EPE Special Opps Ltd EPE Special Opp-EO.P EPE Special Opp-EC.P EPE Special Opp-EL.P - Investment

EPE Special Opportunities

07/10/2022 08:00

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RNS Number : 1502C  EPE Special Opportunities Limited  07 October 2022

EPE Special Opportunities Limited

 

Investment

 

EPE Special Opportunities Limited ("ESO" or the "Company") is pleased to
announce that ESO Investments 1 Limited (an undertaking of ESO, in which
it is the sole investor) ("ESO 1") has completed a £2.0 million growth
capital investment into Denzel's Limited ("Denzel's").

 

Denzel's is a fast-growing, healthy and sustainable premium dog snacks brand.
Denzel's products are made in the UK and Ireland using entirely natural
ingredients and 100% plastic-free eco-friendly packaging.

 

Denzel's operates an omni-channel distribution strategy, underpinned by
listings in some of the UK's leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury's,
Asda, Wilko, SPAR and, most recently, Waitrose, which launched the Denzel's
range in October. Denzel's launched its new website in late August
(www.denzels.co.uk (http://www.denzels.co.uk) ), which is the flagship of its
online channel, complemented by listings on both Amazon and Ocado, allowing
for direct-to-home delivery of its products as well as subscriptions. In
addition, Denzel's products are available in a range of hospitality locations,
notably dog-friendly pubs and hotels across the UK, providing dog owners with
access to Denzel's for their dogs when they are out and about. Denzel's
products are currently stocked in over two thousand locations in the UK.

 

Denzel's is part of the current cohort of the Tesco Incubator Programme, which
helps to accelerate best-in-class brands using Tesco's retail infrastructure.
Alumni brands include the premium mixers brand Fever-Tree, performance
nutrition brand Grenade and the healthy food brand Deliciously Ella.

 

ESO intends to work closely with Denzel's to help deliver its growth strategy,
which is focused on the launch of new products, notably high value and
functional dog treats, as well as growth of both offline and online
distribution channels.

 

ESO 1's £2.0 million investment was part of a £3.0 million growth capital
raise by Denzel's, in which ESO 1 was the lead investor.

 

ESO 1's investment in Denzel's was funded by cash reserves advanced from ESO.
Following the investment, ESO has available cash of £21.8 million. The
investment in Denzel's has no impact on the Company's net asset value.

 

The investment in Denzel's is consistent with ESO's focus on investing into
small and medium sized enterprises ("SMEs"), partnering with management teams
to create value through long-term business transformation.

 

About ESO

 

●     ESO is an AIM-quoted, private equity investment company, whose
objective is to provide long-term return on equity for its shareholders by
investing in SMEs.

 

●     ESO seeks to invest up to £30 million into companies with strong
fundamentals, including defensible competitive positioning and high levels of
cash generation, and aims to partner with outstanding management teams to
combine operational and financial expertise in each investment.

 

●     ESO will consider most industry sectors, including consumer,
retail, manufacturing, financial services and the broader services sectors,
and can make direct investments, special situations investments, primary and
secondary fund investments and private investments in public equities.

 

●    ESO's investment horizon is flexible, creating the opportunity to
maximise value via optimising exit timing, compounding returns and
re-investing behind successful management teams.

 

The person responsible for releasing this information on behalf of the Company
is Amanda Robinson of Langham Hall Fund Management (Jersey) Limited.

 

Enquiries:

 

 EPIC Investment Partners LLP                   +44 (0) 207 269 8865

                                                James Henderson

 Langham Hall Fund Management (Jersey) Limited  +44 (0) 153 488 5200

                                                Amanda Robinson

 Cardew Group Limited                           +44 (0) 207 930 0777

                                                Richard Spiegelberg

 Numis Securities Limited                       +44 (0) 207 260 1000
 Nominated Advisor:                             Stuart Skinner
 Corporate Broker:                              Charles Farquhar

 

 

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