Unique X, a leading provider of innovative digital cinema software solutions and services, has secured a £63.5m investment from Kartesia to accelerate growth.
The deal provides an exit for BGF, when originally backed the Manchester-based business in December 2018 with a £15m investment to enable it to expand its suite of products and grow its customer base globally.
Kartesia is a European specialist provider of capital solutions to leading SMEs, with unrivalled growth potential.
This investment acts as a further catalyst to Unique’s continued ambition for global expansion with its portfolio of cutting-edge technologies including programmatic advertising and the KDMX global encryption key service.
It will also further accelerate the implementation of the business strategy though the use of AI and data usage.
Unique X founder Chris Hagan retains an 85 per cent ownership of the business.
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Under his strategic vision and supported by a highly experienced executive board, which includes Luca Forlin, previously head of strategy and operations for YouTube EMEA, Unique X is expected to triple in size in the next five years.
This will be achieved both by the expansion of its delivery network worldwide and the ongoing servicing and growth of its SAAS product portfolio of customers.
Chris Hagan, chairman and founder of Unique X, said: “I am delighted to begin the next chapter in our global ambitions with the Kartesia team , to continue our strategic partnerships with both new and existing customers throughout the cinema channel.”
Daire Creighan, associate director UK & Ireland at Kartesia, added: “We look forward to working closely with Unique X’s management team to support the next chapter of their impressive growth story.
“The company has established itself as a global leader in cinema software, thanks to its impressive product development and expansion strategy. We see immense potential for Unique X to consolidate its standing as an undisputed leader in the modernization of the cinema industry’s technological infrastructure.”
During the company’s association with BGF, Unique X trebled its profitability and its software is now used in 42,000 cinema screens across 90+ countries.
Spencer Woods, investor at BGF, said: “Unique X has proved incredibly resilient and delivered strong growth over the last six years. During this time the company has expanded its delivery network, developed leading technologies and won significant new contracts globally.
“We’re proud to have supported the company on this phase of their growth journey. It’s another great example of the strength of BGF’s investment model which allows us to form long-term, minority-led partnerships with ambitious businesses and management teams looking to scale.
“This exit has delivered a strong return on our investment, and we wish the business all the best on the next stage of their journey.”