Matthew Owen

I've been with Sovereign since 2004 and lead the origination team focusing on business and technology services, including areas such as software, financial services, insurance and compliance. Over recent years I've developed a strong interest in companies that have already started to, or have the potential to, internationalise (mini-multinationals as we affectionately call them).

I was previously a partner at Capital Strategies, where I led the company’s MBO. Prior to that I accumulated a broad range of experience: I worked in a '.com' (back when that was a thing), was a computer auditor, an accountant and was also an economist for the UK government. My very first pay cheque came from writing and selling computer games and I still like to do a bit of coding from time to time.

At Sovereign I've been responsible for originating a number of successful investments including Actica, Alcumus, Aquitaine (now Summit Group), Arachas, Bristow & Sutor, Cordium, PICS and a number of follow-on acquisitions to deliver strategic growth. It's been a privilege to watch these companies flourish.

A strength of Sovereign is our sector knowledge. When we make initial contact with a business owner, we have very much done our homework. From then, it's about building that close rapport, understanding their ambitions, and in turn exploring how we can best support them. A great example of this is Bristow & Sutor, whom we'd known for over 14 years before the deal was done.

I studied Business Economics and Computing at the University of Surrey, where I got my BSc. Married with two children, I'm a big fan of country music, keeping fit, mountain climbing (Kilimanjaro is my highest peak to-date), and go-karting. We've done quite a number of go-karting events at Sovereign – nothing to do with me of course…