Leeds Talent Business Wins Funding for US Growth

Human Capital Investment Group has secured NPIF II backing to launch and scale Stratum Partners, a recruiter for data centre, energy and infrastructure projects

A Leeds talent business is targeting international growth after securing new funding to expand into the fast-growing data centre market. Human Capital Investment Group, a Leeds-based founder-led group that builds specialist recruitment firms, has received backing from NPIF II – NEL Smaller Loans to launch and scale Stratum Partners. Stratum supplies engineering, commissioning and construction talent to mission-critical infrastructure projects, and the funding will provide working capital as it chases demand in the United States and beyond. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Why This Matters For Leeds

This is a Leeds founder building a business aimed squarely at one of the biggest global growth stories — the race to build data centres for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. That a Leeds firm is positioning to supply the specialist people that boom depends on, and to win work in the United States, is a genuine ambition story for the city. It keeps a growing, founder-led business rooted in Leeds while it scales internationally and also shows public growth funding reaching Leeds firms with global potential.

What the Leeds Talent Business Is Building

Stratum Partners is led by managing director Max Fanning alongside HCIG founder Ross Bayston, and focuses on the project delivery, commissioning and mechanical, electrical and plumbing talent that complex infrastructure depends on. Its target markets include data centres, energy, power infrastructure and technical construction, sectors where surging demand for computing capacity is outpacing the supply of specialist engineers. The company sees particular opportunity in the United States, where heavy investment in hyperscale data centres and power-intensive facilities is driving demand for commissioning and engineering expertise. The new money is primarily working capital to scale those international operations and pursue major projects globally. HCIG says it has already proven the model, having launched three previous ventures organically before this backed expansion.

“The US data centre market is growing at a remarkable pace, and this investment gives us the platform to build our team and establish ourselves as a go-to partner in the market.”

— Max Fanning, Managing Director, Stratum Partners

Another Leeds Deal Backed by NPIF II

The funding comes from NPIF II – NEL Smaller Loans, managed by NEL Fund Managers as part of the £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, the British Business Bank programme that has backed a string of other Leeds businesses this year including Nutral Solutions and VisaDoc. The deal was introduced by Dan Cooper of Leeds accountancy firm Ryecroft Glenton, the same adviser behind other recent local funding deals, underlining how the city’s professional community helps connect founders with capital. HCIG’s longer-term plan is to build a portfolio of specialist talent businesses serving global infrastructure, energy and technical markets, using an operator-led model to launch and grow new ventures.