While Bloomsbury is now a diversified investment group, its origins in June 1993 – thirty-one years ago – were more specialized. It was originally purely a mining, ore and metals market analysis business: hence the parent company’s name Bloomsbury Minerals Economics. It has since diversified into sustainability research in mining and metallurgy and then on from sustainability into regenerative primary industries: investing in forestry, seaweed aquaculture and the development of seaweed-based agricultural bio-stimulants and cattle feed containing seaweed. The Group also invests in AI and SaaS businesses.
The parent company Bloomsbury Minerals Economics (BME) has direct shareholdings of 25% of Metal Price Analytics (ore, metal and mining equities price models) and 26% of Skarn Associates (mining environmental research and publishing), both UK based. Since 2021, investments have been made via two 85%-owned subsidiaries: the first, Bloomsbury Natural Capital owns 3% of Cascadia Seaweed Corp of Canada and has taken 6% of the convertible loan notes of the Swiss company Xilva AG (bringing capital and forestry together). The second subsidiary, Bloomsbury Information Capital, has 3%+ of the equity of Progressive Growth Partners Pty Ltd of Australia, trading as ‘Mutinex’ (marketing related SaaS), plus 4%+ of the equity in Minviro Ltd of the UK (SaaS and consultancy on environmental footprint minimisation in mining & metallurgy) and 3%+ of the equity in Neo Eco Ltd of the UK (SaaS and AI – audit-ready sustainability reporting software).
Key personnel bring in a broad range of high-level experience and skills: Peter Hollands in mining and metals; Simon Benney in information & data, with heavy industry background, including mining; Martin Hollands in sustainability and environment; Adam Sotowicz in mathematical price models and machine learning; Barbara Sotowicz in management. The Group normally expects to have Board level representation in the companies that it invests in, whether as Observer, or on a paid basis either Advisor, or Non-executive Director.
Investment targets are mainly at the Seed Capital or Series A stages. The initial stake is usually in the 3%-5% range. In subsequent funding rounds, stakes may be increased to 10%-25% or more. Targets are usually companies with pre-money values between £2,500,000 and £15,000,000 and investments will normally be held for from three to five years. At the start of 2025, the group is close to fully invested (apart from a capability for small follow-on investments) – until the next sale of a portfolio company.
The company has a track record not just of well-chosen investments, but also of good exits. Bloomsbury was invested in MCL (Mining Journal and the Mines & Money conferences) from 2006-08, the original FastMarkets from 2008-12, Intierra then IntierraRMG from 2009-14, then Roskill from 2010-21.