RisCura

Hiring isn't always the answer. Our UK office is in constant contact with fund managers across the UK and Europe. One fund manager spent six months trying to justify hiring a valuation analyst. Then he realised the issue wasn't that he needed more permanent staff; it was that deal volumes come in waves, and he couldn't justify carrying fixed costs during quieter periods. He needed surge capacity, not another salary line. Most UK corporate finance teams face the same challenge. They can't scale flexibly when deal flow spikes, valuations pile up, or reporting deadlines converge. Permanent hires cost roughly 1.2 times budget when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, and overhead. Temporary solutions rarely meet the standards required for audit defensibility. That's where properly structured offshore support becomes a force multiplier rather than a cost exercise. 1️⃣ Capacity without the fixed cost You scale up when deal volumes spike and scale down when things quieten. Senior people stay focused on client work while execution happens in the engine room; valuations, models, diligence, and reporting get done without pulling partners off origination. 2️⃣ Quality without compromise Our team comprises Chartered Accountants and CFAs producing audit-defensible, ILPA-aligned valuations. The outputs meet the same standards your internal team would deliver because the credentials and methodology are equivalent. 3️⃣ Why Cape Town works Cape Town operates one or two hours ahead of the UK, so collaboration happens in real time. You're not waiting until morning to clarify something; you're working together during the same business day. English-first delivery, similar legal frameworks, and comparable professional standards make it feel like an extension of your team, not a disconnected vendor. The commercial reality is that Cape Town-based delivery costs about half of UK resource without compromising quality or timing. When you account for full hiring costs and the fixed nature of permanent staff, offshore support becomes a genuine commercial advantage. 👉If your team is stretched during deal cycles but can't justify permanent hires, message me and I'll walk you through how this works in practice.

A CFO told me recently that their LPAC meeting felt like an audit interrogation, not a routine update. The questions were sharper, the pushback was stronger, and what passed for acceptable valuations a year ago now triggered a second round of queries from multiple LPs. In times like this, LPAC scrutiny goes deeper because the stakes are higher. Your valuation provider becomes a critical line of defence, not just a compliance tick box. If you're a CFO or Head of Fund Ops preparing for the next LPAC meeting, there are three questions you should be asking your valuation provider well before that meeting happens. 1️⃣ First of all, are your expected cash flows stress tested across multiple scenarios, or are they based on a single set of assumptions? Single-scenario models feel precise, but they rarely survive tough questions. LPs want to see resilience across downside cases, not just a base case that assumes steady conditions. If your cash flow projections haven't been tested against tighter credit markets, slower exits, or weaker currencies, you're vulnerable. 2️⃣ Then you want to ask whether your discount rate is still appropriate for your risks, and when you last conducted an in-depth WACC analysis. Discount rates set in better times don't hold up when economic climates shift. If your cost of capital assumptions haven't been revisited recently, your valuations may be overstating asset values without anyone realising it until the auditors flag it. 3️⃣Then ask this; if your auditors are also valuing your unlisted assets, how independent are you really? Independence isn't just about optics; it's about credibility. LPs and regulators are increasingly questioning valuations where the same firm provides audit and valuation services. True independence means methodology and governance structures that can withstand scrutiny, not convenience. 👉Got a December valuation deadline coming up? Let's talk - message me

Join our China insights session on 26 November to hear what we observed first-hand and what it means for your investment strategy. Registration closing soon.

Registration is closing soon. Join us for key insights from our recent research trip to China and what the latest consumer trends may mean for institutional portfolios. Secure your seat for the 26 November session.

Final days to register. Our team will share insight from their recent time in China and what the latest consumer developments could mean for institutional investors. Secure your place now.

Final days to register. Our team will share insight from their recent time in China and what the latest consumer developments could mean for institutional investors. Secure your place now.