Brightside’s trio of deals 

Debt services company Brightside has made three acquisitions: Aust Holdings, which owns a 75 per cent stake in Group Direct, the remaining shareholding in the insurance broker, in addition to Injury QED, a provider of medical reports and associated services to the legal profession.


Debt services company Brightside has made three acquisitions: Aust Holdings, which owns a 75 per cent stake in Group Direct, the remaining shareholding in the insurance broker, in addition to Injury QED, a provider of medical reports and associated services to the legal profession.

Debt services company Brightside has made three acquisitions: Aust Holdings, which owns a 75 per cent stake in Group Direct, the remaining shareholding in the insurance broker, in addition to Injury QED, a provider of medical reports and associated services to the legal profession.

The trio of deals will enable Brightside to move into premium finance and insurance-related medical reporting, which are more profitable areas of insurance broking. The transactions will also bolster the group’s cash reserves as Group Direct made £3.4 million profit from revenues of £23.3 million to the year ended 31 December 2007.

Norwich Union Investments and Stena have agreed to buy a £10.6 million stake in the enlarged group.

Arron Banks, Group Direct insurance director, said: “These acquisitions will give Brightside shareholders an opportunity to be involved in a proven business. Furthermore the backing of Norwich Union and Stena clearly endorses this.”

Marc Barber

Marc Barber

Marc was editor of GrowthBusiness from 2006 to 2010. He specialised in writing about entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital, mid-market M&A, small caps and high-growth businesses.

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