Maven Capital Partners, one of the UK’s leading private equity firms, has led a £4.5m funding round in Cambridge-based Blackdot Solutions.
Blackdot specialise in providing advanced intelligence and investigations software and the transaction includes a £3.7m investment from Maven’s Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), as well as £350,000 from ScaleUp Group.
The funding will enable Blackdot to increase headcount, with a focus on technical expertise and business development.
The company finished second in BusinessCloud’s RegTech 50 ranking for 2024 and also plans to enhance automation and AI capabilities within its product to drive growth in both existing and new markets.
Founded in 2013, Blackdot has developed Videris, a powerful SaaS platform designed to revolutionise how organisations gather, analyse, and visualise data from public and proprietary sources.
Stuart Clarke, CEO at Blackdot Solutions, added: “This investment marks a pivotal moment for Blackdot. With Maven’s backing, and our strong team, we can accelerate the evolution of Videris, enhancing its automation and AI capabilities while exploring new investigative use cases with our customers.
“These developments will further cement our reputation as a leader in the OSINT investigations market. Maven’s expertise and support will also be instrumental as we expand globally and continue delivering innovative solutions to our blue-chip client base.”
Videris empowers users to quickly and efficiently conduct secure investigations to identify threats, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance with complex regulatory standards.
Operating within the rapidly growing Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) market, projected to exceed $36bn by 2030, Blackdot is well positioned to capitalise on rising demand for advanced data analysis and compliance tools.
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This surge is driven by heightened regulatory scrutiny, the need for efficient intelligence platforms, and a stronger focus on risk management.
Melanie Goward, partner at Maven, commented: “Blackdot is a business operating at the forefront of a growing market, driven by increasing demand for advanced risk management and compliance tools.
“With a strong management team, consistent revenue growth, and a blue chip client base, the business is well placed to capitalise on global opportunities.
“We’re excited to support Blackdot’s continued growth as it scales its operations and expands into new markets.”
John O’Connell, executive chairman and founder, ScaleUp Group, said: “As it enters this exciting next phase of growth, we are delighted to have supported Blackdot by orchestrating their investment process as well as co-investing alongside Maven.
“With Maven’s lead investment and Blackdot’s strong leadership team, the company is well positioned to enhance its technology, expand its capabilities, and bring even greater value to its current and new clients.”