KKR Appoints Chee-Wei Wong as Head of Global Impact for Asia

KKR

Senior appointment enhances KKR Global Impact’s ability to support solutions-orientated businesses

SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the expansion of KKR’s Global Impact team with the appointment of Chee-Wei Wong as Head of Global Impact for Asia.

KKR Global Impact is focused on identifying and investing behind global opportunities where financial performance and societal impact are intrinsically aligned. The business specifically focuses on companies whose core business models provide commercial solutions that contribute measurable progress toward one or more of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”).

“Chee-Wei brings a wealth of sustainability-related investment experience in Asia and globally, in line with KKR Global Impact’s own mission. This valuable expertise will be essential as we continue to build the firm’s Impact business across Asia,” said Robert Antablin and Ken Mehlman, Co-Heads of KKR Global Impact. “Asia Pacific is a growing priority for our Impact strategy. Chee-Wei’s ability to identify innovative companies throughout markets in the region including Southeast Asia, South Asia, Greater China and Australia will be critical as we look to deploy capital.”

In the role, Mr. Wong, who is based in Singapore, is responsible for sourcing investment opportunities and supporting impact-related portfolio companies across Asia Pacific. Mr. Wong will also serve as a member of the firm’s Global Impact Investment Committee. The addition of Mr. Wong follows KKR Global Impact’s recent international expansion with the appointments of Stanislas de Joussineau as Head of Global Impact for Europe and Sharon Yang as a senior investor for KKR Global Impact in Asia. The expanded global team is further supported by KKR executives across key industries and regions of focus.

Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Wong was a managing director at Tailwind Capital in New York and spent nine years at EQT in New York and Singapore, where he was an investor and board member of sustainability-focused technology enterprises and healthcare companies. Before that, he was a consultant at Bain & Company and a Justices’ Law Clerk in the Supreme Court of Singapore. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honors) degree from the National University of Singapore.

Ming Lu, Head of KKR Asia Pacific, said, “Asia Pacific’s unique economic and social dynamics – coupled with growing corporate adoption of environmental, social and governance initiatives and meaningful structural reforms – have created a significant opportunity to support companies whose products or services address environmental or social challenges. There has never been greater desire and momentum for responsible and solutions-oriented investment in Asia, and we are thrilled to welcome Chee-Wei to the team to lead our Asia Impact efforts to grow our strategy and positive involvement in communities.”

Over the last decade, KKR has been a leader in driving and protecting value throughout the firm’s private markets portfolio through thoughtful environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) management, as well as measuring and reporting on performance to the public and investors. The firm also has a history of investing in businesses that promote sustainable solutions to societal challenges. This experience of responsible investment combined with a changing landscape of global challenges led to KKR’s decision to create a dedicated Global Impact business in 2018.

On February 12, 2020, KKR announced the firm had closed its first Global Impact Fund at $1.3 billion. KKR’s Global Impact Fund has successfully executed six investments since inception, including Barghest Building Performance, a Singapore-based provider of energy savings solutions to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in commercial and industrial buildings, and Ramky Enviro Engineers, a leading provider of environmental and waste management services and solutions in India and overseas.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

Media:
KKR Asia Pacific
Anita Davis
+852 3602 7335
Anita.Davis@kkr.com

KKR Americas
Kristi Huller or Cara Major
+1 212.750.8300
Media@KKR.com

Source: KKR & Co. Inc.

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Zayo Completes Transition to a Private Company Digital Colony and EQT Become Zayo’s Lead Investors

eqt

BOULDER, Colo. – March 9, 2020 – Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (“Zayo”) (NYSE: ZAYO), which
provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world’s most impactful companies, today announced
the completion of its acquisition by affiliates of Digital Colony Partners (“Digital Colony”) and the
EQT Infrastructure IV fund (“EQT” or “EQT Infrastructure”). The close marks the consummation
of the $14.3 billion transaction, which represents the largest syndicated private equity
investment, the fifth largest Media & Communications LBO and the second largest LBO overall
since 2008.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, which was approved by Zayo’s stockholders at a
special meeting held on July 26, 2019, Zayo stockholders will receive $35 in cash per share of
Zayo common stock. As a result of the transaction completion, Zayo is now a privately held
company and its common stock has ceased trading on the NYSE.

Founded in 2007, Zayo has grown through both organic investment and 45 acquisitions to
become the leading independent provider of communications infrastructure. With deep, dense
metro and long haul networks across the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, Zayo serves many
of the largest and most innovative companies in the world. Before going public in 2014, Zayo’s
original private equity investors funded the company with just over $1 billion of equity; with
today’s transaction close, that equity is worth over $8 billion, creating material value for
shareholders. Beyond shareholder value, Zayo has also established itself over the past 13
years as a top employer along Colorado’s front range and as an active participant in the
communities in which it operates.

“We are excited to launch this new chapter of Zayo, as a private company under the ownership
of a consortium led by two highly experienced infrastructure investors who have a deep
understanding of our business and bring significant value to Zayo,” said Dan Caruso, Zayo’s
chief executive officer. “This is a great outcome for the company, its former shareholders, our
customers and employees, and our new ownership group. As a private company, we will have
greater flexibility to pursue our long-term strategy and leverage our fiber to fuel global innovation
for our customers.”

“EQT has a strong track record of supporting market leading companies and we look forward to
working with the entire Zayo organization as it embarks on its next phase of growth as a private
company,” said Jan Vesely, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure.
“Zayo is ideally positioned to meaningfully expand its offerings and services against the
backdrop of accelerating demand for innovative fiber infrastructure solutions.”

“Zayo has amassed a world class network that is unparalleled in the markets they serve,
supporting the world’s most innovative companies,” said Marc Ganzi, CEO of Digital Colony and
CEO-Elect of Colony Capital. “We believe that fiber networks are the crucial connective element
in the digital infrastructure ecosystem, and we look forward to partnering with the Zayo team to
execute on the plan of leveraging these powerful assets and driving growth with our customers
across multiple markets and verticals.”

Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan served as financial advisors to Zayo Group in connection with
the transaction and Skadden Arps served as legal counsel. Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank
acted as financial advisors to Digital Colony and EQT Infrastructure and Simpson Thacher
served as legal advisor.
For more information about Zayo, visit zayo.com.

About Zayo
Zayo provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world’s most impactful companies, fueling the
innovations that are transforming our society. Zayo’s 133,000-mile network in North America
and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers.
Zayo’s communications infrastructure solutions include dark fiber, private data networks,
wavelengths, Ethernet, dedicated Internet access, and colocation services. Zayo owns and
operates a Tier 1 IP Backbone and 44 carrier-neutral data centers. Through its Cloudlink
service, Zayo provides low latency private connectivity that attaches enterprises to their public
cloud environments. Zayo serves wireless and wireline carriers, media, tech, content, finance,
healthcare and other large enterprises. For more information, visit zayo.com.

About Digital Colony
Digital Colony Management, LLC (“Digital Colony”) is the global digital infrastructure investment
platform of Colony Capital, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) and a leading investor, owner and operator of
companies enabling the next generation of mobile and internet connectivity. Digital Colony was
launched in 2018 by Digital Bridge Holdings, LLC and Colony Capital to bring together Digital
Bridge’s industry, operational and investment expertise in the telecommunications sector with
Colony Capital’s global scale, operating platform and capital markets access. The inaugural
fund, Digital Colony Partners, LP, closed in May 2019, with $4.05 billion in commitments,
making it the first fund dedicated solely to investing in digital infrastructure. For more
information, please visit www.digitalcolony.com.

About EQT

EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised
capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT
funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR
21 billion and approximately 127,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to
achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership. More info:
www.eqtgroup.com.
For Zayo: Shannon Paulk, Corporate Communications
303-577-5897
press@zayo.com
Brad Korch, Investor Relations
720-306-7556
IR@zayo.com

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Montagu invests in Galileo Global Education

Montagu

Montagu announces that it has agreed to participate in the buyout of Galileo Global Education (“Galileo”) within a consortium of financial investors.

Galileo is a leading, international provider of higher education to over 110,000 enrolled students.  Its network of 42 schools on 80 campuses offer a number of subjects including applied arts, fashion, design and digital/Internet, business and medicine.  It operates in 13 countries around the world, with a particular presence in France, Italy, Germany, Cyprus and Mexico.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Paris, Galileo is Europe’s largest higher education group, in terms of both geographical spread and breadth of course offering.  Its network includes highly respected institutions including the Paris School of Business (PSB), Cours Florent and Atelier de Sèvres in France, Instituto de Estudios Universitarios in Mexico, Macromedia University in Germany and Istituto Marangoni in Italy.

Montagu is delighted to work with Marc-François and his very capable team who are committed to making Galileo the leading global provider of higher education.  Galileo’s market-leading position and its great reputation in higher education makes it an excellent fit for our investment strategy.

Marc-François Mignot Mahon, CEO of Galileo Global Education, said “Galileo is proud to welcome Montagu, which join forces with other major institutional investors to support us in becoming the world leader in higher education and continue our mission at the service of society: to educate and train.”

This is our second transaction in the education sector in recent years.  Montagu had previously invested in the University of Law – the leading provider of professional legal education and training in England and Wales – which was sold to Global University Systems in 2015.

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Firmenich to acquire DRT from Ardian

Ardian

Firmenich to Become a Key Player in Renewable Ingredients for Perfumery and Beyond

Geneva, Switzerland, March 6, 2020 – Firmenich today announced that it has entered into exclusivity with Ardian, Tikehau Capital and family shareholders to acquire Les Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques (“DRT”).  DRT is a world leader in plant-based chemistry, mainly from pine trees, and is one of the leading suppliers globally of high quality, renewable ingredients.

“I am thrilled to bring DRT’s unique capabilities for developing sustainable ingredients to Firmenich. This proposed combination builds on our business partnership of more than 30 years and our established track record of successful co-development in a long-standing joint venture,” said Patrick Firmenich, Chairman of the Board, Firmenich. “We thank Ardian and Tikehau Capital for their strong stewardship and we are delighted to welcome all DRT colleagues to Firmenich. We share the same passion for our customers, sustainability, as well as strong family values.”

“Firmenich would be the ideal home for DRT,” said Thibault Basquin, Head of Americas Investment and Managing Director at Ardian Buyout. “I would like to warmly thank Laurent Labatut and his team for our partnership over the past few years. Ardian has enabled DRT to accelerate its growth, invest in new projects and enhance its sustainability approach. Firmenich has been an important strategic partner for DRT for many years and would be uniquely positioned to bring DRT’s product development capabilities to the next level. As a family-owned business that is committed to innovation, Firmenich will provide a great environment for DRT’s colleagues.”

Emmanuel Laillier, Head of Private Equity at Tikehau Capital added: “Tikehau Capital has supported DRT’s growth strategy and global development for six years. We are today very pleased to help bring DRT and Firmenich together, which is a key step for the continuation of its development.”

“DRT would further strengthen our leading Perfumery & Ingredients business enabling us to offer our customers the world’s best palette of renewable and sustainable ingredients,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, Firmenich. “DRT would bring new capabilities in health & nutrition, cosmetics, as well as a number of new markets, including adhesives, coatings and agriculture. This acquisition reinforces our presence in France, which is our second largest market where we have been established for more than 120 years. I look forward to partnering with all our customers to support their transformation for a sustainable future.”

“We share a long-standing relationship with Firmenich as it is one of our main partners,” explains Laurent Labatut, CEO of DRT. “Firmenich is renowned for its cutting-edge research that feeds into the broadest and finest ingredients palette. Our joint innovation capabilities would open up new opportunities to support our clients across our entire product portfolio. Together we look forward to opening a new chapter with a shared ambition to design best-in-class sustainable ingredients for our customers.”

DRT is at the forefront of developing sustainable, renewable and naturally-derived ingredients from terpenes and rosin derivatives. DRT offers green alternatives for a range of applications and markets. Founded in 1932 and headquartered in Dax, France, DRT developed a unique, backward integrated business model over many decades, including access to sustainable raw materials, best-in-class extraction and distillation capabilities and advanced innovation processes. DRT has been a family-owned company for most of its history and has grown thanks to its commitment to long-standing relationships with its suppliers and its customers.

DRT has a turnover in excess of €550 million, employs more than 1,500 people around the world and is operating through a global footprint with four production sites located in France, two in the USA, two in India and one in China.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. The proposed transaction remains subject to several conditions including the consultation of the relevant employee representatives and customary approvals by the antitrust authorities.

Firmenich was advised by Goldman Sachs International, Raphaël Financial Advisory and Bredin Prat. Ardian was advised by Citigroup, Rothschild & Co, Latham & Watkins and White & Case.

ABOUT FIRMENICH

Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895. Driven by its purpose to create positive emotions to enhance wellbeing, naturally, Firmenich has designed many of the world’s best-known perfumes and tastes, bringing delight to over four billion consumers every day. Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in sustainability, each year, Firmenich invests 10% of its turnover in R&D to understand and share the best that nature has to offer responsibly. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.9 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2019.

ABOUT DRT

Founded in 1932, DRT specializes in the development of gum rosin and turpentine extracted from pine resin. DRT’s head office is located in Dax, France and sells its products around the world. DRT has a diversified product portfolio of more than 300 ingredients addressing a variety of end markets. DRT operates 9 manufacturing facilities either directly or with joint venture partners.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn 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 680 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 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

ABOUT TIKEHAU CAPITAL

Tikehau Capital is an asset management and investment group which manages €25.8bn of assets under management (as at 31 December 2019) and shareholders’ equity of €3.1 billion (as at 30 June 2019). The Group invests in various asset classes (private debt, real-estate, private equity, capital markets strategies), including through its asset management subsidiaries, on behalf of institutional and private investors. Controlled by its managers, alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital employs more than 500 staff (as at 30 September 2019) in its Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxemburg, Madrid, Milan, New York, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo offices.

Tikehau Capital is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, Compartment A (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP)

Press contacts

Firmenich

Heidi Salon

heidi.salon@firmenich.com
Tel.: +41 22 780 5438
DGM Conseil: Christian d’Oléon
chrisdo@dgm-conseil.fr; +33 6 08 49 89 07
DGM Conseil: Quentin Hua
quentin.hua@dgm-conseil.fr;+33 6 28 63 27 29
Ardian
Victor Tsvetanov
VTsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.co.uk
Tel.: +44 207 3435 7469
DRT
Flore Larger
flarger@image7.fr
Tel.: +33 1 53 70 74 90
Tikehau Capital
Julien Sanson

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CapMan Buyout exits INR to Dansani

CapMan Buyout Press release
5 March 2020 at 5 p.m. EET

CapMan Buyout exits INR to Dansani

Funds managed by CapMan Buyout have agreed to sell INR (Iconic Nordic Rooms) to Danish bathroom group Dansani.

INR is the Nordic market leader within shower solutions and has a strong position in bathroom furniture, mixers and towel dryers delivering 60,000 shower solutions and 30,000 pieces of furniture annually. INR’s net sales were SEK 402 million in 2019. The company employs ca 115 people.

”During CapMan’s ownership period, we have developed the business both organically and through strategic M&A. We made an add-on acquisition of Sanka, the leading player in shower solutions in Finland, in the fall of 2010, and established INR as one brand for all products and markets. Also, several important operational initiatives have been conducted, including development of a new modular based furniture line,” tells Johan Pålsson, Co-managing Partner at CapMan Buyout.

“In addition, the opportunities and risks related to sustainability in INR’s operations and value chain have been an essential part of the company’s work these past years,” Pålsson continues.

The acquisition makes Dansani/INR a market leader within bathroom furniture and shower enclosure solutions in the Nordic countries. Dansani has a very strong position on the Danish market and INR has a strong position in Sweden, while both companies are solidly represented in Norway and Finland. The combined turnover in the Nordic countries will be in excess of DKK 500 million.

“I have appreciated the close and constructive cooperation with CapMan during my years as CEO. This merger means a tangible lift for INR’s employees and for our customers, who will benefit from both companies being able to supply a wider range of products, services and expertise. I am delighted to pass on the baton to Carsten Friis, who will be CEO of the new Dansani/INR constellation,” says Per Skårner, CEO of INR.

After the takeover, Skårner is stepping down from operational responsibility, but will continue as a board member of INR/Dansani.

“INR is a perfect match for Dansani, and the two companies complement each other well, both with their product ranges and market positions and with their corporate culture. Following the purchase, Dansani/INR will be a significant player in our prioritized product categories and primary markets. As a single unit, Dansani/INR will have the necessary strength to reinforce sales in our present markets and expand into new ones. I am extremely pleased that this purchase has been successful,” states Carsten Friis, CEO of Dansani.

CapMan Buyout IX fund made the investment in INR in 2010 through the merger of INR and Aspen. The transaction is expected to close within two weeks.

Livingstone acted as financial adviser to CapMan in the sale of INR.

 

For more information, please contact:

Johan Pålsson, Co-Managing Partner, CapMan Buyout, tel. +46 705 956 224
Carsten Friis, Owner and CEO, Dansani A/S, tel. +45 21 78 66 98
Johan Nyman, Nordic Head of Sales and Marketing, INR Nordic AB, tel. +46 739 40 05 29

About CapMan
CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation. We offer a wide selection of investment products and services. As one of the Nordic private equity pioneers, we have developed hundreds of companies and real estate assets and created substantial value in these businesses and assets over the past 30 years. With over 3 billion in assets under management, our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover Private Equity, Real Estate and Infra. We also have a growing service business that includes procurement services, fundraising advisory, and analysis, reporting and wealth management services. Altogether, CapMan employs 150 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London and Luxembourg. We are a public company listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001 and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2012. More information at www.capman.com.

INR Nordic AB

INR designs, manufactures and sells bathroom furniture, tailored shower solutions, accessories and towel heaters. The design is simple Scandinavian, high quality products with attention to detail. INR was established in 1988 in Scania in Sweden, with headquarters in Malmö and production facilities in Jönköping. The CapMan equity fund has owned INR since 2010. INR’s main markets are in Sweden, Norway and Finland. See more at www.inr.se.

Dansani A/S

Dansani A/S develops and markets bathroom products, and has deep roots in traditional Danish design, where skilled craftsmanship, simplicity and functionality are at the core. Dansani was established in 1983 with headquarters in Haderslev and supplies stylistically stringent solutions for quality-conscious customers. With subsidiary companies in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden, more than 80 per cent of Dansani’s turnover is generated outside Denmark. See more at www.dansani.dk.

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Biotalys announces second closing Series C totaling €45m

GIMV

05/03/2020 – 10:46 | Portfolio

Biotalys NV, a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrols, today announces the second closing of its Series C financing round with € 10 million bringing the total amount of capital raised for its Series C to € 45 million.

The second closing of the Series C round was supported by the current shareholders and includes new investor Novalis LifeSciences. Novalis LifeSciences is an investment and advisory firm for the life science industry, based in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA. Marijn Dekkers, former CEO of Bayer AG and Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences will join the board of directors of Biotalys as an Observer.

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Biotalys announces second closing Series C totaling €45m

GIMV

Biotalys raised an additional €10m welcoming new US investor Novalis LifeSciences

Ghent, BELGIUM – 05 March 2020– Biotalys NV, a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrols, today announces the second closing of its Series C financing round with € 10 million bringing the total amount of capital raised for its Series C to € 45 million.

The second closing of the Series C round was supported by the current shareholders and includes new investor Novalis LifeSciences. Novalis LifeSciences is an investment and advisory firm for the life science industry, based in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA. Marijn Dekkers, former CEO of Bayer AG and Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences will join the board of directors of Biotalys as an Observer.

Marijn Dekkers commented, “Novalis LifeScience is very interested in break-through biotechnologies that can substitute synthetic pesticides. The protein-based biocontrol solutions developed by Biotalys are a promising novel class of these future food and crop protection agents.”

Proceeds from the financing will be used primarily for the further development, registration and commercial scale production of Biotalys’ biofungicide product and to continue to strengthen the company’s unique discovery platform. The launch of the first biofungicide is scheduled for 2022 in the fruit and vegetables market in the US. In addition, the funds will support the accelerated development of the innovative pipeline with applications in critical food and crop pests and diseases.

“On behalf of all the shareholders of Biotalys, we extend a warm welcome to our US-based investor Novalis LifeSciences. Marijn Dekkers will add his broad agro-industrial expertise to our very active board and help us drive the company to the next level. Biotalys being now well advanced in the discovery and development of a strong pipeline of innovative biocontrols, is meeting the fast evolving farmers’ and consumers’ expectations. A game changing AgTech company delivering on its promises.” said Lieven De Smedt, Chairman of the Board of Biotalys.

About Biotalys

Biotalys is a rapidly growing and transformative food and crop protection company developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions, shaping the future of sustainable and safe food supply. Based on its ground-breaking technology platform, the company has developed a broad pipeline of effective and safe products with novel modes of action, addressing key crop pests and diseases across the whole value chain, from soil to plate. Biotalys’ unique protein-based biocontrols combine the high-performance characteristics and consistency of chemicals with the clean safety profile of biologicals, making them ideal crop protection agents for both pre- and post-harvest applications. The company is on track to launch its first biofungicide in the US in 2022, followed by global market introductions.Biotalys was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and has raised € 61 million to date from local and international specialist investors. The company is based in the biotech cluster in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.biotalys.com.

For further information, please contactMarieke Vermeersch, Corporate Communications ConsultantT: +32 (0)9 261 06 84E: marieke.vermeersch@biotalys.com

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Oakley Capital acquires Globetrotter

oakleycapital

Oakley Capital (“Oakley”) is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Globe-Trotter Group (“Globe-Trotter”), the British luxury luggage brand, from entrepreneur Toshiyasu Takubo. As part of the transaction, Mr Takubo, who has developed the brand significantly in the Japanese market, will retain a minority stake in the company.

Founded in 1897, Globe-Trotter is a British luxury luggage brand. Its world-renowned suitcases are known for their distinguished design and construction, with products that are handcrafted in the UK by skilled artisans using original manufacturing methods and machinery. Globe-Trotter luggage has built a loyal customer base that includes a number of prominent and influential individuals, while the business has also collaborated with numerous premium brands including Hermès, Tiffany, Gucci, Berluti and Aston Martin.

Through its investment, Oakley intends to strengthen Globe-Trotter’s positioning in the growing luxury travel luggage market, via continued online and offline expansion, product innovation leadership and operational excellence. The investment builds on Oakley’s experience with consumer brands and follows Fund III’s recent investment in iconic homeware brand Alessi. Both companies are expected to benefit from the Oakley team’s expertise and operational experience in branding and digital marketing, built through its successful track record in investments such as Parship Elite and Facile.it.

Peter Dubens, Managing Partner of Oakley Capital, commented:

“Globe-Trotter is an iconic British brand and we are delighted to invest in a company with such unique heritage. Oakley believes the brand is well positioned to become a truly global player in the luxury luggage market and is looking forward to partnering with Mr. Takubo and the company at this exciting stage.”

“Having owned and developed Globe-Trotter for over 20 years, I am very happy to have found an experienced and supportive partner in Oakley to help accelerate the growth of the brand in the coming years. I look forward to being part of that journey alongside them.”
Toshiyasu Takubo
CEO of Globe-Trotter

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CVC Credit Partners wins European CLO Manager of the Year in Private Debt Investors Awards 2019

CVC Credit Partners wins European CLO Manager of the Year in Private Debt Investors Awards 2019

04 Mar 2020

The awards recognise the managers, institutional investors and advisory firms considered by their peers to have been the standard bearers of the private debt class in 2019

We are delighted to announce that CVC Credit Partners has won European CLO Manager of the Year in the Private Debt Investor Awards 2019.

Gretchen Bergstresser, Global Head of Performing Credit at CVC Credit Partners, commented “2019 was an extremely busy year for us and I am pleased for the team that all their hard work has been recognised by this award – particularly as it was voted for by our peers.”

In 2019, CVC Credit Partner’s CLO business completed 9 transactions; 5 new CLO issues, 2 re-sets and 2 refinancings, accounting for over $3.5bn of issuance activity.

CVC Credit Partners have been investing in leveraged credit though CLO structures since 2005. It is the largest part of our business accounting for c.$15bn of AUM. By identifying and investing in credits that offer an attractive combination of risk and return, we aim to achieve market-leading returns through a combination of cash yield and active portfolio management.

About the Private Debt Investor Awards European CLO Manager of the Year 2019 for CVC Credit Partners

The Private Debt Investor Awards 2019, recognise the managers, institutional investors and advisory firms considered by their peers to have been the standard bearers of the private debt class in 2019. The winners, who were announced on 2 March 2020, were decided by a poll of Private Debt Investor’s readers, who include a broad audience of both investors and managers as well as other industry professionals including fund administrators, custodians, accountants and auditors, law firms, consultants and fund distributors. CVC Credit was selected from a field of five nominees in the category. The award may not be representative of the experience of any one client or investor.

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Evernex completes its first acquisition since 3i’s investment and expands its presence in Eastern and Southern Africa

3I

Evernex, a leading international provider of third party maintenance (“TPM”) services for data centre infrastructure in which 3i invested in October 2019, has announced the acquisition of Storex, a South African provider of maintenance services for critical data centre equipment.

Storex maintains data centre hardware & critical IT assets, such as servers, storage and business network equipment with a multi-OEM expertise. Its level 1 B-BBEE status (“Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment”) allows premium access to large South African corporates. Storex serves blue chip clients including banks, OEMs and telecoms companies in South Africa, Kenya and Turkey and has plans to expand into Dubai.

This acquisition will give Evernex local resources to grow its presence in South Africa, combined with the expertise of its seasoned founder who will stay with the business. Evernex and Storex have highly complementary capabilities and the acquisition provides further evidence of Evernex’s ability to integrate smaller businesses into its platform, after acquiring Roer in Argentina in 2019 and A Systems in Brazil in 2018.

Jan Beukes, CEO, Storex, commented: “Both of our companies are well-regarded in the African market and are highly compatible from a business standpoint, with a strong fit. We at Storex look forward to working closely with Evernex to build a strong international base.”

Stanislas Pilot, President and CEO, and Mohamed Bella, CMO and EVP MEA, Evernex, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Storex. Combining our businesses will strengthen our position in Eastern and Southern Africa and enable us to grow our portfolio of blue-chip clients. Together with the talented teams at Storex, we will aim to provide the best service to our customers in South Africa and globally.”

Frédéric Chiche and Marc Ohayon, 3i France concluded: “Part of the rationale for investing in Evernex last year was to support its consolidation of the market and we believe this acquisition represents a material step towards creating a global market leader in the TPM space.”

3i invested in Evernex in October 2019. Headquartered in Paris, France, Evernex maintains over 200,000 IT systems in c. 160 countries, and has a global network of 34 offices. It is the preferred maintenance partner for multinational companies and has developed a multi-channel and multi-vendor flexible offering. Going forward, additional bolt-on acquisitions are expected to remain a key value-creation driver for Evernex and 3i.

-Ends-

Download the press release  

 

For further information, contact: 

3i Group plc

Silvia Santoro

Investor enquiries

Tel: +44 20 7975 3258

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 an investment company with two complementary businesses, Private Equity and Infrastructure, specialising in core investment markets in Northern Europe and North America.

3i’s Private Equity team provides investment solutions for growing companies, backing entrepreneurs and management teams of mid-market companies with an EV typically between €100m – €500m. We back international growth plans, providing access to our network and expertise to accelerate the growth of companies across the consumer, industrial, healthcare and business and technology services industries.

For further information, please visit: www.3i.com

 

About Storex

Since 2008, Storex, a South African company, is a leading supplier of Third-Party Maintenance services. Storex is specialised in the multi-vendor support, maintenance and life-cycle extension of medium size and enterprise level IT hardware infrastructure. The company is a leading alternative support provider and provides SLA services via a single point of contact, on top of datacentre value-added services, in South Africa, Kenya and Turkey.

For further information, please visit: www.storexsa.co.za

 

Regulatory information

This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i France.

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