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How we've helped our clients: Inspired PLC

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Gateley Legal

Inspired PLC is a commercial energy and sustainability advisor, offering energy procurement, utility cost optimisation and legislative compliance. Through optimising energy procurement strategies, they enable clients to achieve greater certainty and cost efficiency in respect of their energy costs.

Since floating on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2011 they have grown to be one of the largest energy consultants in the UK and Ireland. Inspired PLC’s ambitious growth strategy combines organic growth with selective acquisitions as part of a buy & build platform to create a strong base from which to continue to grow and break into new markets. 

2020 was a busy year for this long-standing client of the firm. 

How did we help Inspired PLC?

In July 2020 we advised Inspired PLC on a £35m placing and open offer fundraise on AIM and on the acquisition of the remaining 60% of Ignite Energy (having acquired 40% of the business in 2019). Ignite Energy, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inspired PLC, provides energy management services to corporate clients. Through this acquisition Inspired PLC seek to increase the growth of their optimisation services by maximising the commercial overlap between the two companies and the cross-selling opportunities presented. The equity fundraise provides Inspired PLC with capital to support further acquisitions in the future and accelerate the company’s ambitious growth strategy.

The acquisition of Ignite was swiftly followed by the acquisition of LSI Energy Holdings Limited in August 2020. Based in St Albans, LSI have been providing utility brokerage solutions since 1994 and complement Inspired’s core service offering.

Gateley have for many years advised us on our fund raising and M&A activity. The support provided by the team at Gateley has been superb – commercial and pragmatic, whilst always technically sound and solutions-driven. They remain our legal adviser of choice and a trusted business partner.
Paul Connor, CFO, Inspired PLC

December 2020 saw us advise Inspired PLC on the £10.5m sale of the group’s non-core SME division, effected by way of a disposal to the incumbent team in that division of the group. The transaction included the sale of Inspired’s subsidiaries, Energisave Online Limited, KWH Consulting Limited and Simply Business Energy Limited. The disposal represents an important milestone in the strategic direction of Inspired PLC and was executed to allow them to focus exclusively on providing expert solutions and cost-effective services to its corporate energy consumers on its core, corporate markets.

We are delighted to have advised Inspired PLC on numerous transactions over the years, and to have played a central role in their impressive growth story. We look forward to continuing our relationship working in partnership with the executive management team to deliver future growth.

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