquires Dark Web Threat Intelligence Platform | Boxphish
- The group’s dark web monitoring tools were sold to Acuity RM Group: Acuity Group | Risk Management Technology and Services
- The group’s SOC and Managed Service capabilities were sold to CyberEye Caribbean: Home – CyberEYE
Adam Zoldan, Director at Knight Corporate Finance added “This deal certainly reinforced that there is strong demand in the market for cyber security consulting, managed services and software, and we expect to see further consolidation in 2025. Personally this was another example of how Knight is flourishing as part of the K3 Capital Group, as this transaction was made possible thanks to the expertise of our colleagues at Quantuma”.
What does a corporate finance adviser do when selling a business? And do I need one?
Would you like to make your ambitions real?
