Virginia International Gateway Takes Delivery of Four Giant Cranes

Alinda

Marking the latest development in the Phase II Expansion at Virginia International Gateway, four new STS cranes arrived safely at the terminal in early January 2019. The cranes are the largest in the Americas and able to service the biggest ships calling at the United States today and for the foreseeable future. Please watch the video of this historic project milestone, “Building the Capacity for Greatness.”

Good progress is being made on the $320 million Phase II Expansion which will double Virginia International Gateway’s capacity to more than two million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Container Units). Four newly-constructed inbound truck gates and the first of two newly-configured rail bundles, served by two semi-automated cantilever rail-mounted gantries, are now operational. In addition, the 800-foot expansion of Virginia International Gateway’s wharf is complete and almost all 13 new container stacks supported by 26 new rail-mounted gantry cranes are in service. The project is proceeding on schedule with completion scheduled for mid-2019.

The Port of Virginia handled record volumes during calendar year 2018, at 2.85 million TEUs. Further enhancing the Port’s ability to effectively serve their ocean carrier customers, full Federal authorization was secured in 2018 for the ‘Wider, Deeper, Safer’ effort, a strategic project to deepen the Norfolk Harbor to 55 feet and widen portions of the commercial navigation channels. Together with the Phase II Expansion at Virginia International Gateway, the Port of Virginia is well positioned to become the deepest and safest port on the U.S. East Coast capable of handling the increasingly large container ships that underpin the next evolution in international trade.

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ARDIAN sells its minority stake in SPIE BATIGNOLLES

Ardian

EMZ Partners, Tikehau Capital, Société Générale Capital Partenaires, IDIA Capital Investissement and SOCADIF support the management of Spie batignoles

Paris, 23 January 2019 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, today announces the sale of its 18% stake in Spie batignolles, the major construction, infrastructure and services group.

Following the transaction, 200 Spie batignolles managers will own shares in the company, placing them shoulder to shoulder with the management team headed up by Jean-Charles Robin, President of Spie batignolles.

360 Spie batignolles employees now together hold a majority stake in the firm, alongside the following new financial investors: EMZ Partners, Tikehau Capital through its asset management subsidiary Tikehau Investment Management, Société Générale Capital Partenaires, IDIA Capital Investissement and SOCADIF (Crédit Agricole).

Spie batignolles focuses on six areas of expertise: construction, civil engineering and foundations, energy, public works, real estate and concessions. The complementarity of its businesses allows the Group to support clients in all types of projects.
Spie batignolles operates in 170 locations in France and nine internationally. The Group employs more than 7000 people and its turnover in 2018 was €2 billion.

Since Ardian became a shareholder in 2014, Spie batignolles has achieved strong organic growth in its French business and has been involved in a range of flagship projects, including Grand Paris (which focuses on metro lines, stations and control centres) and the Lyon-Turin rail link.

Spie batignolles also offers its clients international support in Europe, Western Africa and the Middle East. The Group’s dynamic external growth strategy (eight acquisitions in the last three years) has provided the company with a strong geographic network and a substantially expanded offering. Indeed, in 2018, the company hired nearly 1 000 new employees to support its international expansion.

François-Xavier Clédat, Chairman of the Spie batignolles Supervisory Board, said, “I am grateful for our 2014 partnership with Ardian, and for the contribution the team has made to the development of the Group. Spie batignolles today boasts a talented management team and is in excellent financial health, giving us the assurance to look to the future with confidence.”

Jean-Charles Robin, President of Spie batignolles, added: “Our Group is entering a new stage of development with a strategic plan in place, that takes us up to 2022. The transformation of our ways of working, informed by our innovative and unique approach, demonstrates our focus on creating value that we can share with our employees, clients and partners. The commitment shown by our new investors is testament to their confidence in the quality of the Group.”

Alexis Lavaillote, Managing Director of Ardian Expansion, added: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Spie batignolles over the last five years. We have supported many of the projects put forward by its management and its talented teams focusing on external growth, international development and ESG. We are proud of the path we have trodden together and wish the company all the best in the future.”

Thierry Raiff, President of EMZ Partners, added:  “In all our discussions, we have appreciated the dynamism and professionalism of Spie batignolles teams; their commitment to this new transaction provides us with confidence in the group’s ability to achieve the ambitious objectives set for the coming years.”

ABOUT SPIE BATIGNOLLES

Spie batignolles, has six major sectors of activity: construction, civil engineering and foundations, energy, public works, real estate and concessions.
Spie batignolles’ references include emblematic projects such as the renovation of the Maison de la Radio, the EDF Saclay research centre, ITER, the Palais des congrès du Havre, the A10, A9, A466 motorway sites, the MGEN Institute in La Verrière, the TGI in Strasbourg, the Lyon-Turin rail link and the work undertaken in the context of Grand Paris.
The group also carries out local interventions, maintenance and care throughout the country through a network of dedicated agencies.
Spie Batignolles positions itself on its markets as a leader in “customer relations” and develops a policy of differentiating partnership offers.
Spie batignolles operates in 170 locations in France and nine internationally. The Group employs more than 7000 people and its turnover in 2018 was €2 billion.
Spie Batignolles has given itself the means to manage its development independently. Since September 2003, the group has been majority controlled by its managers and employees.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$82bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 560 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 750 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

ABOUT EMZ PARTNERS

Based in Paris, EMZ Partners professionals have completed since 1999, 122 investments (for a total amount of 3 billion euros) in fast growing French companies. EMZ investments are comprised between 10 and 120 million euros. The company focuses on evolution of the shareholding structure (as for Spie Batignolles), or build-up financing.The transaction has been followed by Thierry Raiff, Bruno Froideval, Ajit Jayaratnam and Ludovic Bart.

ABOUT TIKEHAU CAPITAL

Tikehau Capital is an asset management and investment group, which manages €15.9 bn of assets (as at 30 September 2018), with shareholders’ equity of €2.3 bn (as at 30 June 2018). The Group invests in various asset classes (private debt, real estate, private equity and liquid strategies), including through its asset management subsidiary Tikehau IM, on behalf of institutional and private investors. Controlled by its managers, alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital employs 260 staff (as at 30 September 2018) in its Paris, London, Brussels, Madrid, Milan, New York, Seoul and Singapore offices.
Tikehau Capital is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, Compartment A (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP)

ABOUT SOCIETE GENERALE CAPITAL PARTENAIRES

For more than 30 years, Société Générale Capital Partenaires (SGCP) has been providing shareholder managers of SMEs and SMIs with a transparent and local approach. SGCP is involved in minority equity investments ranging from €500k to €35m in various contexts: development through external or organic growth, takeover or transfer, restructuring of shareholders, optimization of the financial structure.
Fully integrated into the French Retail Banking network and the Société Générale Entrepreneurs system launched in early 2016, SGCP’s teams are very close to French SMEs, thanks to their Investment Managers in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Rennes and Marseille. In 2018, SGCP invested €100 million in some 20 operations, confirming its commitment to corporate and economic financing.

ABOUT IDIA CAPITAL INVESTISSEMENT / SOCADIF CAPITAL INVESTISSEMENT

IDIA Capital Investissement gathers the minority investments completed by Crédit Agricole SA supporting SMEs from all sectors. IDIA Capital Investissement manages €1.5 billion (via CARD, CA Grands Crus, Grands Crus Investissements, IDIA Participations and SOFIPAR …). Investment ticket is comprised between €1 and €50 million. IDIA has around 100 companies in its portfolio. IDIA is a management company with AMF agreement n° GP-15000010
SOCADIF Capital Investissement, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole d’Ile-de-France, has been active in the private equity market since 1990. With a SCR status and remaining a minority shareholder in the capital of the ETIs and SMEs supported, SOCADIF has a unitary intervention capacity of up to €10 million which can be increased to €50 million by bringing together other structures of the Crédit Agricole group. Generalist and deliberately very diversified, SOCADIF is now a partner of some thirty companies.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

EMZ Partners: Thierry Raiff, Charles Mercier, Nicolas Gautier
SGCP :Marc Dupuy
IDIA Capital Investissement: Arnaud Pradier, Nicolas Lambert, François Lecourt
SOCADIF Capital Investissement: Emmanuel David, Luis Batista
Finance investment advisors:
Transaction: Ernst &Young Advisory (Olivier Catonnet)
Legal: Cabinet Depardieu (Jean-François Pourdieu, Sandra Benhaïm )
Financial: KPMG (Vincent Delmas)

Sellers :
Ardian Expansion: Alexis Lavaillote, Caroline Pihan
Legal Advisor: Latham & Watkins (Olivier du Mottay, Elise Pozzobon)

M&A: SGCIB (Guillaume Dovillers) / CACIB (Yves Kieken)
Financial VDD: Deloitte (Thierry Quéron, Xavier Evano)

King and Spalding: Laurent Bensaid
Arsene Taxand: Alexandre Rocchi

PRESS CONTACTS

SPIE BATIGNOLLES
Agence FP&A
Audrey Segura – Frédérique Pusey
Tel: +331 30 09 67 04
M: +336 23 84 51 50
audrey@fpa.fr – fred@fpa.fr
ARDIAN
Headland
Viktor Tsvetanov
IDIA CAPITAL INVESTISSEMENT
MARIE CATHERINE CORNIC
Tel: +331 43 23 43 69

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Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk acquire Fiskeboa – positioning themselves within fish and seafood in Gothenburg

Litorina

Fish and seafood specialist Fiskeboa is acquired by Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk, which formed the JOHBECO group together with their main shareholder Litorina last summer. The group has a strong market position in Stockholm and Gothenburg, and this latest acquisition will allow it to offer a broader and more attractive range on the west coast, with coverage also across the rest of the country.

The acquisition means that Johan i Hallen will be able to offer a broad range of high-quality fish and seafood as part of its usual range. For its customers, most of whom are in the restaurant and hotel sector, this deal will also make things considerably more efficient, since all meat, charcuterie, fish and seafood orders can now be made from one and the same supplier.

“This will strengthen our position as a supplier of meat and fish, and above all, it will improve our customers’ access to a wide and high-quality offering. This applies not only to those who have always chosen to turn to us, but also to those who are customers of Fiskeboa,” says Johan Andersson, Johan i Hallen.

“Thanks to Bergfalk’s and Johan i Hallen’s purchasing channels, our customers will gain a partially new and more exclusive product range that we could not otherwise have achieved. In addition, with Johan i Hallen we will be able to reach a wider circle of customers, even beyond Gothenburg. This merger will strengthen Fiskeboa, but to a great extent also Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk,” says Martin Petersson, CEO of Fiskeboa.

“Bergfalk has a long history within fish and seafood sales, but has lacked proximity to fishermen and auctions on the west coast. Together with Fiskeboa we will be able to benefit from each other’s know-how and channels. Fiskeboa is a supplier with high quality and service ambitions, something they share with the rest of the group. After the partnership between Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk, Fiskeboa strengthens our intention to become the Nordic Region’s best perishables specialist,” says Lars Bengtsson, CEO of JOHBECO.

For further information, please contact:
Lars Bengtsson +46 70 523 30 02, CEO of JOHBECO
Johan Andersson +46 70 884 44 04, Johan i Hallen
Martin Petersson +46 70 592 42 77, CEO of Fiskeboa

 

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Zafin raises US$17.2M in growth capital led by Vistara Capital

Vistara

TORONTO, ONTARIO; Jan. 23, 2019 – Zafin, a global leader in customer centric financial services software relied upon by many of the world’s largest financial institutions, has completed a private growth financing that strengthens its balance sheet and will fuel growth and innovation for the company.

“This round of funding will allow Zafin to fully execute on our business plans and strategy,” said Al Karim Somji, Zafin Founder and Group CEO. “We highly value our long-term partners at Vistara Capital and Beedie Capital and are excited to be working with Accenture as we jointly deliver value to our clients in the fields of open banking, core transformation, AI and machine learning.”

Positioning Zafin to achieve its strategic objectives, the funding will help the company execute on its plan for years to come, while expanding its global market share. Zafin has enjoyed strong relationships with Vistara Capital Partners, Beedie Capital and Accenture, and the firms continue to affirm their support for the organization through this financing round. Vistara Capital Partners will further their partnership with Zafin through Randy Garg, Managing Partner at Vistara Capital Partners, holding a seat on Zafin’s Board of Directors.

Alan McIntyre, a senior managing director and head of Accenture’s global banking practice said: “Technology continues to drive changes in consumer behavior and how they prefer to receive products and services from financial institutions. We are pleased to extend our relationship with Zafin and invest in its software solution, which can help enable financial institutions to improve pricing, personalization and product make-up without having to replace their legacy systems – an essential component for many of those not among the top ten players in the market.”

Zafin’s market-leading software and services help power pricing, product and customer strategies for many of the world’s largest financial institutions, providing essential new capabilities along their digital transformation and modernization journeys. The company’s technology platform is designed to modernize and augment legacy IT infrastructures that underpin the financial services industry. Its solutions enable banks to increase revenue generation, drive customer transparency and aid in regulatory compliance, ultimately enhancing their agility and their ability to improve the customer experience and build more personalized and profitable relationships.

“Zafin’s innovative solutions have become increasingly known amongst global banks as the sector continues to go through its technologically driven evolution. Over the past several years of our involvement, it has been very satisfying to see the levels of adoption taking place with many of the world’s most discerning bank customers” said Randy Garg, Founder and Managing Partner of Vistara Capital Partners. “We are delighted to further expand our long-term partnership with Zafin through this latest growth financing round.  With capital and partnerships in place, Zafin is ideally positioned to now accelerate its growth trajectory and become the latest technology success story coming out of Canada.”

“We are excited to continue to expand our partnership with Zafin and look forward to supporting the team through its next phase of growth as a market leader in digital banking solutions,” said David Bell, Director at Beedie Capital.

This funding announcement comes as a follow up to a partial acquisition and strategic alliance between Zafin and Accenture in December 2018.  Further terms of the round were not disclosed.

Financial Services Software Company Zafin Receives Funding

About Zafin

Established in 2002, Zafin (@Zafin) is a worldwide leader in financial services software that drives relationship pricing, bundling and rates management strategies for global financial institutions. Built from the ground up for financial services, its platform empowers financial institutions to increase revenue and efficiency by modernizing legacy infrastructure and enables financial institutions to build more personalized and profitable client relationships. Headquartered in Toronto with offices around the globe, Zafin is trusted by some of the world’s largest retail and corporate banks to provide more compelling products and experiences to their clients. For more information about Zafin, visit zafin.com.

About Vistara Capital Partners

Headquartered in Vancouver BC, Vistara Capital Partners provides highly flexible and tailored growth capital solutions for technology companies across North America. Founded, managed, and funded by seasoned technology finance and operating executives, “Vistara” (Sanskrit for “expansion”) is focused on enabling the growth and expansion of its portfolio companies. Additional information is available at www.vistaracapital.com.

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Gryphon Investors Acquires RoC, Leading Anti-Aging Skincare Brand

Gryphon Investors

Marks Gryphon’s Second Global Platform in the Beauty Sector

San Francisco, CA – January 22, 2019 —

Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a San Francisco-based middle market private equity firm, announced today that it acquired RoC® Skincare (“RoC”), a market-leading anti-aging skincare brand, from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is Gryphon’s second investment in the beauty sector after the firm acquired indie color cosmetics brand Milani Cosmetics in June 2018.

Gryphon Executive Advisors Steve LaMonte and Michelle Taylor will serve as advisors to RoC, with Mr. Lamonte acting as Executive Chairman. In addition to Mr. LaMonte, Ms. Taylor, along with select individuals from Gryphon, will join the Board of Directors. As part of the carve-out transaction, Mr. LaMonte and Ms. Taylor will be focused on recruiting the go-forward senior management team to lead RoC under Gryphon’s ownership.

Matt Farron, Principal at Gryphon, said, “RoC has a rich history of skincare solutions innovation stemming from its French pharmacy roots. As the first brand to stabilize Retinol, which is one of the top U.S. dermatologist-recommended cosmetic ingredients for improving the appearance of aging skin, RoC continues to be one of the largest brands solely focused on anti-aging skincare products. By leveraging the brand’s French pharmacy heritage and track record of clinically proven innovation, we see numerous opportunities to expand RoC’s product offering to establish it as a brand with complete skincare solutions leading to increased market share.”

Now headquartered in Manhattan, RoC is a global skincare brand that offers highly efficacious, high quality anti-aging skincare products. RoC was created in 1957 by French pharmacist Dr. Jean-Charles Lissarrague, who believed that skincare solutions should be proactive, positive, and a pleasurable approach to beauty, and has a 60+ year history of revolutionizing the skincare industry. RoC products are primarily manufactured in France, and RoC’s more than 75 products are sold in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America through key mass, drug, club, specialty, ecommerce, and pharmacy channels. Key domestic retailer partners include Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Ulta, and Amazon.

Mr. LaMonte added, “We are excited to build on RoC’s past to connect with today’s customers. We see opportunities to expand the portfolio beyond Retinol and anti-aging, improve product support in international markets, strengthen links with the dermatology community, and drive customers into stores with creative, technology-driven product launches and marketing efforts. We also plan to boost RoC’s engagement with all age groups. In addition to RoC’s core customer demographic of women aged 40+, millennials are showing great interest in the category and have responded positively to product trials.”

Ms. Taylor continued, “Gryphon has a long-standing track record of growing consumer product brands and I’m excited to partner with them for a second investment in the beauty sector to capitalize on one of the most iconic skincare brands in the market today. I believe the financial and operational resources we bring will ensure RoC’s ability to thrive as a stand-alone company, delivering a world-class brand to new and existing customers.”

Sawaya Partners, LLC was financial advisor to Johnson & Johnson, and Covington & Burling was legal advisor to Johnson & Johnson. Luc-Henry Rousselle at LSH Partners was Gryphon Investors’ financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis acted as Gryphon’s legal advisor.

About RoC
RoC is an iconic brand and category pioneer with 60+ year history in anti-wrinkle and anti-aging skincare, offering a full suite of anti-aging products sold across the globe. RoC’s product offering is highly efficacious and clinically proven to reduce signs of facial aging including wrinkles, dark spots, and dullness of skin. The Company’s more than 75 products are sold in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America through key mass, drug, club, specialty, ecommerce, and pharmacy channels. Key domestic retailer partners include Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Ulta, and Amazon. Please visit www.rocskincare.com for more information

About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management teams. The firm has managed over $4.5 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $200 million in portfolio companies with sales ranging from approximately $100 million to $500 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.

Contacts

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OPTIMIND welcomes ARDIAN as a minority shareholder

Ardian

Paris, 22 January 2019 – Optimind has chosen Ardian, a world leading private investment house, to support its growth and development as part of a fundraising round totalling €25 million.
Optimind is an independent consulting firm that provides support to insurance firms, banks and corporate clients through its expertise in qualitative, quantitative and administrative risk management solutions. The company focuses on five main practice areas:
  • Actuarial and Financial Services,
  • Corporate Risk Services,
  • Risk Management,
  • Business Transformation,
  • Business Process Outsourcing.
Optimind has more than 200 employees, and generates turnover of €30 million. The introduction of Ardian as a minority shareholder will allow the company to accelerate its expansion through major investments and external growth.
Christophe Eberlé, CEO of Optimind, said: “Ardian’s investment in our company proves the strength and relevance of Optimind’s business model and it is a recognition of our strong performance and of the quality of our teams. Ardian is a great asset to have behind us and our partnership will be key in progressing our organic and external growth strategy.”
Alexis Saada, Managing Director at Ardian Growth, added: “Christophe Eberlé and his team have clearly demonstrated their ability to implement an ambitious strategy and position Optimind as a leading independent risk management consultancy firm. This transaction reflects our commitment to supporting high-growth potential companies.”
Geoffroy de La Grandière, Director of Ardian Growth, added: “The expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of Optimind’s team is reflected in the company’s continued focus on innovation. Optimind has great potential for expansion and we look forward to partnering with the team to support the business in its further growth ambitions.”

ABOUT OPTIMIND

Optimind is an independent consulting firm that supports insurance firms, banks and large companies in focusing on opportunities that can increase their performance. We offer advisory services and solutions to help address the major challenges of competitiveness, transformation and regulation. Despite the risks associated, these challenges offer significant opportunities for development. Our range of services cover all aspects of our clients’ value chain: Strategy, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Market, Human Resources, Digital Transformation, Data, BPO.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$82bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 560 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 750 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

– Optimind: Christophe Eberlé, Pierre-Alain Boscher, Jean-Charles Simon
– Ardian: Alexis Saada, Geoffroy de La Grandière, Mélissa Yvonnou- Strategic DD Ardian: Chappuis Halder (Pierre Bustamante, Louis Forteguerre, Valérie Herisson-Andouart)
– Financial Advisor to Ardian: Eight Advisory (Fabien Thièblemont, Nabil Saci)
– Tax Advisor to Ardian: Arsene Taxand (Franck Chaminade, Noémie Bastien, Sarah Lellouche)
– Legal Advisor to Ardian: Baker & McKenzie (Matthieu Grollemund, Hélène Parent,– corporate / Gonzague Basso– banking / Charles Baudoin – tax)

– Corporate Finance Lead Advisor: Corporate Finance International (Clément Barbot)
– Corporate Legal & Tax Advisor: Jean-Charles Béroard

– Arranger Bank: Société Générale (Patrick Evin, Gaëlle Seznec, Guillaume Mayot)

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
Viktor Tsvetanov
OPTIMIND
Marine de Pallières

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GP Bullhound advises Filter on its sale to Merkle

Gp Bullhound

GP Bullhound acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Filter on its sale to Merkle. Founded in 1991, Filter helps leading brands develop and deliver better customer experiences, multi-channel campaigns and virtual realities by embedding its proven expertise inside the client’s own organization. With offices in Seattle and Portland, the Company maintains longstanding client relationships with Fortune 100 CPG and enterprise technology clients including Nike, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.

Filter’s deep expertise and executional horsepower add significant capability and scale, accelerating Merkle’s growth and differentiation through its next-generation delivery model for digital marketing services.

Kristin Knight, Founder and Chairwoman of Filter, said: “Filter has a long and vibrant history, so a key priority was ensuring a strong cultural and professional fit for our employees and our clients. As an innovative, growth-focused agency, Merkle shares our vision and recognized our strengths. They’re an ideal partner to advance our business to exciting new heights. We could not have found a better fit without the help and dedication of the team at GP Bullhound.”

Alec Dafferner, Partner at GP Bullhound, said: “We are pleased to have advised Filter in this strategic transaction. Filter’s embedded talent model offering will be a powerful complement to Merkle’s comprehensive portfolio of services.”

The transaction is a further testament to GP Bullhound’s expertise in advising category leaders in the Digital Services sector, with more than 20 transactions completed in the last 24 months including the sale of Oliver to You & Mr. Jones, Namics to Merkle, Kepler Group to KYU, and Wongdoody to Infosys, among many others.

Inquiries
For inquiries please contact:
Alec Dafferner, Partner, at Alec.Dafferner@gpbullhound.com
Greg Smith, Partner, at Greg.Smith@gpbullhound.com
Eric Crowley, Vice President, at Eric.Crowley@gpbullhound.com

About GP Bullhound
GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory and investment firm, providing transaction advice and capital to the world’s best entrepreneurs and founders. Founded in 1999, the firm today has offices in London, San Francisco, Stockholm, Berlin, Manchester, Paris, Hong Kong, Madrid and New York. For more information, please visit www.gpbullhound.com, or follow on Twitter @GPBullhound

 

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EQT Credit is the largest lender in a second lien financing to support Jacobs Holding’s acquisition of Cognita

eqt

EQT Credit, through its Mid-Market Credit investment strategy, is pleased to announce that it is the largest lender in a EUR 255 million second lien term loan financing solution to support Jacobs Holding AG’s (“Jacobs”) investment in Cognita (the “Company”).

Launched in 2004, Cognita is a leading global provider of private premium K-12 education services, currently comprising 72 schools in eight countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Company employs 7,000 teaching and support staff, educating over 40,000 students across a diverse range of international, national and bilingual curricula.

Paul Johnson, Partner at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, commented:

“Cognita is strongly positioned as one of the largest K-12 platforms globally, with a diversified portfolio of high-quality schools that is well invested to support continued growth and has an outstanding management team with a strong performance track record. EQT Credit looks forward to supporting the Company in its future development.”

Nakul Sarin, Director at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Mid-Market Credit, added: “EQT is proud to partner with Jacobs and Cognita for the third Mid-Market Credit investment in the education sector. We would like to thank EQT’s Industrial Advisors who, as senior executives in the European and Asian private school sectors, provided key support and insight to the EQT Credit deal team throughout the due diligence process.”

Contacts:
Paul Johnson, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, +44 203 372 9424
Nakul Sarin, Director at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, +44 208 432 5420
EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a leading investment firm with more than EUR 50 billion in raised capital across 28 funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

About EQT Credit
EQT Credit invests through four complementary strategies: Senior Debt, Mid-Market Credit (direct lending), Core Value and Credit Opportunities. Since inception, EQT Credit has invested in excess of EUR 5.5 billion in about 180 companies. EQT Credit’s direct lending strategy seeks to provide flexible, long- term debt capital solutions to medium-sized European businesses, across a wide range of sectors. These businesses may be privately-owned corporates seeking alternative funding to grow or be the subject of private equity-led acquisitions or refinancings.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com/Investment-Strategies/Credit

 

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Acacia Pharma reports positive cardiac safety data for BARHEMSYS™

GIlde Healthcare

Cambridge, UK and Indianapolis, US – Acacia Pharma (EURONEXT: ACPH) announces results from its latest study of BARHEMSYS™, its anti-emetic currently under FDA review for the management of post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV).

The study did not find a significant risk for heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) at the highest proposed dose of BARHEMSYS, given alone or in combination with intravenous ondansetron, a widely used PONV therapy with a known effect on the heart trace.

The data confirm that a single 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, which has previously been shown to reduce PONV in clinical trials, will not have a clinically significant effect on the QTc interval, part of the ECG trace which is an important indicator of cardiac risk, even when given with ondansetron. If approved, BARHEMSYS is likely to be given to many patients also receiving ondansetron.

In 30 healthy volunteers, the average maximum effect on the QTc interval of a single 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, infused over one minute, was 5.2 milliseconds (90% confidence interval 3.53-6.96 milliseconds). When a standard 4 mg dose of IV ondansetron was given at the same time, the average maximum effect was 7.3 milliseconds (90% confidence interval 5.48-9.16 milliseconds). The internationally agreed threshold level of regulatory concern for serious arrhythmias, such as torsade de pointes, is a mean effect on QTc of 10 milliseconds.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, conducted in a specialist Phase 1 trials unit in London, UK, also demonstrated that a second 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, given two hours after the first, had a similar pharmacokinetic profile and did not significantly affect the QT or clinical safety profile of the drug. No serious adverse events were reported in the trial and there was no material difference in safety profile between BARHEMSYS (with or without concomitant ondansetron) and placebo.

The most common adverse events were infusion site pain/discomfort, which occurred in eight subjects (28%) with BARHEMSYS alone, nine subjects (30%) with BARHEMSYS plus ondansetron and 12 subjects (40%) with placebo; and headache, which occurred in four subjects (14%) with BARHEMSYS alone, three subjects (10%) with BARHEMSYS plus ondansetron and two subjects (7%) with placebo.

BARHEMSYS is currently under review by FDA for the proposed indications of the treatment of established PONV, whether or not prior prophylaxis was given, and the prevention of PONV, alone or in combination with other antiemetics, with a target action date of May 5, 2019.

 

About Acacia Pharma
Acacia Pharma is a hospital pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of new nausea & vomiting treatments for surgical and cancer patients. Acacia Pharma has identified important and commercially attractive unmet needs in nausea & vomiting and has discovered two product candidates based on the same active ingredient, amisulpride, to meet those needs.
Acacia Pharma’s lead project, BARHEMSYS™ for post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV), has generated positive results in four Phase 3 clinical studies. A New Drug Application (NDA) for BARHEMSYS is under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Its sister project, APD403 for chemotherapy induced nausea & vomiting (CINV), has successfully completed one proof-of-concept and one Phase 2 dose-ranging study in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
Acacia Pharma is based in Cambridge, UK and its US operations are centered in Indianapolis, IN. The Company is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange under the under ISIN code GB00BYWF9Y76 and ticker symbol ACPH.
Website: www.acaciapharma.com

About Gilde Healthcare
Gilde Healthcare is a specialized European healthcare investor managing €1 billion across two business lines: a venture & growth capital fund and a lower mid-market buy-out fund. Gilde Healthcare’s venture & growth capital fund invests in medtech, digital health and therapeutics. The portfolio companies are based in Europe and North America. Gilde Healthcare’s lower mid-market buy-out fund invests in profitable European healthcare services companies with a focus on the Benelux and DACH-region. The portfolio consists of healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and other service providers in the healthcare market.
Website: www.gildehealthcare.com

Gilde Healthcare II is supported by the European Communities Growth and Employment Initiative, MAP – ETF Start-up Facility.

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London fintech Marketinvoice lands £56m in funding from Barclays and Santander

Northzone

London-based fintech business lender Marketinvoice has today closed a £56m round made up of equity and debt funding, led by Barclays and Santander‘s venture arm Innoventures.

The series B-stage equity funding, which amounted to £26m, also received significant participation from European venture capital firm Northzone, which has previously backed the likes of Spotify, Trustpilot and fellow fintech lender Zopa.

The remaining amount raised is a debt facility of up to £30m, provided by Israeli fund Viola Credit. Marketinvoice said this funding will be used to scale its business lending solution, which works alongside its core invoice financing operation.

Established in 2011, the series B round takes Marketinvoice’s total equity funding to date to more than £45m.

The news comes after Barclays took up a minority stake in the fintech firm in August last year, as part of a partnership deal that gave Barclays’ small business customers access to lending through Marketinvoice’s platform.

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