Aspen Pumps (3i)

During its five-year investment, 3i supported the transformation of Aspen from a UK exporter, with no operations outside the UK, to a clear global market leader in its industry. Through a combination of strong organic growth and six acquisitions across four different geographies, employee numbers increased by 110% and revenue and EBITDA almost trebled. Aspen is now a truly global business with more than 85% of pump sales outside the UK. 3i sold the business to Inflexion in late 2019, impressing the judges with a 4.1x money multiple (34% IRR).