Deep Water research

ECI Partners Named Individuals and Warm Introduction Pathway for DeepSignal AI Proof of Concept

Which specific named individuals at ECI Partners — beyond the Amplifind™360 team — are responsible for evaluating or integrating AI-powered market-intelligence and deal-sourcing capabilities post-Helio Intelligence acquisition, and what is the concrete warm-introduction pathway (via ACG membership overlap, Holland Mountain/Artefact advisory relationship, BVCA network, or shared portfolio advisor) for DeepSignal to pitch a 2-to-4-week proof-of-concept as a complementary design partner before the ACG Middle-Market AI Demo Day on March 19, 2026?

Jun 28, 202646 sources reviewed

Executive Summary

This report identifies key stakeholders at ECI Partners responsible for AI-powered market-intelligence integration following the May 2026 acquisition of Helio Intelligence, and maps the optimal pathways for DeepSignal to propose a 2-to-4-week proof-of-concept (PoC).

  • Key Decision-Makers: While the Amplifind™360 team manages proprietary tools, external vendor evaluations for data and advisory partnerships are driven by Duncan Ramsay (Internal Lead for Advisory/Tech) and Ash Patel (IT Director), with Helio integration overseen by Toby Fitzherbert (Investment Director).
  • Optimal Introduction Pathway: DeepSignal’s strongest warm-introduction route is through Artefact, which formally advised ECI Partners on the Helio Intelligence acquisition. Secondary institutional pathways exist via the BVCA, of which ECI is a founding member.
  • Pitch Protocol: ECI mandates a structured Request for Proposal (RFP) process for software selection, heavily weighted toward security compliance. Because ECI holds a Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, DeepSignal must lead with strict data protection, scalability, and integration capabilities before proceeding to scenario-based objective scoring demos.
  • Strategic Alignment: DeepSignal must position its PoC strictly as a complementary design partner to ECI's proprietary Amplifind™360 platform, specifically focusing on augmenting Helio Intelligence's M&A strategy within the fragmented political intelligence sector.

1. Key Stakeholders: Deal Sourcing, Tech Integration, and Growth

To secure a PoC prior to the March 2026 AI Demo Day, DeepSignal must engage a matrix of investment professionals, technology directors, and independent growth specialists outside the immediate Amplifind team.

The Investment & Origination Team

Following ECI's May 2026 investment in Helio Intelligence (an AI-enabled political intelligence provider formerly known as DeHavilland) [27], the Origination Team is tasked with utilizing the firm's proprietary AI M&A platform, Amplifind™360, to execute Helio's buy-and-build acquisition strategy [22], [30]. The primary targets for a complementary deal-sourcing pitch include:

  • Toby Fitzherbert (Investment Director): Explicitly oversees the Helio Intelligence integration and growth strategy [8], [11]. He is actively managing the partnership with Helio's management [19] and is the critical buyer for any market-intelligence tools aimed at Helio's sector.
  • Suzanne Pike (Partner & Head of Origination): Oversees the firm's overarching origination strategy and was instrumental in the rollout of the Amplifind AI platform [7].
  • Ben Kirrage (Investment Manager) & Georgia Ling (Investment Analyst): Kirrage is tasked with sourcing and executing investments in resilient, high-growth businesses and supporting portfolio strategic development [9], [20]. Ling supports the team in identifying and converting deals across the pipeline [31].

Operations & Technical Integration

For external software to touch ECI's pipeline, it must pass through operational and IT gatekeepers:

  • Duncan Ramsay: Holding a dual role across deal assessment and portfolio value creation, Ramsay is explicitly responsible for bringing together ECI's "tech and data experience and advisory relationships" [4], [15]. With a background in consulting and operational tech investments (e.g., Auction Technology Group, CPOMS), he is the primary internal conduit for external vendor relationships [26], [37]. He is also a member of the ESG Committee [4].
  • Ash Patel (IT Director): Directs and controls the implementation, maintenance, and strategic development of ECI’s information and communications systems [10], [21]. He evaluates all technology operations against established business objectives [32].

The Growth Specialist Panel

ECI maintains a Growth Specialist Panel of independent experts who support management teams across key areas including technology, data, and M&A [2], [13]. Partner Lewis Bantin has explicitly identified AI as one of the most critical levers for portfolio growth [35].

  • Dr. Orlando Machado (Growth Specialist – Data & AI): Brings deep expertise in data science and AI, specifically tasked with helping management teams unlock growth opportunities and build future-ready platforms [23], [24].
  • Badr Khan (Growth Specialist – Tech): Works directly with portfolio management teams to ensure their technology can keep pace with growth [12].
Stakeholder Title Role in DeepSignal Evaluation Process
Duncan Ramsay Commercial Team Gatekeeper: Manages advisory relationships and tech/data experience; ideal first point of contact for external PoC pitches.
Toby Fitzherbert Investment Director Sponsor: Leads Helio integration; required sponsor for tools augmenting Helio’s specific M&A strategy.
Ash Patel IT Director Technical Validator: Must approve software for integration potential, architecture, and IT strategy alignment.
Dr. Orlando Machado Growth Specialist Technical Evaluator: Independent expert likely to vet DeepSignal’s underlying AI models and data science claims.

2. Advisory and Institutional Network Pathways

To bypass cold outreach, DeepSignal must leverage shared intermediaries. While Holland Mountain and ACG were hypothesized as potential conduits, current intelligence points to two confirmed, high-value pathways.

Primary Pathway: Artefact Artefact represents the most concrete, immediate pathway for a warm introduction. ECI Partners formally retained Artefact as an advisor for the recent Helio Intelligence transaction, alongside firms like Arma, Alvarez & Marsal, and EY [33]. Engaging Artefact's data consulting partners to sponsor the DeepSignal PoC explicitly ties the pitch to the Helio integration effort that Artefact already helped facilitate.

Secondary Pathway: BVCA and Diversity Networks ECI Partners has deep institutional roots in the UK and European private equity landscape. The firm was a founding member of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) in 1983 [5], as well as Invest Europe (formerly the European Venture Capital Association) [16]. Furthermore, ECI is highly active in ESG and diversity networks, being a founding member of organizations focused on gender diversity in European private equity [14], a global network for LGBT+ investment professionals [36], and partnering with the social mobility charity upReach [25]. Shared connections within the BVCA's tech and innovation committees offer a viable secondary networking route.

3. Formal Vendor Submission and Pitch Protocol

ECI’s software selection protocol is highly structured. ECI built its internal AI tool, Amplifind, in 2020 with the help of Manchester University AI teams [18], [29]. Because DeepSignal is pitching to an organization that already builds proprietary AI, the pitch must follow strict procurement protocols and clearly differentiate itself.

The Procurement Lifecycle

The formal vendor selection process follows a linear framework: Needs Identification → Vendor Research → Request for Proposal (RFP) → Proposal Evaluation/Scoring → Shortlisting → Contract Negotiation [6].

To successfully pitch the 2-to-4-week PoC, DeepSignal must proactively address the elements evaluated during the RFP and shortlisting phases:

  1. Security and Compliance: This is the most critical hurdle. ECI itself holds a Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation [1]. Furthermore, ECI employs a Head of Cyber and Technical Growth Specialist to ensure portfolio security [34]. DeepSignal's RFP response must explicitly detail security certifications, data protection measures, and regulatory compliance [39].
  2. Technical Capabilities & Scalability: Software selection differs from general procurement by heavily weighting integration potential and scalability [17]. DeepSignal must map how its API or data feeds can securely complement—rather than attempt to replace—Amplifind™360 [22], [30].
  3. Structured Demonstrations: If shortlisted, DeepSignal must conduct a structured software demo. Best practices dictate using predefined, clear scenarios rather than generic feature walkthroughs, allowing ECI stakeholders to score the vendor objectively [28]. The demo scenario should specifically replicate Helio's mandate to map the "fragmented political intelligence sector" [22].

Limitations & Open Questions

  • Network Gap: The available intelligence does not confirm ECI Partners' membership in the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), nor does it confirm an advisory relationship with Holland Mountain. The introduction strategy should pivot entirely to Artefact and the BVCA.
  • Demo Day Timeline: There is no specific internal evidence detailing an "ACG Middle-Market AI Demo Day on March 19, 2026." DeepSignal should verify this event's relevance to ECI externally before anchoring the pitch deadline to it.
  • PoC Funding: It is unclear if ECI allocates a specific budget for short-term software PoCs out of the management company or if costs are passed down to portfolio companies (like Helio) upon integration.

Sources