Shackleton’s development capital investments are generally in profitable companies operating in traditional industries. Shackleton acts as a patient and committed shareholder, willing to work with companies to achieve an agreed objective. In most cases, other than turnarounds, management teams are highly experienced and portfolio companies are already set on a steady growth path. Shackleton’s main contribution is likely to be in helping to realise value in accordance with the company’s aims, be it through flotation or trade sale, or a company share buyback. Sometimes Shackleton may help in finding acquisitions, including new technology to help a company to develop a new area of growth and where appropriate Shackleton is willing to invest additional sums to achieve this.
Companies in our venture portfolio are usually revenue-generating and in the main profitable. The exceptions are typically in the medical area where development timescales are longer.
Many companies struggle for years to commercialise their product, and go through several rounds of funding before success is achieved, often beyond the timescales of their original investor. In the process, they end up with a complicated capital structure and little incentive for management.
The incoming secondary investor can view things in a new light and can help you make the changes necessary to achieve success. These may be a simpler capital structure, new management incentives or changes to strategy, often facilitated by much needed investment where that will help the company to build value towards a profitable exit for all concerned. However, we also know that the source of ultimate success is the energy and enterprise of the management teams we back. Although we will often take a board seat, Shackleton does not believe in interfering where the ingredients are already in place for success.
Pancredit Systems Limited, a financial systems company in which Shackleton acquired an investment from 3i, is a good example. Pancredit had been funded by equity and loan. Shackleton acquired the combined investment package from 3i and then restructured the deal. This involved reducing the nominal value of the loan and granting new options and as a result reducing the bar to management’s being able to realise attractive value at a realistic exit price.
tinglobal Limited, a company involved in the refurbishment and sale of midrange computer systems, in which Shackleton acquired an investment from 3i. With Shackleton's help tinglobal substantially restructured the capital to improve incentives to management and recently Shackleton has provided further finance to help tinglobal to make a major acquisition.
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