C E Brown & Associates

CVM was formed in 1984 to provide management support to growth companies. CVM has helped to develop a large number of companies.
  Most of these would not have raised the necessary funds without CVM's help to formulate a winning strategy and to secure the management to carry it out successfully. Sometimes working on a contingent fee basis and taking profits in the form of a mixture of shares and fees, CVM has often taken a risk-sharing approach with its clients.
  This keeps the costs affordable whilst businesses are not yet financially strong. It is often necessary to supplement the existing management team, and CVM has extensive experience of sourcing and recruiting suitable candidates, as well as taking 'locum' and non-executive roles personally.
  Involvement with client companies often continues after investments are completed. CVM is used to working in risky but potentially rewarding businesses and has helped many entrepreneurial executives to create significant wealth.

Investments
CVM has some 15 investments in growing companies as a result of its activities in assisting them to generate successful business plans, raise the funds, attract the key people and then bring about the business.
  Most of the companies are technology related although the common theme is growth opportunity rather than technology. Some of the more successful companies are listed below: Netcall (London stock market) Phase Devices (NASDAQ) Smallworld Systems (NASDAQ) Stardust Mats (trade sale) Tadpole Technology (London stock market) Tricorn Group (OFEX) Investor Network To address the funding needs of development stage and recovering companies, CVM has developed its own extensive network of private and institutional investor contacts.
  CVM also has a close relationship with the Great Eastern Investment Forum, giving access to a large number of investment funds and business angels. CVM has a number of important trading partners, notably the Cambridge based investment company, N.W.Brown & Co, who are shareholders and co-founders of the Great Eastern Investment Forum, an organisation whose role is to facilitate raising funds for companies in the Eastern Region of England.
  The company also has a network of UK associates and two US associates. CVM is privately owned by its directors together with various private investors.

Current Clients
With its wide-ranging experience, CVM is able to address a broad range of opportunity profiles, including technology opportunities. CVM is currently working with some 20 companies varying in size from four to 300 people, zero to £27m turnover, in a variety of high technology or service industries.
  Types of business include software products and services, telecoms, food, leisure, distribution and biotechnology. All of these companies have reached a stage in their development where they need to make a major change in the business and need the support and guidance from experienced business people who have direct personal experience of the problems and how to solve then successfully.

Management
The executive directors are: Charlie Brown has a Cambridge University degree in engineering and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He has specialised in raising investment for private companies since 1982. He joined CVM in 1986 from Robson Rhodes. He is chairman of Merryweather Group and Sureline Marketing.
David Hartland is an engineer and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He worked for Rolls-Royce and Otis Elevators before running a local engineering company. He is a director of Protos Ltd, Ethiprint Ltd and Product Authentication Inspectorate Ltd.
The non-executive directors are: Len Rawle (chairman), a former chief executive of Unilever's IT subsidiary and chairman of Tymshare UK prior to sale to McDonnell Douglas; Geoffrey Drage, a former director of County NatWest's corporate finance department, previously with Hill Samuel; Jeremy Gibbs, general manager of a private equity consultancy; and Tony Puckridge, a former Lazards pension fund director before creating the investment department of N W Brown & Co with £100m under management.