InvestAcc secures debt-raise to support acquisition of AJ Bell's Platinum SIPP and SSAS business

Arrowpoint Advisory’s Debt Advisory team has advised InvestAcc, Marwyn, and other shareholders of the leading UK specialist pension administrator on its acquisition of AJ Bell's Platinum SIPP and SSAS business. £25 million of facilities were secured from Kartesia to fund the acquisition, with additional capacity to scale and support the Group’s broader growth strategy. 

The acquisition is expected to complete in the second half of 2025, following the extraction, migration, and integration of Platinum SIPP and SSAS clients onto InvestAcc’s platform. 

InvestAcc Group is an award-winning UK pensions services provider, primarily focused on the administration of Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), and is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. The acquisition strengthens InvestAcc’s position as a market leader in "Full" SIPP administration, increasing Group assets under administration (AuA) to over £8.5 billion across 16,000 SIPP and SSAS accounts. 

Led by Mark Hodges (Chair) and Will Self (CEO), InvestAcc’s strategy is to build the UK’s leading specialist pensions administration business in the public markets, with an initial focus on the SIPP segment. Originally listed as Marwyn Acquisition Company II, the Group completed the platform acquisition of InvestAcc in October 2024. The acquisition from AJ Bell marks the next step in delivering its targeted M&A pipeline. 

Since 2005, Marwyn has launched listed acquisition vehicles across a range of sectors in partnership with management teams. Following completion, Marwyn remains the Group’s largest shareholder and a key strategic backer. Its private equity approach across public and private markets has returned £6.3 billion of equity profits to investors across 13 comparable transactions, integrating over 80 bolt-on acquisitions. 

Established in 1995, AJ Bell is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK. Its Platinum SIPP and SSAS business offers bespoke, high-quality pensions expertise and administration services to the high-net-worth (HNW) segment. 

Mark Hodges, Executive Chairman of InvestAcc Group, said: "We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of the Platinum SIPP and SSAS businesses from AJ Bell. The Acquisition's high-net-worth client base, exceptional service proposition and strong financial performance make it a perfect strategic fit for InvestAcc. This significantly strengthens our position as a market leader in "Full" SIPP pension administration, allowing us to enhance our service offering while maintaining the highest standards of customer experience. This represents the second acquisition of a wider pipeline of both company and client book extraction opportunities under active review.

We look forward to collaborating with AJ Bell to ensure a seamless migration and integration of the Platinum SIPP and SSAS clients to our platform and to presenting the Acquisition opportunity as part our investor roadshow following the publication of our accounts in April."

Michael Summersgill, Chief Executive Officer of AJ Bell, commented: "AJ Bell Platinum customers will continue to receive great service as part of InvestAcc, an award-winning provider of bespoke SIPP and SSAS services, with a track record of delivering excellent customer service."

James Corsellis, Chief Investment Officer at Marwyn, commented: “We are delighted to continue supporting the InvestAcc team with their acquisition of the Platinum SIPP and SSAS businesses from AJ Bell. This exciting acquisition consolidates InvestAcc’s leading position and ensures the Group has strong foundations to continue its growth agenda.

We were highly impressed with the Arrowpoint Advisory team’s work in helping the business secure a flexible financing facility, which will support the acquisition and our future ambitions. We look forward to working with Arrowpoint again in the future.”

George Lane, Director at Arrowpoint Advisory, highlighted: “It was a pleasure to work with the InvestAcc management team and Marwyn on this finance raise. InvestAcc operates in an attractive part of the pensions landscape, with significant growth potential. I look forward to seeing the business continue to thrive over the coming years with the support of Marwyn and Kartesia.”

Neil Smith, Managing Director at Arrowpoint Advisory, concluded: “We are proud to have supported InvestAcc, on this strategically significant acquisition. The bespoke financing package secured from Kartesia not only facilitates this transaction but also positions the Group for continued growth and scalability, as it delivers on its long-term strategy to lead the specialist pensions administration space. This transaction underscores Arrowpoint Advisory’s continued commitment to delivering tailored, high-quality financing solutions.”

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