Our big idea: Q&A with JMAN Group

Hi! What's your elevator pitch?

JMAN Group is a leading commercial data partner that specialises in maximising value creation activities for private equity funds and their portfolio companies. We specialise in combining data science and data engineering with deep commercial insights to deliver high-value outcomes for our clients. Our goal is to be the trusted advisor in data-driven value creation, helping our clients achieve substantial growth through innovative, tech-enabled solutions across the investment life cycle.

Why does the market need it?

Current market solutions fall short in offering services that truly integrate a value creation mindset, data science/advanced analytics and software/data engineering capabilities. Traditional consultancies lack the agility and specialisation in advanced AI and data analytics that modern businesses require, and data and tech consultancies do not always possess the commercial nous to drive value at pace. JMAN Group fills this gap by providing a unique blend of technology expertise and commercial acumen, with a specific focus on partnering with the private equity (PE) industry, enabling sponsors to maximise their portfolio’s value and stay ahead of industry shifts as they go on their investment journey.

Where is the business today? 

We’ve established ourselves as a strong player in UK and US private equity funds and portfolios, where the use of data to drive investment decisions and value creation is a market in a state of hyper-growth. We have refined our offerings to ensure we can remain at the forefront of being a true commercial data partner. From blue sky data strategy and advisory to core reporting, value creation through advanced analytics and AI capabilities, we deploy our solutions with investors and management teams across the world. Our progress includes a global team structure of over 400 people and a strong focus on innovation and consistent client satisfaction metrics which positions us as a leader in commercial data partnerships. Having also recently become PE-backed ourselves, via a minority investment from Baird Capital, it has deepened our understanding of the journey our clients are going on and has helped us help them!

What made you think there was money in this?

Our journey began with the recognition of a significant gap in the market for a partner who could solve commercial problems with tech. For the private equity market, this translated into a latent demand for solutions that provided the bespoke analytical insight and outcomes of a classical consulting project, but driven by data at scale and pace that, crucially, left behind embedded tools that management could use to operate their business and continuously drive value. We spoke to over 70 funds and found that, while we were well placed due to our innate consulting and tech capabilities, we needed to refine our solutions to ensure they were laser-focused on the needs of the private equity industry. Our competitors, ranging from large consultancies to small specialist firms, often lacked the integration of tech and commercial capabilities but were also targeting a wide range of sectors, of which PE was one. This insight drove us to create a business that offers unparalleled value by ensuring our capabilities are truly integrated and that all our Research and Development (R&D) efforts are focused on the PE industry.

What's your biggest strength?

Our biggest strength lies in our integration of deep industry expertise, advanced technological and analytical capabilities, a global workforce and a client-centric partnering approach. We work with PE sponsors and management teams to help them utilise their data to drive investment decisions and create value across the entire investment life cycle. Being PE-backed as well, it has given us even deeper insight into the human-side of the PE journeys - sponsors and management teams want partners, not just service providers, and that is what we strive to be.

Our value creation initiatives are designed to accelerate growth and improve profitability across the investment lifecycle. From building machine learning (ML) models for churn reduction to developing pricing strategies and demand forecasting, our solutions help portfolio companies achieve their commercial objectives. We specialise in maximising valuation and de-risking transactions. Our data due diligence and reporting suites provide a single source of truth, supporting equity stories and addressing investor due diligence questions. This ensures smoother execution and higher valuations at exit.

By combining our data science and engineering expertise with strategic commercial focus, we provide high-value, tailored and embedded solutions that drive growth and operational excellence for private equity funds and their portfolio companies - it’s this holistic and integrated approach that sets us apart.

What is the secret to making the business work?

I would say the main secret to success is achieving market fit - we have done this by delivering great work, behaving like a true partner and creating value at pace. JMAN recognised that private equity companies weren’t using data effectively, so we developed a suite of flexible PE-specific solutions and engagement models to address this gap. By maintaining a strong focus on client outcomes, we ensure that we can quickly adapt and deliver solutions that meet changing market needs.

How do you market the company?

Our marketing strategy centres around thought leadership and demonstrating tangible outcomes. We engage in market shaping thought capital and speaking engagements at industry events. By showcasing our expertise and the success stories of our clients, we build credibility and attract new business. We spend a lot of time building partnerships within the PE eco-system - lots of different stakeholders are aligned on making the best investment decisions and increasing the value of their portfolio, so having trusted relationships with partners in adjacent spaces has been a big driver of growth for us.

What funding do you have? Is it enough?

We have secured significant funding from private investors and reinvest our profits to fuel growth. Our financial strategy is robust, focusing on sustainable growth and maintaining a healthy cash flow. Our history is being a bootstrapped business, so we try to maintain that mindset day to day in terms of operating and growing our business. While our current funding is sufficient to support our immediate goals, we continuously evaluate opportunities for additional capital to accelerate our expansion plans.

Tell us about the business model

Our business model is based on delivering high-ROI solutions to our clients. We offer a range of services, from data analytics and AI-driven insights to strategic advisory. Our pricing is value-based, aligned with the outcomes we deliver, but our efficient operations and global team means that we can offer flexible engagement models to suit our client’s needs. As a services business, we generate healthy cash flow and have always been profitable - our partnering approach and longer-term relationships with our clients has helped us forecast with more accuracy and plan for growth accordingly.

What were you doing before?

I held various roles in consulting while my co-founder is a very experienced software engineer and tech consultant. Together, we gained valuable experience in both strategic advisory and technical implementation i.e. how to combine commercial thinking with raw tech skill. This background provided us with the insights needed to identify the market gap and build a business that tried to utilise the best of both worlds - we wanted to build a company that looked like consultancy but operated like a tech company.

Are there any technologies you've found useful?

We use a variety of technologies, including advanced data analytics platforms, AI tools and cloud-based solutions. As much as possible, we try to use easily accessible off the shelf tools (Tableau, Power BI, Snowflake, Fivetran, DBT, Alteryx, Python, SQL etc), as these technologies are often already in place at our clients, and we want to leverage what they have as much as possible. We have also invested a lot of R&D resource into building our own accelerators to help deploy our services with the above tools more crisply, which also make it easier for the client to manage after the engagement is complete.

What is the future vision?

We want to continue leading the market as the premier commercial data partner for private equity. We aim to expand our global presence, innovate with new AI-driven solutions and deepen our industry expertise. Our goal is to build a business that lasts a hundred years that not only delivers exceptional value to our clients but also fosters social mobility and creates a positive impact globally. We aim to use our skills to benefit everyone we work with, including our team, clients, and partners.