Private equity investor Ancient has made an investment in Burgess, marking one of the most significant corporate moves in the superyacht services sector this year and signalling renewed external interest in the industry’s largest full-service brokerage groups.

The terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

The investment from Ancient, the long-term platform builder founded by current chairman and CEO, Alexander Klabin, is framed as a partnership designed to support Burgess’ next stage of expansion as client expectations become more complex and service-heavy. Trends in remote cruising, wellness, and year-round yacht use have increased demand for integrated advisory and operational capabilities.

Founded in 1975 and led since 1992 by chief executive Jonathan Beckett, Burgess has grown into one of the sector’s most influential firms, spanning brokerage, charter, new build, yacht management, crew services and insurance. With 18 offices across London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Asia and the Middle East, the company remains central to many of the largest transactions and build programmes in the market.

“Partnering with Ancient gives Burgess the resources, scale and creativity we want to accelerate our leadership position in the industry, without compromising our independence or our culture,” says Beckett.

Ian Armstrong, Burgess’ managing director, adds that the new backing will allow the firm to invest further in technology, talent and the evolving needs of its clients, while maintaining the values that have shaped the brand over five decades.

Ancient positions the deal within its “masterpieces, not many pieces” investment approach, targeting a small number of specialised, high-touch platforms that benefit from long-term capital and operational alignment. The Burgess leadership team will also remain in place.

“Burgess represents the highest standards in the superyacht industry,” says Loren Easton, Ancient’s head of private investing. “Its legacy, global reach and commitment to service align with our mission to invest in category-defining platforms built for the long term.”

The deal also sits within a broader shift across the superyacht ecosystem. Corporate marine groups such as MarineMax already control the likes of Fraser and Northrop & Johnson following acquisitions in 2019 and 2020 respectively, while private equity and infrastructure investors, including Blackstone and Centerbridge, have been building positions in marinas and related service platforms.

Against that backdrop, SuperyachtNews understands that at least one other major brokerage has held preliminary acquisition discussions, though no transactions have been confirmed. Several brokers who now operate under larger umbrella firms say they remain broadly content with the support and resources that institutional backing provides.

Equally, a brokerage stalwart like Camper & Nicholsons has been under institutional ownership since 2017, when Fincantieri and Lai Sun Development each took a significant stake. So corporate capital is not necessarily a new phenomenon.

Ancient’s move into Burgess therefore raises some familiar questions. Are we entering a more institutional era for brokerage, as long-standing independent houses align with larger capital providers? Or is this simply the next phase of growth funding for businesses that have begun to outgrow their founder-led roots? And what, ultimately, will this mean for smaller traders and new market entrants?

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