Business

Whiterock Finance invests in recruitment specialists Artemis Human Capital

Making the announcement are (from left) Rhona Barbour, investment director at Whiterock Finance; Artemis Human Capital managing director Sarah Orange; David McCurley, head of investments growth finance fund at Whiterock; Paul Millar, chief executive of Whiterock; and Neil McCabe, Whiterock's head of investments growth loan fund
Making the announcement are (from left) Rhona Barbour, investment director at Whiterock Finance; Artemis Human Capital managing director Sarah Orange; David McCurley, head of investments growth finance fund at Whiterock; Paul Millar, chief executive of Wh Making the announcement are (from left) Rhona Barbour, investment director at Whiterock Finance; Artemis Human Capital managing director Sarah Orange; David McCurley, head of investments growth finance fund at Whiterock; Paul Millar, chief executive of Whiterock; and Neil McCabe, Whiterock's head of investments growth loan fund

WHITEROCK Finance has signed off on its first ever equity investment by backing specialist recruitment business Artemis Human Capital.

The Belfast-based investment team of Paul Millar, Rhona Barbour, David McCurley and Neil McCabe has taken a minority stake in Artemis for an undisclosed sum and will also work with the business in an advisory capacity.

Artemis was founded in 2014 by Sarah Orange and currently has a team of eight professionals working across executive, finance, legal and business services offering permanent, interim and temporary solutions.

The company, which aims to add value to the recruitment process by building long-term strategic partnerships and understanding the commercial and personal objectives of its clients, provides a range of services to improve workplace effectiveness, talent and reward, and has already become a trusted partner to many of Northern Ireland’s leading companies.

Paul Millar from Whiterock Finance said: “We've watched Sarah build her business and grow her team in the face of a hugely challenging economic environment and have been impressed by the way Artemis goes about helping employers to attract, retain and manage talent.

“The Whiterock team has been considering equity investment for some time, so when the opportunity arose to invest in Artemis and work alongside the business, we had no hesitation in getting involved. We are excited to be able to play a part in growing and developing this business even further in future.”

Sarah Orange from Artemis said: “I’m delighted to receive this backing from Whiterock, and it is a good cultural fit for both parties. We have ambitious growth plans and the investment will assist us to expand both our service offering and the geographies in which we operate.”

Whiterock runs the £30 million Growth Finance Fund, which provide loans of between of £500,000 and £2m to SMEs across Northern Ireland, with finance provided by the British Business Bank, Invest NI and private investors in Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).