Wales Dealmakers Awards 2026 finalists revealed

The deals, advisory firms, funders and people in the running to win the Wales Dealmakers Awards 2026 have been announced by Insider.

The awards will celebrate the top acquisitions, funding deals and buyouts completed in the year to May 2026, and the individuals and firms that made the deals happen.

These are the shortlists: 

Dealmaker of the Year

• Simon Marsden, Gambit Corporate Finance
• Katherine Broadhurst, Azets
• Beverley Jones, Acuity Law
• Geraint McGrath, FRP Corporate Finance
• Joanna Thomas, Development Bank of Wales
• Thomas Edwards, FRP Corporate Finance
• Emma Borrington, Knights

Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year

Corporate Law Firm of the Year

• Geldards
• Acuity Law
• HCR Law
• Berry Smith
• Redkite Solicitors
• Browne Jacobson
• Darwin Gray

Funder of the Year

Emerging Dealmaker of the Year

Deal of the Year (£25m+)

• Premier Forest Product’s acquisition of National Timber Systems (Gambit Corporate Finance, Acuity Law, HSBC UK)
• Investment by Veezu in Cab9 Holdings (Browne Jacobson, MML Capital Partners, Pinsent Masons)
• Sale of Victorian Sliders to Inwido (BGF, Grant Thornton, Hugh James, CIL, Kroll) 
• Investment in Cardo Group (Knights, A&O Shearman, Dentons, Alvarez & Marsal) 
• Sale of Templegate Electrical Supplies to Marlowe Holdings (Grant Thornton, Blake Morgan, Webb & Co) 
• Investment in Avantis Marine (Leon Capital, Development Bank of Wales, Grant Thornton, Acuity Law, Blake Morgan, AMA USA Capital Partners, Reed Smith, Shoosmiths)
• Cardo Group’s acquisition of Trident Maintenance Services (Knights, Quantify Advisers, Eventus Law) 

Mid Sized Deal of the Year (£5m – £25m)

• Investment in Coincover (Development Bank of Wales, Foundation Capital, DRW Holdings , CMT Digital, Susquehanna Equity Partners, Fidelity, 13 Books Capital, Blake Morgan, Geldards)
• Sale of Kurve to ClearCourse (FRP Corporate Finance, Browne Jacobson, Grant Thornton, Claritas Tax, Muckle) 
• Investment in Bay Productions (Kingford Investments, Dow Schofield Watts Corporate Finance, Blake Morgan) 
• Sale of Edwards Diving Services to Envolve Infrastructure (FRP Corporate Finance, Geldards, Kilsby Williams, Walker Morris, Menzies, Deloitte)
• Buy-in management buyout of Play Revolution (Foresight Group, Barford Owen Davies, BK Plus, MFG, Capital Law, Claritas Tax, Yareta, Vista, Graham & Sibbald, SudoCyber)
• Sale of Learna Holdings to Reducate UK (FRP Corporate Finance, Gambit Corporate Finance, Acuity Law, Berry Smith, Shoosmiths, Hugh James, Hazlewoods) 
• Sale of Remit Group Holdings to Inspiro Learning (Acuity Law, Grant Thornton, DLA Piper, Alvarez and Marsal)

Small Business Deal of the Year (up to £5m)

• Investment in Alesi Surgical (IW Capital, IP Group, Mercia Ventures, Browne Jacobson, EMW Law, Moore Walker Partners)
• Management buyout of KECW Group (Knights, Development Bank of Wales, SME Finance Partners, Darwin Gray, Blake Morgan, Alan Whiteley) 
• Sale of Fordthorne Automotive Business to Arnold Clark (Acuity Law, Brabners, Eversheds Sutherland, TLT, Creation Consumer Finance, Ortus Secured Finance)
• Management buyout of of 1st Choice Accident Repair Centre (Iridium Corporate Services, UKSE, Thompson Darwin)
• Acquisition of Pizza Tipi by WCC Estates (JCP Solicitors, Morgan LaRoche, Redkite Solicitors, LHP, Ashmole & Co, HSBC UK)
• Management buyout of Drac Consulting (Development Bank of Wales, JCP Solicitors, Blake Morgan, McTaggart, SME Finance Partners)
• Sale of Llanelec Precision Engineering to Hanover Investors (Acuity Law, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Foot Anstey, Kroll)

Private Equity / Venture Capital Deal of the Year

• Seed investment in PlantSea (Angel Invest Wales, Mentra Ventures, Sustainable Ventures, SyndicateRoom, Browne Jacobson, Weightmans, Acuity Law)
• Investment in MeOmics Precision Medicine (Women Angels of Wales, Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund, Browne Jacobson, Thompson Darwin)
• Sale of Victorian Sliders to Inwido (BGF, Grant Thornton, Hugh James, CIL, Kroll) 
• Investment in Sidekick Money (Development Bank of Wales, EOS Ventures, Koro Capital, Seedcamp, 1818 Venture Capital, Blackwood, MS&A, Pact VC,  TheVentureCity, Blake Morgan, CMS, )
• Funding for Antiverse (Development Bank of Wales, Soulmates Ventures, i&i BioTech, Innovation Investment Capital, Kadmos Capital, Blake Morgan, Wilson Sonsini, Lewis Silkin)
• Investment in Ceryx Medical (Development Bank of Wales, BGF, Parkwalk Advisors, Bristol Private Equity Club, Hugh James, Acuity Law, Ashfords)
• Funding for Goldwise (Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund, Browne Jacobson, Templebright) 

International Deal of the Year 

• Sale of Hiut Denim to EAAVL (Acuity Law, Payne Hicks Beach)
• Acquisition by PLUG Charging of Norwegian-owned EV charging infrastructure (Browne Jacobson, DAC Beachcroft, Wattif, Barclays Bank)
• Sale of Learna Holdings to Reducate UK (Acuity Law, FRP Corporate Finance, Gambit Corporate Finance, Berry Smith) 
• Sale of Elmatic to NIBE Group (Gambit Corporate Finance, Geldards)
• Investment in Avantis Marine (Leon Capital, Grant Thornton, Acuity Law) 

The award winners will be revealed at the Wales Dealmakers Awards 2026 dinner at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff on the evening of Thursday 17 September. Please click here for further details.