WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE WORK WITH
ABOUT US
Agathos is an active, values-led investment firm backing ambitious UK management teams. We combine judgement, integrity and long-term partnership with practical support — helping teams build resilient, scalable businesses.
WHAT WE INVEST IN
We back UK businesses valued up to £25 million, typically investing £5–£10 million on day one with access to evergreen follow-on capital. We support primary buyouts, growth investments and founder de-risk transactions — providing speed, certainty and a committed partner for the journey ahead.
WHERE WE FOCUS
We specialise in service and tech-enabled businesses working in the following sectors: Healthcare & Life Sciences, IT Services & Digital Transformation, the Built Environment & Sustainability, Education & Training, and Advanced Manufacturing. We invest on behalf of long-term investors who share our belief in supporting UK businesses and the people who build them.
OUR INVESTMENT CRITERIA
We back ambitious management teams in UK service and tech-enabled businesses where our involvement can accelerate growth.
We look for:
FOCUS AREAS
B2B BUSINESS SERVICES
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
HEALTHCARE &
LIFE SCIENCES
IT SERVICES & DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
EDUCATION
& TRAINING
BUILT
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING
HOW WE WORK
We believe better businesses are built through better relationships.
That’s why we invest our time as well as our capital—building trusted, long-term partnerships through honesty, collaboration and consistent senior involvement. It’s an approach that gives management teams the confidence, continuity and support to achieve more together. Alongside strategic guidance and operational support, we help businesses strengthen the foundations for long-term growth, including data, digital capability and the thoughtful adoption of AI where it can create genuine value.
1
HIGH TEAM-TO ASSET RATIO
Each business we back gets the senior time and attention it deserves — typically two or three Agathos people working closely with management from day one to exit.
2
CONTINUITY FROM PRE-DEAL TO EXIT
You’ll work with the same team throughout the journey wherever possible, building continuity and trust.
3
SENIOR PARTNER INVOLVEMENT
Our partners stay close to every deal and every board. We make decisions quickly and stand behind them.
4
COMMITTED, FLEXIBLE CAPITAL
We manage committed funds under a discretionary mandate, including an evergreen fund. This allows us to make investment decisions quickly and fund follow-on growth, including acquisitions.
5
VALUES-LED CULTURE
We aim to be the partner of choice for great teams — honest, collaborative and grounded. We care deeply about the businesses and people we back.
OUR CORE VALUES
We’re a team that puts values at the centre of everything we do.
BE HONEST AND
COLLABORATIVE
Trust and communication are at the
core of every great partnership.
STAY HUNGRY
BUT HUMBLE
We feel privileged to do what we do and
always seek to improve how we do it.
ENJOY
THE JOURNEY
Ambition matters — but so does how we work together and what we learn on the way.
PARTNERSHIP IN PRACTICE
Every partnership starts with understanding. We take the time to get to know people, ambitions and motivations before co-creating and helping to deliver the plan that brings them to life.
BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP
We take time to understand your business, ambitions and team to see whether we can build value together
CREATING A PLAN
Together we develop a clear, practical plan — the right structure, priorities and milestones.
IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN
Our capital is only the start. We stay hands-on, helping to execute the plan and supporting leadership every step of the way.
POSITIONING FOR EXIT
From day one we plan for the outcome — building resilient businesses that realise their value when the time is right.
HOW WE CAN HELP
We partner with management teams at pivotal moments — bringing speed, certainty and
practical help to unlock the next phase of growth.
BUY THE BUSINESS
YOU RUN
Own the company you already lead. We provide day-one funding and hands-on support to set the plan, align the team and build momentum quickly.
ACCELERATE
GROWTH
Bring in an active partner to strengthen finance, data, technology and AI capabilities, alongside sales and targeted M&A, helping build stronger businesses with scalable foundations for growth
DE-RISK YOUR
INVESTMENT
Take some value off the table while staying aligned to future upside through fair structures and shared participation.
We understand that a transaction affects people as much as businesses. We aim to be the partner of choice for great teams — honest, collaborative and committed to shared success.
RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
Creating long-term value means helping to build resilient, responsible businesses that contribute positively to people, communities and the environment.
Driving sustainable growth
We work alongside management teams to embed practical ESG initiatives throughout the investment lifecycle — from due diligence to active ownership and exit.
Our focus areas
Continuous improvement
With oversight from our ESG Committee, we refine our approach by learning from best practice and data, documenting measurable improvements at exit.
The ESG Committee
For more on how we invest responsibly, read our Responsible Investment Policy.
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