Shawbrook has delivered a tailored funding package to Astra Holding Group Limited, providing a facility designed to accelerate the investment group’s buy-and-build ambitions and support its latest acquisition.
The deal consolidates Astra’s existing debt, finances its purchase of AB Key – a security solutions provider – and secures committed capital for future mergers and acquisitions.
Astra was founded a year ago by Amit Rai and Sergey Sushentsev as a long-term investment platform focused on industrial and B2B businesses, aiming to address the growing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) succession gap across the UK.
The founders’ approach blends patient capital with sector expertise to help business owners preserve and strengthen their legacies.
Shawbrook’s Corporate Leverage team structures funding for rapid acquisitions and longer-term expansion, and the Astra transaction reflects the lender’s appetite to support ambitious management teams.
The deal was introduced by Simon Copeland of Molino Capital Advisory, who led the debt advisory process on Astra’s behalf.
Amit Rai, co-CEO of Astra Holding Group Limited, said: “Working alongside Shawbrook, we have found their team’s sector expertise invaluable in structuring a facility that supports our growth objectives. Their pragmatic approach and clear commitment to certainty throughout the process have enabled us to progress our plans with confidence.”
Tony Dean, senior director at Shawbrook, added: “Partnering with Astra Holding has enabled us to demonstrate the full breadth of our sector insight and flexible approach to funding. Astra’s leadership and vision align closely with our philosophy of supporting innovative, forward-thinking businesses.”
