Shard Credit Partners invests £1.6 million in Location Sciences Group PLC to support Sorted Group Holdings Limited acquisition and AIM listing.

27 February 2024

Shard Credit Partners has completed a cash equity investment of £1.6 million from its Venture Debt Fund I in support of the acquisition of Sorted Holdings Limited by Location Sciences Group PLC and listing on AIM.

The newly enlarged group will trade on AIM as Sorted Group Holdings PLC (SORT).

 

The transaction provides the enlarged group with the investment necessary to continue implementing its business strategy and serving its corporate and enterprise retail customers, which include M&S, Boohoo and Asda. It will enable Sorted to continue its mission to bring ecommerce retailers of all sizes confidence in every delivery, every time.

Shard Credit Partners provided Sorted Holdings Limited with a £3.0 million senior secured venture debt facility in September 2022. Since then, the private credit investment firm has continued to provide investment capital in support of a successful organic growth strategy led by CEO Carmen Carey.

Carmen Carey, CEO of Sorted commented:

“Shard Credit Partners has stepped up once again and proven to be a reliable and trusted financial partner. Their latest equity investment in support of our AIM listing demonstrates a strong commitment to our continued growth story.”

Alastair Brown, CEO and Founder of Shard Credit Partners commented:

“we are delighted to be supporting Carmen and her team as Sorted embarks upon the next exciting phase of its journey as an AIM listed company. We hope this IPO heralds a turning point for the UK’s homegrown technology sector”.

Simon Wilkinson, Petar Cvetkovic and Dr Nigel Burton join Sorted’s board, with Mahmud Kamani and Richard Hughes also investing in the group.

Wilkinson is a highly experienced software executive and entrepreneur, having held senior leadership positions in a number of public and private companies throughout his career. Simon is investing in the group, alongside Mahmud Kamani, the founder of Boohoo Group, and Richard Hughes, the founder of Zeus Capital.

Additionally, Petar Cvetkovic and Dr Nigel Burton will join the Sorted board as Non-Executive Directors. Cvetkovic is Founder & Chairman of Welford Investments and was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of DX (Group) Plc and Target Express, and Dr Burton is currently a Non-Executive Director of BlackRock Throgmorton Investment Trust PLC, DeepVerge PLC, eEnergy Group PLC, Mobile

Streams PLC and Microsaic Systems PLC. Mahmoud Warriah, the CFO for the enlarged group, will join Carmen Carey, CEO of Sorted Group Holdings PLC, as Executive Director.

Founded more than a decade ago and recognised as one of the fastest growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times, Sorted delivers transformational tech on a global scale. Trusted by leading retailers – such as ASOS and Asda – Sorted helps brands to make five-star delivery experiences their superpower.

Shard Credit Partners was advised by Scott Morrison, Partner at Orrick LLP and Simon Whiteside, Tax Partner at Ryecroft Glenton and Nicoletta Papademetris, Matt Barr and David Tran at BDO LLP.

 

About Shard Credit Partners:

Shard Credit Partners is an alternative investment fund manager focused on high cash yielding private credit strategies in the UK lower mid-market. Current assets under management stands at circa £200 million. Its funds seek to generate superior risk-adjusted returns from conservatively structured senior secured credit investments with meaningful equity upside. Fund strategies include corporate direct lending, technology venture financing and international trade finance.

Shard Credit Partners successfully completed eleven primary investments and around thirty bolt-on acquisitions from its debut direct lending fund Shard Credit Partners Fund I, which held a first close in October 2017 at £90.2 million.  Shard Credit Partners plans to hold a first close on its second vintage UK lower mid-market direct lending fund with a target of £100 million during Q3 2024.

Shard Credit Partners invests in small to medium sized businesses with strong management teams, supporting them by providing transformative growth capital and event driven financing in support of innovation, growth and expansion.  The Fund invests in businesses across all sectors and throughout the UK.  The firm has a strong ESG focus; in particular, it is a strong supporter of female entrepreneurs and firms with meaningful female leadership, ownership and senior management.

Shard Credit Partners Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Shard Capital AIFM LLP, authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 615463).

Contact:	Investor relations:   IR@shardcreditpartners.com Business:    info@shardcreditpartners.com Website:    www.shardcreditpartners.com