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KnowBe4 to Acquire Egress

FTV Capital

TAMPA BAY, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Egress, a leader in adaptive and integrated cloud email security. Egress’ Intelligent Email Security suite provides a set of scaled, AI-enabled security tools with adaptive learning capabilities to help prevent, protect and defend organizations against sophisticated email cybersecurity threats. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“One of the biggest challenges organizations face is accurately identifying who the next source of compromise is – and why. By combining intelligence and analytics from integrated applications, companies can gain valuable insights across their entire cyber ecosystem, allowing them to focus on the risks that matter most.”

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Organizations globally struggle to contain behavioral-based data breaches, with 74 percent of incidents involving the human element according to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report. By acquiring Egress, KnowBe4 plans to deliver a single platform that aggregates threat intelligence dynamically, offering AI-based email security and training that is automatically tailored relative to risk.

“The future of security is personalized AI-driven controls and real-time coaching. By providing a single platform from KnowBe4 and Egress, our customers will benefit from differentiated aggregate threat detection to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats and foster a strong security culture,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4. “As integration partners for over a year with strong philosophical and cultural alignment, this acquisition is a natural progression for both companies to take human risk management and cloud email security to the next level.”

“KnowBe4 and Egress have a shared vision of delivering tailored and relevant security to each employee,” said Tony Pepper, CEO, Egress. “One of the biggest challenges organizations face is accurately identifying who the next source of compromise is – and why. By combining intelligence and analytics from integrated applications, companies can gain valuable insights across their entire cyber ecosystem, allowing them to focus on the risks that matter most.”

The announcement comes on the heels of significant achievements for both companies thus far in 2024. KnowBe4 recently announced its AI-native platform, Artificial Intelligence Defense Agents (AIDA), which incorporates advanced AI agents to power efficacy and speed. Recent notable awards include being recognized as a Top Software Winner by G2 and a winner of Energage’s Top Workplaces USA for 2024. Meanwhile, Egress launched its AI-powered Automated Abuse Mailbox in early April and received several award recognitions, including Security Innovation of the Year (Computing Security Excellence Awards), Best Email Security Solution, Best Data Leak Prevention Solution (SC Awards Europe) and Best Place to Work in the UK (Great Places to Work 2024).

The transaction is expected to close in the coming months subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Egress is backed by FTV Capital and AlbionVC. Citi served as exclusive financial advisor to Egress and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP served as legal counsel to Egress.

For more information on KnowBe4, visit www.knowbe4.com. For more information on Egress, visit www.egress.com.

About KnowBe4

KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 65,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. The late Kevin Mitnick, who was an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as their last line of defense and trust the KnowBe4 platform to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk.

About Egress

As advanced persistent threats continue to evolve, we recognize that people are the biggest risk to organizations’ security and are most vulnerable when using email.

Egress is the only cloud email security platform to continuously assess human risk and dynamically adapt policy controls, preparing customers to defend against advanced phishing attacks and outbound data breaches before they happen. Leveraging contextual machine learning and neural networks, with seamless integration using cloud-native API architecture, Egress provides enhanced email protection, deep visibility into human risk, and instant time to value.

Contacts

Kathy Wattman
Kathyw@knowbe4.com
(727) 474-9950
Or
PR@KnowBe4.com

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Baird Capital Grows Global Team

Baird Capital

CHICAGO/LONDON – April 24, 2024 – Today, Baird Capital announced two new Global Private Equity team hires: Anthony Zhu as Principal in Chicago and Samuel (Sam) Pollard as Investment Associate in London.

Zhu joins Baird Capital in Chicago from Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP), where he served as Private Equity Director. His experience with growth equity and leveraged buyout investments spanned across several industry sectors, including Technology, IT Services and Distribution, Telecom Infrastructure, and Payments. Before MDP, he was with J.P. Morgan. Zhu attended Cornell University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.

“We are so fortunate to add Anthony to the Baird Capital platform,” said Gordon Pan, President. “His deep experience and background will enhance our investment capabilities. He is a tremendous addition—from an investment and culture perspective.”

Pollard joins Baird Capital in London from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served as a Manager within Corporate Finance, after completing his accountancy training with KPMG. Pollard attended the University of Birmingham, where he earned first-class honors in economics. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a CFA Institute certificate in ESG investing.

“Our London-based team is delighted to welcome Anthony and Sam aboard,” said James Benfield, Partner. “Bolstering our US expertise and further developing our local investment team is key to supporting UK-based companies’ growth ambitions in US. Anthony and Sam joining our team further supports our aim to be the first-choice partner for companies looking to grow globally.”

Baird Capital is proud to be a lower-middle-market investor that seeks opportunities to invest more than financial capital; instead, partnering with companies where it can deliver additive resources, relationships, and expertise to accelerate growth.

For more information on Baird Capital and its global private equity and venture capital teams, please visit BairdCapital.com.

About Baird Capital

Baird Capital manages two investment platforms, Venture Capital and Global Private Equity, and invests in B2B technology & services-focused companies worldwide. Founded in 1989, the group focuses on investing in sub-sectors where it has deep institutional knowledge and leveraging global operating capabilities to support the operational and growth needs of partner companies. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

 For additional information, contact:

Rachel Berkowitz
Baird Public Relations
publicrelations@rwbaird.com

Categories: People

Richa Goswami proposed as new Board member of EQT AB

eqt

EQT AB (publ) today announced that the Nomination Committee proposes Richa Goswami as new Board member in EQT AB, bringing experience and expert knowledge within Brand & Marketing.

Richa Goswami has in-depth knowledge and multi-sector experience from leading positions within Brand & Marketing across multiple geographies in the financial services and FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) industry. Most recently she has worked at Fidelity International as their Group Chief Marketing and Brand Officer based out of Singapore.

Prior to joining Fidelity International, Richa was the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at HSBC, where she has spent over a decade in various capacities in Asia, Europe and United States. She has also been the Global Chief Digital Officer at Johnson & Johnson and the Global Head, Next Generation Banking, at Standard Chartered Bank and brings vast international experience within her field.

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairperson of the Nomination Committee, comments: “Richa Goswami’s experience from building international brands across multiple industries will add vital perspectives to EQT’s continued journey. In today’s global market it is imperative to have a strong brand to be able to attract future talent and customers.”

Johan Forssell has declined re-election, after serving on the Board for nine years. Conni Jonsson, Chairperson of the EQT AB Board, comments: “Johan is the longest serving Board member in EQT and his focus on long-term value creation and ownership has been much appreciated in the Board room. I am grateful for Johan’s contributions, especially during the IPO process, his support was instrumental in our first step as a listed company.

Conni Jonsson continues, “I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Richa Goswami to the Board, her energy and multifaceted background will be an excellent addition and will also contribute to a better balance of the Board composition. Richa Goswami’s comprehensive track record of building global brands in a wide range of different sectors will strengthen EQT’s growth journey. I would also like to thank the members of the Nomination Committee for their dedicated work in this process.”

The Nomination Committee’s complete proposals to EQT AB’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting are included in the notice and the nomination committee’s motivated opinion, published on EQT’s website. The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting will be held on 27 May 2024. The election of Richa Goswami as new Board member is subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

The Nomination Committee has been appointed based on the ownership structure as of 31 August 2023, and consists of Jacob Wallenberg (Chairperson), appointed by Investor AB, Harry Klagsbrun, appointed by Bark Partners AB, Cynthia Lee, appointed by Jean Eric Salata, Anders Oscarsson, appointed by AMF Pension & Funds and Conni Jonsson, Chairperson of the Board of EQT AB.

Contact

Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of three decades of developing companies across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business’ development, from start-up to maturity. EQT has EUR ‌​​242​‌ billion in total assets under management (EUR ‌​​‌132​‌ billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets.

With its roots in the Wallenberg family’s entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does.

The EQT AB Group comprises EQT AB (publ) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, which include general partners and fund managers of EQT funds as well as entities advising EQT funds. EQT has offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and has more than 1,800 employees.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

Categories: People

CapMan Buyout exits Havator to BMS Stangeland

Capman

CapMan Buyout exits Havator to BMS Stangeland

Funds managed by CapMan Buyout have agreed to sell Havator Group Oy, a Nordic leader in lifting, special transport and heavy haulage services, to a joint venture owned by the Danish–Norwegian crane operator BMS Group A/S and Stangeland Gruppen AS.

CapMan invested in Havator in 2010 and has since focused on growing the company’s business and position on the Nordic market. Today, the company is a Nordic leader in lifting, special transport and heavy haulage services with a turnover of approximately EUR 100 million and nearly 500 employees.

“I want to thank the leadership and personnel at Havator for the excellent cooperation throughout the years. I am glad the company’s new owners provide such an excellent strategic fit and believe them to enable exciting growth opportunities,” says Anders Björkell, Partner at CapMan Buyout.

“A Nordic consolidation is something our industry has been expecting. The new set-up will allow Havator to leverage an even stronger and broader service offering to its clients and also offer more uniform services to clients operating on a Nordic scale. Joining a pan-Nordic company will also offer our personnel an even more international outlook towards the future, combined with growing opportunities to develop competencies and careers. I am also pleased that our new owner is a true industrial player,” says Hannu Leinonen, CEO of Havator.

“We have always looked at Havator as a great and highly respected crane colleague in the Nordics. We have for quite some years followed Havator closely, so we are very happy that the time was now right to join forces. Havator is – as Stangeland and BMS – a mature company with aligned values and a very loyal and competent workforce. We are therefore looking forward to welcoming the Havator-employees to our crane-family,” says Jens Enggaard, CEO of BMS.

As part of the transaction, the joint venture BMS Stangeland A/S acquires the entire capital stock of Havator from the CapMan Buyout IX Fund and Havator’s other current owners. The closing of the transaction is expected during the spring 2024 and is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

For more information, please contact:

Anders Björkell, Partner, CapMan Buyout, +358 40 537 7566

Hannu Leinonen, CEO, Havator, +358 40 588 7804

About CapMan

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation and over €5 billion in assets under management. As one of the private equity pioneers in the Nordics we have developed hundreds of companies and assets creating significant value for over three decades. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors by enabling change across our portfolio companies. An example of this is greenhouse gas reduction targets that we have set under the Science Based Targets initiative in line with the 1.5°C scenario and our commitment to net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover real estate and infrastructure assets, natural capital and minority and majority investments in portfolio companies. We also provide wealth management solutions. Our service business includes procurement services. Altogether, CapMan employs around 200 professionals in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Luxembourg. We are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001. www.capman.com

Havator

Havator, established in Finland in 1956, is the Nordic leader in lifting, special transport and heavy haulage services. We operate in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Estonia. Our goal is to be at the forefront of development, to be a leader in developing the operations’ safety and efficiency, without forgetting the industry’s traditions. Havator Group Oy has a turnover of approximately EUR 100 million and employs approximately 500 people. Read more: havator.com

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PAI Partners to acquire majority stake in Audiotonix

PAI Partners

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a pre-eminent private equity firm, and Ardian, a world-leading investment house, today announce that they have agreed a deal for Audiotonix, a global leader in the professional audio mixing console and ancillary products market. Upon completion, PAI will acquire a majority stake and become the largest shareholder in Audiotonix, with Ardian retaining a minority stake alongside management.

Headquartered in the UK, Audiotonix specialises in designing, engineering and manufacturing products that enable outstanding sound quality for a variety of formats, from blockbuster live tours and concerts, theatre shows and major international live events to TV, film, music recording, sporting occasions and places of worship. Audiotonix’s products have been used on global tours by artists such as Coldplay and U2, at major sporting events including the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, and in iconic venues like the Las Vegas Sphere.

Audiotonix is well positioned within the audio mixing console market and other attractive audio segments with its leading portfolio of prestigious brands, including Allen & Heath, DiGiCo, Calrec, Solid State Logic, Sound Devices, Slate Digital, and sonible, which cater to high-specification professional end-users and sound engineers globally. Backed by an industry-leading management team with an outstanding track record, Audiotonix distributes its products through an international network of more than 400 value-added distributors and partners in more than 90 countries worldwide, with a sizable footprint in North America.

Audiotonix was acquired by Ardian in March 2020. Despite pandemic restrictions, under Ardian’s ownership, the group has continued to expand organically. During this time, the group has secured five strategic acquisitions to further diversify and strengthen its portfolio, developed new market-leading products, increased its focus on software and reinforced its management team. Audiotonix today possesses the most extensive product portfolio in the market.

PAI’s investment will support Audiotonix to leverage sustained and accelerating secular trends towards the experience economy. It will also continue to support further strengthening of the group’s R&D capabilities, foster brand synergies, drive organic growth and pursue strategic M&A opportunities across the audio ecosystem.

James Gordon, CEO, Audiotonix, said: “I would like to thank Ardian for the confidence and solid support of Audiotonix, the management team and our staff. The team invested alongside us just as the Covid lockdown began, and from our first meeting were aligned with us, making sure Audiotonix emerged in a stronger position than before. As management, the most critical challenge with a process like this is selecting the right partner moving forward, who understands what the business is today and can get behind the vision of what it can become. With PAI, it is clear this is a team and partner we can take Audiotonix to the next level with, while preserving the passion and energy that have made the group the success it has become in our industry.”

Olivier Personnaz, Head of Buyout UK & Managing Director, Ardian, said: “There has been a revolution in the way people enjoy and appreciate all forms of entertainment. When we first invested, we believed the team at Audiotonix were best placed to become a global leader in audio technology. We backed management to invest and build out an R&D team larger than any competitor and one that has consistently delivered technically and commercially outstanding products. We have also supported the business in expanding into software via M&A. Today, Audiotonix is undoubtedly the leading player in a market where we see long-term tailwinds. We want to thank the management team, led by James Gordon, for their exceptional performance, resilience and quick thinking. Audiotonix still has tremendous potential to grow in an evolving global market with the support of PAI.”

Colm O’Sullivan and Neil McIlroy, both Partners, PAI, said: “We are delighted to partner with James Gordon and the exceptional Audiotonix management team, alongside Ardian, in this next chapter of growth. Audiotonix is well placed to benefit from positive structural tailwinds in the experience economy and diverse professional audio environments – whether in live entertainment, installed professional audio, music or sports. We look forward to working with the team as the group continues to deliver market-leading, professional products, defining audio experiences worldwide.”

Ardian was advised by Goldman Sachs, Allen & Overy, McKinsey and PwC. PAI was advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges, McKinsey and Alvarez & Marsal. Audiotonix was advised by Liberty Corporate Finance, Macfarlanes and PwC.

Media contacts

PAI Partners
Dania Saidam
dania.saidam@paipartners.com
Greenbrook
pai@greenbrook.com

Ardian
Headland
ardian@headlandconsultancy.com

About Audiotonix

Audiotonix is a global market leader in the design, engineering and manufacture of professional audio mixing consoles, production software and ancillary products. With pioneering solutions from premium audio brands Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiCo, DiGiGrid, Fourier Audio, Harrison, KLANG:technologies, Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, sonible and Sound Devices, our products are used extensively in live sound, broadcast, theatre production, installations, houses of worship, TV and film production, music creation and recording studios.

About Ardian

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $164bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,600 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility. At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last. ardian.com

About PAI Partners

PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm investing in market-leading companies across the globe. The Firm has c. €27 billion of assets under management and, since 1994, has completed over 100 investments in 12 countries and realised more than €24 billion in proceeds from 60 exits. PAI has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience, and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential – and push beyond. Learn more about the PAI story, the team and their approach at: www.paipartners.com.

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Main Capital Partners announces its largest strategic exit to date with acquisition of Enovation by Legrand after successful partnership

Main Capital Partners

Legrand is a French publicly listed specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures and digital care solutions, dedicated to supporting technological, societal and environmental change around the globe. Under Main’s stewardship, Enovation expanded its market-leading position in the healthcare industry and successfully became one of the few healthcare software providers to cover a wide spectrum of the connected care ecosystem with a presence in Northwestern Europe. This strategic exit represents yet another successful exit for Main in one of its core product-markets and marks Main’s largest exit in its history.

In 2018, Main Capital Partners made its strategic investment in Enovation and started its collaboration with the management team of Enovation. During its cooperation with Main, Enovation transformed its profile significantly from a secure communication and information exchange vendor in the Dutch healthcare market, to a leading European connected care and eHealth platform provider focused on digital care and collaboration throughout the entire patient journey, currently employing around 300 FTE.

Supported by Main, Enovation significantly grew its software businesses, both organically as well as through eight selective strategic add-on acquisitions that broadened the company’s product portfolio and expanded its addressable market. Main’s CEO Charly Zwemstra has served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board during Main’s investment period, in which, Enovation’s revenues nearly tripled and the international footprint improved significantly from a primary focus on the Dutch market to activities in almost 20 countries. Enovation is well positioned to further capitalize on these achievements in the coming years, contributing further to digitizing the healthcare sector throughout Europe. This step of joining Legrand, enables Enovation to leverage their joint expertise and knowledge in order to continue on Enovation’s mission to contribute to an efficient healthcare system, making good care accessible to everyone, everywhere, at all times.

Jeroen van Rijswijk, CEO of Enovation, comments on the combination with Legrand: “During our successful partnership with Main over the past six years, Enovation was able to substantially improve its international profile and market position. Main moreover helped us to create further value in healthcare by enhancing the care experiences of patients across the European healthcare industry. This new chapter marks a wonderful next step for Enovation and we are excited to join Legrand and serve our clients even better, as we now have access to a lot of new expertise as well as great international execution power.”

Benoît Coquart, Legrand’s Chief Executive Officer, adds: “We are very pleased to announce this investment in areas that are at the heart of buoyant trends and as such, of our growth acceleration strategy. We are also excited to work with the teams of these industry-leading companies.”

Sjoerd Aarts, Partner & Head of Benelux at Main Capital, concludes: “We supported in expanding Enovation’s product proposition and increasing its international footprint across North-Western Europe, transforming Enovation’s profile into a market-leading software player in healthcare. This successful partnership within one of our core product-markets once more underlines the added value of our highly specialized investment strategy, and culminated in a milestone exit for Main. We congratulate Enovation on this new chapter, joining Legrand.”

This successful partnership within one of our core product-markets once more underlines the added value of our highly specialized investment strategy, and culminated in a milestone exit for Main.”

– Sjoerd Aarts, Partner & Head of Benelux at Main Capital Partners

About

Enovation

For more than 40 years, Enovation has been bringing technology and healthcare together. By facilitating digital cooperation and connections between people, we make the care of today and the future possible. This is how we contribute to the sustainable healthcare system of the future, in which the human experience remains at the center. Thanks to our platform, healthcare providers can focus on what is most important: time and attention for people. Our software supports digital care and collaboration throughout the patient journey. From early detection to remote monitoring and everything in between, our platform facilitates integrated care – at every step.

Legrand

Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. The Group harnesses technological and societal trends with lasting impacts on buildings with the purpose of improving life by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet with electrical, digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. Drawing on an approach that involves all teams and stakeholders, Legrand is pursuing its strategy of profitable and responsible growth driven by acquisitions and innovation, with a steady flow of new offerings—including products with enhanced value in use (faster expanding segments: datacenters, connected offerings and energy efficiency programs). Legrand reported sales of €8.3 billion in 2022. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is notably a component stock of the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG and CAC SBT 1.5 indexes. (code ISIN FR0010307819).

Categories: News

Ardian and PAI Partners agree deal for Audiotonix

Ardian

PAI agrees to acquire majority stake in Audiotonix, Ardian retains minority stake alongside management
• The transaction marks a new chapter of growth for the world leader in premium audio equipment and software
• UK-headquartered Audiotonix is now active in 90 countries, with over 750 employees

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a pre-eminent private equity firm, and Ardian, a world-leading investment house, today announce that they have agreed a deal for Audiotonix, a global leader in the professional audio mixing console and ancillary products market. Upon completion, PAI will acquire a majority stake and become the largest shareholder in Audiotonix, with Ardian retaining a minority stake alongside management.

Headquartered in the UK, Audiotonix specialises in designing, engineering and manufacturing products that enable outstanding sound quality for a variety of formats, from blockbuster live tours and concerts, theatre shows and major international live events to TV, film, music recording, sporting occasions and places of worship. Audiotonix’s products have been used on global tours by artists such as Coldplay and U2, at major sporting events including the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, and in iconic venues like the Las Vegas Sphere.

Audiotonix is well positioned within the audio mixing console market and other attractive audio segments with its leading portfolio of prestigious brands, including Allen & Heath, DiGiCo, Calrec, Solid State Logic, Sound Devices, Slate Digital, and sonible, which cater to high-specification professional end-users and sound engineers globally. Backed by an industry-leading management team with an outstanding track record, Audiotonix distributes its products through an international network of more than 400 value-added distributors and partners in more than 90 countries worldwide, with a sizable footprint in North America.

Audiotonix was acquired by Ardian in March 2020. Despite pandemic restrictions, under Ardian’s ownership, the group has continued to expand organically. During this time, the group has secured five strategic acquisitions to further diversify and strengthen its portfolio, developed new market-leading products, increased its focus on software and reinforced its management team. Audiotonix today possesses the most extensive product portfolio in the market.

PAI’s investment will support Audiotonix to leverage sustained and accelerating secular trends towards the experience economy. It will also continue to support further strengthening of the group’s R&D capabilities, foster brand synergies, drive organic growth and pursue strategic M&A opportunities across the audio ecosystem.

“There has been a revolution in the way people enjoy and appreciate all forms of entertainment. When we first invested, we believed the team at Audiotonix were best placed to become a global leader in audio technology. We backed management to invest and build out an R&D team larger than any competitor and one that has consistently delivered technically and commercially outstanding products. We have also supported the business in expanding into software via M&A. Today, Audiotonix is undoubtedly the leading player in a market where we see long-term tailwinds. We want to thank the management team, led by James Gordon, for their exceptional performance, resilience and quick thinking. Audiotonix still has tremendous potential to grow in an evolving global market with the support of PAI.” Olivier Personnaz, Head of Buyout UK and Managing Director, Ardian

“I would like to thank Ardian for the confidence and solid support of Audiotonix, the management team and our staff. The team invested alongside us just as the Covid lockdown began, and from our first meeting were aligned with us, making sure Audiotonix emerged in a stronger position than before. As management, the most critical challenge with a process like this is selecting the right partner moving forward, who understands what the business is today and can get behind the vision of what it can become. With PAI, it is clear this is a team and partner we can take Audiotonix to the next level with, while preserving the passion and energy that have made the group the success it has become in our industry.” James Gordon, CEO, Audiotonix

“We are delighted to partner with James Gordon and the exceptional Audiotonix management team, alongside Ardian, in this next chapter of growth. Audiotonix is well placed to benefit from positive structural tailwinds in the experience economy and diverse professional audio environments – whether in live entertainment, installed professional audio, music or sports. We look forward to working with the team as the group continues to deliver market-leading, professional products, defining audio experiences worldwide.” Colm O’Sullivan and Neil McIlroy, Partners, PAI

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

  • ARDIAN

    • GOLDMAN SACHS (KHAMRAN ALI, ANDRE KELLENERS, OWAIN EVANS)
    • ALLEN & OVERY (STEPHEN LLOYD, MONIKA PRZYGODA, TINA BARAZANDEH-NEJAD)
    • MCKINSEY (WESLEY HAYES, ROB HAMILL)
    • PWC (TOM AYERST, KATE CONIBERE)

  • PAI

    • WEIL GOTSHAL & MANGES (JONATHAN WOOD, TOMASZ RODZOCH, PRIYA SHAH)
    • MCKINSEY (SEBASTIAN GIMENEZ, GUILLAUME CAZALAA, KAYLA MIELE)
    • ALVAREZ & MARSAL (CHRISTOPHER POWELL, ALEX SAKLOW, NICK WALTON, RUHI AGARWAL)

  • AUDIOTONIX

    • LIBERTY CORPORATE FINANCE (SIMON HILL)
    • MACFARLANES (STEPHEN DREWITT, EMMA BAILEY)
    • PWC (SHARON CHAKKAR)

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $164bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,600 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.
At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

ardian.com

ABOUT PAI PARTNERS

PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm investing in market-leading companies across the globe. The Firm has c. €27 billion of assets under management and, since 1994, has completed over 100 investments in 12 countries and realised more than €24 billion in proceeds from 60 exits. PAI has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience, and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential – and push beyond. Learn more about the PAI story, the team and their approach at: www.paipartners.com.

www.paipartners.com

ABOUT AUDIOTONIX

Audiotonix is a global market leader in the design, engineering and manufacture of professional audio mixing consoles, production software and ancillary products. With pioneering solutions from premium audio brands Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiCo, DiGiGrid, Fourier Audio, Harrison, KLANG:technologies, Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, sonible and Sound Devices, our products are used extensively in live sound, broadcast, theatre production, installations, house of worship, TV and film production, music creation and recording studios.

audiotonix.com

MEDIA CONTACTS

ARDIAN

HEADLAND

ardian@headlandconsultancy.com

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Coupa and Bottomline Partner to Optimize and Streamline Payments

Thomabravo

Coupa Pay customers can now pay suppliers via Premium ACH on Bottomline’s Paymode-X Business Payments Network

LAS VEGAS, NV and Portsmouth, NH—Coupa, the margin multiplier company, and Bottomline, a global leader in business payments, announced a strategic partnership to simplify digital payment processes for businesses. Coupa can now connect to Paymode-X, Bottomline’s business payments network that offers Premium ACH, to automate payments from buyers to suppliers.

Coupa Pay offers a single platform for managing all business payments across different countries and currencies. By utilizing the Premium ACH offering, customers will further optimize their payment stack, enhance payment security, receive more payment rebates, and improve their overall source-to-pay experience. Premium ACH is a powerful extension of the Coupa platform and requires no data or technology integration, or additional storage.

Leveraging the Paymode-X network’s leading fraud prevention capabilities, Coupa Pay will be able to offer enhanced security for payments made to suppliers who prefer to accept Premium ACH as a payment method.

With Premium ACH, suppliers receive enhanced data and reconciliation information, as well as rich reporting, and can lower their cost of payment acceptance. Providing this important data and reconciliation, Premium ACH helps strengthen relationships between payers and their suppliers.

“We are delighted to partner with a leader in source-to-pay (S2P) to modernize and fully digitize payment processes between buyers and suppliers. By integrating Paymode-X with Coupa Pay, payments are simplified for buyers and suppliers,” said Jeff Feuerstein, SVP Commercial & Payment Product Management, Paymode-X at Bottomline. “Coupa customers can unlock more value by paying suppliers using Premium ACH, which continues to drive increased value for members of the Paymode-X network.”

“Businesses today are all striving to deliver greater results with more efficiency. This partnership with Coupa and Bottomline optimizes payment processes and drives business results at scale. By automating the entire payment lifecycle through Bottomline’s secure payments network, businesses also benefit from stronger supplier relationships by improving payment timeliness and providing better data visibility,” said Bill Wardwell, General Manager of Coupa Pay and Treasury.

The partnership is the first launched through Bottomline’s network-as-a-service solution, announced last October. The new offering opens the Paymode-X network’s 550,000+ authenticated suppliers and the network’s proprietary Premium ACH payment type to Coupa Pay customers. Coupa Pay with Paymode-X will be generally available in May.

About Bottomline
Bottomline helps businesses transform the way they pay and get paid. A global leader in business payments and cash management, Bottomline’s secure, comprehensive solutions modernize payments for businesses and financial institutions globally. With over 30 years of experience, moving more than $10 trillion in payments annually, Bottomline is committed to driving impactful results for customers by reimagining business payments and delivering solutions that add to the bottom line. Bottomline is a portfolio company of Thoma Bravo, one of the largest software private equity firms in the world, with more than $130 billion in assets under management. For more information, visit www.bottomline.com. Bottomline and the Bottomline logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bottomline Technologies, Inc.

About Coupa
Coupa® makes margins multiply through its community-generated AI and industry leading total spend management platform for businesses large and small. Coupa AI is informed by trillions of dollars of direct and indirect spend data across a global network of 10M+ buyers and suppliers. We empower you with the ability to predict, prescribe, and automate smarter, more profitable business decisions to improve operating margins. Coupa is the margin multiplier company™. Learn more at coupa.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Read the release on the Coupa website here and on the Bottomline website here.

 

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EQT further expands private wealth team with appointment of Peter Aliprantis as head of private wealth for the Americas

eqt
  • Peter will lead EQT’s private wealth efforts across the region
  • Peter brings more than 25 years of private wealth experience; previously led intermediary distribution for TPG Angelo Gordon
  • Marah Marshall will take on a newly created role leading EQT’s global private wealth strategic partnerships

EQT is thrilled to announce the appointment of Peter Aliprantis as partner and head of EQT’s fast-growing Private Wealth Management business in the Americas. Peter will report to Peter Beske Nielsen, partner and global head of private wealth, and will be based in EQT’s New York office.

Helping our private wealth clients gain access to private market investments is among EQT’s key strategic growth initiatives. Private wealth represents about 9% of total client commitments across active EQT funds today. We remain laser focused on continuously innovating new ways to give individual investors the same opportunity to benefit from EQT’s track record of value creation and strong performance, based on our active ownership approach, as our global institutional clients have enjoyed for the past three decades.

“With more than 25 years of private wealth experience, working across private banks, wirehouses, family offices and digital platforms, Peter is the perfect fit to lead our growing private wealth team in the Americas. He takes an entrepreneurial approach to expanding new strategies and clearly exemplifies EQT’s values,” said Suzanne Donohoe, EQT’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Now that the EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (EQRT) has broken escrow, and with other products under development, we continue to be excited about the opportunities to expand our private wealth focus in the region. I would like to thank Marah Marshall, who will move to a newly created global role focused on EQT’s strategic partnerships in the private wealth space, for her tireless dedication and leadership of the Private Wealth Management team thus far.”

Peter Aliprantis said, “EQT has already built an impressive private wealth business globally and in the Americas. I could not be more excited about the growth opportunity ahead of us, particularly for a firm with such a strong track record of performance and active ownership. I look forward to helping EQT continue to expand its footprint in this space across the region.”

Peter joins EQT from TPG Angelo Gordon, where he spent 12 years as a managing director focused on new business development and Intermediary Distribution. Prior to joining TPG Angelo Gordon, he was a partner and managing director of Global Intermediary Distribution at FrontPoint Partners, LLC, where he managed the global distribution of the firm’s alternative investment products to Ultra-High Net Worth investors, Family Offices, and Investment Advisors.

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

 

About EQT

EQT is a global leading investment firm with EUR 242 billion in total assets under management, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

 

Categories: People

NEFFA | New Fashion Factory secures Seed funding, spearheaded by the Capricorn Industrial Biotech Fund

Capricorn

Dutch biotech innovator NEFFA (New Fashion Factory) proudly announces the successful closure of its seed funding round, signalling a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize the fashion and interior industries through the use of innovative automated, seamless 3D manufacturing technology powered by circular lab-grown materials, including the revolutionary mushroom-based MYCOTEX.

Founded by Aniela Hoitink, NEFFA has attracted a prestigious consortium of investors, each bringing not only essential funding but also a wealth of industry expertise and influential connections, having extensive experience in biotechnology and fashion. This achievement also reaffirms the trust of NEFFA’s current investors, who share the vision of a brighter future for sustainable technology and materials.

The seed funding round was spearheaded by the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund (part of the Capricorn Industrial Biotech Fund) and is managed by the Cleantech Team of Capricorn Partners. Collaborating alongside are two of NEFFA’s existing institutional investors: the DOEN Foundation and ROM Utrecht Region. The final partner in this stellar consortium is PDS Ventures, a fashion-centric fund committed to fostering a sustainable value chain within the fashion industry.

Nicoline van Enter, Co-founder of NEFFA, underscores the alignment between the company’s mission and its investors:

  • NEFFA offers a holistic solution to the sustainability challenges faced by the fashion and interior industries. These sectors grapple not only with material concerns but also supply chain complexities. Our goal is to enable local, on-demand production with customization options and a robust end-of-life system. Having spent considerable time in the fashion industry ourselves, Aniela and I appreciate the multifaceted nature of these issues. Hence, our approach encompasses a full spectrum, from a digital 3D design system to lab-grown natural materials that can be home-composted, and a zero-waste robotic production line.”

NEFFA’s commitment to translating vision into action is evident through its partnership with German machine producer DESMA. Together, they have already conducted successful tests on a pioneering robotic production cell, leveraging technologies commonly found in current manufacturing processes. This strategic move ensures that NEFFA’s innovative system is primed for scalability. The newly secured capital will drive the development of this production line to pilot scale, while simultaneously enhancing the quality and versatility of NEFFA’s materials.

Aniela Hoitink highlights one of NEFFA’s unique advantages:

  • Distinguishing us from most competitors, we employ liquid biomass, enabling us to construct products in 3D. In the past year, our biochemistry lab has unearthed several promising material compositions previously unexplored, endowing our materials with unparalleled versatility and tactile qualities. The infusion of new funding will allow us to further refine and patent these groundbreaking innovations.”

The investment in NEFFA marks the first investment for the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund. As an early-stage Article 9 Fund, it invests in young ventures that use the power of industrial biotech to solve sustainability challenges.

Damien van der Bijl, Investment Director at Capricorn Partners:

  • We truly believe in the holistic approach of NEFFA to tackle the big sustainability challenges of the fashion industry, by offering a fully sustainable material, as well as reductions in waste and water usage. On top of that, the NEFFA method offers designers a whole new universe of possibilities in shapes, textures, and functionality. We really look forward to the exciting products that designers and brands will create with NEFFA!”.

NEFFA’s successful seed funding round not only marks a significant step forward for the company but also reaffirms the growing momentum of sustainable solutions within the fashion and interior industries. As NEFFA continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, the global community can look forward to a more sustainable, customizable, and environmentally conscious future.

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