Sovereign acquires Apollo Home Healthcare, a leading complex healthcare provider

Sovereign Capital Partners, the UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, has acquired Apollo Home Healthcare, a leading provider of complex healthcare-at-home services across the Midlands, North, and East of England, through its fifth fund, SCLP V.

Founded in 2014, Apollo delivers bespoke, high-acuity care, with a focus on children and adults with complex clinical needs. The company operates a hub model supported by a central office in Wolverhampton, and employs more than 1,000 healthcare assistants and approximately 150 clinical and registered nurses.

Sovereign’s investment will support Apollo’s continued geographic expansion and investment in people, technology, and client experience, as well as selective acquisitions where they add strategic value.

Apollo has established itself as one of the few scaled providers in the UK capable of delivering complex, nurse-led care at home. By enabling highly complex patients to be safely cared for at home, Apollo plays a vital role in reducing pressure on NHS inpatient settings, directly aligned with NHS priorities to shift complex care into the community. Its strong relationships with over half of the English Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), combined with consistently strong CQC outcomes and the robust governance and clinical training standards that distinguish it from broader domiciliary care operators, position Apollo for continued growth and high-quality service delivery.

The leadership team of Managing Director Laura Walker and Operations Director Michelle Flynn – both of whom have been with Apollo since its founding – brings over a decade of institutional knowledge and expertise. Together, they have built a well-invested platform with a strong compliance culture, robust technology infrastructure, and a clear growth strategy.

Founder Phil Burrows transitions to an advisory and non-executive role. Michael Kerins has been appointed as Executive Chair, bringing extensive senior leadership experience, more than 30 years with Cromwell where he rose to Group CEO and led multiple acquisitions, followed by a series of successful Chair and non-executive roles across private equity-backed healthcare and services businesses.

Apollo marks the seventh platform investment from SCLP V, following the acquisition of wealth management business Equilibrium in September 2025, and caps a strong period for Sovereign, which has completed three exits from SCLP IV since February 2025.

Dominic Dalli, Managing Partner, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: "Apollo is an exceptional example of what high‑quality, community‑based healthcare should look like. Laura, Michelle and the team have built a clinically robust, resilient organisation that plays a vital role in supporting some of the most complex service users across the country. With the continued involvement of founder Phil Burrows, strengthened by the appointment of Michael Kerins, Apollo has a leadership team fully equipped to drive growth."

Laura Walker, Managing Director, Apollo Home Healthcare, said: "This is an important milestone for Apollo Home Healthcare. Since 2014, we’ve built a specialist complex care business focused on delivering safe, high-quality care to people with the most complex clinical needs. We’re delighted to be partnering with Sovereign as we move into the next phase of our journey. Their experience in healthcare and their collaborative approach to working with management teams gives us the right support to grow responsibly and sustainably. This investment allows us to strengthen our infrastructure, invest in our people and technology, and ultimately support more vulnerable individuals to live safely at home with the care they deserve."

Advisers

• Legal – Eversheds Sutherland (Lizzy Tindall, Rob Worsfold, Ruary Smith)
• Financial due diligence – Grant Thornton (Mo Merali, Samantha Phipps)
• Commercial due diligence – CF (Vernon Baxter)
• Insurance due diligence – Vista (Daniel Blake)
• Tax due diligence and tax structuring – A&M (Dafydd Williams, Hugo Keane)
• Debt advisory – BDO (Ross McDonald)