2nd August 2023

Vanti primed for growth after securing funding worth £1.5m from the MEIF

Master Systems Integrator Vanti is set to continue its ambitious growth plans by securing funding worth £1.5m from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), provided by The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund and backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme.

The business has secured a loan facility which will be used to grow its team by 50% to around 75 employees by the end of October, make improvements to its Birmingham HQ and invest in systems across the business to help deliver its growth strategy.

Vanti specialises in integrating technology and delivering exciting digital experiences within buildings and spaces. This ranges from installing bespoke cinema rooms and meeting spaces to delivering all the technology present in large commercial buildings.

It is currently helping to deliver Birmingham's first smart-enabled buildings at One Centenary Way, part of the £1.2bn Paradise development, and the £30m Enterprise Wharf development which is being delivered at the Innovation Birmingham Campus. It also has a pipeline of cutting-edge building and fitout projects in the future.

Vanti also works across the UK with several internationally recognised organisations such as Informa, Citigroup and Tottenham Hotspur FC. It has also recently been awarded B Corp certification, joining businesses globally to tackle some of society's biggest challenges, and is on a mission to help other companies and the wider construction and technology industries to commit to tackling its ESG targets.

Finance Director at Vanti, Alastair Prince, said: "We are thrilled to have partnered with FSE to assist with our growth plans at Vanti. By spending the last few years defining and carving out the role of an MSI in the Smart Building industry, we've reached the perfect moment to supercharge our plans for the future.

"Being able to secure funding to this value considering the current financial climate is a huge achievement and shows the confidence investors have in the USP offering that Vanti provides our growth plans and the future vision and ambition we have for Vanti.

"Alongside this secured funding we're also actively working on pursuing investment - we're talking to several interested parties looking to join us on our journey and we're planning to grow our team by over 50% by the end of the year. It's incredibly exciting to be part of Vanti."

Ryan Cartwright, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, said: "Vanti is a hugely ambitious business which has shown a real specialism for integrating technology into the built environment while also developing an extremely successful business. We hope these funds help Vanti continue its growth and we're excited to see where the journey takes them."

Mark Wilcockson, Senior Investment Manager, at the British Business Bank, said: “The Midlands Engine Investment Fund backs innovative SMEs businesses in the Midlands with growth potential and expansion plans. This investment for Birmingham based Vanti will contribute to the growth of the businesses, as well as the wider local economy through the creation of 75 job roles and through the company’s growing work with major projects for the region.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2022 and the European Investment Bank. The FSE Group manages a section of MEIF that provides investments between £100,000 and £1.5 million to support growing SMEs across the region. For more information visit: www.thefsegroup.com/fund/midlands-engine-investment-fund-debt-finance.