Funds advised by Apax Partners have reached a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Sedex from membership organization Sedex Holdings Ltd, marking a new phase of expansion for the supply chain risk management platform.
Under the transaction, Sedex Holdings Ltd will retain a minority shareholding in the business through a newly named entity, SHL Membership Ltd. Existing minority investor LDC will exit the business following a three-year partnership that supported significant platform and revenue growth.
Founded in 2004, Sedex was established to help make global supply chains more ethical and sustainable by improving transparency, reducing risk, and protecting workers. The company has since evolved into a major provider of supply chain visibility and risk management solutions used by enterprises globally.
During LDC’s investment period, Sedex expanded its capabilities through a £20 million platform upgrade, the launch of new supplier assessment tools, and the rollout of SMETA 7.0, a major update to its audit methodology. The company also broadened its international footprint across the United States, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
Today, Sedex serves approximately 100,000 customers across 180 countries and 35 sectors, including consumer goods, retail, and food and beverage. The company’s platform provides enterprises with tools for multi-tier supply chain visibility, site-level data analysis, risk management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Apax said the investment reflects the increasing importance of data-driven supply chain oversight as regulators, investors, and consumers place greater scrutiny on supply chain practices worldwide. The firm plans to support Sedex’s continued expansion into new markets and sectors while broadening the platform’s product capabilities and audit intelligence offerings.
SHL Membership Ltd will continue its original mission of improving labor, environmental, and corporate responsibility standards across global supply chains. The organization plans to use proceeds from the transaction to establish a charitable trust focused on targeted philanthropic investments tied to supply chain improvement initiatives.
Jon Hancock, CEO of Sedex, said the investment will help the company deepen its customer partnerships, strengthen its data capabilities, and expand its global reach to better support responsible and resilient supply chains.
Steven Esom, Chair of the SHLM Board, said the organization remains committed to improving conditions across global supply chains through transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
LDC Investment Director Dan Gluckman said Sedex has built a market-leading platform with strong site-level data capabilities while demonstrating the commercial viability of supply chain risk management at scale.
Apax executives Anders Meyerhoff and Thomas Crewe said Sedex’s mission of improving supply chain ethics, transparency, and worker safety was central to the firm’s investment thesis, while Apax Partner Edward Donkor said the firm looks forward to supporting the company’s next phase of growth.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
KEY QUOTES:
“Sedex has developed a uniquely powerful offering that equips companies around the world with the tools to manage risk, demonstrate improvement and drive responsible practices across the tiers, regions and facilities of complex supply chains. This investment enables us to further build on that foundation, strengthening our strategic partnership with customers, deepening our data capabilities and expanding our global reach, so we can better support customers in delivering responsible, resilient supply chains at scale.”
Jon Hancock, CEO, Sedex
“For over 20 years, we have brought our member businesses together to improve conditions across global supply chains, creating a shared approach that drives transparency, accountability and continuous improvement. We are excited for the next phase of our journey and look forward to sharing more with our members upon completion of the agreement process.”
Steven Esom, Chair, SHLM Board
“Sedex’s journey over the past three years has been exceptional. Jon and his team have built a genuinely market-leading platform underpinned by unmatched site-level data, while expanding their global footprint and proving the commercial viability of supply chain risk management at scale. We’re proud to have backed management through this period of significant growth and innovation, and wish the business all the best in its new partnership with Apax.”
Dan Gluckman, Investment Director, LDC
“Sedex helps make supply chains more ethical, transparent and safe for the workers within them. That mission sits at the heart of why this is so compelling to us, and we see a genuine opportunity to deliver both strong returns and measurable, lasting impact.”
Anders Meyerhoff, Partner, Apax, and Thomas Crewe, Principal, Apax
“We have long admired Sedex, and we look forward to partnering with the team to support the Company’s continued growth and to further strengthening the mission that sits at the core of everything the business does.”
Edward Donkor, Partner, Apax
