Heimdall Partners

We acquire and operate UK specialist services businesses — succession partners for owners, not consolidators.

Continuity over change.

Our Approach

What we offer owners.

Most acquirers ask owners to stay on through a multi-year earnout, fold the brand into a corporate identity within a year or two, and rationalise costs through synergy programmes. We do the opposite, on four explicit terms.

I
A clean exit you can take
The bulk of the consideration is paid in cash at close, with the remainder as a short seller note. Owners typically move on within months of completion, not years. No performance earnouts.
II
Your brand stays
The company keeps its name, identity, and customer-facing presence. There is no umbrella rebrand. Customers, staff, and accreditation bodies see continuity.
III
Your team stays
Operations and customer-facing teams are not “synergised” away. We build forward with the people already running the business, rather than around cost reduction.
IV
Light on operations, active on growth
We work alongside operators, not over them. Heimdall is actively engaged in helping the business grow — capital, infrastructure, financing for bolt-ons, talent, group governance — while day-to-day specialist decisions stay with the people who know the business.

For an owner ready to step away with the business intact and most of the cash in their pocket on day one, this approach could be a great fit.

What We Look For

Successful, well-run specialist businesses with durable customer relationships.

We look for owner-led businesses across the UK, with loyal customers, recurring or contracted revenue, established reputations in their local or regional market, and a team capable of continuing to operate under new ownership. We are most drawn to situations where an owner is considering succession or retirement and wants the business they have built to be continued, not taken apart.

01
Owner-led, succession-minded
Founders or long-tenured owners considering their succession who care where the business lands.
02
Recurring or contracted revenue
Business models where customers renew, re-engage, or remain under contract year after year.
03
Specialist, regulated, or certified
Services where expertise, accreditation, or compliance requirements create durable competitive position.
Indicative size and structure
  • GeographyAcross the UK
  • Revenue£2–10m
  • EBITDA£0.5–1.5m
  • Enterprise value£2.5–5m
  • Deal typeSuccession-driven sale by founder or long-tenured owner
  • Sector focusUK specialist services where expertise, accreditation, regulation, or compliance create durable competitive position

If your business sits outside these ranges but the fit is otherwise close, please still get in touch — the sizing is indicative, not a hard filter.

What to Expect

How a conversation with us works.

  1. An introductory call
    A confidential conversation with our Managing Partner, Craig. We talk about the business, your timing, and what a good outcome would look like for you. NDA on request.
  2. A written proposal
    If both sides want to take it further, we set out what we’d offer — in writing and specific — within a few weeks of the first call.
  3. A preliminary agreement
    Once a proposal both sides are comfortable with is in place, we move to formal headline terms, typically with a short period of exclusivity.
  4. Completion
    From there to closing usually takes a few months, working alongside your accountant and lawyer through diligence, financing, and legal documentation.

Throughout, you deal with Craig directly. If we can’t move forward, we say so quickly — your time matters as much as ours.

About

Built on lived experience and financial discipline.

Craig Ritchie is the founder and Managing Partner of Heimdall Partners. Originally from Scotland, his career has spanned actuarial advisory, strategy consulting, and finance leadership across UK, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries.

Beyond the corporate roles, Craig served four years as a Director of Air Services Training — a Scottish SME at the same scale as Heimdall’s acquisition targets. Those experiences shape Heimdall's approach.

Heimdall exists to be a long-term home for founders considering succession, supported by the financial discipline and structural rigour these deals actually require.

Craig is a keen golfer and avid football fan, but get him talking about any sport and he will have an opinion.

Craig Ritchie, founder of Heimdall Partners.
Contact

If you would like to hear more, please get in touch.

craig.ritchie@heimdall-partners.com