Snag, backed by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a fast-growing direct-to-consumer hosiery and apparel brand, scaling internationally on the back of an inclusive product range and a loyal community.
Brie Read
Co-Founder & CEO of Snag
Consumer / E-commerce
Build Your Business
Build Your Business
For founders in professional services: we invest alongside you, whether launching from a standing start on a joint-venture basis or backing an established firm with growth capital, and provide the funding, back office and operators behind the plan.
We Back People, Not Products or Services
If you know your market, have the client relationships and want to own what you build, we provide the capital and the infrastructure. Founders launching from a standing start get a funded runway, working capital and a working back office; established firms get growth capital sized to the plan.
We back professional services businesses with proven client relationships, recurring revenue and an ambition to grow beyond their founders. We invest behind the mandate and the culture you built, not in place of it.
Where most growth-capital investors provide funding and a board seat, we go further: sector networks, hands-on operating input across finance, marketing, people and international expansion, and the back-office infrastructure that lets fee earners stay fee earning.
Founders co-invest alongside us, so incentives are aligned from day one through to a well-timed realisation.
30+
Businesses successfully scaled
6-15x
Average EBITDA multiple on exits
19
Successful investment exits
5
Entrepreneurs backed in 2026
What we do
We Fund the Business and Build It With You
We co-invest with professional services founders, either launching a new firm from a standing start on a joint-venture basis or backing an established firm with growth capital, and provide the funded runway, working capital, back office and operating experience behind the plan.
Who this is for: Fee earners and business leaders with the market, the relationships and the ambition to own what they build.
01
Aligned from day one
Founders co-invest alongside us, so incentives are aligned from day one through to realisation.
02
A working back office on day one
Finance, payroll, compliance, IT and marketing exist from launch, so fee earners can stay fee earning instead of building infrastructure.
03
Operators who have done it
Our team has founded, scaled and exited professional services businesses, with 19 realisations across the portfolio to date.
04
Capital sized to the plan
A funded runway rather than a single cheque, with follow-on capital available as the business proves the model.
Working alongside founders to build service-led businesses with lasting value.
Growth Capital
Patient, aligned capital structured around the long-term ambitions of the founding team.
Operational Support
Experience across finance, talent, marketing, and international expansion.
Strategic Network
Introductions to clients, partners, and operators across our global ecosystem.
Built Around You: Our Principles
- Founders retain the lead on client and cultural decisions
- Ownership structures aligned to long-term outcomes
- Support tailored to the stage of the business
- Institutional reporting without institutional bureaucracy
- Access to our operators, not just our capital
- A shared plan for realising value when the time is right
Selection of Businesses We've Backed
Advisory & Consultancy
CompassPoint Consulting
Zaid Aboobaker & Zain ul Abideen
A financial, operational and talent advisory firm offering fractional CFO/COO services and financial planning and analysis solutions across the GCC and UK.
Current
Consumer Brand & Retail
Snag
Brie Read
A fast-growing, inclusive hosiery and clothing brand designing tights and apparel to fit every body shape and size, selling direct to consumers internationally.
Current
AI Candidate Sourcing
Alfa AI
Alfie Whattam
An AI candidate sourcing tool that helps recruitment teams find, engage, and shortlist talent faster, backed to scale its product and go-to-market capability.
Current
Accounting & Payroll Solutions
Walker Smith Global
Matthew Tyson & Michael Lee
An award-winning provider of professional services for the world's flexible workforce: contractors, freelancers, the self-employed, shift-workers, locums and temps.
Realised
Corporate Finance Advisory
BlueBox
Paul Herman
An independent corporate finance firm advising entrepreneurs and business owners on the sale and acquisition of companies.
Realised
Asset Management
Cohesion Investments
Spike Hughes
A boutique investment management firm based in Abu Dhabi, offering tailored solutions focused on long-term wealth preservation and capital growth across global markets.
Current
Recruitment Investment Platform
Ingenia
Greg Hollis
The Hamilton Bradshaw-backed platform providing funding, back office and investment to recruitment founders, with more than 32 businesses launched and scaled since 2014.
Current
Serviced Offices & Workspace
Avanta
Management buy-in
A serviced office and flexible workspace operator scaled across UK and international locations before its realisation.
Realised
Legal Services
Grosvenor Law
Dan Morrison
A boutique London-based law firm specialising in litigation and high-value dispute resolution for private and corporate clients.
Realised
Legal
Knights PLC
David Beech
A leading legal and professional services firm providing a wide range of legal solutions to businesses and individuals.
Realised
Your Path from Launch to Leadership
01
Proposal Submission
Tell us about the firm, its clients, and where you want to take it.
02
Initial Consultation
An open conversation with our investment team about fit and ambition.
03
Partnership & Support
An aligned structure plus hands-on help where the firm needs it most.
04
Realising Value
Positioning the firm for a well-prepared and well-timed exit.
We stay involved through every stage, from the first conversation to the moment value is realised.
Portfolio in the Press
Recent coverage of the founders and businesses we back across professional services.
Dealroom
Alfa AI raises $1m seed round with James Caan CBE as adviser
Coverage of Alfa AI's seed funding, an AI candidate sourcing tool, and the addition of James Caan CBE to the company's advisory bench.
Recruiter
Alfa AI backs its next stage of growth with James Caan CBE
The recruitment trade press on what the partnership means for Alfa AI's expansion plans as an AI candidate sourcing tool.
The Cool Down
Snag takes on fashion's returns problem
How Snag's approach to sizing aims to cut returns, and why that caught investor attention.
Newsweek
Can fashion finally solve its returns problem?
An investor's view on why fixing fit and sizing is both a commercial and sustainability opportunity.
Our People
Our Management, Experts & Advisors
Management & Board
James Caan CBE
Chairman & Founder
35+ years' experience
Specialism
Entrepreneurship, private equity and growth strategy. Four decades building, backing and exiting founder-led businesses.
Deepak Jalan
Chief Investment Officer
25+ years' experience
Specialism
Investment strategy, portfolio construction and deal structuring across the firm's platforms.
Greg Hollis
Chief Executive Officer, Ingenia
30+ years' experience
Specialism
Operational leadership and scaling professional services businesses.
Investment Team
Ayman Alashkar
CEO, Hamilton Bradshaw Dubai & the GCC
20+ years' experience
Specialism
Regional strategy, investor relations and market entry across the GCC.
Alexis Lenas
Investment Director
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Investment and transaction execution across audit, risk advisory and real estate finance on UK and European deals.
Greg Parker
Investment Manager
10+ years' experience
Specialism
Deal origination, due diligence and portfolio company support.
Subject Matter Experts
Peter Searle
Recruitment Investment Partner
35+ years' experience
Specialism
Global staffing and recruitment leadership, scaling multi-country businesses, M&A and operational turnaround across the talent industry.
Chris Hickey
Non-Executive Director
30+ years' experience
Specialism
Board governance and international recruitment leadership.
Jeffrey Cervantes
Head of Communications
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Communications, brand positioning and public relations.
Chetan Kumar
Marketing Manager
10+ years' experience
Specialism
Marketing strategy, demand generation and digital performance.
Rob Dembitz
Investment Advisor
20+ years' experience
Specialism
Business growth advisory, commercial strategy and founder mentoring.
Chung Hau
General Counsel
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Corporate law, transactional documentation and portfolio legal support.
Pavlos Paschali
Employment & Legal Advisor
20+ years' experience
Specialism
Employment law, contracts and workforce matters, alongside commercial, regulatory and disputes advice for portfolio businesses.
Mark Baynes
Corporate Transactions Advisor
20+ years' experience
Specialism
M&A, buy-and-build acquisitions, investment documentation and transaction governance from term sheet to completion.
Advisors
Jennifer Roebuck
Retail, Consumer & Digital Specialist
25+ years' experience
Specialism
Retail and consumer brand growth, e-commerce and digital transformation, customer acquisition, marketing and omnichannel strategy.
Ivan Ivanov
Global Markets, Finance Products & Fund Investments, Europe & US
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Global markets, structured finance products and fund investments across Europe and the United States, spanning manager selection, capital raising and investor relations.
Damien Horth
Global Markets, Finance Products & Fund Investments, Asia Pacific
30+ years' experience
Specialism
Global markets, structured finance products and fund investments across China, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, covering capital markets and cross-border investor coverage.
Graham Emmett
Real Estate Lending Expert
40+ years' experience
Specialism
Real estate lending across UK and European markets, including origination, credit structuring and workout experience through multiple property cycles.
Founder Stories
Real Experiences. Real Results.
The talented entrepreneurs and founders we've partnered with on their journey to build and grow exceptional businesses.
Alfa AI, supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is an AI candidate sourcing tool that helps recruitment teams find, engage, and shortlist talent faster, combining automation and intelligent search to transform how businesses hire.
Alfie Whattam
Founder & CEO of Alfa AI
AI Candidate Sourcing
SF Recruitment, supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a leading specialist recruiter providing tailored talent solutions with a strong regional presence and deep market expertise.
Saira Demmer
CEO of SF Recruitment
Recruitment
Cohesion Investments, supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a specialist investment firm combining strategic capital with hands-on expertise to drive sustainable, long-term value creation.
Spike Hughes
Founder of Cohesion Investments
Asset Management
90 North Real Estate Partners, supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is an independent real estate investment firm specialising in socially responsible and Shari'ah-compliant investments across global markets.
Philip Churchill
Founder and Managing Partner of 90 North
Real Estate Advisory
Ignata Finance, initially backed by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a specialist recruitment firm placing senior finance talent across commerce and industry, supported by growth-focused guidance.
Vikki Searls
Co-Founder of Ignata
Recruitment
Ignata was built with strategic backing from Hamilton Bradshaw, scaling a finance recruitment specialist through disciplined investment and operational support.
Ben Searls
Co-Founder of Ignata
Recruitment
Walter James, initially supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a global executive search firm placing leadership talent across life sciences, consumer, and industrial sectors.
James Absalom
CEO & Founder of Walter James
Executive Search
Pod Management, supported by Hamilton Bradshaw, is a property management specialist delivering bespoke, technology-driven services to residential developers, landlords, and residents across the UK.
David Goldberg
CEO of Pod Management
Property Management
Knights is a modern legal and professional services firm, scaled with investment and strategic support from Hamilton Bradshaw.
David Beech
CEO of Knights Law
Legal & Professional Services
Our History
Founded on Backing the Right People
Founded in 2003 by James Caan CBE, Hamilton Bradshaw is built on a simple belief: it is all about backing the right people. The firm works side by side with founders to create market-leading organisations.
Today Hamilton Bradshaw operates across a broad range of sectors with over 30 businesses, creating more than £1 billion in enterprise value and delivering 19 successful exits across the UK, US, Middle East, and Asia.
Our Timeline
- 01
2003
Hamilton Bradshaw is founded by James Caan CBE with a single conviction: back the right people.
- 02
2006 – 2010
Early partnerships in recruitment, professional services, and real estate deliver market-leading growth.
- 03
2012 – 2015
International expansion, with a portfolio of more than 30 businesses across diverse sectors.
- 04
2016 – 2020
A series of high-profile exits as portfolio businesses reached maturity.
- 05
2021 – Present
Focused, high-conviction investing behind the next generation of founder-led businesses.
How We Help Entrepreneurs
Operations
Simplify how the business runs and build the infrastructure that growth demands.
Brand & Marketing
Sharpen the proposition and take it to the right audience with clarity.
People & Culture
Attract, retain, and develop the team that will carry the business forward.
Finance & Reporting
Institutional-grade reporting, forecasting, and capital discipline.
International Growth
Open new markets using our network across the UK, US, MENA, and Asia.
Exit Readiness
Prepare early, position well, and realise value on the founder's terms.
Backed Every Step of the Way
01
Is This You?
Founder-led service businesses with proven revenue, a repeatable model, and real ambition to scale.
02
Scaling Smarter
Hands-on operational support across the functions that most often constrain growth.
03
Building Value
Strengthening the business so its value is durable, transferable, and well evidenced.
04
Planning an Exit
Preparing, positioning, and guiding the business through a well-timed realisation.
Grow Your Professional Services Firm with Hamilton Bradshaw
If you lead a consulting, advisory, or specialist services firm and are planning your next stage of growth, we would like to hear from you.
Share a little about your firm and ambitions, and we will explore how aligned capital and operational support could help.
Contact RobExplore Next
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Recruitment
For recruitment founders: launch capital, back office and four decades of sector operating experience.
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Our regional platform supporting founders across the Gulf.
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For established businesses: capital for acquisitions, growth, international expansion and shareholder buyouts.
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