UK capital markets technology outfit Options just announced a significant investment by Bregal Sagemount, a New York-based private equity firm focused on growth-oriented investments.
The transaction, which sees Bregal Sagemount invest nearly $100 million in Options, will enable the firm’s executive team to pursue strategic growth initiatives, invest further in platform innovations, and expand Options’ reach in key financial centers globally.
Options, founded in 1993 as a hedge fund technology services provider, has enjoyed a period of rapid growth in recent years and now finds itself as an established market leader in outsourced financial technology and managed IT services to global capital markets and financial services firms. This status has been underlined by recent client wins, which include some of the world’s leading financial institutions, asset managers, and funds. In the US alone, the firm’s revenues have more than doubled from 2014 to 2016.
Options CEO, Nigel Kneafsey, commented:
We are delighted to be working with Bregal Sagemount. Their investment in Options is an endorsement of the team, services, and technology we have built over the last 25 years. We believe that the rapid growth in the business in the last few years is underpinned by the accelerated wave of outsourcing in Financial Services IT globally. Sagemount is the perfect partner to support our mission to become a global power in this high growth sector.
We are thrilled to partner with Nigel, Danny, and the rest of the team at Options to support the Company’s next phase of growth,” said Bregal Sagemount Managing Partner, Gene Yoon. “The impressive success that Options has experienced over the past several years pays testament to the quality of the platform and the organization as a whole. We look forward to working closely with the Options team as we continue to expand our service delivery capabilities, develop additional offerings, and build a world-class organization in support of our customers.
No further terms of the transaction were disclosed.