Who is buying, and what they need next.
Honch logged 86 acquisitions involving UK companies in September. An acquisition is one of the clearest buying signals there is: the buyer has to integrate people, systems and customers, and the business it bought gets a new owner with new plans. This brief picks out the 15 where that work is biggest and says how to approach each.
UK deal-making is running far ahead of last year, and most of the money is coming from abroad. September had the big public takeovers to match: Veritas Capital for Bodycote at about £1.65bn, Epiris for Gamma at about £1bn and Accel-KKR for Eleco. Those are long processes with slow buying decisions.
The better sales opportunity sits lower down, in the roll-ups. Private equity has spent the last few years building platforms that buy small firms in fragmented markets: accountants, solicitors, financial advisers, nurseries, letting agents and compliance contractors. Succession, regulation and the cost of technology are pushing owners of small firms to sell. Several buyers on this list completed a deal in September and another within weeks.
What’s inside.
Serial buyers
Groups buying a business every few weeks, usually with private equity or venture money behind them. Every deal restarts the same list: systems migration, payroll, HR, compliance, rebranding and hiring. They buy these things repeatedly and like suppliers that can scale with them.
Paramount brings 30 staff and around 1,100 managed properties. Dwelly now manages 15,000+ properties and raised a $170m Series B in July, led by EQT Growth with $75m of debt for more deals.
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In the full briefingAround 25 sites added in two years, including the eight-site Perfect Start group in 2025. Honch also logged two more nurseries joining the group this month.
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In the full briefingAt least five acquisitions since December 2025, including Capital Fire Doors, Classic Lifts Scotland, Celtic Fire Security and Sweetbriar. Appointed a new lifts sales director in September.
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In the full briefingAbout 15 deals since launching in December 2025, now with £2.68bn of assets under advice. Platinum adds £280m and 15 staff, and becomes a north-west hub.
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In the full briefingMore than 12 practices brought in since the start of 2026, roughly one a month. Bought Havard & Associates in Hornchurch a few weeks later.
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In the full briefingFirst deals and new markets
Companies making their first acquisition, or using one to enter a new country or category. They have rarely built an integration team, so they lean on outside suppliers more than the serial buyers do.
Under new ownership
Businesses that changed hands in September. New owners arrive with a 100-day plan and usually a list of things to change: systems, reporting, leadership, growth targets. Several are signed but not yet complete, which gives you time to be ready.
Also worth a call
More buyers from the September list worth a call: law-firm mergers, buy-and-build brokers, and businesses settling in under new ownership.
More from the list.
| Company | Sector | Based | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibm | Technology | Bratislava | 344,185 |
| Iberdrola | Industry & Manufacturing | Bilbao | 27,467 |
| DACHSER | Travel & Leisure | Kempten | 15,497 |
| NetApp | Technology | San Jose | 12,720 |
| Dormakaba | Construction & Property | Exeter | 9,630 |
| ACI Worldwide | Technology | Guilford | 4,985 |
The rest of this briefing is in Honch.
Every company in this briefing, with why it matters, how to sell in, the people to reach and the signals live on each one. Ready to filter, add to a campaign or send to your CRM.
Book a demo- Companies on the listAll of them
- Sales angleOn every profile
- People to contactAt every company
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