A series of high-profile acquisitions and mergers have been announced over the last couple of weeks.
The likes of Gary Neville, Boohoo and Begbies Traynor are among those to have been involved.
Below, BusinessLive has rounded up 16 of the biggest deals from across the region from the last couple of weeks we feel you should not miss.
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If you have a new deal that you would like featured in our next round up, please e-mail jon.robinson@reachplc.com.
Buzz16
A majority stake in Gary Neville's content company has been acquired by a global independent marketing business.
Miroma Group has made a multi-million-pound investment in Buzz16 as it plans an initial public offering which would value it at over £200m.
Buzz16, which was founded by the former Manchester United and England footballer in 2016, produces the likes of The Overlap and works with Amazon Prime, Sky Sports and the Premier League.
Boohoo
A group owned by one of the richest men in the world has increased its stake in Boohoo.
Citadel GP LLC, which is majority owned by billionaire founder and chief executive Ken Griffin, has upped its holdings in the Manchester-headquartered fashion giant from 5.3% to 8.9%.
Mr Griffin provided funding to the Ricketts family in their failed bid to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last year.
Immotion Group
VR entertainment group Immotion is eyeing a new acquisition after completing a $25m deal to sell one of its divisions.
The Greater Manchester-headquartered company has disposed of its location-based entertainment business (LBE) to LBE BidCo Inc for $25.2m. The deal was first announced last month.
The division includes Immotion Studios, Immotion VR and C.2K Entertainment.
Appreciate Group
PayPoint has completed a £83m deal to take over the Christmas savings group founded by former Everton FC and Tranmere Rovers owner Peter Johnson.
Liverpool-headquartered Appreciate Group's brands include Love2shop, highstreetvounchers.com, Park Christmas Savings and Appreciate Business Services and had been listed on AIM.
Appreciate was known as Park Group until 2019 and is best known for its Christmas hampers but has long diversified into a wider range of savings products.
Turncoat Distillery
A Liverpool gin maker has been saved from closure after being rescued by a bar owner.
Turncoat Distillery has been snapped up by Edward Ridding, the co-founder of Liverpool’s first Spanish Pinchos bar, Roja Pinchos. His career has also seen him work for the soft drinks brand, Vimto and the gin brand, Bombay Sapphire.
The company had originally closed its doors at the start of December after six years in operation.
European Camping Group
The owner of Cheshire-based holidays company Eurocamp has completed a €1bn deal to become a European giant.
European Camping Group has snapped up Vacanceselect Group following the recent approval of the French competition authorities. The deal was first announced in July 2022.
As a result, the new group has more than tripled its campsite portfolio - providing holidaymakers a choice of 500 destinations across France, Italy, Spain, Croatia and The Netherlands. It is also targeting a turnover of €700m this year.
Redx Pharma
A Cheshire drug developer has agreed a merger worth $425m with a US counterpart.
Alderley Park-based Redx Pharma and Jounce Therapeutics are both unanimously recommending the deal to their shareholders.
Redx is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel, small molecule, targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and fibrotic diseases and the emerging area of cancer-associated fibrosis.
Curer-Chem Ltd
All jobs at a Salford-based cleaning products supplier have been saved after it was sold out of administration.
Curer-Chem Ltd, which trades as Hygienique, has been acquired in a deal overseen by administrators from business advisory firm Quantuma.
Hygienique was established in 1984 and specialised in the supply of cleaning products and PPE to multiple sectors including NHS, education and health care.
AeroCloud
A Cheshire company behind an airport management platform has plans to double its headcount after raising $12.6m.
The Series A funding round into Macclesfield-based AeroCloud was led by US fund Stage 2 Capital and supported by I2BF Global Ventures, Triple Point Ventures and Praetura Ventures.
Existing investors Playfair Capital and The Praetura and Haatch also took part through the Regional Angel Programme by the British Business Investments.
UrbanChain
Manchester-based UrbanChain has been awarded £430,000 by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
The company will now introduce electric vehicle charging stations and batteries to its renewable energy trading market.
CEO Somayeh Taheri said: "We are delighted to receive funding from a scheme that enhances the opportunity for world-leading innovative solutions to be used for the greater good."
The business has now received £2.1m in funding, including from Innovate UK and various government bodies.
Begbies Traynor
Eddisons, the property advisory and transactional services division of Manchester-headquartered Begbies Traynor, has acquired Mark Jenkinson & Son, a firm of chartered surveyors with a focus on property auctions.
The deal will expand its existing Sheffield team, following the October 2021 acquisition of Fernie Greaves.
The group will pay a total cash consideration of £400,000, payable from its existing financial resources.
Anthony Spencer, managing partner of Eddisons, said: "The acquisition of the Mark Jenkinson & Son business will enhance our existing property auction team and grow our successful team in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. I am very pleased to welcome the team to Eddisons and to the wider Begbies Traynor Group."
Paper Films
Manchester-based video production company Paper Films has been acquired by Place Capital Group (PCG).
It is the fifth deal by PCG, which since formation in 2021 has acquired architect practices Grounded, Loop Systems and MCAU, and place consultancy Fourth Street.
PCG is a development, management and advisory business that specialises in place making projects with mainly public sector clients, such as housing associations and local authorities.
Paper Films works with a wide range of public and private sector clients with an interest in place making and economic growth.
Ballistic Performance
Worsley-based Ballistic Performance has secured a £25,000 Start Up Loan through GC Business Finance, a delivery partner of the British Business Bank.
The loan provided the company with the initial cash injection needed to start up, enabling the gym to acquire essential gym kit and equipment, and hire a space for customers to train and take classes.
Ballistic Performance now serves 150 members, close to operating at full capacity.
Edge Hill University
Computer science academics at Edge Hill University have secured over £200,000 in government-backed funding to scale-up a national education and training provider.
The university’s SME Productivity and Innovation Centre (SME PIC) has partnered with Sefton-based business The Progress Group, an education provider who offers alternative provision via its subsidiary, Progress Schools.
The grant will be used to develop a smart learning platform which, through artificial intelligence (AI), will allow the provider to tailor its delivery to each specific student by understanding their current attainment levels and learning style, before developing a learning plan that is bespoke to them.
Operam Education Group
Operam Education Group, the BGF-backed education recruitment specialist, has completed the latest in a series of acquisitions.
The company has acquired Lancashire-based Bridge Education Recruitment for an undisclosed sum.
Founded in 2014, Bridge Education is the second acquisition by Operam in the last 12 months.
Bridge Education co-founder and director Sharon Bridge will remain with the business.
Kingdom Services Group
Newton-le-Willows-based Kingdom Services Group has acquired Dutton Fisher Associates - a national training provider with a focus on organisational, leadership and people development.
The company, along with Kingdom Training, has been rebranded as Kingdom Academy.
Directors and business owners Paul Dutton and Jo Fisher will continue to lead the company along with the existing SMT.
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