Background

Founded in the 2008, Symbiosis IP is a life science specialist that supports early stage and university spin-out companies, working to maximise protection for their innovations. It also works with established businesses and household names to acquire and defend their IP rights, from its offices in York, Evesham, Sheffield and Cardiff. Symbiosis posted revenues of £1.8 million for the year ending 31 March 2022.

Action

The FRP Corporate Finance team was engaged by Symbiosis IP to help find a like-minded organisation where it could be part of a larger professional services platform, giving its clients access to additional services and specialisms. The team spent a long time working with Symbiosis IP to find the right partner with the same beliefs and client-centric culture. FRP identified Gateley Holdings PLC as the buyer with the best fit, which is working to build a patent and trademark attorney offering through a mix of acquisitive and organic growth.

Outcome

The acquisition of Symbiosis IP forms part of an acquisitive and organic growth plan that builds on the expertise they have in the intangible assets market. This extends the reach of their offering in IP, patents and trademark work across their consultancy and legal services teams who operate in this field.