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Newable
Newable began in 1982 as Greater London Enterprise, a company limited by guarantee with the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London Corporation as members.
Newable
Newable began in 1982 as Greater London Enterprise, a company limited by guarantee with the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London Corporation as members. It rebranded in 2016 to reflect a national footprint and the ambition CEO Chris Manson brought when he joined that year. In 2023 the firm converted to a 100% employee-owned entity — Newable Partnership Ltd — removing the local-government member structure and vesting equity across its 1,200-person workforce. The firm targets UK-based B2B companies generating £1m–£3m in EBITDA, executing buyouts, management buyouts, and succession-driven acquisitions. Alongside its direct investment arm, Newable runs a direct lending practice focused on regulated sectors and an early-stage co-investment programme. The firm credits its in-house Growth Team — spanning HR, digital, finance, marketing, and ESG — as the mechanism that differentiates its post-acquisition value creation from conventional private equity. CEO Chris Manson has publicly stated a goal of tripling the business within five years, consistent with the employee-ownership conversion and a push to systematise its buy-and-build playbook. Geographic focus is pan-UK, with deal origination concentrated in regulated B2B sub-sectors where incumbent fragmentation still allows roll-up economics. The group now counts 1,200 employees and serves more than 20,000 businesses annually through three interconnected lines: investment, tailored lending, and flexible workspace solutions. Its leadership includes CIO Peter Barrand, who runs the investment activity, and CEO Chris Manson, who has been in post since 2016. The firm operates from a single London headquarters. A significant recent milestone was Newable's acquisition by Maven in December 2023, which placed the firm inside a larger UK private equity and alternative asset management group while it simultaneously deepened its employee-ownership identity. Newable’s structural differentiator is the overlay of an employee-owned holding company on a diversified SME-finance platform. Where most UK lower-mid-market investors operate as traditional GP/LP funds, Newable sits inside a 100% employee-owned group that combines direct equity, direct lending, and physical workspace provision. This architecture — reinforced by the December 2023 Maven acquisition — creates an unusual alignment between workforce incentives and portfolio-company outcomes that sits outside conventional fund-life constraints.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
1982
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
London, United Kingdom
Principals
Chris Manson
Chief Executive Officer
Peter Barrand
Chief Investment Officer
Rob Thompson
Chief Financial Officer
Ketevan Moseshvili
Chief ESG Officer
Monica Whitefield
Chief People Officer
Ruth Holmes
Chief Marketing Officer
Mashudul Karim
Chief Technology Officer
Angus MacLennan
Non Executive Director, Chair of Newable Partnership Ltd
Vanessa Sharp
Non Executive Director, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Newable's employee-ownership structure affect its investment approach?
Newable converted to 100% employee ownership in 2023 via Newable Partnership Ltd. This replaces traditional GP/LP fund economics with a structure where all employees hold a stake in the firm's long-term success. For portfolio companies, the practical effect is that value-creation incentives sit across a broader delivery team — including the in-house HR, digital, finance, marketing, and ESG specialists who work directly with investee management — rather than concentrated in a small group of deal partners.
What is Newable's relationship with Maven?
Maven acquired Newable in December 2023. Newable continues to operate as a distinct entity within the Maven group, retaining its employee-ownership governance. The acquisition places Newable inside a larger UK private equity and alternative asset manager while the firm maintains its own investment committee, origination channels, and the 'Buy, Grow, Realise' strategy CEO Chris Manson has set.
Who makes investment decisions at Newable?
Peter Barrand is Chief Investment Officer and runs the investment team. He reports to CEO Chris Manson, who has led the firm since 2016. The firm’s website does not publish biographies of individual investment committee members, but the public-facing leadership team collectively oversees the allocation of capital across buyouts, direct lending, and early-stage co-investments.
What types of businesses does Newable target for investment?
Newable targets UK-based B2B companies generating £1m to £3m in EBITDA, with a preference for regulated sectors where fragmentation permits buy-and-build strategies. The firm executes buyouts, management buyouts, and succession-driven acquisitions. Its Growth Team then provides operational support across HR, digital, finance, marketing, and ESG to accelerate post-acquisition performance.
Does Newable invest in early-stage companies or is it strictly a buyout shop?
Newable’s primary investment model is lower-mid-market buyouts. However, the firm also operates an early-stage co-investment programme alongside its buyout activity. Additionally, its direct lending arm provides capital to SMEs at earlier stages of maturity, giving the group exposure across the UK small-business lifecycle.
How did Newable originate, and what was its original purpose?
Newable was established in 1982 as Greater London Enterprise, a company limited by guarantee whose members were the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London Corporation. It functioned as an economic-development vehicle for the capital. In 2016, the firm rebranded to Newable under CEO Chris Manson and expanded nationally, culminating in the 2023 employee-ownership conversion and the sale to Maven later that year.
What is Newable's ESG posture, and who leads that function?
Newable publishes an annual ESG report and maintains a formal ESG strategy, overseen by Chief ESG Officer Ketevan Moseshvili, who joined the firm in 2005. The firm's website states a commitment to inclusive economic development, sustainability, and transparent operations — themes that run through both its internal operations and the advisory support the Growth Team delivers to portfolio companies.
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