ECI Partners has agreed to invest in Shaw Gibbs, an accountancy, tax and advisory practice, providing a full exit for Apiary Capital, which backed the firm since 2022. Shaw Gibbs serves around 25,000 clients across the UK and Ireland and completed 14 acquisitions during Apiary's ownership, including Alliotts and Crowleys DFK. Michael Butler, partner at ECI Partners, highlighted the firm's client-centric culture and platform for further growth.

Separately, Keensight Capital is backing Actico's combination with Axe Finance, a UK-based provider of credit and risk management software. Axe Finance serves more than 45 financial institutions in over 29 countries through its Axe Credit Portal, covering the full credit lifecycle with AI functionality. Actico, based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, provides software for credit risk management and regulatory compliance globally. The combination pairs Actico's risk management and automated decision-making with Axe Finance's credit platform, expanding reach into the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Stanislas de Tinguy, partner at Keensight Capital, called Axe Finance a highly strategic addition.

Additionally, Main Capital Partners agreed to acquire a majority stake in VWE Automotive, a provider of software, data and transaction services for the automotive sector.