Private equity firm Penta Capital has hired bankers to manage the sale of Amber River, a financial planning company in Britain, according to four people familiar with the matter. This move is part of a recent surge in deals within Britain’s financial advice sector.
Bankers from Rothschild have been appointed to prepare Amber River for sale, which could happen before the end of 2025, two sources said on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the information. Penta aims for a valuation exceeding £800 million (about $1.07 billion) and may keep a stake in the company, another source added.
Neither Rothschild nor Amber River commented on the sale, and Penta Capital did not respond to requests for comment.
Amber River, led by CEO Mary-Anne McIntyre, is the latest target in a wave of acquisitions in Britain’s fragmented financial advice market. Private equity firms are eager to buy smaller independent firms to meet growing demand for personalized financial advice.
Last year, 127 financial advice deals were publicly announced, with a total valuation significantly higher than in 2023, according to research firm Next Wealth.
However, regulators have begun scrutinizing this trend. The Financial Conduct Authority started reviewing financial advice consolidation last October. It has urged firms to seek approval before making deals and warned that companies must maintain adequate financial resources at all times.
Amber River was founded in 2019 as Socium Group. Penta Capital invested £160 million to help it acquire smaller financial planning firms and build a national financial advice business. Since then, Amber River has bought over 70 companies and now has about 194 financial planners managing £14.6 billion in assets for roughly 38,000 clients.
This sale reflects ongoing consolidation in the UK financial advice sector as investors capitalize on rising client demand for tailored financial planning.
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