Equistone Acquires UK Residential Property Manager FirstPort

Equistone Partners Europe makes minority investment in QuestGates

August 5, 2024

Professional Services

Equistone Partners Europe has made a significant minority growth investment in QuestGates, the UK’s largest independent provider of complex loss adjusting and claims solutions. QuestGates, headquartered in Birmingham with c.500 employees and £41m revenue in FY2023/24, will continue to be led by CEO Chris Hall and remain majority-owned by its management team and employees; the capital will support organic growth, capability development and further acquisitive expansion.

Equistone Acquires Majority Stake in Nexus Vehicle Rental from Phoenix Equity Partners

January 17, 2023

Transportation

Equistone Partners Europe has acquired a majority stake in Nexus Vehicle Rental from Phoenix Equity Partners; financial terms were not disclosed. Nexus, a Leeds-based tech-driven B2B vehicle rental aggregator operating an asset-light model via its IRIS platform, will continue to be led by its existing management team as Equistone supports the business' next phase of growth and product development.

Emeria Acquires Majority Stake in FirstPort from Equistone

March 29, 2022

Real Estate

Emeria, the European residential real estate services group, is acquiring FirstPort, the UK’s leading residential property services business, from majority shareholder Equistone Partners Europe. FirstPort will operate as a subsidiary of Emeria with its management team reinvesting; the deal supports Emeria’s UK market entry and broader European consolidation and remains subject to FCA approval with terms undisclosed.

FirstPort (Equistone-backed) Acquires Arcturus Corporation Limited and Freemont

November 9, 2021

Real Estate

FirstPort, the Equistone-backed UK residential property services provider, has acquired Arcturus Corporation Limited (the parent of Blenheims and Campions) and Freemont. Freemont’s ~100 employees and its management of 5,400 homes will join the FirstPort group, while Blenheims and Campions will continue to operate under the FirstPort umbrella and benefit from FirstPort’s in-house teams and digital investment. These transactions are add-on acquisitions to FirstPort’s PE-backed platform.

FirstPort (Equistone-backed) Acquires Residential Management Arm of Chamonix Estates

December 3, 2020

Real Estate

FirstPort, backed by private equity firm Equistone, has acquired the residential property management arm of Chamonix Estates. The deal brings roughly 54,000 customers and about 100 employees into the FirstPort group, strengthening its residential property management capability and customer base in the United Kingdom.

Equistone-backed FirstPort Acquires Mainstay Group

June 25, 2020

Real Estate

FirstPort, the UK residential property manager backed by Equistone Partners Europe, is combining with property and asset manager Mainstay Group in an add-on acquisition intended to strengthen FirstPort's geographic footprint and service offering. The transaction was announced subject to Financial Conduct Authority approval and was later cleared and completed to form an enlarged residential property management group.