Translink Corporate Finance: 2023 In Review

In a tough financial year, Translink Corporate Finance, a world leader in mid-market corporate financial advisory services, continued its global expansion. Covering more than 35 countries on six continents, the global group sealed a strategic alliance with SMC Capitals in India, and its European coverage grew following the addition of Landpoint Corporate Finance in Berlin, to Translink Germany. These alliances have cemented Translink’s presence in the Asian and central European markets, both of which are poised for significant growth in 2024.

Partnerships were pivotal to Translink’s robust year of deal-making, which also saw the group establish promising deal pipelines for 2024. The Translink team attributes its success to the critical roles played by its global partners and valued clients. Close to 40% of all 2023 transactions were cross-border deals, highlighting the immense value of the group’s deep relationships worldwide.

A big year for industrials

Translink reports that 30% of all its deals were closed in the industrials sector, followed by technology, media and communications (TMT) at 20%, healthcare at 16%, and professional services at 12%. In a sluggish ‘wait and see’ M&A market, industrials stayed relatively unaffected by the rising global inflation and interest rates, with demand consistently stable. TMT continued to attract sustained interest across its various sub-sectors, creating opportunities for start-ups, while spurring the consolidation of operational activities for many companies. Healthcare remained in a strong phase of innovation in the R&D space, promising further growth in 2024 and beyond.

Robust expansion for the Translink group

Germany: Translink’s partnership with Landpoint Corporate Finance will grow the group’s regional coverage, with the new Berlin office joining the established Bremen, Cologne and Frankfurt offices. Berlin is a major corporate hub, with unparalleled access to international markets and a thriving start-up scene.

India: The group’s alliance with SMC Capitals will cement its presence in India. The SMC Group is over three decades old, with a presence in over 450 Indian cities. India represents significant deal potential, as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The country aims to grow into a $1 trillion digital economy by 2025, which is propelling massive growth in multiple sectors. India has also seen considerable growth in private equity and venture capital investments, with these reaching a record high in 2022. In addition, the country is home to the world’s largest youth population – a massive potential demographic dividend to tap into.

Platform for success

The Translink team’s deep relationships and knowledge-sharing best practices continue to be an anchor for the group’s robust deal-making – as they have been for over 50 years. In 2023, global group hosted two directors’ meetings, in Miami and Dublin, where partners from around the world connected, shared, and agreed strategic priorities for the forthcoming year. Growth and expansion are key objectives for 2024.

What’s on the cards for 2024?

This year, inflation is poised to drop, unleashing pent-up deal demand, with a promising pipeline of transactions sitting largely in the middle-market. Translink experts forecast a robust year of deals in 2024 – read Translink’s M&A megatrend predictions here.