News
Fortus secures LDC investment to drive next phase of growth
16 Jun 2026
Fortus, a full-service firm of accountants and business advisors, has secured investment from LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, to support its ambitious growth plans.
Headquartered in York with offices in Leeds and Scarborough, the business has a 115-strong team of specialists across accountancy, audit, tax, and other advisory services. It supports over 4,500 SMEs across the region, helping clients to navigate a complex and ever evolving regulatory landscape.
Founded in 2020, Fortus is an independent and founder-led organisation with a clear focus on client relationships, service levels and internal team culture. It has built a strong, multidisciplinary team who consistently deliver high quality, pragmatic advice and support to its clients. The business has a market leading track record of growth, both organically and in-organically, having completed five successful acquisitions over the past five years.
LDC is backing founder and CEO Craig Herbert, COO Andy Northern and CMO Rich Burnett, all of whom will remain in their respective roles to lead the next phase.
The partnership with LDC will support continued investment into people and systems to enable the business to expand the breadth of service it provides, as well as continuing to support its buy-and-build strategy targeting further geographical and service expansion to complement the firm’s existing presence across the region.
The transaction was led by Investment Manager Anthony West, Investment Executive Connie Smith, Origination Manager Sophie Isaacs and Partner and Head of Yorkshire Dan Smith. Anthony West and Dan Smith will join Fortus’s board as Non-Executive Directors. Neil Cox will also join the board as Chair, bringing extensive private equity and M&A experience in professional services.
Craig Herbert, Founder and CEO of Fortus, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Fortus. We believe we have built something special here in Yorkshire – a firm that genuinely understands its clients’ needs and delivers real value through personal relationships and deep expertise, via a team full of passionate and dedicated professionals across an array of service line and sector specialisms. This partnership is a culmination of a relationship we have developed with LDC over a number of years. “
The team at LDC understands what we’re trying to do and is backing our ambition to build the leading regional firm of accountants and business advisors rooted firmly here in Yorkshire."
Dan Smith, Partner and Head of Yorkshire at LDC, added: “Craig, Andy and Rich, along with the wider SLT, have built an exceptional business with genuine momentum and a clear strategy for the next phase. They’ve proved they can integrate acquisitions and drive organic growth – and we’re excited to be backing them to continue that journey whilst continuing to deliver high quality, advisory-led services to their client base.”
Over the last decade, the LDC team in Yorkshire has invested more than £400m into businesses with a combined enterprise value of £1.1bn. This includes supporting the carve out and subsequent exit of leading cost and carbon data provider, BCIS, UniHomes, the industry-leading student accommodation and advertising platform; and Pagabo Group, the procurement and technology specialist. LDC has also backed several successful regional buy-and-build strategies, including national lettings and estate agency group Lomond which has grown significantly through LDC’s partnership.
LDC was advised by Alvarez & Marsal (Corporate Finance), Womble Bond Dickinson (legal), BDO (financial due diligence and tax) and GCS Insights (commercial diligence). Debt funding for the transaction was provided by Triple Point, led by Paul Dolyniuk.
Fortus was advised by a team from Andrew Jackson (legal).