Blazehill Capital

Congratulations to Butcher's Pet Care, who have successfully been acquired by Inspired Pet Nutrition, which is now one of the UK's leading pet food brands.   We provided committed term debt facilities to Butcher's Pet Care in 2022, supporting the business with its ongoing growth.   Whilst this represents an exit for Blazehill, we are extremely proud to have played a part in the success story for Butchers, delivering transformational debt capital and allow the shareholders to optimise Enterprise Value.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eAtYkR8A   Tom Weedall | Jake Hyman | Adam Sookia | Michael Gould | Nafeesa Cumming | Meadhbh Kenneally | Jonathan Bayliss | James Gilman | Tim Watsham

We are pleased to share details on the sale of The Brewery on Chiswell Street, triggering the first exit from our Fund II Credit Opportunities Strategy.   We supported The Brewery On Chiswell Street with a £14m Senior Term Loan following the resurgence in demand post pandemic. The facilities were used to fund legacy working capital and provide liquidity to support investment and growth initiatives for both Shareholder and Company. Blazehill were supported by Pinsent Masons, team led by Catherine Howe, on the transaction. To find out more about the exit, read here: https://lnkd.in/eEzMdUVQ Tom Weedall | Adam Sookia | Michael Gould | Jake Hyman | Meadhbh Kenneally | James Varah

Jake Hyman, our Head of Origination, recently took part in the Real Deals ‘Midmarket debt open for business’ roundtable. For the discussion, Jake joined lenders and advisers from across the market to share thoughts on how the current macroeconomic conditions are shaping the midmarket private credit landscape and what we can expect over the next few months. See what everyone had to say here: https://lnkd.in/eURgDyTB Grant Davidson, Muzinich & Co | Aude Doyen, Lincoln International |  George Fieldhouse, Grant Thornton UK LLP | Elliot Gargan, Beechbrook Capital | Patrick Marshall, Federated Hermes | Chris Skinner, Deloitte | Natalia Tsitoura, Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Our Head of Origination, Jake Hyman, recently took part in a Private Credit Landscape panel at The IFT’s Funding Conference.   Covering a variety of topics, Jake discussed hybrid strategies and the increased use of alternative credit, along with what we can expect from the market over the coming months.   Jake was joined by Jeremy Smith, Adam Caines, Emma Lister and Tom Cox who all provided valuable insight from their own experiences in the sector.

As the Blazehill Capital team continues to grow, we are thrilled to welcome James Gilman to our team as an Associate!   Prior to Blazehill, James worked at EY’s FS Audit practice. James joins us at an exciting time as we continue to grow our portfolio and he will be supporting all aspects of the firm’s investment and operations activity.   Find out more about our team here: https://lnkd.in/e63xvBDH

Banks and alternative credit providers are working together to provide private equity-backed firms with flexible capital solutions in a still difficult-to-navigate environment.   Jake Hyman recently attended a Real Deals roundtable event, exploring this topic and what Blazehill is witnessing in the market, including the benefits of hybrid ABL plus cash flow lending, and why we're expecting to see activity levels remain high throughout 2024. Take a look at the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eTVySmfa

Our Head of Investments, Adam Sookia, recently spoke with Yorkshire Business Insider about changes in the ABL market. With an increasing need for flexible financing, Adam discussed why we're seeing a rise in hybrid deals, and how ABL's are adapting to changing market trends. Take a look at the full article in the latest edition here: https://lnkd.in/dM8anMe Tom Weedall Jake Hyman Adam Sookia Michael Gould Nafeesa Cumming Meadhbh Kenneally Jonathan Bayliss

Can private credit sustain its allure amid rising concerns? The asset class has grown on a global level from $280bn in assets under management in 2007 to $1.5trn in 2022, according to PitchBook. But as #private #credit has captured market share, it has also attracted negative publicity, with critics calling it a ticking timebomb for the economy; regulators have warned that the strategy poses a risk due to potentially risky lending practices and the lack of transparency among private credit funds. Real Deals' Taku Dzimwasha investigates in our story below. Special thanks to: Tom Weedall (Blazehill Capital), Antoine Lourtau (Park Square Capital), Eric Capp (Pemberton Asset Management), Marcus Maier-Krug (Arcmont Asset Management) #RealDeals #PrivateEquity #Insights

We are delighted to welcome Jonathan Bayliss to the Blazehill Capital team as an Investment Manager!    Jonny brings significant relevant experience to the business, having worked across a variety of corporate finance and lending roles. At Blazehill, Jonny will support the wider team in our investment strategy, deploying transformational capital to businesses across the UK and supporting our ever growing portfolio.   Take a look at our growing team here: https://lnkd.in/e63xvBDH

Blazehill Capital has been nominated as a finalist for 'Lender of the Year - Specialist' at this year's Real Deals Private Equity Awards.   This nomination recognises all of the exceptional private equity firms and management teams we’re fortunate enough to support and is also acknowledgement of the entire Blazehill team’s relentless hard work over the last year.   Congratulations and good luck to all the other finalists – take a look at the full list here: https://lnkd.in/e6z9pBju Tom Weedall Jake Hyman Adam Sookia Nafeesa Cumming Michael Gould Meadhbh Kenneally