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AnywhereNow Announces the Sale of IQ Messenger to Main Capital Partners

Bregal Milestone

The sale to Main Capital Partners will enable accelerated international growth for IQ Messenger, while allowing AnywhereNow to focus on its core Customer Experience SaaS activities.

Anywhere365 Group B.V. (“AnywhereNow”), a global pioneer and innovator in AI-first customer experience solutions today announced the decision to sell IQ Messenger (“IQM”), a leading provider of a vendor-neutral critical communication platform for healthcare institutions, to Main Capital Partners (“Main”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed and the acquisition is subject to customary approvals and completion of the consultation process with the works council of AnywhereNow.

AnywhereNow helps brands deliver exceptional customer experiences through enhanced engagement, efficient workforce collaboration, AI-driven insights, Agentic AI platforms, and a full omni-channel service experience, leveraging the power of Teams and Azure Communication Services as well as considerable integrations including with SAP, Salesforce and ServiceNow. AnywhereNow is backed by Bregal Milestone, a leading software growth private equity firm, since late 2019. As part of the partnership, AnywhereNow has completed 5 acquisitions in recent years, including IQM in late 2019.

The sale of IQM is aligned with AnywhereNow’s strategy, which is focused on its core corporate Customer Experience SaaS platform, and crystallises significant value of AnywhereNow whilst allowing IQM to accelerate its growth journey via the backing from Main, a leading software investment firm with extensive experience in healthcare software. Main will help IQM drive continued innovation to create value for its customers, while maintaining a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction. Main will also support an ambitious strategy to accelerate (international) expansion through both organic growth and a targeted buy-and-build approach.

“The sale of IQM is a key milestone for AnywhereNow and allows us to exclusively focus on our fast-growing corporate Customer Experience SaaS activities, customers and product roadmap. We’re very proud of the journey achieved with IQM in recent years and believe that Main is the best possible partner for IQM and will help unlock its full growth potential.”

Will Blench

CEO – AnywhereNow

Lazard is acting as sole financial advisor and NautaDutilh is acting as sole legal advisor to AnywhereNow in connection with the transaction.

About AnywhereNow 

Founded in 2010, AnywhereNow is a Netherlands-headquartered and fast-growing provider of Customer Experience SaaS solutions. AnywhereNow empowers voice and digital dialogues for organisations worldwide and brings to life Agentic AI platforms for increased productivity and effectiveness. AnywhereNow’s products are award-winning, recognised by industry analysts, and trusted by over 2,000 global customers, including Rabobank, DHL, Emirates, KPMG, Swarovski, Mazda, Deloitte, Aldi, Vodafone and Zeiss. For more information, please visit Anywhere.now. 

About Bregal Milestone 

Bregal Milestone is a leading software private equity firm with c.€1.7 billion of capital raised since inception. The firm provides growth capital and operational support to build market-leading software companies. Bregal Milestone is part of Bregal Investments, a leading global investment platform with assets under management of over €19 billion. Bregal Milestone was recognized by GrowthCap as one of the Top Private Equity Firms of 2025. For more information, please visit www.bregalmilestone.com.

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Flexera Acquires ProsperOps and Chaos Genius to Expand its FinOps Solution with Agentic and AI-Enabled Cost Optimization

Thomabravo

Itasca, IL—Flexera, the global leader in technology spend and risk intelligence, today announced two major moves in its continued expansion in FinOps. It has acquired ProsperOps, an AI-enabled FinOps automation solution for public cloud, and Chaos Genius, a fast-growing innovator in AI-driven cost optimization for Snowflake and Databricks.

These strategic additions augment Flexera’s capabilities to deliver the most comprehensive, intelligent, and autonomous FinOps solution on the market including cost reporting and allocation, workload optimization, and rate optimization. They also expand Flexera’s product reach into the emerging areas of FinOps for AI and FinOps for Data Clouds.

ProsperOps brings an autonomous approach to managing cloud commitments across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, helping enterprises move beyond passive recommendations and into active savings outcomes. ProsperOps extends Flexera’s FinOps for AI capabilities and supports finance, engineering, and procurement teams with intelligent automation that takes action without human intervention. As a Flexera company, ProsperOps, growing more than 90% with $6B of annual cloud usage under management, will continue operating under its own brand to ensure continuity for customers and partners while integrating complementary Flexera FinOps features.

“As enterprises adopt AI across their infrastructure, the need for intelligent, automated execution has never been greater,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Flexera. “ProsperOps strengthens our ability to deliver on that promise, helping organizations govern cloud spend with precision and scale outcomes that were previously out of reach.”

“ProsperOps was founded on the belief that many of the critical cloud cost optimization use cases, particularly rate optimization, could be delivered through AI-enabled management. As the market matures, customers are asking for more than point solutions; they want unified rate optimization, workload optimization, and cost visibility,” said Chris Cochran, CEO and Co-Founder of ProsperOps. “Together, we are uniquely positioned to deliver the comprehensive FinOps platform organizations have been asking for.”

Another fast-growing challenge in cloud spend management is the runaway costs of Snowflake and Databricks, as data analytics and AI workloads scale rapidly. Chaos Genius delivers agentic-based FinOps for AI that autonomously optimizes inefficient usage across Snowflake and Databricks and has already helped Fortune 500 enterprises reduce costs by up to 30%.

“Chaos Genius brings the autonomous automation through agentic AI for Snowflake and Databricks optimization that our customers and partners need,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Flexera. “It delivers real-time intelligence and control that puts them back in command of their cloud and AI investments.”

“Joining Flexera allows us to scale our impact globally and empower more organizations to govern data cloud costs amid exponential AI growth,” said Preeti Shrimal, CEO of Chaos Genius.

Flexera is accelerating toward a unified FinOps future as cloud costs surge and AI reshapes enterprise technology strategy. The additions of ProsperOps and Chaos Genius build on Flexera’s integration of Spot and Snow, reinforcing its position as the only provider with comprehensive capabilities across the entire FinOps Framework as defined by the FinOps Foundation.

“Organizations need more than dashboards. They need execution,” added Ryan. “With ProsperOps and Chaos Genius, Flexera delivers the AI-powered execution layer for modern FinOps.”

About Flexera

Flexera helps organizations understand and maximize the value of their technology, saving billions of dollars in wasted spend. Powered by the Flexera Technology Intelligence Platform, our award-winning IT asset management, FinOps and SaaS management solutions provide comprehensive visibility and actionable insights on an organization’s entire IT ecosystem. This intelligence enables IT, finance, procurement and cloud teams to address skyrocketing costs, optimize spend, mitigate risk and identify opportunities to create positive business outcomes. More than 50,000 global organizations rely on Flexera and its Technopedia reference library, the largest repository of technology asset data. Learn more at flexera.com.

About ProsperOps

ProsperOps is the leading FinOps Automation Platform for cloud cost optimization on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Eliminating waste and achieving cost savings goals is challenging when cloud usage is dynamic but commitments are manual. Founded in 2018, ProsperOps automates and synchronizes rate optimization with workload optimization, eliminating waste, reducing costs and risk, and improving efficiency for FinOps teams. With ProsperOps, customers achieve world-class Effective Savings Rates, lower Commitment Lock-In Risk, and maximum flexibility. ProsperOps autonomously manages $6 billion of annual cloud usage and has generated over $3 billion of lifetime savings.

About Chaos Genius

Chaos Genius is a leading Data FinOps platform focused on optimizing costs across modern data clouds, including Snowflake and Databricks. The platform combines granular spend observability with intelligent recommendations and Autonomous Agents to optimize Data and AI costs. Trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises and fast-growing startups alike, Chaos Genius helps organizations reduce data cloud waste through instance right-sizing, workload optimization, and autonomous cost-saving agents—without compromising performance or innovation.

Read the release on the Flexera website here.

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Interpath to partner with Bridgepoint to accelerate global growth

Bridgepoint

Interpath, the international financial advisory firm, has today announced that Bridgepoint, one of the world’s leading mid-market investors, has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in the business, as Interpath embarks on the next phase of its growth journey.

The potential transaction would mark a successful exit for H.I.G. Capital, which has supported the business since its carve-out from KPMG UK in 2021. Terms of the potential transaction were not  disclosed.

Since becoming an independent business, Interpath has rapidly established itself as a leading UK-headquartered advisory platform, providing multi-service Office of the CFO support across restructuring and turnaround, deals and broader advisory services to corporates, private equity sponsors, lenders and other stakeholders.

Interpath employs over 1,000 professionals globally across 12 countries including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, the Caribbean and Hong Kong. It is led by an experienced senior management team, which will continue to lead the business following completion.

Since the carve-out, Interpath has delivered strong performance, underpinned by increased demand for its portfolio of services and its ability to attract and retain top talent. The business has more than doubled EBITDA and continues to deliver strong revenue growth, reflecting both market conditions and the strength of its platform, people and client relationships.

Interpath operates at the intersection of several very large and attractive markets. Its heritage in restructuring and turnaround, a truly technical discipline with high entry barriers and counter-cyclical resilience, is coupled with its complementary and rapidly expanding deals and advisory practice offering significant long-term growth opportunities as organisations increasingly seek independent, conflict-free advice.

With Bridgepoint’s support, Interpath will focus on accelerating its international expansion, continuing to attract and retain top talent, broadening its service offering across existing and new geographies, and selectively pursuing strategic acquisitions to further strengthen its platform.

The new partnership stands to benefit from Bridgepoint’s deep expertise in working with global professional services platforms, where the firm has a long track record of backing high-quality, specialist, people-led companies that start with a strong European base and helping them expand globally by attracting new talent and through M&A. Bridgepoint has previously or currently supports a significant number of professional services firms including Alpha FMC, HKA, HT Digital, Analysys Mason, Argon & Co, Forward Global and ERM.

Mark Raddan, CEO of Interpath, commented: “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Interpath as we embark on a new partnership with Bridgepoint. Not only does the team believe in our ambition, but they also share the values and culture that define who we are.

“Their investment will empower us to continue attracting exceptional talent and accelerate our expansion into new geographies across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. We are confident that with their support, we can build on our achievements, create even greater opportunities for our people, and deliver enhanced value to our clients.”

Mark Raddan added: “We are incredibly grateful to H.I.G. for their trust, support and belief in Interpath over the past five years. They backed our vision wholeheartedly – first, by helping us to establish strong foundations following our carve-out, and then by supporting us as we scaled both our international footprint and the services we provide.”

Charles Welham, Partner and Sector Head for Business & Financial Services at Bridgepoint, commented: “Interpath is a high-quality, differentiated advisory platform with a unique culture, operating in a growing market with significant opportunity for further share gains.

What excites us most is the opportunity to support its exceptional base of talent and, by enhancing its distinctive people proposition, accelerate the pace at which more leading professionals in their fields join the Interpath platform.

We are thrilled to partner with Interpath’s outstanding leadership team as they enter their next phase of growth — building a more international and diversified business, and continuing to win share from more constrained and conflicted competitors.”

Nishant Nayyar, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, commented: “When we established Interpath five years ago our ambition was to build the leading UK restructuring and financial advisory firm under a world-class management team. We are proud to have supported the Company’s strong growth, geographic expansion and diversification during our ownership. We are grateful to our Chair, Tamara Box, and the late John Connolly for their important contributions, and we commend Mark and the broader management team for what they have built. We look forward to Interpath’s continued success in its next chapter.”

The potential transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and the completion of information and consultation processes with employee representatives where necessary, and is expected to complete in late Q2 or Q3 2026.

Interpath were advised by Moelis & Company (Financial Advisor), Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (Legal Advisor), PwC (Financial & Tax Due Diligence), OC&C (Commercial Due Diligence), Milbank (Management Legal Counsel). Jamieson (Management Incentive Plan) and iPsychTec (Culture).

Bridgepoint was advised by Goldman Sachs International and Jefferies International (Lead Financial Advisors), Latham & Watkins (Legal Advisor), BCG (Commercial Due Diligence), EY Parthenon (Financial, Tax, IT & Cyber and ESG Due Diligence) and Singulier (AI Due Diligence).

Bridgepoint Group is one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, specialising in private equity, infrastructure and private credit.

With over $86 billion of assets under management and a strong local presence in Europe, North America and Asia, we combine global scale with local market insight and sector expertise, consistently delivering strong returns through cycles.

Bridgepoint Advisers Limited, a subsidiary of Bridgepoint Group plc, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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iD Fresh Food secures strategic investment from Apax Funds to accelerate growth in India and Gulf Markets

Apax

iD Fresh Food (“iD Fresh” or the “Company”), India’s leading clean label foods brand, today announced a strategic investment from Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”), the global private equity advisory firm. The Apax Funds will acquire a significant minority stake from existing shareholders Premji Invest and TPG NewQuest, both of which will remain investors alongside the Company’s co-founder, PC Musthafa, and the management team. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2005 in Bengaluru, iD Fresh was created to make fresh, preservative-free, traditionally prepared Indian food available at scale. From its origins supplying idli/dosa batter to local retailers, the Company pioneered a daily, direct-to-retailer cold-chain model that enables clean-label fresh products with a refrigerated shelf life of 5–7 days. Driven by strong consumer demand, iD Fresh has scaled to more than 50 cities across India and the Gulf and employs nearly 2,400 people today. Today, iD Fresh is India’s largest ready-to-cook fresh foods brand and the category leader in branded batter and Indian flatbreads, with an estimated 50–60% share in its core categories. Over the past few years, iD Fresh has demonstrated consistent and profitable growth, supported by double-digit EBITDA margins and overall growth of ~25%. Its portfolio includes Idli/Dosa batter, Indian flatbreads, accompaniments such as chutneys and sambar, and value-added dairy products.

PC Musthafa, co-founder & CEO of iD Fresh, said: “This partnership marks a defining moment in iD Fresh’s journey. From a modest batter-making unit to a brand trusted by millions of households, our growth has been anchored in one simple belief, that consumers deserve fresh, honest food with no shortcuts. The Apax Funds’ investment will allow us to accelerate growth, build capacity, broaden our product range, and scale into more cities and markets.”

Harjot Dhaliwal, Partner and Head of India at Apax, said: “iD Fresh has delivered strong, consistent growth in large, under-penetrated markets. We will work closely with the management team and leverage our consumer-packaged goods expertise to accelerate growth, including expanding distribution into new cities and channels, strengthening the brand through marketing and category-building, driving innovation in adjacent product categories, and using technology and analytics to optimise the Company’s fresh, daily-delivered supply chain.”

Rohan Haldea, Partner at Apax, said: “iD Fresh sits at the intersection of several powerful, long-term trends in India – rising incomes, rapid urbanisation, and consumers’ desire for convenient yet fresh, clean-label food at home. The Company has pioneered an innovative cold-chain model, built a brand that is synonymous with quality in its categories, and delivered strong, consistent growth while scaling profitability. With this investment, we are excited to partner with iD Fresh to support its next phase of growth in India and internationally.”

In the coming financial year, iD Fresh expects to build on its momentum through deeper penetration across domestic and international markets, new product innovations, accelerated channel expansion, and increasing consumer preference for fresh, convenient, clean-label food solutions.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

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819 Capital Partners acquires significant minority stake in RiverD

819 Capital Partners

Deventer, 5 January 2026 – 819 Capital Partners has acquired a significant minority participation in RiverD International. The investment, through 819 Evergreen Fund, is aimed at supporting RiverD’s long-term growth and development.

RiverD is a Dutch high-tech company developing and manufacturing advanced instruments for non-invasive molecular analysis of human skin and tissue using Raman spectroscopy. Its skin analysis technology enables real-time, reagentless measurement of skin tissue composition. RiverD’s other R&D-focus area is Raman-guided surgery based on fiber-optic technology.

The company’s solutions are used globally in medical and dermatological research, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical R&D.

RiverD was founded by Gerwin Puppels, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in Raman spectroscopy and a pioneer in its application to biomedical research. As founder and CEO, he has been the driving force behind RiverD’s scientific vision, technological leadership, and international reputation.

The transaction reflects 819 Capital’s confidence in RiverD’s technology, market position, and long-term potential. Through the investment from the 819 Evergreen Fund, RiverD gains access to growth capital and strategic support to accelerate product development, international expansion, and further market adoption.

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With WA Beveiliging attracts Karmijn Kapitaal as growth partner for further growth within care security and public safety

Karmijn Kapitaal

Zeist, 5 january 2026 – Investor Karmijn Kapitaal is taking a majority stake in security organization Met WA Beveiliging. The Zeist-based company specializes in safety within care environments and community settings. The collaboration, which has been established under the guidance of Marktlink, is aimed at further growth in a consolidating market. Met WA Beveiliging and Karmijn Kapitaal want to realize growth through both organic growth and acquisitions.

Since 2016, Met WA has been providing security solutions in, among others, mental health care (GGZ), hospitals, youth care, reception locations and distribution centers. Security guards and Care & Safety employees work daily at locations where rapid signaling, maintaining calm and careful action are essential. In close collaboration with care professionals and other chain partners, they combine safety with practical support on the work floor, such as accompanying clients, supporting care providers and carrying out daily work activities within care institutions.

Own academy

Through its own Met WA Academy, employees receive practice-oriented training in, among other things, de-escalation, dealing with special behavior, risk management, aggression regulation and emergency response (BHV). This broad base makes teams deployable at diverse locations, from closed departments to the emergency room. The organization consists of 21 staff members and several hundred security professionals.

In recent years, Met WA expanded its field of work, among other things through the acquisition of the Nederlandse Veiligheidsgroep (NVG) in 2023. With this, in addition to care security, public safety also became a permanent part of the service provision.

Investment with positive social impact

Karmijn Kapitaal supports the further professionalization and growth of Met WA. As an investor, Karmijn focuses on SME companies with a positive social impact, among others within the themes of care and safety. “We have carefully prepared this step and consciously searched for a partner who shares our vision,” says founder Michiel Broeksma. “Together with Marktlink, we actively explored the market. In Karmijn Kapitaal, we have found the right party to further develop Met WA. This acquisition enables us to accelerate building a professional, scalable organization that is ready for the future.”

Karmijn underlines the distinctive character of the organization. “The need for safety in care and public domains continues to increase. At the same time, this requires different solutions than traditional security,” according to Nicole Zomerhuis of Karmijn Kapitaal. “Met WA offers a professional and people-oriented model that is scalable and broadly applicable. We are pleased to support the organization in increasing its positive impact on care and other social environments.”

Buy-and-build as growth path

The collaboration with Karmijn forms the starting point of a buy-and-build strategy. Met WA aims for targeted acquisitions of security companies within care, hospitality or public safety. “This transaction is a logical step within the consolidation wave in this sector,” says Jeffrey Scholtens, partner at Marktlink. “We see an increasing demand for security services that match the complexity of care and public environments, whereby tightened legislation and regulations around self-employed (zzp) constructions strengthen this demand. Met WA is a mature and distinctive player who is excellently positioned to play a central role in this dynamic. We facilitate the connection with parties that match the profile and ambitions of the organization through our network. Within the group that arises from this, the companies strengthen each other to become a leading player within (care) security.”

 

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Oakley Capital and La Caisse invest in institutional debt administration provider GLAS

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LaCaisse

Oakley Capital, a leading mid-market private equity investor, is pleased to announce it is acquiring a majority stake in GLAS (“Global Loan Agency Services”), a leading, global provider of loan administration and bond trustee services. Oakley is investing alongside La Caisse (formerly CDPQ) which has acquired a minority position, as well as Levine Leichtman Capital Partners who will retain a small stake in the business.

Founded by Mia Drennan and Brian Carne in 2011, London-headquartered GLAS offers a wide range of administration and trustee services for the credit markets, including private credit and leveraged finance. The company oversees the lifecycle administration of debt instruments, including transaction execution, interest determination, cash flow coordination and stakeholder communications, underpinned by regulatory and structural requirements for independent agency providers. Operating with over 450 employees across 16 offices in Europe, America, APAC and Middle East, GLAS services a portfolio of over $750 billion across its global platform.

The global private credit market which GLAS serves today exceeds $2.4 trillion in AUM and is expected to surpass $4.5 trillion by 2030, supported by healthy fundraising momentum into the asset class from a wide array of institutional and retail investors, as well as continued diversification into broader credit segments, including infrastructure, asset-backed and specialty finance. Against this backdrop, GLAS benefits from high barriers to entry and strong recurring revenues, driven by regulatory licensing requirements and the rising need for sustained investment in technology.

In recent years, GLAS has enjoyed 40% organic revenue growth thanks to its premier service, its global tech-enabled platform, and strong relationships with leading lenders and law firms. The company has also benefitted from its ability to support complex transactions, including restructurings and multi-jurisdictional mega loans.

GLAS will continue to be led by CEO and Founder Mia Drennan, alongside her existing executive management team, Ethan Levner CFO and Joanne Brooks, CCO. Oakley will support GLAS to accelerate growth through international expansion, M&A and the continued development of the company’s technology and AI offering.

Peter Dubens, Oakley Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner, said: “Mia has successfully built a global leader in the market for debt administration, a market with strong and attractive growth characteristics. We are pleased to be partnering with such an accomplished entrepreneur and look forward to supporting the next phase of GLAS’ growth.”

Martin Longchamps, La Caisse Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity and Private Credit, said: “GLAS sits at the heart of the fast-growing private credit ecosystem. Its global presence, technology leadership, and deeply embedded relationships with leading clients make it an asset well positioned for continued growth. We look forward to partnering with Oakley and GLAS to support the platform’s next successful chapter.”

GLAS Founder and CEO Mia Drennan, said: “We wanted to work with a like-minded partner with an entrepreneurial approach and a reputation for working successfully with founders. Oakley has a strong track record supporting global market leaders, and we are excited about the opportunities this partnership, alongside La Caisse, will unlock for GLAS.”

ABOUT OAKLEY CAPITAL

Oakley Capital was founded 20 years ago to be the partner of choice for exceptional founders and entrepreneurs. We back private, pan-European businesses with an enterprise value from €100m to €1bln+, acquiring control or co-control stakes and supporting complex deals such as carve‑outs.

We have a diverse team of over 200 professionals working across five locations, including London, Munich, Milan, Madrid, and Luxembourg, offering us genuine European reach and local cultural expertise.

Our unique origination capabilities help us unearth attractive opportunities across our four core sectors: Technology, Business Services, Digital Consumer and Education. We focus on building long-lasting, repeat partnerships with exceptional founders, many of whom go on to invest in our funds. www.oakleycapital.com

ABOUT LA CAISSE

At La Caisse, formerly CDPQ, we have invested for 60 years with a dual mandate: generate optimal long term returns for our 48 depositors, who represent over 6 million Quebecers, and contribute to Québec’s economic development.

As a global investment group, we are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private credit. As at June 30, 2025, La Caisse’s net assets totalled CAD 496 billion. For more information, visit lacaisse.com or consult our LinkedIn or Instagram pages.

La Caisse is a registered trademark of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec that is protected in Canada and other jurisdictions and licensed for use by its subsidiaries.

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Carlyle to Sell Tescan to Shimadzu

Carlyle

Brno, Czech Republic, and Tokyo, Japan, 05 January 2026 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to sell Tescan Group (“Tescan”), a leading manufacturer of electron microscopes and advanced scientific and analytical instruments, to Shimadzu Corporation, a global provider of analytical and measuring technologies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The enterprise value of the transaction amounts to $850 million.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, Tescan is a leading global developer and supplier of scanning electron microscopes, ion beam systems, micro-CT scanners, 4D scanning transmission electron microscopes and ultrafast laser micromachining technologies, serving customers across material sciences, life sciences, and the semiconductor market.

Following its acquisition of the business in January 2023, Carlyle successfully completed a transition of leadership. The new management has accelerated the company’s repositioning around the fast-growing semiconductor and nanotechnology markets with the support of Carlyle. Together, Carlyle and management executed a three-pillar strategy around 1) strengthened execution and operational excellence, 2) market share gain driven by new product launches and 3) expansion of Tescan’s addressable market with product innovation and acquisitions. This strategy delivered above-market growth of ca. 50% over three years. The partnership also supported the launch of new semiconductor-focused workflows, broadened services capabilities, and deepened global partnerships, including with Shimadzu Corporation, enabling Tescan to scale and capture share in a sector experiencing rapid growth.

Vladimir Lasocki, Co-Head of the Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (“CETP”) investment advisory team, and Petr Rieger, Director in the CETP investment advisory team, said: “Tescan has undergone a significant transformation over the past three years and is now a stronger, more diversified business with an attractive position in the fast-growing semiconductor and nanotechnology markets. Working closely with Jean-Charles, we strengthened the leadership team, expanded the company’s international footprint, and advanced product innovation and strategic add-on acquisitions that enhanced Tescan’s technological depth and market reach. These initiatives have positioned the company to continue its strong trajectory of growth, and we wish the company future success under Shimadzu’s ownership.”

Jean-Charles Chen, CEO of Tescan, said: “Over the past several years, we have intensified our focus on delivering innovative solutions for our customers, particularly in semiconductor research and failure analysis. With Carlyle’s backing, we invested in our people, broadened our global reach, and accelerated the development of new technologies. Under Shimadzu’s ownership, we look forward to building on this progress and continuing to support the evolving needs of our customers worldwide.”

Yasunori Yamamoto, President and CEO, Shimadzu Corporation, said: “Tescan’s advanced microscopy and imaging technologies are highly complementary to Shimadzu’s portfolio and support our strategy to expand in high-growth analytical and semiconductor applications. We look forward to working with the Tescan team to enhance our combined offering, invest further behind the company’s employee base and deliver even greater value to customers worldwide.”

J.P. Morgan Securities plc served as exclusive financial advisor, White & Case served as legal counsel and Deloitte provided financial due diligence and accounting support to Carlyle and Tescan in the transaction. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. served as financial adviser and Clifford Chance served as legal adviser to Shimadzu.

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About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and operates through three segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $474 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,400 people in 27 offices across four continents. Further information is available at carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group and on X at @OneCarlyle.

Media Contacts 

Carlyle:

Charlie Bristow

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 513568

Email: charlie.bristow@carlyle.com

 

Tescan:

Jana Šilarová

Email: jana.silarova@tescan.com

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Checkmate Fire welcomes new CEO

IK Partners

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire – Checkmate Fire (“Checkmate” or “the Company”), a leading UK specialist in passive fire protection, is delighted to welcome Simon Finnie as its new Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), starting today. Simon succeeds John Lewthwaite, who will continue to support Checkmate’s strategic development and governance as a Non-Executive Director (“NED”).

Simon’s appointment marks the next phase in Checkmate’s growth journey and forms part of a planned and carefully managed succession process. The Company’s priorities, culture and long-term objectives remain centred on service excellence for its customers and on broadening its activities across fire and related markets. Simon brings a wealth of experience within the Facilities Management and Construction sectors, having previously held senior roles at BAM, Laing O’Rourke and Kier Group. With a proven track record of driving operational excellence and delivering significant value enhancement through strategy and M&A execution, Simon is well suited to lead Checkmate through the next phase of its journey.

Incumbent CEO John remains fully committed to Checkmate and will continue to support the Company in an NED capacity, providing strategic oversight and guidance. He will remain heavily involved in maintaining key customer and stakeholder relationships alongside Simon, thus ensuring continuity and ongoing commercial success for Checkmate. With John at the helm since 2020, the Company has undergone significant growth and transformation: evolving from a tier 2 subcontractor to a tier 1 contractor; expanding its capabilities; diversifying the service offering; and strengthening key client relationships. In parallel, the Company significantly invested in its people, developing the Leadership team and launching the “Checkmate Fire Training Academy” to enhance skills across the organisation and beyond.

Haydn Mursell, Chairman of Checkmate, said: “On behalf of the Board and all at Checkmate, I’d like to thank John for his exceptional leadership and the transformation he has driven over the past five years. His strategic vision, commitment to the development of his colleagues and focus on operational excellence have helped to establish Checkmate as a market leader with a strong foundation for future growth. We are delighted to appoint Simon as John’s successor and strongly believe that his industry expertise, coupled with his experience of leading technical services businesses and executing M&A, make him the ideal person to take Checkmate forward.”

John Lewthwaite, outgoing CEO of Checkmate, added: “The past five years have been some of the most exciting and rewarding years in my career so far, having successfully led Checkmate through the most transformative period in its history. I’m especially proud of the people I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside and who have contributed hugely to the success we’ve experienced. As the Company enters the next stage of its journey, I look forward to supporting Simon and the wider team in my new role on the Board and am excited to see what the next chapter holds.”

Simon Finnie, incoming CEO of Checkmate, commented: “I am delighted to be joining Checkmate at such an exciting point in its journey. The Company’s reputation for excellence in passive fire protection, alongside its strong focus on people, technology and enduring customer relationships, provide a strong foundation for future growth. I look forward to working closely with Haydn, John, the Checkmate team and IK Partners to build on this success.”

Contact

IK Partners

Vidya Verlkumar – Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

About Checkmate Fire

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Categories: People

Carlyle to Sell Tescan to Shimadzu

Carlyle

rno, Czech Republic, and Tokyo, Japan, 05 January 2026 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to sell Tescan Group (“Tescan”), a leading manufacturer of electron microscopes and advanced scientific and analytical instruments, to Shimadzu Corporation, a global provider of analytical and measuring technologies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The enterprise value of the transaction amounts to $850 million.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, Tescan is a leading global developer and supplier of scanning electron microscopes, ion beam systems, micro-CT scanners, 4D scanning transmission electron microscopes and ultrafast laser micromachining technologies, serving customers across material sciences, life sciences, and the semiconductor market.

Following its acquisition of the business in January 2023, Carlyle successfully completed a transition of leadership. The new management has accelerated the company’s repositioning around the fast-growing semiconductor and nanotechnology markets with the support of Carlyle. Together, Carlyle and management executed a three-pillar strategy around 1) strengthened execution and operational excellence, 2) market share gain driven by new product launches and 3) expansion of Tescan’s addressable market with product innovation and acquisitions. This strategy delivered above-market growth of ca. 50% over three years. The partnership also supported the launch of new semiconductor-focused workflows, broadened services capabilities, and deepened global partnerships, including with Shimadzu Corporation, enabling Tescan to scale and capture share in a sector experiencing rapid growth.

Vladimir Lasocki, Co-Head of the Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (“CETP”) investment advisory team, and Petr Rieger, Director in the CETP investment advisory team, said: “Tescan has undergone a significant transformation over the past three years and is now a stronger, more diversified business with an attractive position in the fast-growing semiconductor and nanotechnology markets. Working closely with Jean-Charles, we strengthened the leadership team, expanded the company’s international footprint, and advanced product innovation and strategic add-on acquisitions that enhanced Tescan’s technological depth and market reach. These initiatives have positioned the company to continue its strong trajectory of growth, and we wish the company future success under Shimadzu’s ownership.”

Jean-Charles Chen, CEO of Tescan, said: “Over the past several years, we have intensified our focus on delivering innovative solutions for our customers, particularly in semiconductor research and failure analysis. With Carlyle’s backing, we invested in our people, broadened our global reach, and accelerated the development of new technologies. Under Shimadzu’s ownership, we look forward to building on this progress and continuing to support the evolving needs of our customers worldwide.”

Yasunori Yamamoto, President and CEO, Shimadzu Corporation, said: “Tescan’s advanced microscopy and imaging technologies are highly complementary to Shimadzu’s portfolio and support our strategy to expand in high-growth analytical and semiconductor applications. We look forward to working with the Tescan team to enhance our combined offering, invest further behind the company’s employee base and deliver even greater value to customers worldwide.”

J.P. Morgan Securities plc served as exclusive financial advisor, White & Case served as legal counsel and Deloitte provided financial due diligence and accounting support to Carlyle and Tescan in the transaction. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. served as financial adviser and Clifford Chance served as legal adviser to Shimadzu.

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About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and operates through three segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $474 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,400 people in 27 offices across four continents. Further information is available at carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group and on X at @OneCarlyle.

Media Contacts 

Carlyle:

Charlie Bristow

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 513568

Email: charlie.bristow@carlyle.com

 

Tescan:

Jana Šilarová

Email: jana.silarova@tescan.com

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