Foresight invests into Northern Ireland nursery group Little Rays
Foresight Group, a leading regional private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has announced a £3.5 million investment into Little Rays, a leading nursery group in Northern Ireland.
Founded in 1993 by Michelle and Kieron Rea, Little Rays operates three full-daycare sites and one independent pre-school site, caring for children aged two months to 12 years. Today, the Company cares for ~400 children and provides local jobs for over 100 staff, serving families across Lisburn, Ballymena, and Moira. Renowned for its high-quality, child-led learning approach, Little Rays has earned an outstanding reputation for excellence in early years education over more than three decades.
The Northern Ireland childcare market remains highly fragmented, with limited consolidation to date. Against a backdrop of rising demand for high-quality childcare, Little Rays sought investment to support succession planning and accelerate its ambitious growth strategy. Foresight identified a significant opportunity to build a scalable platform in this underserved market. The investment will enable Little Rays to expand capacity, create new jobs, and improve access to childcare for more families. Foresight’s experience in backing regional businesses and its commitment to delivering positive social impact will help the Company achieve its long-term objectives.
PMSI provided CDD to support the transaction. Our work addressed key investment themes including: a detailed analysis of Little Rays’ site portfolio compared to local competitors; an assessment of the structure of the Northern Irish nursery market, including the potential impacts of changes to the funding and policy landscape; as well as a strategic review of the opportunity for geographic expansion and consolidation.
Read more