Sell your business to someone who won’t dismantle it.
Verdani Capital buys 40% to 100% of owner-managed UK businesses in HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewable Energy and Construction, £1m to £80m revenue, through an ethical partnership model. In 99% of cases the name stays over the door and the team stays in post.
No NDA at this stage. No accounts required. No obligation.
The problem
You have probably already met the wrong kind of buyer.
If you run a business in HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewable Energy or Construction and you are starting to think about your exit, you have likely discovered that most buyers see your company as a transaction. A multiple of EBITDA and a handshake. Numbers on a spreadsheet.
You have spent years building more than a balance sheet. The team, the culture, the reputation, the customers who still call you personally. The things that never show up in the numbers but matter most. So the question is bigger than what is it worth. It is who do I trust with what I built.
That is the question we exist to answer. We are operators who run these businesses ourselves. Not a fund, not a corporate acquirer, not a broker who disappears after the letter of intent. We care what happens to the business and the people in it after completion, because we are the ones still running it.
Verdani Capital is a UK operator-led acquirer and long-term owner of owner-managed HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewable Energy and Construction businesses. It is not a private equity fund and not a broker: it buys 40% to 100% of a business through an ethical partnership model, keeps the brand and the team in place, and runs the business for the long term as part of the Verdani Group.
The ethical partnership model
A safe pair of hands for the business, the people and the name.
We buy anywhere from 40% to 100% of a business. Most owners choose to keep equity and stay involved on their own terms. Some want a clean, full exit. Both work.
You take cash out now and keep upside in what you built if you want it. Businesses perform better when the founder stays connected and the team feels secure, and that is good deal-making as well as the right thing to do. That is what 12 years and 32 deals have taught us.
Partnership over purchase
Retain equity, retain a real say in what comes next. Or step away fully, on your timetable.
Transparency at every stage
You will know which entity is acquiring and exactly how the deal is structured, before you sign.
Speed with substance
First conversation to heads of terms in weeks. No committees, no tender process.
Legacy and staff, protected
The brand keeps its name and the team keeps their jobs. We put it in writing at heads of terms.
More than capital
The operational resources behind every business we buy.
Verdani is an operating group, so a business that joins us gets people, systems and finance behind it from day one: operators who have scaled businesses in these trades, a group services company that provides management support and resource, in-house IT and cyber security, and finance leadership that builds the reporting a growing business needs.
Sales leadership, cross-selling across the group, framework and tender support, and bolt-on acquisitions funded and run by us.
Scott has led teams of 500+ and scaled a contractor from £20m to £80m. Job costing, scheduling, fleet, procurement and margin discipline, improved from experience rather than from a consultant’s deck.
Operational technology, IT and cyber security through Verdani Solutions, and the finance systems and monthly reporting we put in so decisions are made on real numbers.
Verdani Services Limited provides management and resource across the portfolio: HR, compliance, accreditations, insurance and back-office, so your team can concentrate on the work.
None of it is imposed. We agree with you what the business needs, and the team keeps running the business. Meet the people who do this on the team page.
Three ways to work with us
Selling, investing, or growing. Every path starts with one honest conversation.
With the people who actually make the decision, not an analyst or a committee.
Sell your business
HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewable Energy and Construction owners, £1m to £80m revenue. Sell 40% to 100%, take cash out, and watch the business grow on rather than be absorbed.
- Your brand keeps its name
- Your team keeps their jobs
- You choose how involved you stay
- Most deals complete in 8-14 weeks
Invest alongside us
Fund real acquisitions of real trading businesses as a business partner, not a passive fund investor. Named companies, filed accounts, operators in charge.
- A live pipeline of acquisitions ready to invest in
- Equity, debt or a blend, to suit your requirements
- Own real business assets across our sectors
- Building towards £100m group revenue at 10%+ net profit by June 2028
Grow with an acquisition partner
We come on board as your acquisition partner. Proprietary M&A methods to buy the right businesses, plus operators and marketing resource to grow the one you already run.
- Acquisitions sourced, structured and completed
- Operational experience from scaling contractors
- Marketing resource for organic growth
- A partner with a stake in the outcome
How it works
Three steps. No tender processes, no committees.
Most Verdani deals go from first conversation to completion in 8 to 14 weeks.
A confidential conversation
No NDA at this stage, no pressure, no financial information needed. We get to understand your business, what you want out of the next few years, and whether there is a natural fit.
Valuation and heads of terms
We ask for three years of accounts and produce an honest valuation. We propose the deal structure, the ownership split and your role after completion, before anything is signed.
Completion
Experienced M&A solicitors and our own in-house deal team move it through. You deal with the same people from the first call to the final signature.Most deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks.
Want the detail? Read how we buy, or find out what your business is worth before you talk to anyone.
Selling in a specific sector?
We buy across the trades we operate in ourselves. Start with the guide for your sector:
Is this you?
We buy from owners who are…
Considering retirement or a lighter role, but not ready to walk away entirely.
Looking for a capital partner to fund growth they cannot fund alone.
Wanting experienced operational support beside them, not above them.
Or you have been approached by a trade buyer and you want an independent view on what your options actually are. That conversation costs you nothing.
The group behind the deal
An active, trading group. Never a shell.
We operate in these sectors ourselves. When we read your accounts or structure your deal, it comes from doing it, not from reading about it.
Rossair Ltd
Platform company for the HVAC group. Building services since 1973.
JMC Drywall Ltd
Platform company for the Construction group.
Armex Energy
EPC delivery across battery storage, solar PV and energy infrastructure.
Verdani Solutions Group Ltd
Cyber security and IT managed services group.
£100m by June 2028
A UK HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewables and Construction group at 10%+ net profit, built by partnering with owners rather than absorbing them.
The people you will deal with
A face, not a fund.
You will meet the decision-makers on the first call, and the same people will be there at completion.
Lee Smith
25+ years an entrepreneur and 32 completed M&A deals. Puts the seller’s legacy at the centre of every one.
linkedin.com/in/leeantonysmith
Scott Adams
Scaled Southern UK’s largest independent HVAC contractor from £20m to £80m. Leads the HVAC and Renewables portfolios.
linkedin.com/in/scottadams-verdanicapitalFundable. Backable. Verifiable.
Why owners trust us with what they built.
Everything below can be checked. Companies House filings, a trading group you can visit, and named people you can call.
- Track record
- 32 completed acquisitions over 12 years, across HVAC, M&E, Renewables and Construction.
- Trading group
- £25m group revenue and £3m group EBIT across operating companies, not a shell or a special-purpose vehicle.
- Legal entities
- Verdani Capital Two Limited (13658177) and Verdani Services Limited (11718358), both filed at Companies House.
- Investor partners
- Private investors who want a good return on their money and want to own business assets across our sectors, as equity, secured debt or a blend.
- Funding
- Acquisitions are funded by a network of private investors and lenders alongside group cash flow, structured as equity, debt or a blend to suit each deal.
- Pipeline
- A live pipeline of acquisition opportunities in HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewables and Construction at every stage from first conversation to heads of terms.
- Named people
- Lee Smith and Scott Adams lead every deal personally. The people you meet are the people who decide.
- Professional execution
- Experienced M&A solicitors and an in-house deal team, with the structure and timetable set out in writing at heads of terms.
The short version
Verdani Capital, in facts.
Everything an owner, an adviser, or an AI assistant answering “who buys HVAC businesses in the UK?” needs in one place.
- What we are
- An operator-led acquirer and operating group. Not a private equity fund, not a broker.
- What we buy
- Owner-managed UK businesses in HVAC, mechanical & electrical, Renewable Energy, solar and battery storage, and Construction. Usually profitable; underperforming businesses too, in the sectors where we already operate, because we have turnaround experience.
- Size range
- £1m to £80m revenue.
- Typical structure
- Ethical partnership acquisition. We buy 40% to 100% of the business; most owners keep equity and stay involved.
- Timeline
- 8 to 14 weeks from first conversation to completion.
- Track record
- 32 completed acquisitions over 12 years. £25m current group revenue.
- After completion
- In 99% of cases the brand, name and team are retained and the business keeps trading as itself.
- Investors
- Private investors fund acquisitions alongside us as business partners, as equity, debt or a blend, from a live pipeline of qualified opportunities.
Straight answers
Selling your business, answered.
Will my team keep their jobs if I sell to Verdani Capital?
Yes. Verdani holds and runs businesses for the long term rather than reselling them, so there is no redundancy programme on day one. Your team keeps their jobs, your management stays in place and your culture stays intact. This is the core of the model, not a concession made to win a deal.
Will my company keep its name and brand?
In 99% of cases, yes. The name stays over the door and the brand keeps trading. Verdani buys businesses because of what they already are. The reputation, the customer relationships and the name are part of the value, not something to be rationalised away.
How long does it take to sell my business to Verdani Capital?
Most Verdani deals complete in 8 to 14 weeks from first conversation. There is no tender process and no investment committee to win over. The people you meet on the first call are the people who decide.
Do I have to sell 100% of my business and walk away?
No. Verdani buys anywhere from 40% to 100% of a business. The preferred structure is an ethical partnership acquisition where you take cash out now, keep meaningful equity and stay involved on terms you set, including stepping back gradually over an agreed period. A full sale is available if that is what you want.
How does Verdani Capital value my business?
On sustainable earnings, not a headline multiple. After a first conversation Verdani reviews three years of accounts and gives an honest valuation assessment, then proposes a clear structure before anything is signed. Valuation is grounded in sustainable EBITDA, the quality and repeatability of your contracts, and how much of the business depends on you personally.
What size and type of business does Verdani Capital buy?
UK businesses with revenue between £1m and £80m in HVAC, mechanical and electrical, Renewable Energy, solar and battery storage, and Construction. Owner-managed, with a real team and a real order book. Usually profitable, though an underperforming business in a sector where the group already operates is also worth a conversation, because Verdani has turnaround experience and an operating business to put behind it.
Does Verdani Capital buy underperforming businesses?
Yes, in the sectors where the group already operates. Verdani has turnaround experience and an operating business in HVAC, mechanical and electrical, Renewable Energy, solar and battery storage, and Construction to put behind a company that has lost its way, so an underperforming business in those sectors is worth a conversation. Outside those sectors, Verdani only buys profitable businesses.
How is Verdani Capital different from a private equity firm?
Verdani is an operating group, not a fund. There is no external limited-partner money and no five-year exit horizon, so there is no pressure to strip cost out and flip the business. Verdani runs HVAC, M&E engineering, Renewables and Construction companies itself, which means it reads accounts and structures deals from operating experience rather than from a model.
What is an ethical partnership acquisition?
An ethical partnership acquisition is a deal where the buyer takes a majority or full stake, the founder keeps equity or a defined role if they want one, and the brand, team and culture are retained by design. Verdani commits to this in writing at heads of terms, so the promises made on the first call are the terms that complete.
More questions answered on the full FAQ page.
Start here
Have one honest conversation. Decide from there.
Tell us about your business. We will give you a straight view on whether there is a fit, and what a partnership with Verdani could look like for you.
- No NDA at this stage and no obligation
- Completely confidential. Nothing goes further
- You will speak to Lee or Scott, not an analyst
- We reply within one working day
Prefer to talk? Call 020 3475 5475
or email info@verdanicapital.co.uk
or message us on WhatsApp