The new owner of the maternitywear label Seraphine is drawing up plans to deliver it to the London stock market less than six months after taking control of the business.

Sky News understands that Mayfair Equity Partners, which bought Seraphine in December, is close to appointing advisers to explore an initial public offering (IPO).

The process is at a very early stage, but sources indicated that the brand’s new owner believed a listing would be an effective way of helping to boost its profile and visibility.

At LDC, the private equity firm where Mayfair’s founders previously worked, the team responsible for the Seraphine investment saw a surge in the valuation of Fevertree drinks after taking it public.

Insiders said Seraphine was likely to be valued in an IPO significantly higher than the £50m price at which Mayfair acquired the company from its founder, Cecile Reynaud, and Bridgepoint Growth.

Seraphine became a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge during her pregnancies, having been founded by Ms Reinaud in 2002 after she designed several items for friends who were expecting babies.

It has since grown into a major international business, with online sales in more than 120 countries and stores in cities including London, New York and Paris.

In 2015, Ms Reinaud won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

In 2019, she stepped up to become the company’s president, handing over the chief executive’s reins to David Williams, a former Asos executive.

Mayfair, which has backed a number of other consumer-facing businesses, including Yo! Sushi and OVO Energy, declined to comment.

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