Addleshaw Goddard’s Manchester Corporate team has advised leading private equity house Inflexion, on its investment into Cawood Scientific, the UK’s largest provider of analytical laboratory testing services in the agricultural sector.

The partnership adds another fast-growing, entrepreneurial business to Inflexion’s books, with the company joining an established portfolio of related businesses, including British Engineering Services (an engineering testing, inspection and consultancy firm), Kynetec (a provider of data into the agriculture and animal health markets) and Alcumus (a leading provider of compliance risk management and accreditation services).

Inflexion’s backing of Cawood recognises the gathering momentum in the agri-testing market, with food quality assurance and agricultural efficiency an ever increasing hot topic on the political agenda. The investment will allow the company to achieve its ambitions for further growth.

The AG team was led by Paul Medlicott, and included George Danczak and Joanne Cooper.

AG's Manchester Private Equity team celebrated a strong start to 2017, having advised LDC on its investments into Chargepoint and Fishawack in January, cementing the team's status as the dominant player in the local deals market.

The team have also advised on further transactions in comparable markets, including: LDC on its investment into Stroma, a company offering regulatory driven compliance services and software applications to the energy and operational efficiency markets; and Equistone on its creation of Concept Life Sciences, an international scientific laboratory and consultancy business which continues to expand through targeted acquisitions.