Apax Acquires Controlling Stake in Sedex

Sedex has secured an undisclosed investment from Apax for a controlling stake, a move that could position the company to expand its supply chain visibility platform across multiple markets. The deal comes as businesses face pressure from regulators, investors and consumers to demonstrate supply chain transparency.

The investment will fund expansion into new sectors and regions beyond the company's core fast-moving consumer goods and retail markets. Sedex plans to broaden its product offering to address more risk factors and enhance audit intelligence capabilities.

Scaling platform and assessment tools

Jon Hancock, CEO of Sedex, says the investment will support the company's growth trajectory. "Sedex has developed a uniquely powerful offering that equips companies around the world with the tools to manage risk, demonstrate improvement and drive responsible practices across the tiers, regions and facilities of complex supply chains," he says.

"This investment enables us to further build on that foundation, strengthening our strategic partnership with customers, deepening our data capabilities and expanding our global reach, so we can better support customers in delivering responsible, resilient supply chains at scale."

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Once completed, Sedex Holdings will retain a minority stake under the new name SHL Membership.

Sedex serves major brands including Nestle, Unilever and KFC. The company helps clients gain insight into supply chain performance and mitigate operational risks.

Revenue growth accelerates under LDC

The company's existing minority investor, LDC, will exit as part of the transaction. According to Dan Gluckman, Investment Director at LDC, the company's revenue more than doubled from 2022 to 2025 following LDC's 2023 investment.

"Sedex's journey over the past three years has been exceptional," says Dan Gluckman, Investment Director at LDC. "Jon and his team have built a genuinely market-leading platform underpinned by unmatched site-level data, while expanding their global footprint and proving the commercial viability of supply chain risk management at scale.

"We're proud to have backed management through this period of significant growth and innovation, and wish the business all the best in its new partnership with Apax."

LDC's investment helped Sedex evolve its data platform and assessment tools during the growth period. The company now supports some of the world's largest corporations in managing supply chain compliance and sustainability.

Apax targets impact and returns

Anders Meyerhoff, Partner, and Thomas Crewe, Principal at Apax, emphasised the alignment between commercial opportunity and social impact. "Sedex helps make supply chains more ethical, transparent and safe for the workers within them," they say.

"That mission sits at the heart of why this is so compelling to us, and we see a genuine opportunity to deliver both strong returns and measurable, lasting impact."

SHLM will maintain its mission to improve labour, environmental and corporate responsibility practices in supply chains. The entity will use net proceeds to enhance global supply chain conditions and establish a charitable trust for targeted philanthropic investments.

Sedex aims to simplify compliance, enhance sustainability and reduce supply chain risk. The company supports businesses by clarifying legislation, reducing labour and audit costs and preventing sustainability issues from affecting operations.

The firm measures sustainability performance to help companies reach their goals and increase transparency. This builds trust between suppliers and companies across global supply chains.