Connection Capital has joined forces with BLME to back a buy-out for the management of a Loughborough-based technology company.

Impero, which provides software related to e-safety, classroom, network and user management, has closed the deal.

The business has secured the support of private client investment business Connection Capital and independent UK bank BLME by way of a £10 million joint debt and equity allocation.

Jon Valentine, CEO of Impero, comments, ‘This is great news for Impero. WIth the support of Connection Capital and BLME we can continue to grow and develop the business across Europe, the USA and other international markets.’

Impero was set up in 2002 and mainly provides its services to schools, colleges and universities. Its lead product, Impero Education Pro, allows for real-time viewing of users’ computers in one view, meaning teachers can better control the classroom.

Its software product is in use on 1.6 million workstations in schools and by 181 local authorities in the UK. In overseas markets, where Impero sees room for growth, some 200,000 US workstations are operational.

Connection Capital partner Julian Carr adds, ‘Jon has grown Impero into the leading classroom management, network management and e-safety provider in the UK education market in an impressively short period of time.

‘The fact that the business has achieved significant sales into the US is testimony to the strength of this market-leading product.’

According to Impero, the business has a 27 per cent market share of UK secondary schools and 24 per cent of colleges. Since 2010 the company has grown from eight to 80 people.

The £10 million deal sees founder and CEO Valentine acquire the remaining two thirds of the company from his two partners.