Altium creates new global investment bank in £250m merger

Japan-headquartered investment bank GCA has completed its £250m merger with investment banking firm Altium.

First announced back in May, the deal has created the seventh-biggest listed M&A advisory company in the world, with over $185m in advisory revenues, more than 370 employees worldwide and over 350 completed transactions in the last three years.

GCA now trades through its US subsidiary GCA Advisors LLC, its Japanese and Asian business GCA and its European operation GCA Altium.

Further, the company operates from 14 offices across Europe, the US and Asia, and will target leading businesses in growth industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, energy and business services.

Altium’s existing presence in local markets will allow the new business to provide clients with tailored, strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, debt, restructuring and private funds.

The deal follows a strong period for Altium, which has UK offices in Manchester and London. The company completed 47 deals worth £3bn during the last 12 months.

All of Altium’s shares have now merged into GCA. Chief exec Phil Adams and managing directors Sascha Pfeiffer and Alexander Grünwald have joined the GCA board.

GCA Altium chief executive Phil Adams said: “From the beginning of this process, it became clear that Altium and GCA were complementary in many ways, and this merger was a logical step. Our footprint is now global with offices in key M&A markets.

“This strengthens the group’s international coverage and cross-border capabilities, while our deep local roots mean that we have an exceptional understanding of the markets we cover.”

He continued: “Providing top-quality advice to our clients is of paramount importance, and building a strong and lasting relationship is crucial to achieving this.

“It is an exciting time for the business, both in the UK and overseas, and we’re looking forward to working alongside the teams in the US and Asian markets as the business enters the next stage of its development.”

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