Ben and Adam discuss the acquisition of a software development firm, a ten-pin bowling operator, and funding for a low calorie beer brand.
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00:00The acquisition of a software development firm, a 10-pin bowling operator and a low-calorie
00:05beer brand all appear in today's business briefing.
00:13So you've got a major deal to tell us about.
00:16Yes, so it's a breaking news story that was given to us as an exclusive by Momentum Corporate
00:22Finance.
00:23They're a prominent advisor in the South West based in Bristol.
00:27So there's a 70-strong software development firm that's been bought by a business management
00:33consultancy.
00:35So Gemba Advantage has been sold to Actica Consulting, which is backed by Sovereign Capital
00:40Partners.
00:42So Momentum acted as a lead advisor to the shareholders of Gemba.
00:46BPE also involved their headquarter in Cheltenham and then Crowe LLP provided legal and tax
00:53advice as well.
00:55So the acquisition was said to align with Actica's strategic vision to expand the technology
01:00offerings.
01:01So these are basically organisations trusted to protect the UK and its citizens from the
01:06most serious threats and adversaries.
01:08So it's a key growth area in today's uncertain world.
01:11So a big acquisition story there.
01:14Definitely those deal stories are always quite popular, aren't they?
01:17Yes, absolutely.
01:18A big results story from me this morning.
01:23National Lingerie and Swimwear Retailer Brevisimo Group have published their results on Companies
01:29House.
01:31The company actually employs around 700 people across the UK and they have many stores in
01:38the country.
01:39And they've actually reported an increase in pre-tax profits nearing the ÂŁ3 million
01:43mark.
01:44Fantastic.
01:45Turnover remained broadly flat from the prior year, but clearly a significant milestone
01:50for the company with profits rising.
01:53And they said...
01:54Yeah, definitely.
01:55Always nice to hear a company doing well.
01:57And they said in a report accompanying the results that they're well positioned to continue
02:02to support customers into the future.
02:04Now interestingly, Brevisimo Group was recently acquired by Recall, which Insider covered.
02:10I do recall that, yeah.
02:12So it'll be interesting to keep an eye on how that impacts the company going forward.
02:16Certainly.
02:18You have a bowling story, haven't you?
02:20Yes, I do.
02:21So Hollywood Bowl Group.
02:22I don't know if you've been before.
02:23Yes, definitely in the past.
02:24Yes, I go bowling quite regularly.
02:25Yeah, you're a big fan.
02:26I go to one in Ashton on the Retail Park.
02:27It's a nice fun activity.
02:28So it's posted a trading update for its latest year.
02:29So the 10-pin bowling operator has said it has reported continued profitable growth and
02:30fair expansion in the UK and Canada.
02:31So it happens to be the UK and Canada's largest bowling operator.
02:32And it has a portfolio of 72 UK centres and 13 Canadian ones.
02:54So the group posted increased in record revenues in its latest year, with both UK and Canada
03:00revenues rising.
03:02It expects to report a bit ahead of market expectations and in excess of ÂŁ65 million.
03:09So during the year, the company said it completed a number of refurbishments and it added new
03:13centres in both the UK and Canada.
03:17And Hollywood Bowl has also said it's on track to achieve its target of 130 centres across
03:23the group by 2035.
03:25And it'll be publishing its final results on the 17th of December, just before Christmas.
03:31Yeah, definitely worth keeping an eye on.
03:34So we all, you know, you like a beer when you go to the bowling, I imagine, Ben?
03:38Well, when I am, I like a beer as much as the next man.
03:42But you know, you can worry about, you know, the calories you're taking.
03:45We've actually got a story about a low-calorie beer brand this morning.
03:49Prime Time has now actually raised more than ÂŁ1 million to support its growth in the UK.
03:54The company has actually now closed its crowdfunding campaign, clearly, you know, far surpassed
03:58its ÂŁ750,000 crowdfunding target.
04:02It sells kegs, cans and bottles to bars and restaurants, but it's also secured a deal
04:07with Waitrose, which is very significant.
04:12The business counts two Premier League clubs as customers, and it said its funding will
04:18support its, quote, ambitious growth strategy.
04:22So we'll definitely keep an eye on the growth of Prime Time, considering this significant funding.
04:28Yeah, there's a real market there, isn't there, for, like, low-calorie beers and alcohol-free beers?
04:33Yeah, I think so.
04:34I think people still want to have a beer, but feel like, you know, they're not taking
04:38in quite as many calories as they could be.
04:41You can hear about those stories and more on insidermedia.com, where you can subscribe
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