Silverfish UK takes on significant investor to drive growth

Silverfish UK has today announced the onboarding of Connection Capital, an investment firm with a £370 million portfolio, as a partner to help drive future growth.

Silverfish founder Darren Mabbott commented; “This investment marks an exciting new chapter for the business and one which I think will open up numerous opportunities for our brand partners, retail customers and the talented team at Silverfish.”

The investment by Connection Capital, along with their expertise, is designed to enable Silverfish to unlock further growth for its existing brand partners. It will also facilitate investment in customer support infrastructure to better serve retail customers, and will help realise the distributor’s shared ambitions around European expansion and attracting new highly desirable brands.

Darren will remain actively involved and will be supported by newly appointed Managing Director, Matthew Osborne who joined the business in 2015 as General Manager, and by Michael Coupland who will act as Investor Director on behalf of Connection Capital.

Matthew Osborne commented; “We see huge opportunity in expanding our existing brand portfolio with ambitious and complimentary brand partners. Silverfish’s success to date has been built on partnering with established international brands as well as working with exciting new brands to help them realise their market potential. With the support of Connection Capital, we are well placed to add to our range of products and territories.”

Michael Coupland added; “We are excited to be working with Silverfish. There has been a surge in interest in cycling over the past few years and we have been keen to find suitable partners in this expanding sector. The dynamism and enthusiasm of Darren and the whole team at Silverfish made them a natural choice for us, and we look forward to supporting them on their onward journey.”

Established in 1999 with a select handful of progressive Canadian bike brands, Silverfish has created a unique space in the distribution market focussing on premium MTB and crossover brands and offering a unique brand partnership experience.

Currently operating across the UK, Ireland and a number of European territories, the brand portfolio includes iconic and innovative names such as Yeti Cycles, FOX, Michelin, Race Face, SDG, Knog, Marzocchi, CushCore, Peaty’s, Ride Concepts, 100%, Easton, Birzman and Skratch Labs.

Silverfish UK has recently bolstered its marketing team with the appointments of Rich Ford and Neil Cousins.