Charles Russell Speechlys advises long standing client Puma Growth Partners on YASO’s £8.25m Series A investment round

Charles Russell Speechlys has advised long standing client Puma Growth Partners on a £8.25 million Series A investment round for YASO, the operating system for global brands in China.

The investment will support YASO in scaling its sales and marketing function, accelerate onboarding of new clients, expand its platform capability and increase operational capacity. YASO enables brands to scale quickly in the market without the need for local partners or their own infrastructure. Their technology is end-to-end, covering payments, logistics, compliance, tax, analytics and storefront integrations.

Puma Growth Partners is a leading provider of growth capital to small and medium-sized businesses and offers expertise to best-in-class, ambitious businesses across the UK, irrespective of sector, and works in partnership with management to help businesses scale and create long-term value. It aims to deliver insight and a fresh perspective to the portfolio companies it partners with. Having invested in, and worked with, a breadth of companies in a range of sectors from consumer e-commerce to fleet transport safety and influencer marketing, Puma Growth Partners has deep insights and experience in scaling businesses for growth and where desired, successful sale and exit.

Ben Leslie, Investment Director at Puma Growth Partners, commented:

“A big thank you to Ashwin and the team at CRS. Their excellent understanding of our business and proactive approach consistently ensure everything runs smoothly.”

Ashwin Pillay Corporate Partner, commented:

“Collaborating with the team at Puma is always a rewarding experience. Their dedication and innovative approach set them apart, and we look forward to continuing to support their journey and celebrate their achievements along the way.”

The team was led by Corporate Partner Ashwin Pillay with support from Ayman Shehata and Anna Schwarze.  The wider deal team included Caroline Young (Commercial), Michael Powner and Tilly Whittingham (Employment), and Shirley Fu, Tom Wong and Bessie Chow (Hong Kong).