Burges Salmon has acted for the shareholders of Lightfoot Innovations, the UK’s leading provider of driver behaviour solutions for light commercial vehicle fleets, on its investment from Volpi Capital, including securing a successful exit for BGF.
Volpi Capital has invested in the Devon-based green-tech company, which first developed its technology to help ICE fleets cut costs and improve efficiency, and is now carving a niche in the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector through its heritage in EV motors and batteries.
Founded in 2013, the Exeter-based firm uses a distinctive platform tying rich engine data and environmental factors into driver performance using a live coaching feedback loop. The proactive set-up and high user engagement make it a highly effective tool capable of reducing accidents and driving emissions and fuel consumption down considerably for corporate fleets.
These proven road safety, environmental and societal benefits have made Lightfoot the partner of choice for a wide network of insurers and brokers. In recent years, Lightfoot has built out a substantial UK base of over 200 corporate and enterprise customers and continues to cater to light commercial fleets across a wide variety of end markets.
Volpi Capital is a specialist European lower mid-market private equity firm seeking ambitious businesses that use technology to disrupt traditional B2B value chains.
The cross-firm team at Burges Salmon advising on the deal was led by Richard Spink, Julie Book and Alex Lloyd with support from Patricia Allen and Rishi Naidoo (tax), Isaac Paine (corporate) and Eilidh Wood (employment). Arrowpoint Advisory, part of Rothschild & Co, also advised on the deal.
Richard Spink, partner and Head of Corporate and Financial Institutions at Burges Salmon, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have advised the shareholders of Lightfoot Innovations on the investment by Volpi and have no doubt that Ru and the team will be hugely successful going forward. Transport technology is a growing part of our Energy and broader ESG practice and we are really pleased to have been involved in a transaction that helps the move to a Net Zero world.”
Ru Lyon Taylor, CEO Lightfoot commented: “Richard, Julie, Alex and the team provided great support to the shareholders throughout the process. They're clearly highly experienced and were commercial and responsive, helping us to complete the deal in a short timeframe."