Trachet was formed as a hands-on boutique advisory in 2016 following both a successful career in corporate finance and my experience as an award-winning entrepreneur with the mission of helping entrepreneurs accelerate growth built on strong foundations.
Trachet was born out of passion for driving change, a fascination for the levers offered by technology and deep-rooted interest in sustainability. We have an impressive track-record across a wide array of sectors globally, including DeepTech (AI, NLP, University spin-outs), Cybersecurity, CleanTech, TravelTech, FinTech, EdTech, SaaS, marketplaces, as well as Chemicals, Infrastructure, CPG, Healthcare and Natural Resources.
Today, Trachet is a trusted advisor supporting companies with everything from business development to exit strategies. We help our clients from the ground up, stepping-in or advising C-level Management on opportunity analysis and transaction execution. Our highly-tailored, flexible approach and commitment to our partners success is at the heart of everything we do.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
I began my career in investment banking with a very naïve mentality, when I began to understand the way that people related to each other as “big guys and big sharks”, I realised you could cut through a lot of noise and instead focus on clients (as people) and the work. Part of my journey in corporate finance was enlightening and endearing, however so many resources and valuable advice are wasted due to being “lost in translation” and, sometimes a lack of trust.
Applied to early-stage scaling companies, that dynamic is even more inefficient for the client as the “hands-off” advisory isn’t digestible for founders that don’t have a financial background, meaning it does not allow for the fast pace and growth potential that client companies have. I believe the best way to create value to the highest extent for such clients is by putting people first and leaning on that trust to go through the highs and the lows of the transactions.
After embarking on my entrepreneurial journey, friends and acquaintances continuously turned to me for guidance and counsel, ranging from simple transactions to some very complex operations. I began to understand how limited the access to appropriate counsel was for many start-up founders with established businesses.
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How has the company evolved during the pandemic?
The pandemic has created unprecedented momentum for M&A activity in in the start-up sector, in a time of uncertainty and less than traditional practices such as remote management and negotiations, we have leveraged our unique hands-on and people centric approach to provide greater value to our clients and joined in the wave of disruption in the consulting arena.
As companies of all shapes and sizes adapt to accommodate hybrid, remote, and agile working, businesses have had to accelerate their innovation roadmaps. The same investment themes that sparked activity in the second half of 2020 continue on. As a result, demand for technology companies’ services has soared, we have had a strong focus on cybersecurity as increasing digital infrastructure fuels M&A activity, more so in the face of growing attacks, our latest deal between Dathena & Proofpoint is a great example of this.
We see a trend towards more corporate buyers acquiring and successfully integrating disruptive technologies whereas in previous years private equity has largely dominated the market.
Software accounted for over half of all technology deals in the world. We’ve seen a rise in fast-growing specialist B2B software vendors displacing old legacy tech or bringing tech applications to new areas like mobility and healthcare in the UK market and we have the tools to ensure that these start-ups, especially the tech centric have the right counsel to continue to scale/grow their business.
What can we hope to see from Trachet in the future?
Following the Dathena transaction, we’ve also received interest from companies and their investors, curious to understand options developing for startups post Series A and B. We work across sectors in Technology, with historical clients and new ones trusting us in critical phases in their development, whether financing rounds or bolstering their foundations through accelerated growth. We will also continue our Pro-Bono programme, with a call for applications opening soon.
All the while, Trachet continues growing with some exceptional talent joining the team over the coming months – we’re thrilled and humbled by the level of interest we received from extremely sought-after and diverse profiles. Candidates tell us they’re excited by the challenge to provide incredibly high-quality advisory with such a different approach. Their interest enables us to be extremely selective (<2% of candidates hired!) and to look and feel like our clients: diverse, high-performing, team players!
