GCP’s 2024 Review: Celebrating Milestones, New Partnerships, and Strategic Success

Following the start of 2025, we wanted to share our reflections on the last 12 months and run through some of our highlights of a busy yet rewarding year for the team at GCP, marked by leadership milestones, strategic initiatives, successful realisation of investments, and industry recognition.

2024 also marked our 25^th anniversary and our milestone 50th investment partnership. We remain dedicated to fostering innovation, building meaningful relationships, and delivering sustainable growth.

Portfolio Update – Three new investment partnerships, three strategic acquisitions, and three realisations

GCP marked 2024 with three new investment partnerships, three strategic acquisitions, and three successful realisations, all of which highlight our commitment to collaborative innovation and delivering genuine value across our portfolio of growth businesses.

We began the year proudly partnering with the award-winning VFX firm Electric Theatre Collective (ETC). ETC is a globally renowned Visual Effects (VFX) and animation company providing post-production services. Their creative and technical expertise is highly valued by their list of international clients which includes some of the world’s largest brands such as Apple and Coca-Cola.

Our second investment partnership of the year was finalised in May with the leading independent ERP digital transformation business, CloudRock. Their team of experts advises and supports global enterprises as they digitally transform their HR and finance functions. The management team has built an impressive business and is one of a small number of global Workday partners.

Our third investment partnership was made towards the end of the year, when we were delighted to announce our investment in the award-winning premier social media agency, Coolr. Coolr has established itself within the social media landscape, creating high-impact campaigns for world-renowned consumer brands like Lidl, Samsung, Deliveroo, and Burger King. This partnership announcement also marked a big milestone for GCP as it was our 50^th since our founding in 1999.

All of these new investment partnerships reflect our dedication to empowering dynamic businesses within the Knowledge Economy. These businesses are driven by people-centric, agile, and knowledge-focused teams that deliver exceptional growth through innovation.

Not only did we successfully establish new investment partnerships in 2024, we also supported a number of our current portfolio partners to achieve key milestones and accelerate growth through bolt-on acquisitions:

• In March, we supported Bridewell through the acquisition of cyber security consultancy, Arculus. This acquisition has enabled Bridewell to expand their public sector offering and strengthens their position as a leading advisor to Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) focused organisations.
• In May we announced Plenitude Consulting’s successful acquisition of specialist Financial Crime Compliance provider, Contineo accelerating their specialist Tech and Data service offering.
• We also supported First Mile through their acquisition of the commercial waste collection arm of Redbridge council.

We look forward to supporting all our investment partners in achieving their ambitious growth plans in 2025.

You can see a range of 2024 success stories from across our portfolio here.

Over the past year, we were also delighted to share the news of a number of successful realisations:

• In February we announced our exit from CubeLogic, a leader in risk management software solutions. GCP invested through a minority partnership transaction in June 2020, to support the management team to deliver the next phase of growth; significantly in areas such as talent, business systems, and processes, whilst also refining their product suite and developing a scalable GTM function. This exit was also recognised within the industry as it was later shortlisted for ‘Exit of the Year’ at the 2024 Allstars Awards, presented by GP Bullhound.
• In August, we completed our realisation of the award-winning specialist engineering business Advanced Innergy Solutions (AIS).
• We then ended the year on a high by finalising our exit from sustainability-focused waste management firm, First Mile. We first partnered with the team in May 2017 and have worked collaboratively to enable the business to successfully scale and build an industry-leading business known for its breadth and quality of service.

Team Update – Promotion, new members and award recognition

During 2024, we also celebrated key milestones within the team, reflecting the growth and dedication that drive GCP forward. At the start of 2024, Ravi Monteiro was promoted to Partner, acknowledging his exceptional contributions and leadership within our business. Ravi’s expertise has been instrumental in delivering impactful partnerships and strategic outcomes with the portfolio partners he has worked with.

We were also delighted to welcome Issy Jackson to the team as an Investment Executive. Issy brings fresh perspectives and energy, further strengthening our ability to support innovative, high-growth companies.

Adding to the year’s highlights, James Handley received well-deserved recognition as a Future 40 Mid-Market Investment Leader. This accolade celebrates his dedication to fostering meaningful collaborations and his influence within the industry. Together, these developments demonstrate the strength of the GCP team and our commitment to excellence.

Round up of GCP’s News & Insights
Throughout 2024, the team was at the forefront of key events and initiatives shaping the private equity industry. From sharing insights on industry trends to welcoming future talent and fostering partnerships, we look forward to another active year in 2025. Below are some highlights showcasing our thought leadership and commitment to innovation:

• Kirsty McDonald was selected as a judge for the Real Deals Private Equity Awards 2025
• Richard Shaw joined other industry experts in a value creation workshop hosted by Real Deals
• Richard Shaw participated in Grant Thorton’s tech-sector podcast ‘Private Equity in TMT: Investment and Value Creation Strategies’
• Kirsty McDonald joined other leading figures from the UK mid-market at a round table event hosted by Real Deals
• In the summer GCP welcomed their 2024 interns through the Big City Bright Future initiative
• Ravi Monteiro was interviewed by PE Hub Europe and discussed his route to partner and GCP’s outlook for the rest of 2024 and into 2025
• Alex Thomson was interviewed by Actum and discussed the value GCP drives through a data-driven digital transformation strategy
• GCP celebrated a new partnership with UK and European software group Boardwave, a community of 1500 CEOs and founders from across the software sector   
• Richard Shaw joined other senior figures from the industry at the BVCA Accelerate conference
• Alex Thomson was interviewed in TechMarketView on GCP’s technology sector focus
• Alex Thomson delivered his insights on how GCP prioritises delivering AI-driven value for clients and investors