Palatine Private Equity

Investment decisions sit with the partnership led by Managing Partner Gary Tipper, who co-founded the firm in 2005 alongside Tony Dickin and Andy Lees. The three founding partners remain active in the investment committee, maintaining continuity of decision-making across the firm's buyout and impact fund strategies. Day-to-day deal execution is managed by a broader team of partners and investment directors split between Manchester and London.

Palatine launched its dedicated impact fund in 2017, running it as a separate legal vehicle with a distinct investment committee and impact measurement framework. The impact fund targets the same UK lower mid-market buyout profile as the core strategy but screens exclusively for businesses delivering measurable environmental or social outcomes. The two funds share back-office infrastructure and partner oversight but maintain separate LP bases and carry structures.

Yes, Palatine operates an in-house debt fund that provides acquisition financing directly to its own portfolio companies, a structure uncommon among UK lower mid-market private equity firms. This allows Palatine to offer transaction certainty and faster close timelines than competitors who must syndicate debt to third-party lenders, which is a significant advantage when competing for founder-owned businesses where sellers prioritize deal certainty.

Palatine targets profitable, UK-headquartered businesses with enterprise values of £20 million to £150 million, writing equity cheques typically between £10 million and £50 million. The firm focuses on control buyouts across business services, technology, healthcare and consumer sectors, and has a well-established buy-and-build playbook — completing multiple bolt-on acquisitions under ownership to drive platform scale.

Palatine was founded in Manchester with an explicit thesis that the UK regional lower mid-market was underserved by London-centric buyout firms, and it maintains its headquarters there. However, the firm competes nationally, operates a London office, and invests across the entire UK. Its regional roots give it a sourcing advantage in the Midlands and North of England, where proximity to founders and management teams has been central to its deal origination strategy.