Key Takeaways
- • Palatine has taken a majority stake in Crowdguard through its Impact Fund, per the primary report, marking a private equity investment in a UK hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) specialist.
- • Crowdguard assesses vehicle-borne threats at public events, stadia, entertainment venues and city centres across the UK and Ireland, and delivers protective security solutions from risk assessment through to maintenance.
- • The Palatine Impact Fund invests £5m to £30m in commercially driven businesses with a mission to positively impact society or the environment.
- • Founder Deborah Ainscough and managing director Iain Moran will both continue in their existing roles, while Palatine's Greg Holmes and Beth Houghton will join the Crowdguard board.
- • The deal financial terms, including valuation and the size of the stake acquired, were not disclosed in the source material.
Summary
Private equity firm Palatine has taken a majority stake in Crowdguard via its Impact Fund, according to the original BusinessCloud report. Wigan-based Crowdguard is a specialist in hostile vehicle mitigation, working with event organisers, local authorities, stadiums, festivals and Christmas markets to assess risks posed by vehicle-borne threats and design protective security solutions. Its services span risk assessment, solution design, deployment, installation, assurance, servicing and maintenance. The company describes itself as an independent business with access to equipment from across the market, allowing it to recommend solutions suited to each location rather than taking a product-led approach. Its track record includes local firework displays, Remembrance Sunday parades and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which was attended by a million spectators.
Crowdguard was founded in 2019 by Deborah Ainscough, with a focus on raising standards in how HVM is assessed, specified and deployed. Iain Moran joined as managing director in 2022. Both will continue in their current roles following the investment. With Palatine's backing, the company plans to invest in its people, strengthen its leadership team, and develop its systems, operations, technology and assurance processes.
The transaction was led for Palatine by Greg Holmes, senior investment director, Beth Houghton, impact managing partner, and Jihad Karambizi, investment manager. Holmes and Houghton will join the Crowdguard board. Holmes said Crowdguard addresses an important societal need and called it a good example of businesses delivering commercial performance alongside positive social impact. Ainscough described the investment as an important step and said it would help the company protect more people, property and places.
Palatine says the Impact Fund was established to demonstrate that financial returns and positive social or environmental impact can coexist, and that it invests £5m to £30m per business. Palatine was advised by Hill Dickinson (legal), Forvis Mazars (financial), Armstrong (commercial), Quinn Partnership (people strategy), RSM (tax) and Lockton (insurance). Crowdguard was advised by Bamburgh Capital (corporate finance) and Clarke Willmott (legal).
Crowdguard was founded in 2019 by Deborah Ainscough, with a focus on raising standards in how HVM is assessed, specified and deployed. Iain Moran joined as managing director in 2022. Both will continue in their current roles following the investment. With Palatine's backing, the company plans to invest in its people, strengthen its leadership team, and develop its systems, operations, technology and assurance processes.
The transaction was led for Palatine by Greg Holmes, senior investment director, Beth Houghton, impact managing partner, and Jihad Karambizi, investment manager. Holmes and Houghton will join the Crowdguard board. Holmes said Crowdguard addresses an important societal need and called it a good example of businesses delivering commercial performance alongside positive social impact. Ainscough described the investment as an important step and said it would help the company protect more people, property and places.
Palatine says the Impact Fund was established to demonstrate that financial returns and positive social or environmental impact can coexist, and that it invests £5m to £30m per business. Palatine was advised by Hill Dickinson (legal), Forvis Mazars (financial), Armstrong (commercial), Quinn Partnership (people strategy), RSM (tax) and Lockton (insurance). Crowdguard was advised by Bamburgh Capital (corporate finance) and Clarke Willmott (legal).
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