City broker Numis hired a medical doctor to bolster its team of dealmakers targeting high-growth companies as part of a broader expansion of its investment bank.

The firm has hired Dr Ashish Patel as a managing director within its growth capital solutions team, a unit set up to target private companies looking for capital away from public markets. He joins from venture capital firm Optum Ventures and has experience working in the healthcare sector, which has seen a surge in M&A transactions this year.