Downing Private Equity

Downing Private Equity is an award-winning investor specialising in the healthcare and education sectors. We leverage our deep market knowledge to originate investment opportunities with attractive risk-adjusted returns.  

Partnering with experienced management teams, Downing Private Equity work to scale businesses and address underserved markets. We aim to provide strategic insights and commercial support alongside access to a broad network of expert industry contacts.

Our investments to date span children’s day nurseries and specialist education schools through to specialist care, elderly residential care homes, retirement living and funeral care.

We look to ensure the businesses we invest in embed institutional standards of governance and adopt a relentless focus on service quality as the foundation of creating and protecting value.

Downing Private Equity has the flexibility and capability to invest across the entire capital stack to meet our investor’s preferred target return requirements. Although we typically focus on individual investments with commitments between £5m - £50m per funding round, we have invested in excess of £100m+ behind individual businesses. Our approach and investment track record demonstrates that investors don’t need to sacrifice financial return to make a positive social impact.

Where we invest

Our focus is on needs-based sectors that are less correlated to economic cycles, where we can apply our sector knowledge to build and scale businesses that form part of our social infrastructure. Through the delivery of vital services, we can create long-term value for local communities while providing an attractive rate of return to our investors.

To date, we have invested in a diverse range of healthcare and education businesses - from children’s day nurseries and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools to a range of specialist care services, elderly residential care homes, retirement living and funeral care.

Our investment criteria

UK headquartered
Management teams with a strong track record in their chosen markets
Multi-site operating businesses
Opco, PropCo or WholeCo structures
Operating in highly fragmented markets
Buy and build along with organic growth opportunities
£5m-£50m per funding round

Healthcare

Education

Award-winning Private Equity team

An award-winning private equity investment team with deep expertise and a strong track record of investing in attractive markets with strong underlying fundamentals.

Our approach

Partnering with strong management

Proven teams with strong service quality and regulatory track record
Management contribution ensuring alignment of interests
Aligned on sustainable business growth​
Experience in building business platforms and teams

Seeking attractive market fundamentals

Strong underlying demand drivers and supply shortfalls
Fragmented market(s)
Regulatory framework
High barriers to entry
Positive social impacts

Providing flexible structures

Alignment of interests
Flexible capital solutions
Majority or control equity positions
Levered or unlevered equity structures
Special situations credit
Appropriate risk-adjusted returns

Targeting high-quality businesses

Primary focus on operating businesses across the UK
Operating in fragmented markets with consolidation opportunities
High-quality properties and assets

Our portfolio at a glance

Committed investment

c.£475m invested
since 2012*

Track record

101 assets invested into 40 exited since 2018*

Value realised

c.£360m of value realised to date

Specialist team

15 investment
professionals
*Downing, as at October 2024

Our investments

We're proud to be a catalyst for the growth of our portfolio companies. Funding healthcare and education businesses to build scale and deliver a lasting impact alongside an appropriate risk-adjusted return for our investors.

Lighthouse Funerals

Lighthouse Funerals, our funeral director’s platform, is an established group of funeral directors with a strong reputation across Dorset and Devon.
Entry:
2024
Sites:
8 branches
Places:

Chalk Nursery Group

Chalk Nursery Group is a high-quality early years education provider with eight nurseries in South-West London.
Entry:
2024
Sites:
8 nurseries
Places:
626
“The Downing Private Equity team are focused on investing in attractive markets with strong underlying fundamentals. Partnering with experienced management teams to help businesses scale up in order to solve the un-met needs of local communities whilst delivering an attractive rate of return to our investors.”
Mark Gross
Partner, Head of Private Equity

Downing LLP does not provide advice or make personal recommendations and investors are strongly urged to seek independent advice before investing. Investments offered on this website carry a higher risk than many other types of investment and prospective investors should be aware that capital is at risk and the value of their investment may go down as well as up. Any investment should only be made on the basis of the relevant product literature and your attention is drawn to the risk, fees and taxation factors contained therein. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances of each investor and may be subject to change in the future. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Downing LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 545025). Registered in England No. OC341575. Registered Office: Downing, 10 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6AF.

VAT Number: 112 940 149