U.K. MANAGERS JAMES GRANT GROUP LAUNCH STATESIDE

British management firm James Grant Group—home to Louis Tomlinson (pictured), James Arthur, The Script and Manic Street Preachers—is expanding stateside after merging with Deckstar Management (blink-182, Steve Aoki).

The purchase was financed by $12.1m in funding from Investec Growth & Acquisition Finance and includes funding to support further growth, reports Music Business Worldwide, although some insiders say the amount is actually north of $20m. The finance company first worked with James Grant Group in 2014 to back a management buyout of the business.

CEO Neil Rodford helms James Grant Group, which also has clients in TV and sports. Its music clients initially came via the acquisition of U.K. music management company Hall or Nothing in 2012. It then launched its own music talent arm, James Grant Music, in 2014 to initially rep acts participating in the X Factor. Other names on its roster include Fleur East and The Horrors.