Titan Group CIO’s Monthly Insights

Welcome to our CIO Monthly Insights update ‘The view from Wigmore Street’.

This monthly publication provides investment feedback and opinions from the people responsible for heading up the investment of your wealth across the various businesses under the Titan Group umbrella. This does not represent ‘Titan house views’, rather it aims to give you an insight into the investment debates we are having internally across our various businesses.

We hope you find it interesting and informative.

Not a recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Titan Alternatives, in partnership with Fuel Ventures, launches £50m Fuel Ventures VCT fund

Titan Alternatives, in partnership with Fuel Ventures, has launched a £50m VCT fundraise to be listed on the London Stock Exchange with Titan Alternatives acting as the main promoter.

The VCT will focus on investing in top-performing portfolio companies, often co-investing with Fuel Ventures’ existing EIS funds. It will offer investors a diverse portfolio, targeting 30 investments in the first 3 years. Whilst Titan Alternatives have been intrinsically involved in the introduction of significant capital to a number of VCTs since 2005, it is the first time we have been named as the main promoter of a VCT within a prospectus.

Titan Alternatives will be acting as Promoter under the terms set out in the Offer Agreement – the first product launch since rebranding. The Fuel Ventures VCT offer is for subscription for up to £10 million of ordinary shares with an over-allotment facility for up to a further £40 million of ordinary shares.

Titan Alternatives, which provides investment solutions through VCTs, EISs, Hedge Funds and PE was acquired by Titan Wealth in 2022 and rebranded in November 2023 to bring it in line with the Titan group brand architecture. Providing personalised portfolio diversification and tax-efficient investment solutions to high net worth, sophisticated and elective professional investors, the team have built a strong reputation for gaining access to often exclusive and wide-ranging opportunities, outside of those offered by mainstream wealth management firms.

Titan Alternatives’ clients have invested over £650 million across a diverse range of investments and strategies. With a rich history and wide-ranging experience within the VCT sector encompassing Titan Alternatives’ development and the introduction of significant capital, the firm has facilitated approximately £80 million of investment into VCT offers to date.

Fuel Ventures Ltd is led by entrepreneur Mark Pearson who successfully exited several businesses including MyVoucherCodes and Paddle, a UK company now valued at $1.4bn. He is supported by a team of 23 people who have sourced, scaled and exited multiple businesses together.

Please find the Prospectus here.

Matthew Cureton, Co-Founder & MD of Titan Alternatives said  “Since 2005 we have gained experience of working with and introducing capital to various VCT managers covering a range of different mandates and sectors. Now, for the first time since our inception we are excited to take the role as a Promoter for the Fuel Ventures VCT following our positive experiences of working with Mark Pearson and his team at Fuel Ventures over a number of years within their EIS portfolios. We believe this VCT offers investors an opportunity to participate in a diversified group of tech-enabled companies benefiting from the knowledge and support of Fuel Ventures in their journey to achieving significant scale.”

Stan Williams, Partner of Fuel Ventures said “The Fuel Ventures VCT is an important addition to our investment strategy, giving us the opportunity to back our winning companies as they scale, throughout the year. We have ambitious plans for the VCT to become a £100m+ fund. We are thrilled that Titan Alternatives, a long-term partner, has chosen to act as the main promoter, showing their support for this new launch.”

Titan Wealth Group announces sponsorship of GB Sevens men’s and women’s teams

We have today announced our sponsorship of GB Sevens Rugby, becoming the Principal Partner and Main Shirt Sponsor of both the men’s and women’s teams for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 HSBC World SVNS.

Rugby Sevens is an established sport around the world with great heritage and tradition. In recent years the short form of the game has attracted new audiences around the world and helped to develop rugby as a truly diverse and inclusive sport.

Titan Wealth has an ambitious strategy for growth over the next 3 years, both in the UK and internationally. This ambition is mirrored by GB Sevens Rugby and the Performance3 management team who have been appointed by the Home Unions of England, Scotland and Wales, to oversee the growth and development of the GB Sevens programme. The partnership announced today is an incredibly exciting joint opportunity for both GB Sevens and Titan Wealth.

Group Chairman and joint CEO of TITAN, James Kaberry said:

“Sport is a great connector in business. Titan and all of our wealth management businesses are huge sports fans – particularly when it comes to rugby. We are extremely excited to be partnering with GB Sevens as we both look to grow our talent pathways. This partnership will help us grow on the domestic and international stages, underpinning our plans for growth over the next two years and beyond.”

Joe Lydon of Performance3, who spearhead the performance management and strategic alignment of the GB Sevens programme in affiliation with England (RFU), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU) Rugby, said:

Great Britain Sevens are proud to have partnered with Titan Wealth as Principal Partner and Main Shirt Sponsor of the women’s and men’s GB Sevens squads in this exciting year of Sevens Rugby which culminates with the Paris Olympic Games.

“The GB Sevens programme, the ambitions for the revamped HSBC SVNS Series and the Rugby Sevens pathway, align perfectly with the growth and development ambitions of Titan Wealth. We are looking forward to building a strong partnership as we provide and support on and off field opportunities for our respective teams and their growth“.  

Titan Wealth Closes Partnership Transaction with Parthenon Capital

Titan Wealth [Titan] finalised the closing of its previously announced partnership transaction with Parthenon Capital [Parthenon]. Parthenon will provide access to additional resources as Titan executes on its strategy to provide integrated financial advice, investment management, and platform services through a comprehensive client-to-custody strategy.

Parthenon is a leading growth-oriented private equity firm with a long track record of building franchise companies in the wealth management sector. Parthenon acquired a majority stake in Titan.

Titan has also completed the previously announced acquisition of Telford Mann, a leading financial advice business based in Kettering. The Telford Mann transaction represents another important milestone as Titan builds out its financial advice capability, a key component of the firm’s client-to-custody strategy.

TITAN WEALTH ACQUIRES ASPIRA CORPORATE SOLUTIONS

Titan Wealth Holdings (Titan) has today announced that it is acquiring Aspira Corporate Solutions Limited (subject to regulatory approval).The acquisition increases Titan’s AuM by £4bn to a total of £16.6bn.  

Established in 2000, Aspira Corporate Solutions has become a driving force within the independent financial advisory and employee benefits sector. Based in Bristol, it draws upon years of expertise to offer valuable financial advice via its team of 50 financial and corporate advisors to over 15,000 private and corporate clients across the UK. Aspira’s business model centres on providing expert, personal advice to its clients, built on strong, long-term relationships. It works closely with its diverse array of clients to ensure the advice it provides is constantly adapting to changing external and internal circumstances.

Aspira is a highly-regarded and successful financial advice business, and the acquisition will complement the existing retail offering of the Titan group and elevate its overall position in the market. Titan is already in a strategic partnership with Aspira to develop the investment proposition and manage the Aspira Model Portfolio Service investments.

Derek Miles, CEO of Aspira will become CEO of the financial planning division of Titan, with the remit to oversee the financial planning business within the Titan Group focussing on providing existing and new retail and corporate clients with financial advice and solutions.

Andrew Fearon, Joint Group CEO and Head of M&A at Titan said: “Aspira is an outstanding firm, which has been evident since our first meeting. This acquisition aligns with Titan’s growth ambitions, expands our financial advice offering and further develops the ‘Client to Custody’ offering, which is central to our overall corporate strategy.

“We are excited to work closely with Derek and the team at Aspira, to support them on their journey and to grow and develop Titan Financial Planning.”

Derek Miles, CEO of Aspira saidWe are delighted to be joining the Titan team, to further enhance the range of solutions we can offer our clients and solidify our market position.

It is clear from the many discussions we have had to date that Aspira and Titan are very much aligned in our shared vision of an innovative and integrated approach to financial advice. Today’s announcement marks a key step in our journey to enhance and improve our client proposition and brings with it lots of exciting opportunities which we will be working closely together to develop.

I am personally excited to take the Aspira team to such a forward thinking business and to join Andrew, James and the rest of the senior team at Titan to deliver on the fantastic potential of the expanding group”

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

TITAN WEALTH REACHES CHANGE OF CONTROL MILESTONEWITH PARTHENON CAPITAL

The FCA has authorised change of control between Titan Wealth Holdings (Titan) and Parthenon Capital (Parthenon), formalising the strategic partnership between the two businesses. Closing will occur later this month.  

Parthenon is a leading U.S. private equity firm with deep financial services expertise and a strong
track-record and reputation in the wealth management sector. Following closing Parthenon will become the majority shareholder in Titan.

Parthenon will provide Titan with strong financial backing and support its aim to deliver integrated financial advice, investment, and platform services through a comprehensive client-to-custody strategy. Access to additional capital will also help support Titan’s ongoing M&A activity.

Andrew Fearon, Joint CEO and Head of M&A at Titan said: “The change of control milestone cements our relationship with Parthenon. The deal supports our overall acquisition strategy and will be instrumental for our future growth plans as a business. Parthenon’s substantial expertise in growing and developing businesses will also be invaluable for Titan, as we continue with our growth plans.”

Andrew Dodson, Managing Partner at Parthenon Capital said: “Titan is a fantastic business and the perfect investment for our first venture into the UK wealth market. From our many conversations with the team, it is clear that our strategic ambitions for the Titan business are very much in alignment. We look forward to working with the Titan team as they continue to build on the strong track record of growth and enhance the business’s unique, vertically integrated client-to-custody support.”

Titan Investment Solutions appointed to manage Tideway UCITS Funds ICAV

Titan Wealth have announced that the Tideway UCITS Funds ICAV has appointed Titan Investment Solutions as Investment Manager to the newly renamed Titan Hybrid Capital Bond Fund (the Fund). As a result, the investment team, which includes Peter Doherty and Chris Turdean, has joined Titan Wealth to manage and grow the Fund.

The Fund was incepted in August 2016 and has since returned 24.3% to investors and 11.7% over the last 12 months. It invests in high quality global issuers, lower down in the capital structure to achieve enhanced yield. It now boasts a Yield to Maturity of 8.8% and an Effective Duration of 5.2 years, positioning it well to prosper at the back end of the current rate hiking cycle. The Fund’s distributing share-class has provided investors with a distribution yield of 7.6% over the last 12 months (£6.64p per unit).

The Fund will be run by Peter Doherty, Head of Fixed Income and Lead Fund Manager. Peter has over 35 years’ experience in fixed income markets. He set-up the Tideway UCITS Funds ICAV and has been Lead Manager on the Titan Hybrid Capital Bond Fund (previously the Sanlam Hybrid Capital Bond Fund) since its inception in 2016.

Peter will be accompanied by Chris Turdean, Investment Associate. Chris has 5 years’ experience in fixed income and started his career working as Portfolio Manager Assistant on the Fund.

Paul Hunt, CEO Titan Asset Management, comments:

“We are thrilled to welcome Peter and Chris to Titan. The investment team have done a fantastic job of managing the Titan Hybrid Capital Bond Fund since its inception, bringing an impressive track record and the highest rating of 5-Crowns from FE fundinfo.

“As part of the Titan Investment Solutions team, Peter and Chris will play a key role in building out our in-house fixed income offering, with new and innovative products that meet the needs and requirements of Titan Group’s clients and the broader UK wealth management market.”

Peter Doherty, Head of Fixed Income, comments:

“It is exciting to combine the dynamic growth culture at Titan with an incredible opportunity set in the fixed income markets. We look forward to creating and managing differentiated fixed income funds and products for the benefit of private clients both within the Titan Group and across the wider UK Wealth Management and DFM markets.”    

Titan Wealth acquires Prism Financial Advice Ltd

Well established business with c.£630m AUA

Titan Wealth Holdings (Titan) announces today that it has acquired independent financial advice firm Prism Financial Advice Ltd [subject to regulatory approval]. The acquisition will increase Titan Wealth’s total assets under management / advice to over £12.6bn.

Based in Gateshead, Prism is a well-established financial advice firm, with a team of 17 independent financial advisers, 25 support staff and over £630m assets under advice. Established in 2005 Prism has extensive expertise within financial planning, including pensions, investments, and protection.

Prism will be fully incorporated into Titan – benefitting from access to Titan’s wider group product and services in the process. With Prism’s office based in the north of England, the acquisition represents a valuable opportunity for Titan to expand its geographical footprint across the UK. 

Andrew Fearon, Joint CEO & Head of M&A at Titan said: “Prism is an extremely well-run business, with a strong reputation in the industry. This acquisition will further bolster the Titan network, allowing us to enhance the advisory offering that form part of our client to custody solutions and services.”

Stephen Price, Managing Director at Prism, said: “I, and my fellow owners/directors, Michael Smith and Neil McGann believe the acquisition of Prism by Titan, represents a significant move forward in the growth and development of the business, and a sound endorsement of our drive to be the adviser of choice for those who seek truly independent financial advice.

Over the last year we have worked very closely with Titan’s senior leadership to establish if the acquisition of Prism was the right move for all parties, and we have been very impressed with their likeminded approach, their openness, their vision, and their strong commitment to deliver market leading financial solutions to consumers.                                                          

Our decision to become part of Titan was reached, only after much research and analysis of their business structure, their culture, their plans for growth and development, and the benefits such a move would bring to our clients, our employees, and the wider Titan group. In all respects, we are now very clear that the acquisition will deliver immediate and long term benefits on all those fronts and further establish the group as major force in UK financial services.  

We are delighted to be joining Titan, as it continues to expand and diversify its portfolio and look forward to working with the whole team to enhance who we are, what we do, and how we do what we do.”

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

Titan Wealth funds annual MyLondon photography contest to support the homeless

GPP part of the  Titan Wealth Holdings group has provided funding for the annual ‘MyLondon’ project, which aims to empower those who are and have recently been made homeless.

GPP has provided the funding for prizes for the MyLondon photography competition, which has run every Summer in London for the past decade. The 2023 event took place between Friday 26 May and Friday 2 June, with awards including best portrait and most creative photo. Participants in the contest have all recently become homeless; coming mainly from art groups run by homelessness-sector organisations, including Crisis, St Mungo’s and 240 Project.

The MyLondon project also involves photography training, an exhibition, and the printing and selling of calendars, greeting cards, and photographs. The initiative aims to inspire people affected by homelessness in London to create lasting change in their own lives through confidence building, learning new skills and social inclusion. It also seeks to increase understanding of the issues surrounding homelessness in a positive way.

MyLondon is run by Café Art – a London-based charity with a mission to change lives and empower people affected by homelessness through creativity and entrepreneurship. Titan Wealth contacted Cafe Art to rent paintings and MYLONDON photos to decorate their recently expanded office in London. The rental scheme supports artists and photographers who are and have been homeless. By supporting these people Titan Wealth is helping us help people reconnect with the wider community and also to help them financially.

Find out more about Café Art – www.cafeart.org.uk/mylondon

Julian Parker, Chairman, GPP, said: “MyLondon is a fantastic initiative, which empowers people affected by homelessness in London by providing them with a safe and sociable environment where they can express themselves through art. As a business, we are extremely passionate about charitable initiatives that are driving positive change in creative ways. We are committed to supporting charitable initiatives like MyLondon project, as the business continue to grow. .”Paul Ryan, at MyLondon, said: ‘’By helping Cafe Art and MYLONDON through supporting the 2023 MYLONDON project, which results in the 2024 MYLONDON calendar, Titan Wealth/GPP is making a real difference in a constructive and positive way’’

Titan Wealth acquires Square Mile Investment Consulting and Research Ltd

Well established business with c. £2.6bn in MPS portfolios

27 June 2023 – Titan Wealth Holdings [Titan Wealth] announces it has acquired investment research and consultancy firm Square Mile, subject to regulatory approval.

Square Mile brings a wealth of expertise, including a 21-strong team of research analysts covering the universe of UK retail funds, an investment management team responsible for Square Mile’s range of MPS solutions and its consultancy services for financial intermediaries and institutions.  In Titan Wealth, Square Mile has secured a long-term shareholder, committed to growing and developing its range of client services enabling them to deliver enhanced customer outcomes, and helping to expand the firm’s market footprint.

The acquisition encompasses the c.£2.6bn in assets under management currently held within Square Mile’s MPS portfolios and will enable Titan Wealth to further expand its competitive, low-cost MPS proposition. Titan Wealth will also benefit from Square Mile’s broad industry relationships across the financial advice and asset management sectors.

Square Mile will continue to operate under its own brand following the acquisition and its management and wider team will remain in place both supporting and being supported by Titan Wealth in achieving its ambitions.

The acquisition takes Titan Wealth’s AUM to £12bn and strengthens the fully integrated client to custody solutions.

Andrew Fearon, Joint CEO & Head of M&A at Titan Wealth said: “Square Mile is a highly reputable business whose products and services integrate and align seamlessly with Titan’s. This latest acquisition further bolsters our aim to bring high-quality execution and administration to the asset and wealth management sector through our our client to custody solutions and services.”

Richard Romer-Lee, Square Mile’s CEO, said: ”This acquisition represents a very exciting opportunity for our clients, the business and our team.  The backing of Titan Wealth will help us strengthen and broaden our clients offerings, supports Square Mile’s long-term growth aspirations and opens new professional avenues for our staff within the broader group. Moreover, Titan Wealth and Square Mile have a close cultural fit with a client-centric approach and a focus on delivering superior customer outcomes and we are confident that this development will bring significant benefits to all.”  

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval

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