LDC wins three awards at the South Coast Deals Awards 2026

LDC’s South team was named ‘Private Equity Firm of the Year’ and also took home ‘Deal of the Year (£10m-£50m)’ for its investment in i247 Group and ‘Deal of the Year (under £10m)’ for Onecom’s acquisition of Matrix IT.

The awards, now in their eleventh year, took place last night at the Leonardo Royal Southampton. Hosted by The Business Magazine in partnership with Insider and compered by broadcasting veteran Mark Durden-Smith, they celebrated excellence across the region’s corporate finance and dealmaking community.

The judges praised LDC for ‘an active year in the region, completing an impressive new platform investment in i247 and showing continued support for its portfolio company Onecom with two bolt-on acquisitions.’ LDC invested in Poole-based i247 Group, a leading provider of technology-led fleet management services and custom software solutions for the automotive leasing sector, in March 2026. The team also supported Whiteley-based Onecom with its 13th and 14th acquisitions since 2020: Portchester-based Matrix IT, a Microsoft Solutions Partner providing professional IT services across the South Coast, and Gradwell communications, a hosted voice, SIP and connectivity specialist.

The judges commended LDC’s investment in i247 as ‘marking a successful transition from founder-led family ownership and unlocking significant growth potential’. The business has demonstrated strong growth in recent years and the partnership with LDC will support the company’s ambitious growth strategy, spanning product expansion, international growth and continued innovation.

LDC supported Onecom’s acquisition of Matrix IT in February 2026. The combination strengthened Onecom’s managed IT proposition and improved the group’s ability to deliver enterprise-grade outcomes across cloud, cybersecurity and Microsoft-centric services. It was described by the judges as ‘a transformational deal – retaining the Matrix brand, drawing on local advisers, expanding services to more than 60,000 customers, and creating jobs.’

Alongside its investment activity, the team also continued to support charities across the patch, reflecting its broader commitment to the communities it serves.

LDC extends its congratulations to all of the companies and individuals that won awards or were shortlisted at the South Coast Deals Awards 2026. You can view the full list of winners here.