Evidence
We’ve sat on your side of the table.
Our experience comes from starting, building, funding and successfully exiting multiple businesses ourselves, as well as advising founders, management teams and investors through the same challenges.
Capital raised for our own businesses
Value realised from ventures we've built
Client transactions advised on
Our Sweet Spot
Where we move the dial.
Revenue sweet spot
What We Do
Grow
Strategy · Commercial acceleration · Business performance · Operating capability · Leadership alignment · Value creation · Exit readiness
Fund & Acquire
Equity fundraising · Debt financing · M&A · Acquisitions · Buy-and-build · Acquisition finance · Strategic transactions
Realise Value
Value creation · Exit readiness · Business preparation · Strategic transactions · Disposals · Exit execution · Shareholder value maximisation
Who We Work With
Who we work alongside.
01 / Founders
Helping entrepreneurs navigate growth, capital, acquisitions and ultimately realise the value they have created.
02 / Management Teams
Supporting leadership teams through growth, transformation, acquisitions and strategic transactions.
03 / Investors
Working alongside investors and portfolio companies to accelerate growth, improve performance and create shareholder value.
The 5 Dimensions of Growth
Sustainable value is created when five dimensions of a business develop together.
01
Revenue Growth
Creating predictable, profitable and repeatable revenue.
02
Capability Growth
Building the people, processes and operating capability required to scale.
03
Market & Partner Growth
Expanding reach through markets, channels, partnerships and strategic relationships.
04
Financial Growth
Turning growth into stronger margins, cash generation and enterprise value.
05
Culture & Leadership
Creating the leadership, accountability and culture capable of supporting the next stage.
HOW WE WORK
Experience, not theory.
4 Oceans combines entrepreneurial, operational, investment and corporate finance experience.
We work alongside founders, management teams and investors to understand what is really holding a business back, identify where value can be created and help make it happen.
Our involvement can range from a focused strategic project to an ongoing advisory, Chair, NED or Operating Partner role.
The objective is simple: move the dial.
FOUNDER
Entrepreneur. Investor. Adviser.
David Yates is an entrepreneur, investor and corporate finance professional with more than 35 years’ experience starting, building, funding, acquiring and exiting businesses.
He has founded and successfully exited multiple businesses, raised more than £50m of equity and debt for ventures he has built, and advised on transactions with a combined value exceeding £2.5bn.
His experience spans technology, telecommunications and digital businesses, including more than a decade building businesses in Asia, investing in early-stage companies, executing acquisitions and exits, and working alongside founders, boards and investors.
Today, David works with a small number of ambitious businesses where his combination of operating, investment and transaction experience can materially influence growth and shareholder value.
Connect on LinkedIn →
INSIGHTS
Practical perspectives on growth, value creation, capital, M&A and the realities of building businesses.
What Growth Quietly Takes Away
Why success sometimes reduces freedom instead of increasing it
Read article →
Growth Doesn’t Always Create Value
Revenue can be rising while enterprise value is standing still. Understanding the difference changes the decisions you make.
Read article →
Preparing for Exit Before You Sell
The decisions that determine the value of a business are often made years before the transaction.
Read article →
View all insights →
Contact
Whether the challenge is growth, capital, acquisition or exit, it usually starts with a conversation.
Talk to David