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RedBird Capital Partners acquires UK accounting platform Affinia to accelerate growth and AI integration. Read the full deal analysis and strategic insights.
RedBird Capital Partners, a New York-based private investment firm managing $14 billion in assets, has agreed to acquire Affinia, the UK’s fastest-growing fully integrated accounting services platform — announced on April 20, 2026, subject to FCA approval. The transaction also marks the exit of Sovereign Capital Partners, the lower mid-market private equity firm that backed the business from its earliest stages and orchestrated one of the most compelling Buy & Build stories in the UK accounting sector in recent years. Financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed.
Sovereign Capital Partners backed the off-market management buyout of LB Group in May 2023, identifying what it described as a rare opportunity to build a scaled, fully integrated national accountancy platform in a large and structurally attractive market. From the outset, Sovereign’s strategy was centred on assembling a best-in-class leadership team capable of executing growth at pace. An entire C-suite was recruited to complement the client-facing management team: Darren Redmayne was appointed as CEO, alongside CFO Robert Parker, Chief People & Operations Officer Vanessa Emens, and Chief Corporate Development Officer Rob Harden, supported by Non-Executive Chairman Martin Wassell and Non-Executive Director Richard Smith.
Over the three-year holding period, the business was transformed. In November 2024 it was rebranded to Affinia, reflecting its growing national identity. By the time of exit, Affinia had completed 16 bolt-on acquisitions, expanding to more than 1,000 professionals across 19 offices nationwide. A defining milestone came in January 2026 with the combination of the Brighton, London, and Nottingham offices of UHY Hacker Young — elevating Affinia into the Top 25 UK accountancy firms with revenues exceeding £100 million. Throughout the holding period, organic revenue growth of approximately 15% per annum was maintained, driven by a consistent track record of cross-selling services to acquired client bases and realising cost synergies across the group.
Affinia’s service offering was deliberately broadened to encompass tax, audit, insolvency, and wealth management, creating a truly diversified platform. Sovereign also invested significantly in technology infrastructure and governance frameworks, laying the operational foundations for the next phase of growth. Alex Hay, Partner at Sovereign Capital, described the outcome as a powerful demonstration of the firm’s Buy & Build strategy in action — noting the team’s pride in what had been accomplished over the partnership.
For RedBird Capital Partners, Affinia’s acquisition represents a strategic addition to its financial services portfolio. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird combines private equity investing with hands-on business building across Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Financial Services. The firm brings a distinctive asset to the partnership: RedBird X, its proprietary artificial intelligence platform, which will be deployed across Affinia’s workflows to streamline operations and enhance both client and employee experiences.
Mike Zabik, Partner at RedBird, highlighted Affinia’s strong momentum and clear differentiation within the UK market, describing a definitive pathway for Affinia to set a new industry standard for innovation and execution through AI deployment. Darren Redmayne, Group CEO of Affinia, called the RedBird partnership an exciting new chapter that will accelerate the firm’s growth strategy, improve the client experience through technology, and make the platform more attractive to future partner firms aligned with its vision.
Looking ahead, Affinia plans to continue integrating its recent acquisitions, deploy AI tools at scale across its operations, and attract further talent to sustain its growth trajectory. RedBird’s capital and operational expertise are expected to support navigation of integration challenges while capitalising on consolidation opportunities in a fragmented UK accounting market under increasing pressure to innovate.
This transaction marks the second exit from Sovereign’s fifth fund in less than a month, following the sale of Knovia Group in March 2026 — underlining the continued momentum of Sovereign Capital’s portfolio and its Buy & Build investment model in the UK lower mid-market.
RedBird Capital Partners is a New York-based private investment firm managing approximately $14 billion in assets, focused on high-growth companies across Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Financial Services. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird combines private equity investing with active, hands-on business building and proprietary technology capabilities.
Affinia is the UK’s fastest-growing fully integrated accounting services platform, specialising in critical recurring accounting, tax, audit, insolvency, and wealth management services for SMEs and owner-managed businesses. With more than 1,000 professionals across 19 offices and revenues exceeding £100 million, Affinia is recognised as one of the UK’s most progressive and innovative accountancy firms.
Sovereign Capital Partners is a UK lower mid-market private equity firm specialising in Buy & Build investment strategies across business services, healthcare, and education. The firm focuses on backing exceptional management teams and supporting businesses through structured, operational value creation programmes.
RedBird Capital Partners, a New York-based private investment firm managing $14 billion in assets, has agreed to acquire Affinia, the UK’s fastest-growing fully integrated accounting services platform — announced on April 20, 2026, subject to FCA approval. The transaction also marks the exit of Sovereign Capital Partners, the lower mid-market private equity firm that backed the business from its earliest stages and orchestrated one of the most compelling Buy & Build stories in the UK accounting sector in recent years. Financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed.
Sovereign Capital Partners backed the off-market management buyout of LB Group in May 2023, identifying what it described as a rare opportunity to build a scaled, fully integrated national accountancy platform in a large and structurally attractive market. From the outset, Sovereign’s strategy was centred on assembling a best-in-class leadership team capable of executing growth at pace. An entire C-suite was recruited to complement the client-facing management team: Darren Redmayne was appointed as CEO, alongside CFO Robert Parker, Chief People & Operations Officer Vanessa Emens, and Chief Corporate Development Officer Rob Harden, supported by Non-Executive Chairman Martin Wassell and Non-Executive Director Richard Smith.
Over the three-year holding period, the business was transformed. In November 2024 it was rebranded to Affinia, reflecting its growing national identity. By the time of exit, Affinia had completed 16 bolt-on acquisitions, expanding to more than 1,000 professionals across 19 offices nationwide. A defining milestone came in January 2026 with the combination of the Brighton, London, and Nottingham offices of UHY Hacker Young — elevating Affinia into the Top 25 UK accountancy firms with revenues exceeding £100 million. Throughout the holding period, organic revenue growth of approximately 15% per annum was maintained, driven by a consistent track record of cross-selling services to acquired client bases and realising cost synergies across the group.
Affinia’s service offering was deliberately broadened to encompass tax, audit, insolvency, and wealth management, creating a truly diversified platform. Sovereign also invested significantly in technology infrastructure and governance frameworks, laying the operational foundations for the next phase of growth. Alex Hay, Partner at Sovereign Capital, described the outcome as a powerful demonstration of the firm’s Buy & Build strategy in action — noting the team’s pride in what had been accomplished over the partnership.
For RedBird Capital Partners, Affinia’s acquisition represents a strategic addition to its financial services portfolio. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird combines private equity investing with hands-on business building across Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Financial Services. The firm brings a distinctive asset to the partnership: RedBird X, its proprietary artificial intelligence platform, which will be deployed across Affinia’s workflows to streamline operations and enhance both client and employee experiences.
Mike Zabik, Partner at RedBird, highlighted Affinia’s strong momentum and clear differentiation within the UK market, describing a definitive pathway for Affinia to set a new industry standard for innovation and execution through AI deployment. Darren Redmayne, Group CEO of Affinia, called the RedBird partnership an exciting new chapter that will accelerate the firm’s growth strategy, improve the client experience through technology, and make the platform more attractive to future partner firms aligned with its vision.
Looking ahead, Affinia plans to continue integrating its recent acquisitions, deploy AI tools at scale across its operations, and attract further talent to sustain its growth trajectory. RedBird’s capital and operational expertise are expected to support navigation of integration challenges while capitalising on consolidation opportunities in a fragmented UK accounting market under increasing pressure to innovate.
This transaction marks the second exit from Sovereign’s fifth fund in less than a month, following the sale of Knovia Group in March 2026 — underlining the continued momentum of Sovereign Capital’s portfolio and its Buy & Build investment model in the UK lower mid-market.
RedBird Capital Partners is a New York-based private investment firm managing approximately $14 billion in assets, focused on high-growth companies across Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Financial Services. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird combines private equity investing with active, hands-on business building and proprietary technology capabilities.
Affinia is the UK’s fastest-growing fully integrated accounting services platform, specialising in critical recurring accounting, tax, audit, insolvency, and wealth management services for SMEs and owner-managed businesses. With more than 1,000 professionals across 19 offices and revenues exceeding £100 million, Affinia is recognised as one of the UK’s most progressive and innovative accountancy firms.
Sovereign Capital Partners is a UK lower mid-market private equity firm specialising in Buy & Build investment strategies across business services, healthcare, and education. The firm focuses on backing exceptional management teams and supporting businesses through structured, operational value creation programmes.
