Investor profile

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Imbiba

VC

GBIEConsumerHealthtechOther

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Investment thesis

Imbiba is a specialist growth capital investor and the UK and Ireland's only investment firm exclusively focused on best-in-class businesses across education, healthcare, lifestyle and technology sectors. The firm provides capital — typically £2m–£15m (or €2m–€15m) — for a significant minority stake (25%–49.9%), targeting high-growth companies with EBITDA of £0.5m–£5m that have proven their model and are ready to scale. With over 25 years of investment and operating experience, Imbiba backs founders as partners rather than operators, offering hands-on support in property, leadership recruitment, strategic finance, and exit planning, while consistently targeting 3x+ MOIC across its 30+ investments.

Notable quotes

The significant investment we have secured for our new fund is a huge vote of confidence for Imbiba and the wider leisure, lifestyle and entertainment sector in the UK. At a time when others are retreating from the sector we see this as the opportune time to support the brand heroes of tomorrow.

Darrel Connell · British Business Bank press release — Imbiba first close of £90m fund · 2023-01-16

Little Houses Group is the perfect example of the kind of business we're looking to invest in; highly differentiated, best-in-class and scalable with a highly credible management team. We're excited to work with Charlie and his team as the business expands in the years ahead.

Darrel Connell · British Business Bank press release — Little Houses Group investment · 2023-01-16

The hospitality industry thrives on seamless operations, and Openr is revolutionising how data flows across systems. This investment will accelerate product development, empowering operators with the tools they need to drive efficiency and growth.

Andrew Maxwell · Openr investment announcement — weareopenr.com · 2025-03-10

Team

Darrel Connell

Managing Partner

ConsumerHealthtechOther

Lizzie Ryan

Managing Partner

ConsumerHealthtechOther

Brian Phillips

Partner & Chairman of Investment Committee

ConsumerOther

Nick-Raj Birdi

Investment Manager

ConsumerHealthtechOther

Tom Richards

Associate & Direct Origination Lead

ConsumerOther

Andrew Guest

Investment Associate

ConsumerHealthtechOther

Recent investments

CompanyRoundSizeDate
Pindrop HearingGrowth Equity2025-06-01
OpenrSeries A$4m2025-03-10
Nannie AnniesGrowth Equity2025-01-01
ClaysVC Round2024-08-01
F1 ArcadeSeries C$38m2023-06-12
Little Houses GroupGrowth Equity2023-01-16
NQ64Seed2022-07-01
Pizza PilgrimsGrowth Equity
Farmer JGrowth Equity
Monkey Puzzle Day NurseriesGrowth Equity

Frequent co-investors

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