Panoramic Growth Equity (“Panoramic”), a leading investor in entrepreneurial UK companies, today announced the first investment from its newly launched £100m fund, the Panoramic SME Fund 3, backing the management buyout of The Artisan Travel Company (“Artisan”).

Established in 2002, Artisan is an independent tailormade tour operator encompassing multiple travel brands, including The Aurora Zone – the UK’s only holiday brand solely dedicated to Northern Lights trips.

The investment will lead to the expansion of other brands in the group, Activities Abroad and Artisan Travel, creating several skilled jobs in Newcastle Upon Tyne where the company is located.

Panoramic invested in Artisan alongside the management team and non-executive chairman Ian Finlay, and Stewart Lambert. Panoramic worked alongside Ian on their successful investment in Specialist Tours between 2013 and 2015.

The new management team will be led by Managing Director Amy Hope.

Panoramic Partner David Wilson joins the Artisan board. He commented: “We are delighted to support Amy alongside Ian in the acquisition of Artisan. Artisan is a high quality tour operator that has weathered the Covid storm, and now has plenty of opportunity to grow across all of its brands. We are very much looking forward to working with Amy and the management team to achieve their goals.”

Amy Hope, MD at Artisan, commented: “I’m delighted to be leading Artisan into the next stage of the company’s evolution in partnership with PGE. David Wilson and his team have been incredibly supportive throughout the MBO process and I am sure they will continue to work with us to realise Artisan’s ambitious growth plans over the coming months and years.”