Edison Partners Leads $8 Million Growth Investment in Suuchi

Edison Partners

Accelerates go-to-market execution, product innovation and network expansion for next-generation supply chain platform for fashion brands and retailers

 

PRINCETON, NJ—April 25, 2019—Edison Partners, the growth equity investment firm, today announced an $8 million growth investment in Suuchi, the next-generation supply chain platform provider for fashion brands and retailers. The company will use the funds to accelerate go-to-market execution and product innovation, as well as continue to expand its network of designers, materials suppliers and factories throughout the United States.

 

In the $2 trillion global apparel manufacturing market, the need to shrink the time from concept to consumer is prompting more fashion brands and retailers to seek supply-chain modernization. Suuchi delivers a next-generation approach to apparel supply chains that streamlines the connection of design and sourcing to US-based shop-floor manufacturing and provides complete, real-time transparency throughout the entire process.

 

“Time is the biggest risk factor for fashion brands and retailers in today’s supply chain, and legacy systems and processes continue to hinder time to market, not to mention growth, profits and consumer experience,” said Kelly Ford, Partner, Edison Partners, who led the investment and joins the company’s board of directors. “Suuchi is changing the game for apparel brands of all sizes, with a network-driven SaaS platform that makes not only speed, but also profitability, possible with ‘made in the USA.’”

 

Suuchi’s platform is a modern, intuitive SaaS-based application, called Suuchi GRID, powered by a curated network of 200+ freelancers, materials suppliers, and U.S.-based factories with a current available capacity of more than 8M units. Today, more than 200 fashion businesses, from large brands, like Cintas, to mid-tier and emerging brands, like Little Giraffe, are streamlining their supply chain workflows and production on the platform.

 

“We are reducing fashion supply chain complexity and time to market for brands and retailers by creating a more intelligent bridge between supply and demand; and with our shop-floor subject matter expertise, we are dematerializing the supply chain into a digital, made-local model,” said Suuchi Ramesh, founder and CEO of Suuchi. “With this investment, we are poised to provide a scalable answer to one of the world’s last trillion-dollar problems yet to be solved. In Edison Partners, and Kelly Ford, we have the perfect trifecta of strategic vision alignment, enterprise solutions experience, and a world-class team of operating experts to guide our fast growth.”

 

Ramesh, an immigrant from India, started the company in 2016 after 10-plus years in successful roles in technology, analytics and sales at two companies that became unicorns in their industries. She was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year for New Jersey in 2018 and named to the ROI-New Jersey Influencers Power List for 2019. Last year, the company was also awarded NJ Grow innovation incentives by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to further develop its business in the state. The company currently employs 120 people at its North Bergen headquarters and is actively hiring for positions in sales, marketing, software engineering, human resources and finance.

 

Edison Partners has financed and guided more than 200 private companies throughout the eastern United States, a third of which have been in the enterprise solutions space. Suuchi is the 48th investment in the firm’s home state of New Jersey. In addition to Suuchi, Edison’s active NJ-based investments include Northpass, Scivantage, Trialscope and Zelis Healthcare.

 

About Suuchi

Suuchi Inc. is a next-generation supply chain platform for fashion brands and retailers. Using its product lifecycle management (PLM) application, Suuchi GRID, and its network of carefully curated freelancers, factories and mills, Suuchi designs and produces millions of units at speedy turnarounds. Suuchi is transforming retail, enabled by mega trends of just-in-time production, shop-floor integration, and supply chains created for consumer demand. For more information, visit https://www.suuchi.com/

 

About Edison Partners

For more than 30 years, Edison Partners has been helping CEOs and their executive teams grow and scale successful companies. The firm’s investment team brings extensive investing and operating experience to each investment. Through a unique combination of growth capital and the Edison Edge platform, consisting of operating centers of excellence, the Edison Director Network, and executive education programs, Edison employs a truly integrated approach to accelerating growth and creating value for businesses. A team of experts in financial technology, healthcare IT and enterprise solution sectors, Edison targets high-growth companies with $5 to $25 million in revenue; investments also include buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts and secondary stock purchases.

 

Edison’s active portfolio has created aggregated market value exceeding $10 billion. Edison Partners is based in Princeton, NJ and manages more than $1.4 billion in assets throughout the eastern United States.

 

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3i European Operational Projects Fund deploys capital in Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Germany

3I

3i European Operational Projects Fund deploys capital in Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Germany

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that the 3i European Operational Projects Fund (“3i EOPF” or “the Fund”), has agreed to invest over €100m in four projects across Europe, taking total investment to c. 40% of the fund within a year of final close:

  • Cascais Hospital
  • MFM Capital
  • DISA Assets Limited
  • Fermoy and Limerick motorways

The Fund has acquired a 90% stake in TDHOSP – Gestao do Edificio Hospitalar, S.A., the concessionaire in charge of the design, build, financing, operation and maintenance of Cascais Hospital, a 277-bed facility located close to Lisbon. The stake was acquired from Teixeira Duarte Group, a Portuguese construction company, who will retain a minority stake. The concession was granted by the Portuguese State in 2008 with a duration of 30 years, and became operational in February 2010.

3i EOPF has also completed the acquisition of a 95% stake in MFM Capital, a portfolio holding company, from Rekeep SpA (formerly Manutencoop Facility Management). The portfolio comprises stakes in four hospitals located in Monza, Legnano, Verona and Modena, the Terza Torre office accommodation building in Bologna (in which 3i EOPF already owns a stake) and an electricity efficiency project in Alessandria.

The Fund has completed the acquisition of DISA Assets Limited, which leases a fleet of 54 new Alstom passenger trains to Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland GmbH in Germany. DISA Assets Limited was sold by NS Financial Services, part of the Dutch railway group NS. The 14 year concession was granted by three local Public Transport Authorities and became fully operational in December 2018. This is a stable asset with an attractive yield profile and builds on 3i’s successful investments in the rail sector.

Lastly, the Fund, alongside infrastructure investor TIIC, has signed an agreement to invest in two motorway projects in the Republic of Ireland. The two projects are Fermoy, a 17.5km section of the M8 motorway between Dublin and Cork, and Limerick, a 10km section of the M7 ring road around the city of Limerick, including a 675m tunnel under the Shannon river. The concession contracts, granted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, will run until 2034 and 2041 respectively.

Stephane Grandguillaume, Partner in charge of origination for the Fund, commented: “These projects are a good fit for 3i EOPF and complement the Fund’s existing portfolio. They are high quality, yielding projects which improve the diversification of the Fund.”

Phil White, Managing Partner and Head of Infrastructure, 3i Investments plc, added:

“We have made good progress in constructing a well-balanced portfolio for 3i EOPF through 3i’s pan-European projects platform active in eight countries in Western Europe.”

3i EOPF, which is managed by 3i’s infrastructure team, is a €456m fund investing in operational projects across Europe, with a focus on France, the Benelux, Germany, Italy and Iberia.  It targets a wide range of sub-sectors, primarily social infrastructure and transportation, but also telecoms and utilities. It aims to provide long-term yield to institutional investors.

-ENDS-

Download this press release  

 

For further information, contact:
3i Group plc

Thomas Fodor
Limited Partner enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3469
Email: thomas.fodor@3i.com
Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3285
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com
Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

 

Notes to editors:

 

About 3i Group

3i is a leading international investment manager focused on mid-market Private Equity and Infrastructure. Its core investment markets are northern Europe and North America. For further information, please visit: www.3i.com

About 3i’s Infrastructure business

3i is a leading infrastructure investor, with a track record of investing in infrastructure since 1987. The team of approximately 35 investment professionals manages or advises c.£3.7 billion of assets through a number of infrastructure investment vehicles, including 3i Infrastructure plc, 3i India Infrastructure Fund, 3i EOPF, 3i MIA and BIIF.

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ServiceTitan Partners with Financeit to Offer Integrated Financing for Canadian Customers

TTVcapital

No. 1 home service business management software teams up with No. 1 Canadian home services lending platform to provide integrated, mobile-friendly financing options for customers

LOS ANGELESApril 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — ServiceTitan, the world’s leading all-in-one software for home service businesses, has partnered with Financeit, one of North America’s fastest growing point-of-sale payment plan providers, to give Canadian home service contractors the ability to offer immediate, integrated financing options to homeowners.

“Alleviating home renovation debt and accelerating the home improvement business is an important focus for Financeit,” said Michael Garrity, founder and CEO of Financeit. “Through this partnership, we’re providing ServiceTitan’s Canadian customers an integrated and efficient way to finance any project quickly and hassle free, beneficial to both homeowners and contractors.”

Financeit’s integrated platform aims to accelerate the decision-making process, especially when it comes to home improvement projects. The platform offers homeowners the opportunity to explore a premium option with a trusted and reliable point-of-sale lending platform.

ServiceTitan customers can more successfully pitch upgrades and higher-end models, eliminate tedious manual paperwork and allow homeowners to immediately see all payment details, and complete projects more quickly and efficiently.

“We’ve been getting requests from our Canadian customers about building financing for this market ever since we were able to offer a similar integration here in the U.S.,” said Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. “The success of integrated financing state-side has been phenomenal. We’ve seen that contractors who use integrated financing grow their average ticket by 13% while growing gross revenue by 21%. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have for our Canadian contractors and their bottom line.”

Financeit’s integrated platform is immediately available to current ServiceTitan and Financeit customers. To get setup, email financing@servicetitan.com.

ServiceTitan customers who are not yet Financeit customers can apply to become an approved Financeit merchant here: https://www.financeit.io/servicetitan/.

About Financeit
Financeit is a market-leading point-of-sale financing provider servicing the home improvement, vehicle and retail industries. In 2017, the closing of an investment round by Goldman Sachs and the acquisition of Centah Inc. – a market-leading technology platform and call centre infrastructure – assisted in the increase of Financeit’s overall offering in the marketplace and continues to allow the company to provide merchants with an end-to-end solution to increase sales. Since launching in 2011 the platform has attracted over 7,000 merchant partners and processed over C$3.6 billion in loan applications. The company was recently awarded the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, recognizing the world’s top fintech businesses.

For more information about Financeit, contact Remy Delima, A&C, at 416.966.4321 or remy@acteam.ca.

About ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan is a software company built to accelerate the $400B home service sector. ServiceTitan’s end-to-end software suite includes CRM, intelligent dispatch, custom reporting, marketing automation, a mobile solution for field techs, and accounting integrations with Sage Intacct and QuickBooks. ServiceTitan raised the largest venture round of a SaaS company in the history of Southern California ($165 million Series D) led by Index Ventures, with participation from Dragoneer and T. Rowe Price and existing investors Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and ICONIQ Capital. ServiceTitan brings a fully operational modern SaaS infrastructure to an industry traditionally underserved by software, making direct and positive impact on the lives of thousands of entrepreneurs and their extended teams. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://servicetitan.com/.

Media Contact:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

865-977-1973

hripley@ripleypr.com

SOURCE ServiceTitan

Related Links

http://www.servicetitan.com

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ChurnZero Raises $7M in Series A Funding Round to Build the Customer Success System of Record

Baird Capital

ChurnZero, a real-time Customer Success platform, has announced that it secured $7 million in Series A funding led by Baird Capital. Returning investors in the round include Grotech Ventures, Middleland Capital, Charlottesville Angel Network and Center for Innovative Technology. The latest investment round will be used to support all of ChurnZero’s efforts. The team will invest in growing the Customer Success ecosystem, accelerate and deepen product development in the award-winning ChurnZero platform, and support customer facing teams in delivering the best Customer Success and Support among their peers.

The ChurnZero solution helps subscription businesses fight customer churn, expand their current accounts, increase product adoption and optimize the overall customer experience.

“At Untappd, we pride ourselves in delivering great Service and Customer Success to our brewery, restaurant and retail customers and we have been blown away with ChurnZero’s level of Customer Success as well as the care and thought they put into their product,” said Jeremy Jeffers, VP of Customer Success, Untappd. “We have seen a large improvement on the level of customer touchpoints our Customer Success Managers are able to do today versus before and we have seen a massive increase in retention for our small and medium-sized accounts.”

“Building a Customer Success platform that integrates data and customer touchpoints from a myriad of sources, generates insights and analytics, and kicks off workflows and communications is a tough technical project and is a proud achievement for our team,” said You Mon Tsang, Co-founder and CEO of ChurnZero. “But our real achievement is creating a happy and successful customer base. Our growth has been testament to our efforts so far and I am thrilled to have Baird Capital as partners to invest further in the company and in the ecosystem.”

In connection with the investment, Joanna Arras of Baird Capital has joined ChurnZero’s board of directors. “Customer Success is a persistent issue for companies in a variety of industries, and we are beginning to see the emergence of best practices to professionalize and scale Customer Success teams,” said Arras. “The market for Customer Success software is relatively nascent; as such we are excited to partner with ChurnZero to create the enterprise’s next great system of record.”

This investment brings the total funding that ChurnZero has raised to date to $10 million.

Since its founding in 2015, ChurnZero has modernized and empowered Customer Success, Account Management, and Customer Marketing teams to proactively engage with customers in an on-going and automated way to work towards their business outcomes. ChurnZero is dedicated to helping their ever-growing customer base fight churn.

                                                                                             ###

About ChurnZero
ChurnZero helps subscription businesses fight customer churn. Its software solutions allow businesses to understand how their customers use their product, asses their health and their likelihood to renew, and give businesses the means to personalize the customer experience through timely and relevant touchpoints. ChurnZero is headquartered in Arlington, VA and is backed by leading angles and venture capital firms such as Baird Capital, Grotech Ventures and Middleland Capital. For more information, visit churnzero.net.

About Baird Capital
Baird Capital makes venture capital, growth equity and private equity investments in strategically targeted sectors around the world. Having invested in more than 300 companies over its history, Baird Capital partners with entrepreneurs and, leveraging its executive networks, strives to build exceptional companies. Baird Capital provides operational support to its portfolio companies through teams on the ground in the United States, Europe and Asia, a proactive portfolio operations team and a deep network of relationships, which together strive to deliver enhanced shareholder value. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

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Palomar Holdings, Inc. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

LA JOLLA, Calif., April 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)—Palomar Holdings, Inc. (“Palomar”) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of its common stock at a price of $15.00 per share. Palomar is offering 5,625,000 shares of its common stock, plus up to an additional 843,750 shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase. The shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on April 17, 2019 under the ticker symbol “PLMR” and the offering is expected to close on April 22, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Evercore Group L.L.C., William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to this offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2019. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from: Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (telephone: (888) 603-5847 or email: Barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 866-803-9204 or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com; or Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., 787 Seventh Ave., 4th Floor, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, or by calling (800) 966-1559, or by emailing kbwsyndicatedesk@kbw.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Palomar Holdings, Inc.

Palomar is an innovative insurer that focuses on the provision of specialty property insurance for residential and commercial clients. Palomar’s underwriting and analytical acumen allow it to concentrate on certain markets that it believes are underserved by other insurance companies, such as the markets for earthquake, wind and flood insurance. Based in La Jolla, California, the company is an admitted carrier in 25 states. Palomar has an A.M. Best financial strength rating of “A-” (Excellent).

Investor Relations

1-619-771-1743
investors@palomarspecialty.com

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Winch invests in the Belgium company Infra Group

Andera Partners

Winch Capital 4, managed by Andera Partners, one of the leading French Private Equity firms, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Infra Group, Belgium’s major multi-disciplinary network infrastructure and service provider, from Waterland Private Equity and family investors. In the context of the transaction, Infra Group’s CEO Tom Vendelmans reinvested significantly and 17 managers became shareholders for the first time.

 

Paris, 5 April 2019 –

Infra Group is the leading partner for design, installation, improvement and maintenance of distribution networks, offering full turnkey solutions and services to telecommunications, electricity, gas, heating and water operators and local authorities in Belgium. These end-markets benefit from solid growth drivers across all utility segments and, as the largest independent player in Belgium, the Group has built a solid order book for the coming years. Infra Group is a trusted partner to its customers, including most Belgian utility companies, thanks to its ability to provide quality of service and highly-qualified resources to its clients, which is key in a market where the need of replacement and extension of existing infrastructure is growing and where the scarcity of skilled employees has never been so important. Infra Group has also built specific knowhow in certain niche technologies, such as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), where the Group is market leader in Belgium and France.

 

Over the years, Infra Group has grown continuously through both organic growth and multiple strategic acquisitions (20 since 2000), has expanded in France (Northern and Paris regions) through acquisitions and has developed a presence in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). Infra Group employs over 1,000 individuals across Belgium, France and Germany and generated sales in excess of €160 million in 2018.

 

The new partnership between Andera Partners and Infra Group will accelerate the growth strategy, especially in France, where Andera Partners can leverage on its network to access new opportunities and can offer a deep understanding of the French utility ecosystem. In Germany, the management team and Andera Partners will consider acquisitions to consolidate the Group’s presence in the region. Today, Infra Group has already an important pipeline of potential acquisitions.

 

Andera Partners led this majority LBO, alongside the CEO Tom Vendelmans and the management. A new financing pool was set up in the context of the transaction, with the renewed confidence of ING and Belfius (already present in the previous pool) and two new banks, Deutsche Bank and Caisse d’Epargne Hauts de France, to support the development of the Group. Additionally, the banking pool set up a sizeable acquisition facility to sustain the significant expansion plan.

 

Laurent Tourtois and Antoine Le Bourgeois, Partners at Andera Partners, said: “Winch Capital is truly excited to partner with Tom Vendelmans and his team to continue and accelerate the growth of Infra Group. We have been impressed by Infra Group’s management team and our common goal is to reinforce Infra Group’s position as a leader in the Belgian market, while pursuing the change of scale of the Company through new growth opportunities in Europe, notably in France and in Germany.”

 

Tom Vendelmans, CEO at Infra Group, added: “Loyal and highly-qualified workforce and strong customer relationships are the foundation of Infra Group’s success. Over the past years we have been able to grow and diversify our customer base, as well as further strengthen our technical knowledge, both organically and through targeted acquisitions, and we are proud of the market leading position we have built. Since our first exchanges with the Winch Capital team in 2017, we have built a relationship of mutual understanding and trust. We have found in Winch Capital the ideal investor to support the next phase of our ambitious growth plans to reach €250-300 million revenue over the next few years.”

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AXA XL teams up with Contguard to launch Connected Cargo

AXA

AXA XL teams up with Contguard to launch Connected Cargo

AXA XL Risk Consulting, in partnership with Contguard, today announced the launch of “Connected Cargo”, a real-time digital cargo tracking solution designed to help French companies optimise their supply chain.

Contguard specialises in Big Data and uses Artificial Intelligence to develop applications and services for companies that need to secure their goods in transit. The company uses data from sensors placed on containers, such as geolocation, temperature and humidity fluctuations, door opening or shock.

Through this partnership, clients will benefit from 24/7 monitoring and the expertise of AXA XL’s risk engineers in order to implement prevention plans.

Maxime Ambourg, Director, Offer & Innovation at AXA Matrix*, now part of AXA XL, comments: “Connected Cargo brings together some of the best tracking and datamining technologies and the experience of our specialised risk engineers. Working with Contguard allows us to augment our consultants’ expertise and to provide more precise and impactful prevention services for the risks associated with transportation and logistics.”

AXA Venture Partners, AXA’s venture capital fund dedicated to technology, invested in Contguard in 2018.

Sébastien Loubry, Partner, Global Head of Business Development at AXA Venture Partners, explains: “We are delighted that Contguard, one of our investments, established a partnership with AXA XL. We are convinced that the technology they developed, which brings a real difference to that market, will provide a lot of value to their clients.”

Follow AXA XL on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Axa Venture Partners

ABOUT AXA XL[1]

AXA XL1 provides insurance and risk management products and services for mid-sized companies through to large multinationals, and reinsurance solutions to insurance companies globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com

 

ABOUT AXA XL[1] RISK CONSULTING

AXA XL[1] Risk Consulting delivers a comprehensive range of risk management solutions and consulting services. Our global network of professionals helps identify current and future risks, while providing practical and realistic solutions to optimize and mitigate them. We empower our clients to improve business results and protect brand value. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, www.axaxl.com

 

ABOUT CONTGUARD

XXX

 

MEDIA RELATIONS:

Alexandre Rizos

alexandre.rizos@axaxl.com

+44 (0) 207 933 7624


1
AXA XL is a division of AXA Group providing products and services through four business groups: AXA XL Insurance, AXA XL Reinsurance, AXA XL Art & Lifestyle and AXA XL Risk Consulting.

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SupplyStack raises €5 million to continue expansion in Europe

Fortino Capital

Antwerp, April 6th 2019 – SupplyStack announces the closing of its series A funding round of €5 million, led by Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen and Mainport Innovation Fund and existing investor Fortino Capital. SupplyStack delivers an easy-to-integrate and flexible visibility solution that monitors transport orders in real-time. “SupplyStack helps supply chain and customer service departments to contribute to a better customer experience and overall supply chain collaboration. With this new funding in place, we can tap into new European markets and go after our ultimate goal: turning the supply chain into a competitive differentiator and putting the end customer first”, explains Nick Poels, CEO of SupplyStack.  

Visibility and collaboration

SupplyStack announces the closing of its series A funding round of €5 million, led by Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen and Mainport Innovation Fund and existing investor Fortino Capital. SupplyStack launched its software in 2013 with the goal of helping B2B organisations obtain supply chains that are predictive, data-driven, deeply automated and continuously optimizing for business returns and environmental impact. The SupplyStack interface uses visibility and collaboration as a core capability to drive transport execution and automate work where possible. “It’s our mission to remove friction in the supply chain. We bring users, systems and data together to offer end-to-end, real-time transport visibility that drives outcomes”, states Nick Poels, CEO of SupplyStack.

Last year, SupplyStack was recognized as a notable vendor by Gartner in the ‘European Context for Transportation Management System’. Currently, numerous leaders in the industry, including Sony, Umicore, DHL, Duracell and Atlas Copco, are using SupplyStack to accomplish their transport management. Transportation management systems (TMS) are becoming less expensive and easier to own. Now, companies of any size can get in the game. “As we evangelise customer centricity to our customers, it’s our duty to practise what we preach. We want to provide an exceptional user experience so users don’t simply adopt SupplyStack. They have to love it because it’s effortless and intuitive.”

Supply chain as a competitive advantage

For today’s companies a competitive operation cost is key but according to SupplyStack a customer-centric supply chain is what should be the strategic business priority. As B2C experiences are influencing B2B expectations – also known as “The Amazon Effect” – the current supply chain systems are under pressure. According to Gartner, 75% of B2B organizations have immature capabilities when it comes to customer experience management. As customer retention is cheaper than acquisition, actively investing in customer satisfaction offers great value.

“In general, corporate customer experience is managed by the sales and marketing departments, in spite of the fact that the supply chain plays a key role in the customer journey. Organisations should realise that a late delivery can disrupt or disappoint and that an expedited delivery can delight or save a life. Putting the customer first will turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage”, explains Poels.

LogTech is the new FinTech

The investment is a testimony to how quickly the logistics technology sector is growing. The industry is experiencing an influx of venture capital and new companies that has never been experienced before. “Logistic technology venture capital investments have seen rapid growth for the past few years. It’s an industry that has been historically slow-moving: using spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. This is rapidly changing now: LogTech is becoming what FinTech was 10 years ago”, states Poels.

“The last few years have been fantastic. Together with our clients, we are building the technology, growing the team and finding our unique spot,” says Poels. “We’re really motivated to give supply chain and customer service professionals true satisfaction by providing them with the tools to be successful in their everyday job. It’s time to co-create a new normal within the transportation management industry.”

Growth potential

This new round of investment will allow SupplyStack to expand further in the countries in which they are already present, not to mention tapping into new European markets.

Fortino Capital is investing in SupplyStack for the second time. “We have supported the management team over the past three years and are excited to assist them during the next phase of further scaling-up  their company. The team has the skills and focus to drive digitalisation in the logistics sector, and deliver a more efficient supply chain to its clients,” says Steven De Troyer, Investment Director at Fortino Capital.

“We strongly believe in SupplyStack, not only because their technology delivers freight cost savings for the customer, but also because SupplyStack puts customer focus and customer information at the heart of its business”, explains Isabelle Tennstedt, Senior Investment Manager atParticipatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen. “That is exactly what determines whether a company can distinguish itself from the competition in a digital age.”

SupplyStack can also count on support from the Netherlands with investments from Mainport Innovation Fund (Schiphol, KLM, the Port of Amsterdam, NS and TU Delft). “This is the first time we’re investing in a Belgian start-up. The growth that SupplyStack has been able to achieve in only a few years’ time is impressive, along with the fact that SupplyStack – instead of other established software providers – earned the trust of large organisations to support them in their logistics operations”, says Thijs Gitmans, Fund Manager at Mainport Innovation Fund.

About SupplyStack

SupplyStack delivers an easy-to-integrate and flexible visibility solution that monitors transport orders in real-time in order to facilitate collaboration, drive execution and automates work where possible. Currently, numerous leaders in the industry, including Sony, Umicore, DHL, Duracell and Atlas Copco, are using SupplyStack to accomplish their logistics and transport management. In 2018, SupplyStack was recognized as a notable vendor by Gartner in their ‘European Context for Transportation Management System’.

For more information: www.supplystack.com

About Fortino Capital

Fortino Capital invests in small and medium-sized businesses with growth potential, across Europe with a focus on Benelux. Fortino Capital believes in the potential of visionary entrepreneurs with a focus on technology, E-commerce and digital transformation. Fortino Capital brings a strengthening of capital, expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, strategy and growth.

For more information: www.fortino.be

About PMV

PMV is an investment company focussed on the economic future of Flanders. PMV finances promising companies from the very start to growth and internationalization. PMV offers tailor-made financial solutions for every entrepreneur with a solid business plan and a strong management team, by providing (venture) capital, loans or guarantees. PMV has a portfolio of about EUR 1.2 billion in assets under management.

For more information: www.pmv.eu

About Mainport Innovation Fund II

MIF II aims to accelerate innovation in logistics, transport and aviation. It was founded in 2015 by Schiphol, KLM, TU Delft, NS and Port of Amsterdam, together with NBI Investors, the fund manager. MIF II has invested in ViriCiti, Mobian, We4Sea, Synple, C Teleport and SupplyStack. Its predecessor Mainport Innovation Fund I has invested in Casper (exit), Multi Pilot Simulations (exit), Versa (previously FastTrack Company), Ampyx Power (exit), Robin Radar, MI Airline, Snocom, Eye on Air, Undagrid and Calendar42 (exit).

For more information: www.mainportinnovationfund.nl and www.nbi-investors.nl

 

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JENSEN HUGHES Acquires Security Risk Management Market Leader Hillard Heintze

Gryphon Investors

Acquisition provides clients with a holistic, integrated approach to managing risk across the spectrum from fire and life safety to emergency management and security

Baltimore, MD – April 19, 2019 —

JENSEN HUGHES, a global leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting, announced today its acquisition of Hillard Heintze, a market leader in strategic security risk management and investigation services for Fortune-ranked enterprises, professional sports leagues, and law enforcement agencies, as well as many of the world’s most affluent families.Over the last four years, Jensen Hughes, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, has made eight strategic acquisitions. These have been specifically focused on both expanding the company’s global presence and also strengthening its expertise in emergency management and security to better serve clients and their most complex challenges by addressing their risk from an increasingly sophisticated, integrated, and holistic perspective.

Hillard Heintze has earned accolades as an industry leader in setting new world-class service standards for customized solutions that help organizations identify and manage risk to their people, property, performance, and reputations. Since its formation in 2004, more than 85 Fortune-ranked enterprises, 575 U.S. and international brands, and 150 of the world’s most affluent families have gained insight, assurance, and confidence through its services – and are better managing their security risk.

“Our success stems from a consistent focus on providing our clients with exceptional specialty engineering and consulting services and through expanding our capabilities to meet their growing needs,” explains Paul Orzeske, CEO, JENSEN HUGHES. “In our Security practice, we have been able to provide clients the highest quality of security design engineering, however we recognized that we could help them solve their security challenges more holistically with a broader portfolio of capabilities. Hillard Heintze’s services complement our work exceptionally well, and, like ours, their team is passionate about its commitment to providing outstanding client service. Together we can improve our ability to partner with clients and help them manage their operations across an end-to-end spectrum of risk – from fire and life safety to emergency management and security. Arnette and team have built a best-in-class organization and we are honored to welcome them to the JENSEN HUGHES family.”

“This is a very exciting day for us,” says Hillard Heintze founder and CEO Arnette Heintze. “The rapid growth of our two companies, respectively, has been driven by a comparable and complementary commitment to service excellence, exceptional talent, and an internal culture of teaming and collaboration. Joining JENSEN HUGHES is the most powerful and promising way to continue to meet our vision to be trusted around the world to protect what matters. As part of JENSEN HUGHES, we strengthen our ability to scale and adapt as our clients’ needs expand to areas such as fire and life safety, emergency management, and forensics, and as their operations expand worldwide to new countries and markets – and new risks.”

Livingstone acted as exclusive financial advisor to Hillard Heintze. XMS Capital Partners advised Gryphon Investors and JENSEN HUGHES on this transaction.

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Quest Acquires Development & Database Market Leader ApexSQL to Enhance Information Management Business Solution Offerings

Franciso Partners

  • Acquisition of ApexSQL expands Quest’s database management tools portfolio that help organizations securely manage, monitor and optimize Microsoft SQL Server environments
  • ApexSQL’s successful heritage in SQL Server productivity tools augment Quest’s commitment in helping DBAs and developers maintain optimal SQL Server performance
  • ApexSQL products allow Quest to have deeper solution conversations with prospects, customers and partners around SQL Server

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.– Quest Software, a global systems management, data protection and security software provider, today announced the acquisition of ApexSQL, a market leader in SQL Server development and database tools. The acquisition of ApexSQL strengthens the Quest Information Management business unit’s portfolio of solutions that give DBAs and developers the tools to securely automate the management, movement, and performance of SQL Server database infrastructures to increase productivity and reduce costs. In addition to SQL Server, Quest’s Information Management business unit has a broad range of database management and performance monitoring solutions that support a variety of applications and database platforms, including Oracle, MySQL, PostGreSQL, MongoDB, and others.

With companies placing increased emphasis on data to support strategic growth, businesses require proven database management tools to drive value, meet organizational needs and ensure optimal performance. ApexSQL’s database auditing, recovery, change management, development and documentation solutions will bolster Quest’s existing database tools portfolio for SQL Server environments. Additionally, it introduces new opportunities to engage with prospects, customers and partners looking for automated tools to better manage SQL Server workloads and ensure their data meets compliance requirements.

“We’re pleased to further enhance our portfolio of database operation solutions with the acquisition of ApexSQL,” said Jeff Hawn, Chairman and CEO, Quest. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to deliver products that are simple to use and address our customers’ toughest technology challenges. Today’s announcement is indicative of that commitment.”

“We’re joining Quest today at an exciting time where our joint technology stacks are helping DBAs and developers address their SQL Server challenges to make an impact on the industry,” said Brian Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer, ApexSQL. “As part of the Quest family, we will be able to maximize the potential of our SQL Server offerings to deliver the most value to customers and partners.”

ApexSQL will join the Quest Information Management business, which is dedicated to helping companies manage, monitor, and move their data and database infrastructures across traditional databases, open-source databases, both on-premise and in the cloud.

“DBAs and developers tell us they need reliable tools to manage and secure an increasingly heterogeneous database environment,” said Kathleen Owens, President and GM, Quest Information Management. “Microsoft SQL Server is a vital part of our customers’ database solution mix and adding the ApexSQL portfolio into our proven SQL Server database management solutions builds on our commitment to help customers manage their SQL Server database environment. Quest will continue to be steadfast in its commitment to develop and expand solutions across a variety of database types to ensure we deliver the solutions customers need to better manage, protect, and ensure optimal performance across multi-database environments.”

About Quest Software

Quest provides software solutions for the rapidly-changing world of enterprise IT that help simplify the challenges caused by data explosion, cloud expansion, hybrid datacenters, security threats and regulatory requirements. The company is a global provider to 130,000 companies across 100 countries, including 95% of the Fortune 500 and 90% of the Global 1000. Since 1987, Quest has built a portfolio of solutions which now includes database management, data protection, identity and access management, Microsoft platform management and unified endpoint management. With Quest, organizations spend less time on IT administration and more time on business innovation. For more information, visit www.quest.com.

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