New capital investment firm BlueMount Capital has announced the opening of UK operations this week.
BlueMount Capital, formed by four highly experienced corporate advisers, delivers a broad range of funding services to sophisticated investors and private and public companies.
The firm currently has offices open in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, and is expanding their services to operate on an international level.
Queensland managing director, Dr Mark Rainbird, says opening an office in the UK and Ireland will allow the business to take advantage of European market opportunities, in addition to facilitating local companies with overseas capital.
“Obtaining growth capital offshore rather than through limited local options can prove to be a successful move for Australian companies,” Dr Rainbird says.
“Opening an arm in the UK not only creates opportunities to obtain capital but also allows listing on major markets such as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange or the Alternative Investment Market.
“We are expanding the company and its services to capitalize on key opportunities in Europe whilst also creating worldwide networks in order to facilitate and enhance the success of capital raising for our local clients.”
Director of the UK office Benn Zemek, who is in Brisbane this week for the launch, has extensive experience in transaction origination, financial structuring, capital raising and investment management of various real estate investment strategies.
The UK office will also service Ireland, with the assistance of director Ian Leslie, who has broad experience in the real estate industry extending from property valuation, asset and portfolio management, and acquisitions across the commercial, retail and industrial sectors.
Mr Zemek says BlueMount have been working with himself and Mr Leslie for the past 18 months on a number of real estate transactions within the UK and Ireland, which prompted the opening of the office in the region.
“The decision to open the office comes as a result of extensive work with Ian and myself, and the subsequent successful procurement of equity and debt capital for UK and Irish based real estate companies,” Mr Zemek says.
“BlueMount has been acutely focused on two key opportunities in the UK and Ireland, being the re-capitalisation of non-performing loans and investment into early stage business growth opportunities, both which benefit from the low input cost environment and strong European and US demand.
“To date we have successfully raised EUR 370m from large US and European institutions and US and Asian family offices. The funding facilities procured include equity and convertible note special private placements and senior debt.
Dr Rainbird says it is also important that companies in Australia do not restrict the potential of their capital raising by only seeking capital within the country.
“Australia is a small country with a small pool for investment which creates limitations to business owners to effectively raise capital locally,” Dr Rainbird says.
“International markets can offer a less onerous process and provide the exposure that Australian companies should be aiming for.
“Operating in the UK will generate a pathway between BlueMount Capital and international funds and stock markets, giving clients the potential to gain massive global exposure for investor capital.”
“Bluemount Capital offers expert services and assistance from pre-IPO plans and funding, to providing Special Private Placements and floating a company on a recognized exchange. We also deal with merger and acquisitions, private equity funding, wholesale debt and equity funding and capital raisings,” Dr Rainbird says.
“The management team are specialists in all aspects of financial transactions and have successfully completed hundreds of deals in these fields.
“Our firm’s extensive global network of professionals will also ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the most sophisticated proposals.”
