International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised one of the largest and most experienced investors in the UK and Ireland, BGF on its £9 million minority investment in manufacturer of natural food ingredients solutions, Plant-Ex Ingredients ("Plant-Ex"). The funding will drive Plant-Ex's international expansion, with a focus on the US market.
BGF's investment will support significant international growth for the Bristol-based natural food ingredients business, which specialises in the development, manufacture and distribution of natural food colours, extracts and flavours.
Founded in 2010, Plant-Ex supplies food manufacturers across the globe, directly through its own facilities and via its network of distribution partners. Plant-Ex expanded its facilities, with a new factory in Bristol that’s double the capacity of its previous site and will enable further growth within the UK and internationally.
Osborne Clarke has advised BGF for over a decade across multiple transactions, including also recently advising on its multi-million-pound investments in Twenty7tec and NewGen.
The Osborne Clarke team advising BGF was led by Corporate Partner James Taylor and Associate Olivier Jacquelin. Additional support was provided by a multi-disciplinary team including Partner Michael Carter and Associate Will Cashman (Incentives), Partner Tracey Wright (Tax), Associate Director Nick Haywood and Associate Leila Ghannam (Employment), and Partner Katie Vickery (Regulatory).
Osborne Clarke’s international venture capital team is recognized as a leading European practice, ranked tier one by The Legal 500 and has experts across London, Bristol and the Thames Valley. From start-up through venture financing and the growth journey beyond, whether continuing to sale, IPO or international expansion, the team has an outstanding track record advising businesses, entrepreneurs and investors that are driving innovation. Osborne Clarke's dedicated resource centre, OC Ventures, brings together experts from across our international network to deliver a holistic seamless service to clients throughout the ventures ecosystem.