LDC invests in UBDS Group

The investment fund LDC, the private‑equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, signed a growth‑capital investment in UBDS Group, a London‑based digital lifecycle and cybersecurity consultancy. The transaction provides LDC with a minority equity position and adds the firm’s senior partners Aylesh Patel and Chris Baker to UBDS Group’s board as non‑executive directors. LDC’s capital injection is earmarked to accelerate UBDS Group’s organic expansion and to fund further acquisitions that will broaden its service portfolio and geographic footprint, particularly in the United Kingdom and India. The investment was led by LDC Partner and Head of South Aylesh Patel together with Partner Chris Baker and Investment Manager Ana‑Maria Garaba, all of whom will assume board responsibilities. UBDS Group’s existing management team, headed by CEO Alex Gore and CFO Kevin Wheeler, remains in place to execute the growth plan. The deal was advised on the sell‑side by Raymond James (corporate finance), Dentons (legal), Megabuyte (commercial due diligence) and EY (vendor due diligence). LDC’s advisors comprised BDO (corporate finance), Teneo (commercial due diligence), RSM (financial due diligence), KPMG (tax) and Shoosmiths (legal). The transaction reflects LDC’s continued focus on scaling technology‑enabled service providers, building on a track record of over £717 m invested in the sector and a combined enterprise value of £1.9 bn across its portfolio. By securing LDC’s backing, UBDS Group positions itself to deepen its capabilities in cloud adoption, data and AI services, and to capture additional market share in both public‑sector and private‑sector contracts. The agreement was announced on 24 June 2026 and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.