Wealth advisory firm set for £240m sale as bidders circle

Wealth advisory firm Equiom is set for a potential £240m sale in what would be the latest in a wave of dealmaking across the sector, City AM can reveal. The Isle of Man headquartered firm, which counts family offices and high net worth individuals among its client base, is currently running a sale process and fielding second round bids from both trade and private equity buyers, sources said. Founded in 1968 in the Isle of Man, Equiom originally operated as part of big four firm EY, before being acquired by Anglo Irish bank in 2003. Following a management buyout in 2006, it launched itself as an independent business. The firm employs 450 people across offices in 12 locations, including Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Singapore.  Equiom said it did not comment on market speculation or shareholder related matters. Dealmaking wave The sale of Equiom would be the latest in a spree of acquisitions across the wealth advisory and funds sector as the industry consolidates and private equity firms roll-up smaller companies. Larger groups are looking to scale and outsource work to smaller providers amid increased regulation and the need to cut costs. Equiom itself poached HF Fund Services in 2020, but saw its Netherlands-based operations be snapped up by fund services provider Hawksford in 2025. The UK market saw a number of acquisitions in 2025, including Sussex-based Thesis purchasing wealth manager Evelyn Partners fund solution business which doubled its scale and market share in early 2025. Evelyn Partners itself was bought by Natwest for £2.7bn in February, while Amber River and Cannord Wealth have also been put up for sale by their owners, according to reports. Foreign buyers are also aggressively eyeing the UK, with Suntera Global acquiring Khepri limited, while US firm SS&C Technologies agreed to purchase fund administration platform Calastone for £766m in July 2025.