Bristol consultancy secures major investment and expands office base

Squarcle was founded in 2020 and has experienced rapid growth in the last six years

A Bristol consultancy is planning to expand after securing a multimillion-pound investment from London-based Phoenix Equity Partners.

Squarcle was founded in 2020 by Gavin Emmerson MBE and Simon Perks, and provides specialist supply chain, procurement and data services to highly regulated markets.

The business has scaled rapidly since its launch, with former British Army logistics head joining the firm in 2022. It now counts organisations including the Ministry of Defence (MoD), civil nuclear operators and NATO among its customers and has a workforce of 140 consultants operating in mission-critical environments.

It is understood the funding from Phoenix will be used by Squarcle to grow its workforce, scale its technology offering, and expand into international markets.

Mr Emmerson said: “We were looking for a partner who would back our plans to scale and grow without asking us to compromise the very cultural values and tested methods that have powered our success to date.

“From the first meeting, Phoenix fitted the bill. They asked the right questions, and clearly understood the immense opportunity in the specialist supply chain and procurement sectors.”

Richard Hill, investment director at Phoenix Equity Partners, added: “Backing the right people is at the heart of what we do, and in Gavin, Nigel and the broader Squarcle leadership team we have found exactly that – a founder and group of operators who have built something genuinely differentiated from the ground up.

“We look forward to supporting them as they take the business to its next stage of growth.”

The announcement comes as Squarcle expands its office footprint in Bristol. The company is based on the first floor of 31-32 Queen Square – a recently refurbished building – and has agreed a new five-year lease on the second floor.

The letting was secured by commercial real estate firm Colliers.

Henry Squier, asset manager at Robert Hitchins, said: “Squarcle’s decision to expand within 31–32 Queen Square is a strong endorsement of both the quality of the refurbishment and the strength of the location.”