Post-Brexit Shot In The Arm For Leading Consumer Insights Business
The corporate team at Irwin Mitchell has provided legal advice on a new £2.5m investment by YFM Private Equity Ltd into leading consumer insights business, Vypr Validation Technologies.
The investment from YFM will enable Vypr to strengthen its sales and marketing operations, building on its existing customer base among food manufacturers, retails and FMCG brands, while supporting the firm’s ambitious plans for expansion into new sectors and overseas markets.
The Irwin Mitchell team was led by corporate partner Adam Kaucher, with key support from James King.
Founded in 2013 in Manchester, Vypr’s cloud based data-validation platform provides retailers and manufacturers such as Co-op, Weetabix and Muller with insight on what customers want, saving businesses time and cost when it comes to new product development.
Vypr’s industry leading process combines behavioural science with Vypr’s broad consumer panel, enabling clients to test all aspects of product innovation before ever reaching the shelves.
The deal will enable Manchester-based Vypr to pursue new product development, in addition to building on the firm’s existing European presence in Germany and France.
Expert Opinion
“We are delighted to have advised our client YFM on their first deal of 2021, supporting Vypr’s unique platform - a great example of the kind of innovative and scalable business for which there is strong investor appetite.
“Despite Brexit, there are still deals to be done as UK firms continue to explore new opportunities in European markets. This investment represents a real opportunity for Vypr become a global leader in its field and we wish both YFM and Vypr every success for the future.”
Adam Kaucher - Partner
Chair of Vypr, Richard Law, an expert in data and data analytics driven disruption, said: “Vypr was set up to speedily give product developers, marketers and retailers access to accurate, insightful shopper data, enabling them to make more informed decisions about NPD.
“Having known the YFM team for some time, we were confident that they would be able to support us as we invest in a first class team to take the business forward, turning a strong product in a nascent market into a global leader in its field.”
YFM is a Yorkshire based private equity firm, who are supporting Vypr via its British Smaller Companies Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs).
Dan Freed, partner at YFM, said: “Vypr has developed an agile platform which focuses on providing rapid and robust consumer insight and is valued by many well-known clients.
“We believe that it has a great opportunity to capitalise on the increasing digitisation of traditional market research methodologies. We look forward to partnering with the team as the business executes the next phase of its growth strategy, targeting new clients, sectors and geographies.”