We’re thrilled to announce our recent success in facilitating £5m debt funding for Cambridge based experts knowledge platform Techspert from Palatine Growth Credit.
Palatine has backed fast-growing, UK-based Primary Research platform Techspert with funding from its pioneering Growth Credit Fund to drive headcount growth and further develop its AI offering.
Techspert’s AI-driven platform connects clients – such as pharmaceutical and biotech companies – with relevant subject matter experts facilitating interviews, calls, surveys and bespoke interactions to gather insights, which enable faster and more informed decision making in research projects.
The fully remote global business, formerly based in Cambridge, has a database of 25 million healthcare profiles covering 5 million specialisms, with 400,000 actively engaged.
Palatine has provided Techspert, which is already backed by BGF and Nauta Capital, with £5 million in funding to fuel its major plans for job creation, as well as platform and AI development.
The investment will support the hiring of around 20 employees in 2026 across sales, marketing and customer success teams, along with the development of AI research and market intelligence tools, which will help find experts even more effectively, generate end-reports for customers, and provide new primary research intelligence offerings – which will boost productivity and growth.
This marks Palatine’s 11th deal from its Growth Credit Fund, which launched in January 2024 to support maturing, high-growth companies in the UK regions experiencing double-digit year-on-year revenue growth.
Michael Ginn, Investment Director for Palatine Growth Credit, said: “Techspert represents the kind of innovative, high-growth company we are passionate about investing in with our Growth Credit Fund. Our ability to fund headcount growth, which traditional lenders often avoid as it can reduce short-term profitability before driving future revenue generation, makes us the perfect partner to support the team at Techspert achieve its goals. With plans for these new hires in 2026 to help drive new product development, we’re excited to support Techspert’s next phase of growth.”
Dave Holden, CEO of Techspert, added: “This partnership with Palatine will unlock accelerated growth for us. Fuelling expansion of our AI Research Tools and market intelligence offering in particular, as we develop a full suite of end-to-end healthcare research capabilities to deliver faster answers to strategic questions to those who need them.”
Corporate Finance advice was provided by Nicolas Jacquier at Leyton Capital Advisors, who said: “We are very proud to have helped Techspert at this major milestone of its stellar growth and to have facilitated the partnership with leading lender Palatine Growth Credit Fund. I am honoured to have played a role in fostering this alliance and wish the best to Techspert’s team in this new chapter of its development”.
The Palatine Growth Credit Fund supports companies in the cyber, fintech, SaaS, healthtech, medtech, AI, and advanced manufacturing sectors in the burgeoning technology ecosystems of the North, Midlands, South West, and South East.
The fund sits alongside sustainably driven investor Palatine’s established Buyout and Impact private equity funds.
Palatine was advised on the deal by Anna Robson and Jonny Adamson at Shoosmiths.
About Palatine
Palatine is a UK mid-market private equity investor focused on delivering returns through sustainable growth by building on solid foundations with a commitment to the environment and society.
They see private equity as a force for good. A positivity born of generating returns in the right way.
Founded in 2005 by partners Gary Tipper, Ed Fazakerley and Tony Dickin, they have successfully raised five Buyout Funds and are the first private equity firm in their market to raise a returns-focused Impact Fund which is led by Beth Houghton.
Their approach is built on three solid foundations: investing in relationships, identifying the appropriate value enhancement strategies, and improving sustainability outcomes through their pioneering ESG framework.
They seek to partner with management teams across the business services, financial services, and technology sectors and our impact themes of sustainable communities, healthy living, environment & resource and sustainable choices.
They invest from three funds.
Buyout Fund: Sustainable returns
Investing between £10m – £50m in dynamic and visionary management teams looking to drive their business through their next phase of sustainable growth.
Impact Fund: Returns with purpose
Investing £5m – £20m in commercially driven businesses with a mission to positively impact on society or the environment.
Growth Credit Fund: Levelling up the regional growth credit market
Focused on supporting fast-growing venture backed tech companies based in the regions of the UK outside London, their maiden Growth Credit Fund was raised in 2024.
About Leyton Capital Advisors
Leyton Capital Advisors is the new advisory practice of the R&D tax claims leading specialist Leyton. We assist high growth firms active in software, environment/energy transition & technologies addressing their strategic challenges focussing on equity & debt fundraising, acquisitions, acquisition financing and disposals transactions.
For more information please contact: ✉ njacquier@leyton.com
