Browne Jacobson advises on four transactions for AIM-quoted FinTech business Equals Group plc

Browne Jacobson’s London corporate team has advised AIM-quoted FinTech payments specialist, Equals Group on four strategic transactions since the start of 2023:

• the acquisition (subject to conditions) of Oonex SA, a payment institution based in Belgium licensed and regulated by the National Bank of Belgium, which was founded in 2012;
• the acquisition (subject to conditions) of Hamer and Hamer Ltd, a foreign exchange business which partners with specialist FinTech providers;
• the disposal of the group’s cash currency business; and
• the acquisition of Roqqet Ltd, further supporting Equals’ growth ambitions.

The acquisitions of global payments services provider, Oonex and foreign exchange company, Hamer & Hamer will enable the Equals Group to offer its multi-currency accounts products and services to a broader client base across Europe as well as broaden its capabilities in cross border payments.

The Equals Group, which was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in London is a B2B and B2C payments specialist that develops and sells scalable payment platforms for businesses wanting to move and easily manage their money flows through its payment and card products. It operates across six brands including Equals Money and CardOneMoney and works with a diverse customer portfolio which comprises Hollywood studios, innovative SMEs, large corporates, financial institutions, high net worth individuals and international holidaymakers. Equals Group plc’s shares are admitted on the AIM market, which is operated by the London Stock Exchange plc.

Browne Jacobson’s London-based Murdoch Currie, led on the transactions, alongside senior associate, Harry Pearson and associates, Shania Sood and Kim Pons.

Murdoch Currie said: “We are very pleased to have successfully delivered on these transactions for our client the Equals Group and to support them in their business goals to become a leading B2B platform for worldwide money transactions. We are proud to have worked with Ian and the team again and look forward to watching them seek to grow their profile and client base across Europe.”

Browne Jacobson’s national corporate finance practice is ranked by Experian as one of the country’s leading corporate finance teams. It operates from our offices in Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Nottingham and is made up of over 50 expert corporate, private equity, venture capital (VC) and banking & finance lawyers delivering multi-layered transactions across a diverse range of sectors. The team works collaboratively with a diverse and longstanding portfolio of domestic and international clients including fast growing start-ups, FTSE 100 companies, private equity investors and the UKs leading banking institutions.