News
LDC’s David Bains, Gareth Marshall and Aylesh Patel recognised in Real Deals’ Future 40
29 Sep 2025
David Bains, Partner and Head of East Midlands and East of England, Gareth Marshall, Partner and Head of North East and Scotland, and Aylesh Patel, Partner and Head of South, have been named in Real Deals’ Future 40 Midmarket Investment Leaders list for 2025.
The list celebrates the dealmakers who, through their extensive expertise and strategic acumen, have excelled in their roles during another 12 months of challenging conditions, and have also served as exemplary figures within their firms and the broader sector, making significant contributions to the private equity community.
David was praised for leading six transactions during the qualifying period, including LDC’s new investments in IDSL and Power Saving Solutions, as well as its exits from The Edwin Group and ENSEK. His team also supported Littlefish’s acquisition of Storm Technology and IDSL’s acquisition of Hartland Fire.
Beyond transactions, David was commended for supporting young adults to pursue their professional ambitions through LDC’s partnership with The King’s Trust, and for his regular work with local foodbanks in Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln and Leicester. He also led his team to raise more than £22,000 for When You Wish Upon a Star – a Nottingham-based charity fulfilling the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses.
The judges recognised Gareth for completing a number of transactions including LDC’s exit and reinvestment in Lomond, the leading lettings and estate agency platform, following a transformation growth journey. During LDC’s investment period, Lomond made 65 acquisitions and grew from 600 to 1,900 employees. Gareth also led the merger of Connect Health and Healthshare to create Cora Health, and supported Aspire’s acquisition of CloudCoCo.
Gareth was also praised for supporting the development of junior talent and leading his team to donate more than £46,000 to local charities.
Aylesh Patel led LDC’s successful exit and reinvestment of Kerv, one of the largest deals in the market at the time. During LDC’s partnership, Kerv increased revenues five-fold and grew headcount from 100 to 700. Aylesh also led LDC’s investment in 15below, a Brighton-based specialist software developer and leader in automated communications for the travel industry, and supported Acora’s acquisition of Elastacloud.
Aylesh plays an active role in supporting local initiatives such as Camp Mohawk, a Berkshire-based charity helping children with special needs.
Our congratulations go out to the other individuals who have been named one of this year’s Future 40 Mid-Market Investment Leaders. You can see the full list here.