Downing Development Capital

Providing investors access to healthcare and specialist education markets

Downing Development Capital is an award-winning investor focused on investment opportunities into asset-backed operating businesses with downside protection. Typical sectors we look at include healthcare, specialist education, hospitality, leisure and IT infrastructure.

Healthcare and specialist education represent two key areas in which we have deep sector knowledge and which are fundamental to our investment strategy.‍ Downing has been an investor in the healthcare sector since 1997. We partner with highly experienced management teams to help them grow their businesses and provide exceptional care and education to vulnerable people in our society.

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Downing Development Capital

With its successful track record, Downing's Development Capital team provides access to a wide network and specialist knowledge across healthcare and specialist education. Our time-tested approach can achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns with strong downside protection.

The Development Capital team also invest in other sectors in addition to healthcare and specialist education, for example, hospitality, leisure and IT infrastructure.

Specialist team

14 investment professionals

Subsectors

elderly care, specialist adult care, supported living, specialist education, primary care

Track record

44 investments completed
14 exited since 2012*

c.£350m*

invested since 2012

*as at March 2023

Our strategy

Partnering with strong management

Proven individuals with extensive industry experience

Focus on quality and excellent service delivery​

Aligned on sustainable business growth​

Experience in putting teams together and creating platforms

Seeking attractive market fundamentals

Strong underlying demand drivers

Fragmented market(s)

Positive supply/demand dynamics and local market demographics

High barriers to entry

Positive social impact

Providing flexible structures

Attractive risk-adjusted returns

Team has experience across debt, equity and hybrid

Buy-outs, buy-ins and growth capital

Management contribution ensuring alignment of interests

High-quality assets

Primary focus on operating businesses

Freehold assets

High-quality properties and assets

Businesses that trade as market leaders

Responsible investing

Downing aims to integrate analysis of ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors into our investment decision-making process, with a recognition that they present opportunities to create value. We share best practice and support companies to help drive a positive contribution to society and the environment.

c.200

special educational needs school places, with another 300 in the pipeline

c.1000

elderly care home places

c.400

specialist care home beds

Learn more about our sustainable approach

Case studies

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Insights

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Meet the team

If you would like to find out more about the Development Capital team, please click the link below.

Meet the team