View our summary of the key M&A, private equity and venture capital deals across the UK healthcare sector in January 2025 below.
Notable Sector Deals: January 2025
Acquisition of Creative Care by Consensus
A successful deal for Stirling Square-backed Consensus, with the addition of specialist residential care provider Creative Care
East Midlands-based Creative Care provides residential care and support for people with autism, learning disabilities and other complex needs across ten services
The acquisition supports Consensus’ strategic growth, expanding its footprint and reinforcing its reputation for high quality care
The deal provides an exit for Spring Ventures, which has backed Creative Care since 2014
MediMatch MBO supported by Queen’s Park Equity
An interesting new platform for Queen’s Park Equity, backing the management buy-out of MediMatch
MediMatch is a digital-first dental laboratories group, serving over 2,000 dentists across the UK, Dublin, Milan and Paris
The company has been growing at 20% annually for the past three years and aims to accelerate its growth through organic expansion and acquisitions
QPE’s investment will provide capital and expertise, supporting MediMatch’s buy-and-build strategy to strengthen its market position
The deal highlights the potential for consolidation in the sector, following buy and build strategies for ALS and Corus
Optima’s acquisition of BHSF Occupational Health
A highly complementary deal for Optima with the acquisition of BHSF Occupational Health
BHSF specialises in preventing work-related illnesses and injuries, safeguarding workers from occupational hazards, and promoting overall workplace health & safety
The deal will add £8m in revenue alongside 60 experienced occupational health clinicians to Optima’s operations in the sector
This marks the first acquisition for Optima since its spin-off from Marlowe and listing on AIM in September 2024, with the business stating that targeted M&A will continue to be used to accelerate growth
Acquisition of Surgery Hero by Sword Health
A strategic deal for AI-driven digital MSK provider Sword Health, with the acquisition of digital health solutions company Surgery Hero
Surgery Hero specialises in providing prehabilitation digital health, helping patients prepare for and recover from surgery
The acquisition will enable collaboration with 18 NHS trusts, supporting 10 million people to implement Sword’s AI care model
The integration of prehabilitation services will also position Sword to offer support from pre-surgery through to recovery in the UK
The deal highlights the attractiveness of digital health businesses reducing pressure on the NHS through the efficient use of technology
Healthcare Market Activity: January 2025
Private Equity Activity
Sub-sector | Target | Acquirer / Investor | Exiting PE |
Consultancy | Newmarket Strategy | Baird Capital | N/A |
Dental Labs | MediMatch | Queen’s Park Equity | N/A |
Digital Health | Meddbase | Cority (Thoma Bravo) | N/A |
Medical Equipment | Xiel | MIS Healthcare (H2 Equity) | N/A |
Physiotherapy | Central Health Physiotherapy | Pure Physiotherapy / Examworks (CVC) | N/A |
Specialist Care | Creative Care | Consensus (Stirling Square) | Spring Ventures |
Venture Capital Activity
Target | Description | Lead Investor | Investment |
Cera | Tech-enabled homecare | BDT & MSD Partners | £123m |
Deciphex | Pathology software | Molten Ventures | £26.1m |
Kidney Beam | Exercise and lifestyle app for people with kidney disease | Various | £0.6m |
Owlstone Medical | Breath biopsy used to diagnose and monitor digestive diseases | Ventura Capital | £22m |
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