ECI Managing Partner, Chris Watt, recently spoke to Real Deals as part of their end-of-year review outlining ECI’s highlights of 2023, what we learned, and what we can expect in 2024.
Chris’s 2023 highlights include ECI strengthening its commitment to ESG through its B-Corp accreditation and our £1bn fundraise in a challenging market, commenting: “I think we were able to do that because of our strong run of exits. I believe that has emerged as quite a big differentiator for us now, especially as the market gets competitive.”
But as a successful year draws to a close, Chris warns that deals are going to require a lot more thought and a different approach as the dynamics of the market shift. Adding value to deals and making them more attractive to potential buyers is going to be a priority as we move into 2024. Whilst the market won’t be devoid of opportunities, there will be a higher quality threshold and the structure of those deals against the backdrop of high interest rates will be critical. Chris states: “PE might also need to work harder to generate returns, which I think is a challenge that we should all be excited about in the new year.”
Read the full Real Deals article here and gain an insight into ECI’s 2023 and how we see the 2024 PE market shaping up.
