Cohort was founded on the principle that SME-size businesses can prosper by being part of a larger group, where they can benefit from financial oversight, management support and the exchange of information and practices. Cohort aims to achieve this while preserving the high growth potential of innovative independent businesses.
Our strategic framework
Our strategic framework forms a strong base on which the Group seeks to improve profitability year on year whilst maintaining good shareholder relations.
Cohort seeks innovative technology businesses operating in defence and secuirity markets. Businesses join the Group either as standalone businesses, or as a bolt-in to an existing Cohort company where capabilities or customer relationships align.
We seek niche technology businesses operating in defence and security markets, at a stage where there will be mutual benefit in joining the Group, with:
- Strong market position and opportunities for growth
- Sustainable competitive advantage that sets them apart from their peers
- Innovative technology and capability aligned to our markets
- Relationships and knowledge we can share and build on
- A culture that resonates with our values
Cohort empowers its businesses to operate autonomously, whilst providing the strength, expertise and resilience that underpins sustainable competitive advantage. We foster close working relationships and encourage the sharing of expertise and relationships, where it makes sense to do so.
We bring the power of the Group to the ingenuity of our businesses:
- Providing strong leadership, corporate governance and financial strength
- Facilitating global market access and expansion
- Sharing our knowledge and relationships across the Group
- Nurturing our leadership and emerging talent
Cohort empowers agile decision making and innovative solutions that meet the challenges of today and the future. We maintain confidence through strong corporate governance and we empower our teams to act responsibly, with expertise and a dynamic outlook. We cultivate an environment where every decision is guided by our core values, ensuring sustainable growth and long term success across all parts of the Group.
We ensure good corporate governance, sound management of subsidiaries and effective communications to shareholders through:
- Management of subsidiaries through a framework of financial control, strategy review, performance management and leadership development
- An effective operational strategy providing support and guidance when circumstances change
- Providing clear and consistent investor communications through all channels
Our Business model
Significant competitive advantage
Being part of the Cohort Group brings significant advantages to our businesses compared with operating independently.
Here we explain our business model:
Cohort’s management approach is to allow its subsidiary businesses a significant degree of operational autonomy in order to develop their potential fully, while providing light-touch but rigorous financial and strategic controls at Group level.
Our experience is that our customers prefer to work with businesses where decision making is streamlined and focused on solving their immediate problems.
The Group’s Directors have long experience of operating in the defence sector and have contacts and working relationships with senior customers in the UK and internationally which would be hard for independent smaller businesses to establish.
The Group’s strong balance sheet gives customers the confidence to award large or long-term contracts that we are technically well able to execute but which might otherwise be perceived as risky. Our operating businesses, while remaining operationally independent, have close working relationships and are able to benefit from each other’s technical capabilities, customer relationships and market knowledge.
A clear acquisition approach
We believe that there are good businesses in the UK and overseas that would thrive under Cohort ownership, whether as standalone members of the Group or as bolt-in acquisitions to our existing subsidiaries.
Relate to businesses that have reached a stage of development where there will be mutual benefit in joining Cohort as a subsidiary
Businesses with capabilities and/or customer relationships that are closely aligned with and can be integrated into one of our existing subsidiaries.
How we create value
We are committed to delivering value to our shareholders and ensuring that they benefit from our success. We are focused on delivering high standards of corporate governance and providing clear, consistent communication.
Our global customers depend on us to deliver reliably. We use innovation to stay at the forefront of defence and security technology solutions for our customers, aiming to be their trusted partner of choice. Our culture of openness and support makes us easy to do business with.
Our capabilities and customer relationships all ultimately derive from our people. Guided by our values, all employees across the Cohort Group, can fulfil their potential, develop their careers, make a difference through the roles that they undertake, and feel rewarded for what they do.
Our suppliers and partners are critical to the success of our business. We work closely with them to build long-term relationships. We ensure that they are paid in line with our commitments for the goods and services received.
We recognise the importance of engaging with our local communities.We do this through education, work experience, fundraising and sponsorship initiatives, and engage with many military and veterans' charities. Across the Group we employ armed forces veterans and reservists and are proud to be a signatory of the UK Armed Forces Corporate Covenant.