Mon, 02 Jun 2025 | BUSINESS NEWS
A Lancashire-based tech-driven fulfilment provider is set to target M&A opportunities after securing funding from private equity firm Palatine. Chorley-based fulfilmentcrowd operates a cloud-based platform that enables omni-channel retailers to outsource the entirety of their logistics and fulfilment process, from receipt of goods, picking and packing to dispatch and delivery.
The company has secured investment from Palatine, in the PE firm’s first investment from its recently-closed £254 million fund. Palatine has taken a majority stake in the company, with the transaction providing a partial exit for growth capital investor BGF, who initially invested in fulfilmentcrowd in 2021.
BGF will also reinvest in the business alongside Palatine, supporting fulfilmentcrowd as it continues on its growth journey, following a year in which the company shipped more than nine million items worldwide via its platform and increased its revenue by 20 per cent.
The company has also recently expanded its international footprint, with the launch of a new hub in Dublin, Ireland, as well as its new Asia-Pacific fulfilment hub in Sydney, Australia. Fulfilmentcrowd is set to open further bases in the US during 2025.
The investment from Palatine will support the company as it continues to grow organically in the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, as well as supporting it to deliver on M&A opportunities.
Palatine Senior Investment Director Tom Wildig said that fulfilmentcrowd’s “entrepreneurial management team [...] have done an excellent job in building a market-leading, asset-light tech company.”
He continued: "Leveraging our experience in tech services alongside our sector-leading approach to ESG, we look forward to supporting CEO Lee Thompson and the rest of the team to accelerate growth and achieve their goal of becoming the world’s number one fulfilment platform for omnichannel brands."
Lee Thompson, Chief Executive of fulfilmentcrowd, added: “The fulfilmentcrowd platform enables ambitious omnichannel brands to simplify and scale their global logistics operations. We flex our technology, expertise and service delivery model to deliver solutions that create competitive advantage.”
“In Palatine, we have found a genuine growth partner with the strategic expertise and positive approach to value creation that will help develop our entrepreneurial culture and drive sustainable growth over the coming years.”
Read more about the M&A trends shaping the logistics industry:
Automation is poised to transform UK industries and drive M&A
Activity slow in logistics sector, but M&A appetite remains high
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