Are private company valuations reflecting reality in 2026
Private company valuations have shifted, and 2026 is proving to be a more selective and complex environment than many expected. The factors influencing value today go beyond traditional methodologies and require a clearer understanding of how the market is actually behaving.
Capital is more cautious, investor expectations have evolved, and execution risk is being more closely scrutinised. As a result, understanding how valuations are being shaped in practice is becoming increasingly important for businesses at all stages.
Hardman & Co will explore the key factors currently affecting private company valuations, and what they mean for companies looking to raise capital, transact or plan ahead.
The session will conclude with a panel discussion featuring perspectives from research, advisory and business leadership, sharing real-world insight into how valuations are being assessed, challenged and delivered in 2026.
Whether you are a founder, adviser or investor, this session will provide a clearer and more practical view of value in today’s market.
Please note that this event is reserved for members only.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact [email protected] for more information.
About the Speakers:
Keith is personally responsible for the firm’s relationships with its corporate clients and also for corporate finance. In addition, he is the author of several articles tackling the issues facing companies in today’s climate. Keith has more than 35 years’ stockbroking experience and has developed long-standing relationships with many major institutional investors, including Private Client Brokers and Wealth Managers. He started his career at James Capel, at the time the top-ranked research house in London. He was a founding member of Schroder Securities and of Agency Partners, a leading research boutique house, and was a member of the five-man securities board at Evolution. Keith has also advised companies, large and small, on their relationships with the capital markets. Keith was part of the group of investors that acquired Hardman & Co in late 2012. He holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from the University of Oxford.
Richard Angus is the Head of Business Development at Hardman & Co. He has more than 30 years of City experience. His primary area of focus has been US equity capital markets, and he has been involved predominantly in the development of growth companies. Richard has experience on both the buy and sell sides. Having worked for M&G as a fund manager, Richard then worked for US investment banks Alex Brown & Sons and Furman Selz. Latterly, Richard was Managing Director and Head of Institutional Sales for Europe at FBR & Co. Besides being involved in many public flotations, Richard’s experience includes pre-IPO capital raises. Richard joined Hardman & Co in September 2014. He holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Liverpool and is a Chartered Accountant
Doug Lawson co-founded MarktoMarket in 2017. MarktoMarket is the gold standard provider of data on SMEs. The platform is used by hundreds of corporate advisory, accountancy, legal, private equity and venture capital firms and is backed by VCs Par Equity, 24Haymarket and Techstart. Prior to MarktoMarket he spent his career in fund management after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with EY and working in corporate finance. He co-founded Amati Global Investors, a smaller company specialist fund manager with over £1 billion of assets under management, exiting when a 49% stake was acquired by Mattioli Woods plc in 2017.
Interested In The Event?
If you’re interested in attending, you can book online here.
For any further enquires about this event, contact [email protected]
