Deal Announcement: Velocity Black

 Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair-based corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that Velocity Black (“Velocity”), a leading digital concierge company that delivers travel, entertainment, shopping and dining offerings to consumers globally, has been sold for a reported USD296m to Capital One (NASDAQ: COF; $42.5bn market cap) .

Chrystal was one of the early investors and subsequently raised over £22m for Velocity across its Post-Seed, Series A and Series B rounds. The raises were supported by a combination of High Net Worth's and family offices from our global network. Importantly the company also attained Enterprise Investment Scheme authorisation meaning investors that too EIS were able to capture all their capital gains tax free.

“We are delighted to have supported Velocity with its critical growth capital during the early years of its technology development.  Alex and Zia have been pioneers in using AI to disrupt a large addressable market and the success of their vision has clearly been borne out in the value Capital One have ascribed to the business.  The 100% sale of Velocity to Capital One marks the end of a highly successful journey for our investors who backed Velocity through multiple rounds at valuations significantly below the ultimate acquisition price.”

— Kingsley Wilson, Investment Partner

About Velocity Black

Founded in 2014 on the principle that time is our most precious asset, Velocity deploys cutting edge technologies and human experts to transform how high performance people discover and enjoy their world.  They help their  members do and be more in the digital age.

Velocity has built a unique customer experience — its proprietary platform deploys cutting edge technology and human experts to offer inspiration, recommendation and fulfilment in one place, making it an integral part of customers’ lives.  It harnesses the power of artificial intelligence,  the warmth of human experts and the convenience of the latest interfaces to help high performance people actualise the full potential of their lives.  They curate the best life has to offer, then their engine puts it at their members’ fingertips. Welcome to the conversational interface.

To learn more about Velocity Black, visit https://velocity.black/. 

About Chrystal Capital Digital Economy 

We work with companies that are using technology combined with a scalable business model, to significantly influence an existing market.

We believe that Digital Marketplaces and eCommerce businesses are attractive to investors due to the speed and scale to which they can grow by offering a clear customer proposition, with transparent pricing and ease of delivery. They are more capital efficient than traditional companies and can quickly command a dominant market position that is difficult to usurp.

Digital Marketplaces and eCommerce propositions have been a high priority for any tech savvy investor over the past decade – with those who have invested benefiting from the positive market forces that have surrounded the shifts in behaviour of the buyers and sellers of products and services.

Whether operating in a large established market or a niche it has been repeatedly seen that one company can dominate the landscape in a very short period of time. Due to the virtuous circle that is created between the buyers and sellers these companies with ever increasing brand presence can be difficult to dislodge.

For more information about Chrystal Capital please visit https://www.chrystalcapital.com.

For further information please contact: 
James Innes, Managing Partner
james.innes@chrystalcapital.com 
https://www.chrystalcapital.com 

Deal Announcement: Northern Leaf

CHRYSTAL CAPITAL INTRODUCES FAMILY OFFICES AND UHNWI INVESTORS INTO NORTHERN LEAF

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair based corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that it has acted as exclusive financial advisor to Northern Leaf Limited (“Northern Leaf”), a Jersey based medical cannabis cultivator, on its £3m Pre-IPO preference share fundraise. 

Chrystal has been involved with the management team at Northern Leaf since its inception in 2019, acting as the exclusive advisor on its £1.9m founders round in 2020, and on the subsequent £14.25m Convertible Loan Note raise in March 2021. Since then, the company has achieved a number of critical milestones: 

• Awarded the second ever commercial high THC licence behind GW Pharma 22 years prior. 

• Built out a state of the art 75,000 sq. ft cannabis cultivation, drying and processing facility capable of delivering 9 tonnes of cannabis flower per annum. 

• Secured multiple exclusive high THC genetics strains which have now been grown across numerous batch cycles proving quality and consistency of flower for the European medical cannabis markets. 

• Passed final facility inspections by the MHRA, positioning Northern Leaf to be awarded EU GMP accreditation, expected imminently, which will enable sales across Europe and other medically legal jurisdictions globally.  

• Employed a number of highly experienced industry personnel across the critical areas of cultivation, operations, sales, quality control and regulation. 

• Appointed market leading advisors across accounting, legal and broking in anticipation of a summer 2023 IPO onto the London Stock Exchange. 

“We are delighted to have supported and advised Northern Leaf again on its third financing. Since inception the strategy has always been to build a European leading medical cannabis business to provide critical and much needed medical products to millions of patients across Europe and further afield suffering from a wide variety of ailments. This additional capital raise will allow Northern Leaf to continue on that path to becoming one of the most strategically important assets in Europe whilst providing much needed medical solutions to patients currently lacking high quality EU GMP supply.”

— Kingsley Wilson, Investment Partner, Chrystal Capital

“Chrystal Capital has been a strong supporter and advisor to Northern Leaf, since its inception in 2019, being integral to our growth and market positioning success. We are excited, after years of capital investment, regulatory clearances, and building the right management team, to begin the monetisation phase of this world class European medical cannabis asset.”

— Don Perrott, CEO, Northern Leaf

About Northern Leaf 

Northern Leaf is a medical cannabis cultivator based in Jersey that, in December 2020, was granted the first UK commercial high THC medical cannabis license since UK based GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH) in 1998. The Company is leading the development of a new industry for the British Isles, creating centres of excellence, using state-of-the-art tracking systems and robust policies and procedures to ensure the highest levels of quality from seed to sale. With a secure, operational facility already built, Northern Leaf will grow commercial quantities of medical cannabis for the rapidly growing European market, including the key markets of the UK, Germany, and Israel.  

For more information about Northern Leaf, please visit https://www.northern-leaf.com/. 

About Chrystal Capital Health and Wellness 

Within Chrystal Capital Health & Wellness division, we have one of the leading Cannabis Corporate Finance advisory teams in Europe. They have closed 19 cannabis deals in the last six years, raising and advising on over US$475m of transactions in the pharmaceutical, medical, wellness and cannabis sub-sectors across Europe, North America, and Latin America. They are actively advising clients on IPOs, dual-lists, private capital raises and M&A. 

For more information about Chrystal Capital please visit https://www.chrystalcapital.com.

For further information please contact: 
Kingsley Wilson

Investment Partner
kingsley.wilson@chrystalcapital.com 
https://www.chrystalcapital.com 

Deal Announcement: Iofina Plc

CHRYSTAL CAPITAL APPOINTED AS FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO IOFINA Plc.

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair-based corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that it has advised Iofina Plc.

“Iofina is a company that we know well and have followed since it first listed back in 2018.  The underlying product has a seen a resurgence in value as the multitude of uses for iodine have come to the fore in an ever-increasing unstable World.  We look forward to introducing the story to not only London based institutions but also a wide plethora of family offices from natural resources, industrials, and medical backgrounds.”

— James Innes, Managing Partner, Chrystal Capital

“We have known the Chrystal team for a significant number of years and they have been active supporters and investors.  As Iofina enters the next phase of its growth story it is keen to re-engage with those institutional investors that may have once been keen on the story but also new sources of long-term capital who can support us through both acquisitions and organic growth”

— Lance Baller, CEO, Iofina

About Iofina

Iofina plc is a vertically integrated Company that specializes in the exploration and production of iodine and the manufacturing of specialty chemical derivatives. Through its commitment to technology development and investing in its people, Iofina successfully services markets around the globe via its business lines, Iofina Resources and Iofina Chemical.

Iofina Resources (“IR”) is the Group’s iodine production business which isolates iodine using the Group’s proprietary WET® IOsorb® technologies.  Unlike other major US manufacturers, Iofina isolates iodine that is recovered from the brine produced from oil and gas operations that would otherwise be wasted.  IR has become the second largest producer of iodine in North America, which currently imports a vast majority of its iodine.  Iodine has numerous applications in human health, biocides, acetic acid manufacturing and many others.  IR’s crystalline IOflo® iodine is either sold directly to global customers or converted to iodine based compounds at its sister company Iofina Chemical.

Established in 1983 and acquired by Iofina in 2009, Iofina Chemical (“IC”) is the Group’s technology focused, halogen-based specialty chemical producer. IC has and continues to invest heavily in researching and developing new iodo-, chloro-, and fluoro-based specialty compounds and provides the global market with quality iodine products, supported with strong, technical customer support.

For more information, see https://iofina.com/

About Chrystal Capital

Chrystal Capital is a corporate finance and investment house with an established global network of Single Family Offices, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and private equity co-investment partners. We act as a conduit between our network members, providing bespoke solutions for their capital and investment objectives.

Our core sectors are Digital Economy, Health & Wellness, Sustainable & Impact Investments, and Natural Resources.

Our service areas are Advisory, Principal Investments and Co-investments.

For further information please contact:

Rak Karia
Director, Head of Natural Resources
raj.karia@chrystalcapital.com
https://www.chrystalcapital.com

Deal Announcement: carwow

CHRYSTAL CAPITAL ACTS AS FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO CARWOW

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair-based corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that it has advised Carwow to bring in GLy New Mobility Fund, a prominent international investment group, as part of a larger raise alongside leading UK private equity groups Balderton, Accel and Vitruvian.

“Carwow is disrupting the European consumer car market through its innovative offering and technology stack. To complete a fund raise in challenging markets is a testament to the strength of their high growth, high margin business that is both proven and scalable.”

— James Innes, Managing Partner, Chrystal

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.“The Chrystal team worked relentlessly to introduce a broad range of strategic investors. Their reach was international and through their background in digital marketplaces they were able to communicate a clear investment case.””

— James Hind, CEO, carwow

About Carwow

UK-based Carwow is the largest online marketplace for brand new cars in Europe and is backed by several leading institutional venture capital firms including Balderton, Accel and Vitruvian Partners, as well as Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler AG.

The carwow platform helps consumers learn about the available vehicles in the market, connecting them directly to dealers who provide offers for their chosen vehicle type. This helps consumers to get the best visibility on the markets, comparing prices, financing, delivery times and dealer quality. Whilst on the other side of the marketplace, dealers are able to capture demand from across the country with qualified leads. carwow also makes a significant and growing portion of its revenues from alternative sources, including their ‘Sell Your Car’ product, bolstered by the acquisition in June 2021 of Wizzle, as well as from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) advertising on their platform, and from their YouTube channel.

For more information, see https://www.carwow.co.uk/

About Chrystal Capital

Chrystal Capital is a corporate finance and investment house with an established global network of Single Family Offices, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and private equity co-investment partners. We act as a conduit between our network members, providing bespoke solutions for their capital and investment objectives.

Our core sectors are Digital Economy, Health & Wellness, Sustainable & Impact Investments, and Natural Resources.

Our service areas are Advisory, Principal Investments and Co-investments.

For further information please contact:

James Innes Managing Partner

james.innes@chrystalcapital.com

https://www.chrystalcapital.com

Deal Announcement: Ceiba Healthcare

Chrystal Capital advises CEIBA Healthcare on $10m fundraise

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair-based entrepreneurial corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that it has acted as financial advisor to CEIBA Healthcare (“CEIBA”), a Healthcare Technology company that is focused on Connectivity, Telehealth and Telemedicine on its US$10m placing. The company’s products are FDA registered and have won government contracts, signed partnership agreements in the US and are deployed in the Middle East and the US.

“We are delighted to have supported CEIBA, one of the Telehealth market’s most exciting technology companies.  CEIBA’s fundraise was led by two healthcare focused private equity groups and supported by family offices from within Chrystal’s network. The company’s connectivity product is interoperable with over 95% of all medical devices in an ICU, while their clinical decision and remote patient monitoring platforms products are revolutionary. Ceiba has solved the interoperability issue between medical devices in an ICU and offers wave form technology to virtual teams across the hospital network. We look forward to seeing the company grow globally”

— Raj Karia, Director at Chrystal Capital

About CEIBA Healthcare

Established in 2016, Ceiba Healthcare Group has developed healthcare technology products and solutions to turn ICU beds into true digital form. Ceiba eConnect Smart IoMT box captures data from medical devices and using Ceiba eClinics Platform displays the data in real time in visible, recordable and actionable format. Ceiba technology transforms hospitals in achieving limitless medical device integration irrespective of brand and real time patient data monitoring. With digital ICU beds, hospitals can provide full telehealth solutions and achieve efficiencies saving time and money while providing better patient care.

Ceiba’s AI-based algorithmic predictive analytics engine, ZeqAI, accurately predicts Sepsis, Septic Shock, Mortality, Length of Stay and Acute Kidney failure, and can be applied to predict other diseases.  ZeqAI analyses hundreds of data parameters at high frequency from endless medical devices via Ceiba eConnect Smart IoMT box to predict whether or not a patient is going to develop Septic Shock 48 hours before onset and provide real time information to assist medical professionals. Please visit https://www.ceiba-healthcare.com/about-us.html for more.

For further information please contact:

Raj Karia

Raj.Karia@chrystalcapital.com
https://www.chrystalcapital.com

Deal Announcement: Northern Leaf

Chrystal Capital acts as exclusive advisor to Northern Leaf on £14m fundraise

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP (“Chrystal”), a Mayfair-based entrepreneurial merchant bank, is pleased to announce that it has acted as exclusive financial advisor to Northern Leaf Limited (“Northern Leaf”), a Jersey based medical cannabis cultivator, on its £14m raise via an issue of Convertible Loan Notes (the “CLN Issue”).

• The CLN Issue was five times oversubscribed based on the initial target raise of £5m, resulting in the investment being significantly upsized.

• The fundraise was strongly supported by five global institutional cannabis investors alongside numerous family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

• The capital raised will be used to make final improvements to Northern Leaf’s current 75,000 sq. ft. facility to ensure it receives both EU-GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practice) qualifications.

• In addition, Northern Leaf will accelerate its capital expenditure program into extraction, manufacturing and formulation equipment and explore strategic partnerships.

• Northern Leaf is seeking to become a European market leader in the supply of high-quality EU-GMP grade medical cannabis flower and oil to the rapidly growing European medical cannabis market where patient demand continues to accelerate.

“We are delighted to have advised Northern Leaf, a company that Chrystal have invested in and supported since its inception in 2019, on this highly successful, heavily oversubscribed £14m raise. Our unique cannabis sector expertise, together with our extensive relationships with cannabis investors, continues to deliver much needed growth capital to this exciting, fast growing medicinal industry. Having now completed this second private capital raise for Northern Leaf, taking the total raised to £17m, CCCA will continue to work closely with the management team on a number of strategic initiatives in Europe to add material value ahead of the planned IPO on the London k Exchange.”

— Tristan Gervais, Head of Chrystal Capital Cannabis Advisory (“CCCA”)

About Chrystal Capital Cannabis Advisory

CCCA is the only dedicated Cannabis Corporate Finance advisory team in Europe. CCCA’s team has closed 15 cannabis deals in the last 4 years, raising and advising on over US$445m of transactions in the pharmaceutical, medical, wellness and cannabis sub-sectors across Europe, North America and Latin America. CCCA is actively advising clients across numerous Investment Banking product areas such as IPOs, dual-lists, private capital raises and M&A.

About Northern Leaf

Northern Leaf is a medical cannabis cultivator based in Jersey that, in December 2020, was granted the first UK commercial high THC medical cannabis license since UK based GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH) in 1998. The Company is leading the development of a new industry for the British Isles, creating centres of excellence, using state-of-the-art tracking systems and robust policies and procedures to ensure the highest levels of quality from seed to sale.

With a secure, operational facility already built, Northern Leaf will grow commercial quantities of medical cannabis for the rapidly growing European market, including the key markets of the UK, Germany and Israel. For more information about Northern Leaf, please visit https://www.northern-leaf.com/.

For further information please contact:
Kingsley Wilson
Investment Partner
kingsley.wilson@chrystalcapital.com
https://www.chrystalcapital.com

Deal Announcement: EMMAC Life Sciences

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP acts as exclusive financial advisor to EMMAC Life Sciences Group on its £15m raise via successful issue of convertible notes

Chrystal Capital Partners LLP ("Chrystal"), a Mayfair-based entrepreneurial corporate finance and investment house, is pleased to announce that is has acted as exclusive financial advisor to EMMAC Life Sciences Group ("EMMAC"), Europe's largest independent cannabis company, on its £15m raise via an issue of Convertible Loan Notes (the "CLN Issue"). The CLN Issue saw strong support from existing shareholders, with Measure 8 Venture Partners LP, EMMAC's largest existing cash investor, leading the round with a significant investment.

Chrystal's cannabis group, Chrystal Capital Cannabis Advisory ("CCCA"), is the only dedicated Cannabis Corporate Finance advisory team in Europe. This raise marks the 13th cannabis deal that CCCA's team has closed in the last 4 years. CCCA's team have now raised and advised on over $400m of transactions in the cannabis sector, across North America, Latin America and Europe.

“We are delighted to have advised EMMAC, Europe’s largest independent cannabis company, on this successful, oversubscribed £15m raise. Our cannabis sector expertise, married with our deep relationships with cannabis investors, continue to deliver much needed growth capital to this exciting, fast growing industry. CCCA is uniquely positioned to back leaders like EMMAC as the secular wave of cannabis deregulation and legalisation continues to unfold at pace across the world.”

— Tristan Gervais, Head of Chrystal Capital Cannabis Advisory

About EMMAC Life Sciences Group

EMMAC Life Sciences Group is Europe's largest independent cannabis company, bringing together pioneering science and research with cutting-edge cultivation, extraction and production. With a unique supply and distribution network throughout Europe, EMMAC's vision is to bring the life-enhancing potential of cannabis to the people who need it. For more information about EMMAC, please visit https://www.emmac.com/. 

For further information please contact:

Kingsley Wilson
Investment Partner
kingsley.wilson@chrystalcapital.com
https://www.chrystalcapital.com

Deal Announcement: Harvest Health & Recreation

Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. Announces Completion of its Business Combination

Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (the “Company”), formerly RockBridge Resources Inc. (“RockBridge”), is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Harvest Enterprises Inc. (“Harvest”). In connection with the Business Combination, on November 13, 2018, an affiliate of Harvest, HVST Finco (Canada) Inc. (“Harvest Finco Canada”) completed a brokered private placement offering of subscription receipts for aggregate gross proceeds in the amount of US$218,149,676 (the “Offering”). The Offering was co-led by Eight Capital, Canaccord Genuity Corp. and GMP Securities L.P. (the “Co-lead Agents”), on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Beacon Securities Limited, Cormark Securities Inc. and Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”). Eight Capital acted as the sole bookrunner in connection with the Offering.

Completion of the Offering

On November 13, 2018, Harvest Finco Canada completed the Offering pursuant to which Harvest Finco Canada issued 33,305,294 subscription receipts (the “Subscription Receipts”) at a price of US$6.55 per Subscription Receipt (the equivalent of C$8.67, based on the Bank of Canada exchange rate of C$1.3241 per US$1.00 on November 13, 2018) for gross proceeds of US$218,149,676. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, 33,305,294 Subscription Receipts issued pursuant to the Offering were automatically converted into 33,305,294 common shares in the capital of Harvest Finco Canada and then exchanged into subordinate voting shares of the Company on a one-for-one basis.

The Company has received conditional approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) for the listing of its Subordinate Voting Shares, which are expected to commence trading on the CSE under the ticker symbol “HARV” at market open on Thursday, November 15th, 2018. Listing is subject to the Company fulfilling all listing requirements of the CSE. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP acted as counsel and Marquis Partners LP acted as financial advisor to Harvest in connection with the transaction. Full details of the Company including the Business Combination are set out in the Company’s listing statement dated November 14th, 2018 (the “Listing Statement”). A copy of the Listing Statement can be found under RockBridge’s (now the Company’s) profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Harvest Health & Recreation Inc.

Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is one of the first consistently profitable, vertically integrated cannabis companies with one of the largest footprints in the U.S. Harvest’s complete vertical solution includes industry-leading cultivation, manufacturing, and retail facilities, construction, real estate, technology and operational expertise — leveraging in-house legal, HR and marketing teams, along with proven experts in writing and winning state-based applications. The company has more than 250 employees with proven experience, expertise and knowledge of in-house best practices that are drawn upon whenever Harvest enters new markets. Harvest’s executive team is comprised of leaders in finance, compliance, real estate and operations. Since its founding in 2011, Harvest has grown its footprint every year and now has licenses in eight states, with planned expansion into additional states by 2020. Harvest shares timely updates and releases as part of its regular course of business with the media and the interested public.

For more information, visit: https://www.harvestinc.com/.

Deal Announcement: The Conduit

Chrystal Capital embraces The Conduit’s mission introducing both capital and members

Chrystal Capital has closed on a successful fundraise that saw family offices, UHNWIs, and entrepreneurs invest over £10.2million into London based  home for social change, The Conduit. This funding round followed the completion of two earlier fund raises in 2017. 

Embracing their client’s ethos, Chrystal Capital utilised its strong network to introduce both capital and contacts to support this socially impactful members’  club.    

A club with a social and environmental purpose 

The Conduit has a mission: to serve as a home for the diverse community of people passionate about social change. Acting as a catalytic platform, this  newly-founded club housed in the centre of London will bring  together social entrepreneurs, investors, creatives, business leaders, policy-makers and civil society to help tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the world today. 

“Chrystal Capital were valued partners who introduced us to a global network of investors. They worked tirelessly, providing a strong mix of corporate advisory and fund-raising services.”

— Nick Hamilton, Co-Founder, The Conduit

Chrystal Capital saw significant buy in from family offices, whose desire to invest in social impact projects that are both profitable and socially responsible, paved the way for The Conduit opportunity to be a huge success. 

“We have now worked with The Conduit on three rounds of funding to assist in the completion of their first project in London. The concept and ethos of The Conduit  to support social change by impact investing and support to scale-ups is something many of the family offices  that we work with around the world  are also committed to.”

— James Innes, Partner, Chrystal Capital

More Family Office articles >