About

John is a Content Associate at Beauhurst, bringing you the latest insights and emerging trends across the UK's high-growth economy. His history as a content writer prior to Beauhurst spans industries including financial services, cyber security, and renewables. In his spare time, you'll invariably find John with a book or pen in hand, reviewing the latest books from independent publishers, and running interviews at some of the UK's most vibrant book festivals.

Articles

The UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies in Managed IT Services

23 July 2026 · John McCrea

The UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies in Managed IT Services

The UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies in Managed IT Services Our team rank the UK’s top 10 IT managed service providers, by growth in headcount. Table of contents The IT industry has long struggled with a skills shortage, with a UK Government report revealing that nearly 50% of all UK companies have a gap in basic cyber … The UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies in Managed IT Services

Best Company Data Platforms  in the UK | 2026

23 July 2026 · John McCrea

Best Company Data Platforms in the UK | 2026

Best Company Data Platforms in the UK | 2026 Table of contents If you run a search for a company data platform, the results span

Mapping the Impact of International Founders on UK High-Growth Companies

9 July 2026 · John McCrea

Mapping the Impact of International Founders on UK High-Growth Companies

Mapping the Impact of International Founders on UK High-Growth Companies The British growth story has always been entwined with immigration. From the industrial revolution to

From Data to Advantage: How Law Firms Are Closing the Gap

7 July 2026 · John McCrea

From Data to Advantage: How Law Firms Are Closing the Gap

From Data to Advantage: How Law Firms Are Closing the Gap The four stages of data-led business development and how to move through them. Table of contents Law firms have never had more data, from client matter histories to sector intelligence, and funding signals to headcount trends.  And in some cases, these insights remain untapped, … From Data to Advantage: How Law Firms Are Closing the Gap

Best PitchBook Alternatives for Corporate Finance and Advisory Teams

2 July 2026 · John McCrea

Best PitchBook Alternatives for Corporate Finance and Advisory Teams

Best PitchBook Alternatives for Corporate Finance and Advisory Teams Table of contents Ask most dealmakers to name a private-markets data provider and PitchBook will be near the top of the list.  It has spent years building depth of coverage on the institutional end of the market, carrying detailed data on funding rounds, deal terms, fund … Best PitchBook Alternatives for Corporate Finance and Advisory Teams

How Beauhurst helps you assess startup risk and performance

24 June 2026 · John McCrea

How Beauhurst helps you assess startup risk and performance

How Beauhurst helps you assess startup risk and performance Table of contents Startups represent attractive opportunities for the discernible early-stage investor. With a relatively low buy-in cost, they offer the allure of high returns compared to more established businesses.  But with these opportunities come risks. Publicly verifiable records are limited and early-stage startups are exempt … How Beauhurst helps you assess startup risk and performance

Best ZoomInfo Alternatives for Advisory Teams

18 June 2026 · John McCrea

Best ZoomInfo Alternatives for Advisory Teams

Best ZoomInfo Alternatives for Advisory Teams Table of contents ZoomInfo is a household name in sales intelligence. Built around a large contact database and high-frequency outreach workflows, it works well for the sales-based uses it was designed for. However, this doesn’t translate into how corporate finance and advisory teams actually work. Its model is optimised … Best ZoomInfo Alternatives for Advisory Teams

Best Orbis Alternatives for Corporate Finance Teams

18 June 2026 · John McCrea

Best Orbis Alternatives for Corporate Finance Teams

Best Orbis Alternatives for Corporate Finance Teams Table of contents Orbis is Moody’s flagship global private company database, originally built by Bureau van Dijk and folded into Moody’s Analytics after their 2017 acquisition. One of the largest datasets on private and listed companies in the world, at least by volume, Orbis features over 625 million … Best Orbis Alternatives for Corporate Finance Teams

How Beauhurst Helps Advisory Teams Conduct Due Diligence on Private Companies

18 June 2026 · John McCrea

How Beauhurst Helps Advisory Teams Conduct Due Diligence on Private Companies

How Beauhurst Helps Advisory Teams Conduct Due Diligence on Private Companies Table of contents Conducting due diligence on private companies involves a lot of slow, manual work before any real analysis begins. Teams can lose days chasing filings across disparate registers, reconciling sources, and piecing together businesses that operate through more than one legal entity … How Beauhurst Helps Advisory Teams Conduct Due Diligence on Private Companies

How to identify transaction-ready companies for your origination workflow

28 May 2026 · John McCrea

How to identify transaction-ready companies for your origination workflow

How to identify transaction-ready companies for your origination workflow Table of contents Finding companies that are approaching transactions can be complex. But it doesn’t need to be. If your sequencing and messaging are strong, and your offer is attractive, then it could be a timing issue. This is especially common across advisory firms that rely … How to identify transaction-ready companies for your origination workflow

Secret Signals:  Stealth Scaleups

7 May 2026 · John McCrea

Secret Signals: Stealth Scaleups

Secret Signals: Stealth Scaleups Some of the fastest-growing companies never raise external capital. Here’s how connected signals like hiring, patents, and grants can reveal them

How Beauhurst Helps Corporate Finance Teams Qualify High-value Prospects

7 May 2026 · John McCrea

How Beauhurst Helps Corporate Finance Teams Qualify High-value Prospects

How Beauhurst Helps Corporate Finance Teams Qualify High-value Prospects Table of contents Whether you’re a corporate finance boutique, or one of the Big Four, origination

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