Northern Ireland M&A Activity Declines Significantly in Q1 2025
Deal News | Jun 10, 2025 | EIN
M&A activity in Northern Ireland has significantly declined in the first quarter of 2025, as reported by Experian Market IQ. A total of 44 transactions took place, marking a 39% decrease from the 72 deals in the same period of 2024, and representing the lowest quarterly total since 2020. This decline follows five consecutive quarters of growth. The report attributes the downturn to global macroeconomic challenges and uncertainty among investors and deal-makers. Despite the overall drop, management buyouts and institutional buyouts saw slight increases, yet corporate acquisitions fell by 45%. Inward investment from countries like Sweden and the US remained robust, but outbound deals plummeted by 80%. Transaction values also saw a 79% year-on-year decline. Notable deals included Cloudsmith's £18m Series B funding and Stormharvester's £8.4m Series A funding. Other significant transactions involved acquisitions by Westland Horticulture, Verona Advisory, and an exit for MML Growth Capital Partners.
Sectors
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Private Equity
- Technology & Software
Geography
- Northern Ireland – The primary focus of the article is on the M&A activity within Northern Ireland during the first quarter of 2025.
- United Kingdom – Northern Ireland is part of the UK, and the article provides a comparison to UK-wide transactions.
Industry
- Mergers and Acquisitions – The article discusses transaction volume and value in Northern Ireland's M&A market in Q1 2025.
- Private Equity – Multiple equity funds and firms such as TCV and YFM Equity Partners are mentioned as participants in investment activities.
- Technology & Software – The article highlights significant funding rounds for tech companies like Cloudsmith and Stormharvester.
Financials
- 44 – Number of M&A deals in Northern Ireland in Q1 2025.
- 39% – Decrease in deal volume compared to Q1 2024.
- 79% – Decline in transaction value compared to Q1 2024.
- £18m – Series B funding amount raised by Cloudsmith.
- £8.4m – Series A funding amount raised by Stormharvester.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experian Market IQ | Source | Company | Provided the data and analysis on M&A activity in Northern Ireland. |
| Cloudsmith | Target Company | Company | A Belfast-based cloud software supply chain security firm that completed an £18m Series B funding round. |
| TCV | Investor | Company | A Californian equity fund that invested in Cloudsmith's Series B funding. |
| Stormharvester | Target Company | Company | An AI software platform developer for water management that completed an £8.4m Series A funding round. |
| YFM Equity Partners | Investor | Company | Led the £8.4m Series A funding round for Stormharvester. |
| Westland Horticulture | Acquiring Company | Company | Acquired Bulldog Products with funding support from Danske Bank. |
| Verona Advisory | Acquiring Company | Company | Acquired Courtney & Nelson, a Belfast-based confectionery wholesaler. |
| MML Growth Capital Partners | Vendor | Company | Exited from Natural World Products in a transaction involving an unnamed acquirer. |