Michael Welch OBE, the entrepreneur who built Blackcircles into the UK's largest online tyre retailer before selling it to Michelin for approximately $100 million, has launched a new investment and advisory firm called Anglo Atlantic - https://angloatlanticgroup.com/
The firm is focused on the global mobility and automotive aftermarket sectors, and aims to support investors, operators and founders who are navigating significant strategic or commercial turning points. Anglo Atlantic will offer early-stage seeding for new ventures, sector-specific investment, and hands-on growth advisory drawn from Welch's extensive track record in scaling and exiting businesses at the intersection of brand, distribution and digital commerce.
Welch's story is one of the most compelling in the UK tyre industry. He began his career at the age of 15 as a tyre fitter in Liverpool and, by the age of 17 in 1995, had launched MW Motorforce, his first online tyre venture. That business was subsequently acquired by Kwik-Fit, where Welch led its e-commerce operation ahead of Ford's takeover of the group.
In 2001, he founded Blackcircles, which grew to become the UK's leading online tyre retailer. The company built a nationwide click-and-fit network before being acquired by Michelin in 2015 in a deal valued at around $100 million.
Following the Blackcircles exit, Welch broadened his focus to the United States, where he developed several tyre marketplace and retail ventures including Treadsy, Tirescanner and Lowe's Tires. He also served as Chairman of Atterley, a fashion retail network, and played a central role in the merger of Tirebuyer with American Tire Distributors, a transaction that helped lay the groundwork for Anglo Atlantic's launch in February 2026.
More recently, Welch joined the board of SimpleTire as a strategic adviser, further extending his influence across the North American aftermarket landscape.
Beyond business, Welch was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to business and charity. He holds an honorary Doctorate of Enterprise from Edinburgh Napier University and chairs The Welch Trust, which supports children's causes.
The launch of Anglo Atlantic comes at a moment of significant change for the automotive aftermarket. Digital transformation, the growth of electric vehicles and ongoing consolidation across tyre retail and distribution are reshaping the competitive landscape. Welch's experience across both UK and US markets, spanning direct-to-consumer platforms, installer networks, wholesale distribution and strategic mergers, positions him as an adviser with rare breadth and credibility.
For founders and investors operating in this space, Anglo Atlantic offers access to one of the few people who has built, scaled and sold a market-defining tyre business from the ground up.
Visit Anglo Atlantic - https://angloatlanticgroup.com/
Tagged with: Michael Welch OBE, Anglo Atlantic, Blackcircles, online tyre retail, automotive aftermarket investment, tyre marketplace, digital commerce, aftermarket disruption, tyre industry advisory, mobility investment
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