James Caan CBE
Chairman & Founder
35+ years' experience
Entrepreneurship, private equity and growth strategy. Four decades building, backing and exiting founder-led businesses.
SME Capital
Start Your Business
Backing experienced industry professionals with the capital to launch.
Two Decades of Scaling Businesses
Since 2003 Hamilton Bradshaw has backed more than 30 businesses and realised 19 successful exits across professional and consumer markets.
That experience now backs a new generation of founders: professionals with a track record in their industry, starting businesses of their own with our capital behind them.
Inside Hamilton Bradshaw
An introduction to how we work with founders and the capital we provide.
We Back People, Not Products or Services
If you have spent years in your industry, built real client relationships and know the business you want to start, you are exactly who we back. We provide the capital to start it.
Starting a professional services business requires capital before revenue becomes predictable. Funding gives you the runway to secure clients, hire the right people and meet working capital requirements.
We back the founder, not the product. We look for a track record in your sector, a credible route to revenue and a clear plan for how capital will be used.
We invest with the end in mind. From the outset we plan how the business builds value as it grows: profitable revenue, a leadership team and disciplined reporting, so that when the time comes, it is ready to exit.
You run the business. We provide the financial capital agreed at the outset.
30+
Businesses successfully scaled
6-15x
Average EBITDA multiple on exits
19
Successful investment exits
5
Entrepreneurs backed in 2026
Target sectors
Professional Services
We target professional services businesses where expertise, relationships and execution drive revenue.
Who this is for: Experienced founders starting a business with a defined market, commercial plan and capital requirement.
These are the selection of sectors we are backing.
01
Financial Services
Funding for specialist financial services businesses with appropriate experience and permissions.
02
Real Estate Services
Capital for advisory, brokerage and other professional services serving real estate markets.
03
Marketing and Consultancy
Funding for marketing, advisory and consultancy businesses built around proven expertise.
04
Accounting and Legal
Capital for accounting, legal and related professional practices with a clear commercial plan.
05
Recruitment
Capital for experienced recruitment founders with a clear market and client proposition.
06
Other Professional Services
We consider other expertise led service businesses with a defined route to revenue.
Backing experienced professionals to start businesses of their own.
What Capital Can Fund
01
Working Capital
Runway while the first client revenues are converted into stable cash flow.
02
Initial Hiring
Funding for the core team required to begin delivering client work.
03
Market Entry
Capital for launch costs, licences, premises and essential commercial activity.
04
Technology
Funding for the systems required to operate and serve clients effectively.
Built Around You: Our Principles
- 01
Founders lead on client and cultural decisions
- 02
Ownership aligned to long‑term outcomes
- 03
Support tailored to the stage of the business
- 04
Institutional reporting without the bureaucracy
- 05
Access to our operators, not just our capital
- 06
A shared plan for realising value
Selection of Businesses We've Backed
AI Candidate Sourcing
Alfa AI
Alfie Whattam
An AI sourcing tool helping recruitment teams find and shortlist talent faster, backed to scale its product and go-to-market.
Current
Accounting & Payroll Solutions
Walker Smith Global
Matthew Tyson & Michael Lee
An award-winning provider of professional services for the world's flexible workforce.
Realised
Corporate Finance Advisory
BlueBox Corporate Finance
Paul Herman
An independent corporate finance firm advising owners on the sale and acquisition of companies.
Realised
Serviced Offices & Workspace
Avanta
Management buy-in
A flexible workspace operator scaled across UK and international locations before realisation.
Realised
Legal Services
Grosvenor Law
Dan Morrison
A boutique London law firm specialising in litigation and high-value dispute resolution.
Realised
Recruitment Investment Platform
Ingenia
Greg Hollis
Our platform providing funding, back office and investment to recruitment founders, with 32+ businesses launched since 2014.
Current
Interior Design & Fit Out
Accouter Group
A design led interiors group delivering high specification residential and commercial projects in London.
Realised
Real Estate Investment
90 North Real Estate Partners
Philip Churchill
An independent real estate investment firm specialising in socially responsible and Shari'ah-compliant investments.
Realised
Property Management
Pod Management
David Goldberg
A property management specialist delivering technology driven services to developers, landlords and residents.
Current
How a Conversation Leads to Capital Deployed
01
Your Plan
Tell us about your experience, target market, commercial plan and capital requirement.
02
Assessment
We assess the opportunity, proposed use of funds and route to revenue.
03
Structure
We agree a capital structure and funding timetable suited to the plan.
04
Capital Deployed
Funds are released in line with the agreed structure, and the plan for building value towards scale and a future exit starts on day one.
A direct route from a credible business plan to committed capital, with the exit kept in view from day one.
Our People
Our Team
Choose a team to view
Management & Board
Planning to Start a Professional Services Business?
Tell us about your experience, the market you know and the capital required to start.
We will also discuss how the business builds value as it scales, and what a future exit could look like.
Start a ConversationExplore Next
Continue Exploring Hamilton Bradshaw
01
Scale Your Business
For established businesses in any sector: growth and working capital to scale.
Learn more
02
Debt Capital for Growth
For established businesses: debt capital for acquisitions, growth, international expansion and shareholder buyouts.
Learn more
03
Connect
Start a partnership conversation with our London or Dubai team.
Learn more