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Apax Funds to acquire Alcumus

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Apax

Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (the “Apax”) announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Alcumus (or “the Company”), a global leader in technology-led risk management and compliance solutions, from Inflexion. The Company’s management team will remain significant shareholders in the business following the transaction. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close end of Q1 2022. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Alcumus helps organisations of all sizes anticipate, manage, and avoid risks, thereby improving outcomes for employees and company operations. Alcumus has a unique breadth of technology-enabled services, providing solutions to over 42,000 contractor and supplier customers, and over 3,000 enterprises. These services are critical in improving worker protection and compliance with regulations and international standards. Apax’s expertise across software, services, ESG and digitisation, ideally positions it to partner with Alcumus’s management team in the next stage of the Company’s evolution.

Alyn Franklin, CEO, Alcumus, said: “I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve already to-date and am confident we have the right strategic partner in Apax to support our next phase of growth. The solutions Alcumus provide are trusted around the world, from our expanding member base of SME’s through to some of the most prominent, international enterprise brands.  Now Apax will help us unlock even more value from our chosen markets.”

Frank Ehmer, Partner, Apax, commented: “EHS services is a sector Apax knows well having followed the space for a number of years, and we have long considered Alcumus as a stand-out player in this market. We believe Alyn, senior management, and the entire employee base of Alcumus, represent a best-in-class team, who are set to continue and accelerate their strong track record.”

Anders Meyerhoff, Partner, Apax, added: “We have been incredibly impressed with the high-quality business and culture that Alyn and his team have built. We are excited to partner with such great people and look forward to further supporting Alcumus and all the employees as they create a safer and more sustainable world.”

Apax was advised by Allen & Overy LLP (lead counsel), Houlihan Lokey (lead financial advisor), the Boston Consulting Group (commercial advisor) and Deloitte (financial and tax advisor). Alcumus was advised by Eversheds Sutherland LLP (legal advisor) and Harris Williams & Co. (financial advisor).

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Apax Funds to Acquire Controlling Stake in Ole Smoky Distillery from Centerview Capital

Apax

Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP ( “Apax”) today announced that they have reached an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Ole Smoky Distillery (“Ole Smoky” or the “Company”), one of the fastest growing spirits companies in the US, from Centerview Capital. Ole Smoky founders Joe Baker and Cory Cottongim, and management will remain significant shareholders in the Company. The transaction is expected to close by April 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 2010 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Ole Smoky is a leading distiller of premium moonshines and whiskeys that are renowned for their high quality, innovative and award-winning flavors. In 2021, the Beverage Information Group awarded Ole Smoky five Growth Brand Awards. The company has also been recognized for two consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing companies and has been a winner of Shanken’s Impact Hot Brand Award every year since 2017.

As one of the largest craft distillers in the U.S. and the most visited in the world, Ole Smoky sold over 1 million 9L cases in 2021 and holds the No. 1 share position in moonshine according to NielsenIQ. The Company retails its products across all 50 states and over 20 countries around the world, through over forty-five thousand points of distribution and four experiential distilleries that welcomed over 5.7 million visitors in 2021.

Centerview Capital invested in Ole Smoky in 2013. Since its investment, Centerview Capital has helped the Company accelerate its growth, broaden its product portfolio of high-quality spirits and expand its differentiated distilleries business. Ole Smoky has nearly quadrupled in size under Centerview Capital’s ownership. Centerview Capital values its partnership with Joe Baker, Cory Cottongim, and the management team led by Robert Hall.

The Apax team, working in partnership with Ole Smoky’s management team, will look to accelerate the Company’s already impressive growth rate, building on the success it has already achieved to date, through continued investment in the core brand, and support the strategic acquisition of complementary brands in American Whiskey and adjacent categories.

Robert Hall, CEO, Ole Smoky, added: “Ole Smoky is a true pioneer in the spirits industry and the business continues to go from strength to strength, selling a record one million 9L cases in 2021. This incredible progress in a short space of time is testament to the hard work of our talented team, and I’m pleased to welcome Apax, who have the right skills and insights to partner with us in the next phase of our growth journey. We want to thank the team at Centerview Capital for their commitment and partnership over the past 8 years as we have significantly increased the size of our business and expanded our brands.”

Joe Baker, Founder of Ole Smoky, said: “We are excited to partner with Apax as we enter the next chapter of our business. I’m most proud that, alongside my wife Jessi, and partners Cory Cottongim, Tony Breeden, and Chuck Edwards, we built a business from a small shop in our hometown of Gatlinburg into a TN brand that supports hundreds of families and is now sold in stores across the world. With the combined experience and knowledge of Apax and our outstanding management team, we believe we can accelerate our impressive trajectory, sharing our premium spirits with more customers, in more places.”

Nick Hartman, Partner at Apax, said: “Having analyzed the beverage alcohol space closely over the last several years, we have long been impressed by Ole Smoky’s brand reputation, authentic product offering and loyal customer base. The brand has enduring momentum and clear potential to become a leading spirits platform. We applaud the management team for driving phenomenal growth alongside a steadfast commitment to responsible consumption and community stewardship.  We look forward to working closely with management, Joe and Robert to leverage our experience and operational know-how to continue to delight customers and achieve continued success.”

Jim Kilts, Centerview Capital Co-Founder, said: “Moonshine and whiskies are part of American culture and the culture of Tennessee. We are honored to have partnered with the Ole Smoky team to bring their brands to more American consumers and create an enduring fast-growing, beloved spirits company.”

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Balance Point Announces its Investment in The Stable

Balance Point Capital
Westport, CT, February 10, 2022 – Balance Point Capital Advisors, LLC (“Balance Point”), in conjunction with its affiliated funds, Balance Point Capital Partners III, L.P., Balance Point Capital Partners IV, L.P., and Balance Point Capital Partners V, L.P., is pleased to announce its investment in The Stable Group, LLC (“The Stable”), a portfolio company of Growth Catalyst Partners (“GCP”). Balance Point provided a creative, flexible financing solution that facilitated The Stable’s acquisition of two of the leading Shopify agencies, BVA and Zehner.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, The Stable is a cross-platform retail and e-commerce services agency that works with leading consumer brands. The Stable’s omnichannel offering includes retail launch and management, media, creative, and data and insights across Target, Walmart and Amazon. The acquisitions bring together The Stable’s retail commerce capabilities with BVA’s and Zehner’s deep DTC and Shopify design and implementation expertise. The combined offering creates the largest, strongest, and most impactful modern commerce agency for consumer brands globally.
“We are very excited to partner with The Stable and GCP teams on this transaction,” said Justin Kaplan, Partner at Balance Point. “As the lines between physical and digital retail have blurred, operating as a consumer company has become incredibly complex. We believe The Stable is unmatched in its ability to simplify this landscape while driving growth for consumer brands.”
Chad Hetherington, CEO and Co-Founder of The Stable, said “We are thrilled to have Balance Point as a partner. Their creativity, speed and capital accessibility were critical to completing these acquisitions, which now position The Stable as a global leader for helping brands activate across all channels of commerce.”
“Balance Point delivered a creative and timely solution to get these deals done,” added James O’Callaghan, Managing Director at GCP. “We are pleased to be expanding upon our strong partnership together and Balance Point will be invaluable in supporting our continued expansion goals.”
About Balance Point
Balance Point is an alternative investment manager focused on the lower middle market. With approximately $1.7 billion in assets under management, Balance Point invests debt and equity capital in select lower middle market companies across a variety of investment vehicles. Balance Point takes a long-term, partnership approach to investing and is committed to building lasting relationships with its partners, management teams and intermediaries.
Balance Point is a registered investment advisor. Further information is available at www.balancepointcapital.com.
About The Stable
The Stable is a commerce agency that connects brands and consumers across all channels. Leveraging a full suite of omnichannel capabilities, The Stable drives revenue and efficiency for brands through both retail and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels. Backed by data, fueled by insights, and brought to life through world-class sales and operations, creative, digital, and patented technology, The Stable builds and executes strategies that acquire customers, create immersive experiences, and scale brands.
For more information visit www.thestable.com.

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KKR acquires three self-storage properties serving the Atlanta, ST. Petersburg and Washington D.C. markets

KKR

Acquisitions Grow KKR’s Self-Storage Platform to Over 13,500 Units Across the U.S.

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that KKR has acquired three Class A self-storage properties in high-growth U.S. markets totaling approximately 2,000 units. The properties were acquired in three separate transactions with different sellers for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $70 million.

The newly acquired properties are located in Atlanta, Georgia, St. Petersburg, Florida and Alexandria, Virginia. Two of the assets were built between 2018 and 2020, while the third was built in 2001. The purchases mark KKR’s first self-storage real estate acquisitions in St. Petersburg and the Washington D.C. metropolitan statistical area (MSA), as well as the latest addition to KKR’s self-storage portfolio serving the Atlanta MSA.

“We are excited to expand our self-storage portfolio with the addition of these three high-quality properties, which deepen our presence in Atlanta and establish new foundations for growth in St. Petersburg and Washington D.C.,” said Ben Brudney, a Director in the Real Estate group at KKR. “We believe the self-storage sector has attractive long-term, through-cycle fundamentals and look forward to growing our footprint further in the space by investing in great properties located in markets with strong demand tailwinds.”

The purchases were made through KKR’s Americas opportunistic equity real estate fund, KKR Real Estate Partners Americas III. The transactions follow KKR’s announcement last year of the launch of Alpha Storage Properties (ASP) to acquire and manage a portfolio of self-storage assets in high-growth markets and strategic infill locations across the country. KKR’s self-storage portfolio currently includes properties serving the Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Inland Empire, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, St. Petersburg and Washington D.C. markets.

Since launching a dedicated real estate platform in 2011, KKR has grown real estate assets under management to approximately $41 billion across the U.S., Europe and Asia as of December 31, 2021. The global real estate team consists of over 135 dedicated investment professionals, spanning both the equity and credit businesses.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

Media:

Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

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Ardian-backed AD Education acquires the European operations of SAE International, a leader in Audiovisual and creative media higher education

Ardian

AD Education, a leading European higher education platform, announces the acquisition of the European operations of SAE International (“SAE Europe”), a leader in Audiovisual and Creative Media higher education, from Navitas. This marks an important milestone as AD Education extends its geographical footprint, notably in the DACH region, and strengthens its position as the largest Creative Arts pure player in Europe.

SAE Europe has developed a strong reputation across the Creative Arts industry and has been widely recognized, particularly in Audio. It has also developed a large footprint across Europe, with 22 campuses in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands. SAE Europe delivers accredited Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Audio, Video games, Filmmaking, and Website development to 4,000+ students and generates over €50 million of revenues.

Following the recent acquisitions of Barreira Arte y Diseño in 2020, a Design & Graphical Arts leading school in Spain, and IMAAT in 2021, a French specialist in Audiovisual, the acquisition of SAE Europe is a landmark transaction enabling AD Education to consolidate its strong position in Europe with a presence in 6 new countries while expanding its courses offering in Audiovisual.

Together, AD Education and SAE Europe will capitalize on their leading positions in their respective markets in order to roll out both AD Education and SAE programs in countries, schools and campuses where such programs are not yet in place. This will allow to reinforce the offering of the group, further enriching their educational content to the benefit of the students. Both companies actually share common DNA and visions, with their main focus being the students’ fulfilment and their employability in a growing Creative Arts job market.

Founded in 2009, AD Education is a leading European higher education platform, pure player in the field of Creative Arts and teaching to more than 18,000 students in 14 schools on 44 campuses in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. AD Education covers 4 main sub-segments: Design & Graphical Arts, Media & Digital, Audiovisual and Culture & Luxury.

“We are excited to welcome the SAE Europe family to the Group. We share common values, dedicating time and energy to the development of academic programs and accompanying students towards their professional lives. We strongly believe that this combination will be mutually beneficial to both companies and we look forward to working with SAE Management team and employees to make SAE brand thrive.” KEVIN GUENEGAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE AD EDUCATION GROUP

“We are very proud to accompany AD Education, Kevin Guenegan and the management team in this major acquisition which is a key milestone in the acceleration of the internationalization and development of the group. The partnership with SAE Europe will support AD Education’s strong growth in Europe and further improve value proposition for the combined Group’s students.“ EMMANUEL MIQUEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR IN THE BUYOUT TEAM AT ARDIAN

The joint company will teach to more than 22,000 students in 10 countries in Europe with combined revenues close to €200 million.

The transaction remains subject to antitrust approval.

PARTIES TO THE TRANSACTION

  • AD EDUCATION

    • KEVIN GUENEGAN, MARTIN CORIAT, BENOIT WECKX

  • ARDIAN

    • EMMANUEL MIQUEL, NICOLAS TRANI, JEAN-BAPTISTE HUNAUT, ANOUK DAOUDAL

  • LEGAL ADVISORS

    • CORPORATE ADVISOR: WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER (EDUARDO FERNANDEZ, PHILIP COLETTO, WILLIAM BUCHANAN, GIL KIENER, SARAH BIBAS)
    • FINANCING ADVISORS: LATHAM & WATKINS (XAVIER FARDE, CARLA-SOPHIE IMPERADEIRO)
    • STRUCTURING ADVISORS: LATHAM & WATKINS (OLIVIA RAUCH-RAVISÉ, CLÉMENCE MOREL) AND KPMG AVOCATS (SOPHIE FOURNIER-DEDOYARD, GAUTHIER MOULINS)

  • BUYER DUE DILIGENCE

    • COMMERCIAL DUE DILIGENCE: BCG (BENJAMIN ENTRAYGUES, GUILLAUME DARRIEUS, CONSTANT MOREZ, JEAN-BAPTISTE POIRET)
    • FINANCIAL DUE DILIGENCE: KPMG (GUILHEM MAGUIN, CHARLES LAPORTE, LAUREN GOODENOUGH)
    • CARVE-OUT DUE DILIGENCE: KPMG (ANTOINE VIRY, JOSSELIN DU PLESSIS)
    • LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE: KPMG AVOCATS (BENOIT ROUCHER, JULIE BRUBACH)
    • TAX DUE DILIGENCE: KPMG AVOCATS (SOPHIE FOURNIER-DEDOYARD, GAUTHIER MOULINS)
    • LABOR DUE DILIGENCE: KPMG AVOCATS (OLIVIER MASI, CHRISTINE PIAULT)

ABOUT AD EDUCATION

Founded in 2009, AD Education is a leading European higher education platform, pure player in the field of Creative Arts and teaching to more than 18,000 students in 14 schools on 44 campuses in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. AD Education covers 4 main sub-segments: Design & Graphical Arts, Media & Digital, Audiovisual and Culture & Luxury. Following the acquisition, AD Education will operate in 10 countries in Europe with a turnover close to €200 million.

https://www.ad-education.com

ABOUT SAE

SAE Creative Media Institute is the place for creatives and innovators. Since 1976 we’ve been the leaders in creative media education across animation, audio, creative industries, creative technologies, design, film, games, and music. Every year, we support more than 10,000 students globally to develop the skills and experience needed to carve successful careers. Students enjoy access to the latest technology and are taught by industry-experienced faculty, while putting their skills to the test in small class environments. Our graduates become part of a highly-respected global community of creatives that’s been around for over 40 years. We pride ourselves on being technically explorative, transformative and brave through our range of creative media programs, from short courses and professional training through to bachelor and postgraduate degrees. In Australia, our programs are delivered at campuses in Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. SAE is a part of Navitas Pty Ltd.

https://www.sae.edu

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$125bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base. Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world. Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 850 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,200 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

https://www.ardian.com/

MEDIA CONTACTS

ARDIAN

HEADLAND ELLEN JOHNSON

ejohnson@headlandconsultancy.com+44 207 3435 7469

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Baird Capital Exits Portfolio Company Nigel Wright Group

Baird Capital
Baird Capital’s Private Equity team recently announced that portfolio company Nigel Wright Group has refinanced the business and purchased all outstanding equity from their two institutional shareholders (Baird Capital and Beechbrook Capital). This move completes the full exit for Baird Capital following the MBO initiated in October 2020.Nigel Wright has operated for over 30 years from its headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne where it remains the leading and largest specialist recruitment firm in the North of England. It has expanded across Europe to become Europe’s number one consumer sector search specialist. Baird Capital initially invested in Nigel Wright in 2010.

“It was a pleasure to partner with Nigel Wright over the last 10 years, and we wish Paul Wilson and his talented team of executive directors great success,” said Dennis Hall, Partner and Head of Portfolio Management with Baird Capital. “This exit marks a new chapter for the firm, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.”

Learn more here.

Baird Capital Partners Europe Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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The Hg Foundation forms a €750,000 partnership with The Technical University of Munich (TUM)

HG Capital

The programme will support mathematics, IT, natural sciences & technology (MINT) education for young women through tailored courses at rural Bavarian schools.

  • The MINT-Impulse project aims to reach 600 girls & young women per year at select schools from rural areas across Bavaria, focused on those facing barriers to access extracurricular programmes.
  • Female TUM instructors will work on modern research projects, side-by-side with the participants for one school day, offering hands-on exposure to the research field whilst also providing much needed role models.
  • The project offers participants a protected space to gain personal experience in natural sciences and technology, helping to boost self-confidence in their MINT abilities.
  • The Hg Foundation will support MINT-Impulse an der Schule for an initial 3-year period worth €750,000, and will be accompanied by a longitudinal study to trace long-term benefits of the programme.

The Technical University of Munich (“TUM”) today announces that it has formed a €750,000 partnership with The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity with a defined focus on education and technology.

Despite the propagation of equal opportunity in Germany, many professional fields in mathematics, natural sciences, IT and technology are still regarded as male domains. The effects of gender stereotyping remain strong and young women who decide against role-conforming occupations need support. Many still have little opportunity to gain regular practical experience in MINT subjects outside traditional school lessons and this lack of exposure can lead to a low MINT self-concept. In 2019, 48% of all pupils graduating from secondary school in Germany were female. In the same year, however, only 21% of all young people who chose a career with a focus on MINT subjects were women. TUM sees positive personal experience in working with MINT topics can counteract this issue, yet only a few such programmes exist.

The partnership between TUM and The Hg Foundation will support MINT-Impulse an der Schule – a mobile programme tailored specifically for girls in grades 9 and 10 (between ages 14 and 16 years old). MINT-Impulse projects focus on practical learning and will take place at various schools across Bavaria that face barriers accessing extracurricular programmes, either due to lack of resource, or simply because they are in more remote, rural locations. Female TUM instructors who are active in current research projects at TUM will travel to their students providing project work, side-by-side for one school day, offering them hands-on exposure to the research field, whilst also providing role models for participants. Equipped with first project knowledge from an online meeting before the on-site meeting, the girls will meet their instructors at their school and work in small groups on their projects. The programme is completed by an online-follow-up.

The Hg Foundation was formed in 2020 with the goal to make an impact on the development of skills most required for employment within the technology industry, focusing on individuals who may otherwise experience barriers to access. The Hg Foundation is backed by Hg, a leading software and services investor.

Grant funding from The Hg Foundation will enable more staff to be hired exclusively for the MINT-Impulse programme. It will also fund the expansion and development of new courses, source better material resources and enable gender-sensitive seminars for educators. The support will also commission an evaluation programme and scientific longitudinal panel study to determine the long-term effect of the programme. This research will inform the international student lab community and provide evidence needed to support further work in this field.

Christine Hager, Team leader at ExploreTUM, said: “Science and technology – that’s not for girls!” Unfortunately, you still hear such sentences. With our programme, we want to counteract this persistent stereotype. And the first test runs at the schools show: The mix of exciting project topics, hands-on exposure and authentic role-models works! After the project day many girls are enthusiastic – about the topics, the female TUM instructors and especially about their own abilities in this environment. We are excited to partner with The Hg Foundation, who shares our vision and who have been very entrepreneurial and pragmatic in their support. Their help will not only support the programme itself but also further important research on the impact and success factors.”

Cornelius Becker, Trustee at The Hg Foundation, added: “Across many of The Hg Foundation’s partnerships we have been strong believers in the effectiveness of in-person mentoring and role-models. We are delighted to be supporting a programme that uses these tools to empower young women to take a conscious decision about furthering interest and skills in MINT subjects. TUM is one of the world’s leading technical research universities and they have put forward some truly inspiring female instructors for the programme. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

The Technical University of Munich (TUM)

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s top universities. It is committed to excellence in research and teaching, interdisciplinary education and the active promotion of promising young scientists. Its unique range of disciplines includes engineering, natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, political and social sciences as well as management. The university forges strong links with companies and scientific institutions across the world, and is represented internationally with locations on several continents, among them the first German academic venture abroad, TUM Asia. Its main campuses span several large sites in Bavaria and southern Germany, which are also home to the TUM Schools and Departments. TUM was also one of the first universities in Germany to be named a University of Excellence, regularly ranks among the best European universities in international rankings and is one of the most renowned technical universities worldwide.

TUM Entdeckerinnen

“TUM Entdeckerinnen” (TUM Female Explorers), a programme of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) tailored specifically to support girls in the mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology (STEM) subjects. Department chairs at TUM prepare compelling and up-to-date research topics within the STEM subjects as project courses for girls in grades 9 and 10 between the ages of 14 and 16 (one day as an on-site course, plus preparation and follow-up). For more information visit:  https://www.explore.tum.de/en/explore/mintimpulse/

About The Hg Foundation:

The Hg Foundation is a grant-giving charity with a defined focus on education and technology. Our goal is to support those who may otherwise experience barriers to access, with the acquisition of skills that are often required for employment within the technology industry. We aim to achieve this by providing funding and operational support to charitable schemes and partnerships across the UK, USA and Europe where we can demonstrate measurable, long-term and scalable impact and make a difference to those that need it most.

These partnerships include Sponsors for Educational Opportunity’s SEO Tech Developer programme in the USA; a partnership with Imperial College London providing a variety of interventions for Further Maths A-Level students; upReach’s Tech500 programme which looks to support 500 undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who are looking to secure graduate roles in the technology sector; Generation France’s new tech-focused partnership, supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals into life‑changing tech careers in France; and The Tutor Trust, which is testing a pilot hybrid online /offline tutoring scheme to support interventions under the UK’s National Tutoring Programme. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216.

For more information, please visit the website at www.thehgfoundation.com.

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Onex Partners to Invest in Analytic Partners

Onex

Toronto, ON, New York, NY, February 8, 2022 – Onex Corporation (“Onex”) (TSX: ONEX)
today announced that Onex Partners V, Onex’ $7.2 billion fund, has agreed to make a significant
investment in Analytic Partners, Inc. (“Analytic Partners” or the “company”) in partnership with
the company’s founder.

Analytic Partners is a leading cloud-based, managed software platform which helps global F1000
customers assess marketing spend effectiveness and optimize future allocations across offline and
online media channels. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, Analytic Partners
deploys its solutions, supported by a proprietary longitudinal dataset, across 55 countries with
approximately 270 employees throughout 14 offices globally. In The Forrester Wave™:
Marketing Measurement and Optimization Q1 2022 report, Analytic Partners was named a Leader
and was top ranked in the Strategy category among all evaluated vendors.

“We are delighted to add the intellectual and financial firepower of Onex Partners to Analytic
Partners to further accelerate our growth,” said Nancy Smith, Founder, President and CEO of
Analytic Partners. “Our partnership with Onex Partners aligns perfectly with our core values of
People, Passion and Growth. Through our employee equity plan I am proud to announce that
every member of our team will benefit from this investment. Our customers, who are the
motivation for our Passion, will also benefit greatly as our partnership with Onex Partners will
further accelerate our technology leadership, drive more innovation, and help us deliver the
solutions our clients need to Adapt, Evolve and Thrive in a rapidly changing marketing landscape.
This is a true win/win/win for our customers, our team and our partners.”
“We feel incredibly privileged that Nancy has chosen us as her partner to continue building
Analytic Partners. The company’s GPS Enterprise managed software solution, supported by its
proprietary ROI Genome dataset and analytical capabilities, have allowed Analytic Partners to
provide a compelling value proposition to its customers and we expect this to continue,” said Kosty

Gilis, a Managing Director at Onex Partners. “We are extremely enthusiastic about the company’s
prospects as the need to accurately assess the effectiveness of marketing campaigns will continue
to grow which, combined with the opportunity to further leverage Analytic Partners’ capabilities
across a wider range of end markets and geographies, presents a compelling value creation
opportunity over the coming years.”
The transaction is anticipated to close later this year subject to customary closing conditions. The
terms of the transaction are not being disclosed at this time.

On this transaction, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor and Willkie
Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal counsel to Analytic Partners. Latham & Watkins LLP acted
as legal counsel to Onex Partners.

About Onex
Founded in 1984, Onex manages and invests capital on behalf of its shareholders, institutional
investors and high net worth clients from around the world. Onex’ platforms include: Onex
Partners, private equity funds focused on mid- to large-cap opportunities in North America and
Western Europe; ONCAP, private equity funds focused on middle market and smaller
opportunities in North America; Onex Credit, which manages primarily non-investment grade debt
through tradeable, private and opportunistic credit strategies as well as actively managed public
equity and public credit funds; and Gluskin Sheff’s wealth management services. In total, as of
September 30, 2021, Onex has approximately $47 billion of assets under management, of which
approximately $7.9 billion is its own investing capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New
Jersey, Boston and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the
largest investors across Onex’ platforms.
Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol ONEX. For more
information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be
accessed at www.sedar.com.

About Analytic Partners
Analytic Partners is the leading cloud-based, managed software platform which provides adaptive
solutions for deeper business understanding and right-time planning & optimization for marketing
and beyond. We turn data into expertise so that our clients can create powerful connections with
their customers and achieve commercial success. For more information on Analytic Partners, visit
its website at www.analyticpartners.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain, without limitation, statements concerning possible or assumed
future operations, performance or results preceded by, followed by or that include words such as
“believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” and words of
similar connotation, which would constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements are not guarantees. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements and information because they involve significant and diverse risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual operations, performance or results to be materially different from those
indicated in these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by Canadian securities
law, Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein
should material facts change due to new information, future events or other factors. These
cautionary statements expressly qualify all forward-looking statements in this press release.

For Further Information:
Onex
Jill Homenuk
Managing Director – Shareholder Relations
and Communications
+1 416.362.7711
Analytic Partners
Kendall Allen Rockwell
WIT Strategy
kallen@witstrategy.com

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Biolam, the French group of medical laboratories, accelerates

GIMV

Daniel Attias and Gimv continue their organic and external growth strategy in Hauts-de-France and Normandy, enabling Biolam – a group of medical laboratories – to exceed EUR 60 million in turnover (pro forma of the latest acquisitions).

Starting from scratch in 2019, Daniel Attias was supported by Gimv in his first MBI takeover of the Biolam group of laboratories in Amiens. Didier Thibaud joined in 2020 to strengthen the Biolam presence in Normandy. Today, this duo is pursuing an accelerated growth strategy. After four acquisitions and four laboratory creations in 2020, Biolam (www.groupebiolam.fr ) realised three new acquisitions over 2021. The group has consolidated its position in Normandy with the acquisition of Boyer Laboratories, contributing approximately EUR 8 million in additional turnover. In the Hauts-de-France region, Biolam acquired the Mine laboratories in the Valencienne region, where it began its growth by opening two laboratories (Marly and La Madeleine), as well as the acquisition of the Tabardel and Viart laboratory in Béthune.

In 2022, Biolam intends to continue its organic growth with the opening of 6 new laboratories, several acquisitions under negotiation and significant investments in the renewal of its industrial equipment, in Normandy as well as in the Hauts-de-France.

The success of this buy-and-build platform demonstrates once again that the Gimv Health & Care team, together with ambitious management teams, is expert in consolidation projects in Europe.

Gautier Lefebvre, Partner at Gimv, and Kevin Klein, Principal at Gimv, state: “We are impressed by the trajectory of Biolam, which, under the leadership of Daniel Attias and Didier Thibaud, continues to grow extremely fast while investing heavily in its teams and tools in order to build a high quality healthcare offering. This entrepreneurial adventure is a perfect illustration of our ability to support managers in rapid external growth strategies. Over the past two years, Gimv’s Health & Care team has completed 32 acquisitions via 6 build-up platforms.”

Daniel Attias, Chairman of the Biolam Group, says: “We have already exceeded the targets we initially set ourselves with the Gimv team, which is a sign of a very effective collaboration. We start 2022 with great ambitions in a sanitary context where our willingness to invest, our agility and the total engagement of our teams are more necessary than ever.”

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EQT Private Equity and Verdane to sell Forsta to Press Ganey

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  • EQT Private Equity and Verdane to sell Forsta, an industry-leading global provider of customer experience and market research technology, to Press Ganey
  • Forsta was formed through the merger of Confirmit and FocusVision in March 2021, creating a full-service provider of qualitative and quantitative customer experience solutions
  • Under Verdane and EQT Private Equity’s ownership, Forsta has been transformed into a scaled technology platform serving over 5,000 customers in more than 100 countries around the world

EQT and Verdane are pleased to announce that the EQT Mid Market US fund (“EQT Private Equity”), together with the Verdane Capital IX fund (“Verdane”) have agreed to sell Forsta (the “Company”) to Press Ganey, a leader in patient, member, employee and consumer experience across the healthcare ecosystem.

Headquartered in London, U.K., Forsta is a leading provider of customer experience and market research software and services to enterprise customers and market research professionals. Forsta provides solutions in Quantitative (including Surveys & Reporting), Qualitative (including Digital Qual & Live Video, Video Insights), and Voice of the Customer / Voice of the Employee segments, to help deliver intelligence with clarity, confidence, and impact.

The company now known as Forsta was born in 2021 out of a shared thesis at EQT and Verdane of creating an integrated quantitative and qualitative offering for market research agencies and corporate customers. The move was achieved by combining Verdane-owned Confirmit, which Verdane merged with its portfolio company Dapresy in 2020, with FocusVision, acquired by EQT Private Equity in 2015.

The combination doubled the size of the business to create scale for increased investment in product development and go-to-market, while further shifting the business mix towards software. The combined company was subsequently rebranded as “Forsta” to unify the brand strategy and create an integrated go-to-market approach, focused on delivering holistic human insights.

Hajo Krösche, Managing Director within EQT Private Equity’s Advisory Team, said, “Our investments in Forsta’s digital backbone and people have resulted in a compelling technology offering and a track record in human experience solutions, which will serve as invaluable assets to the combined platform going forward. We are excited to have found a long-term home for Forsta in Press Ganey, a company and team with whom we have had a strong relationship for many years.”

Pål Malmros, Partner at Verdane, said, “Forsta will now make the next generation of patient and customer experience better and truly human-focused through its world-leading customer experience and market research technology, allowing Press Ganey to make a quantum leap in its ‘experience of care’ technology solution. Press Ganey’s relationship to Forsta dates back to the Confirmit years, and this event marks the culmination of a growth journey the Verdane team originally set out on in 2017 through our investment in Dapresy. We want to thank the Forsta and EQT teams for an excellent partnership that we now look forward to continuing with Press Ganey.”

Kyle Ferguson, CEO of Forsta, said, “With the critical support of EQT and Verdane, we have created and scaled a comprehensive platform for human experience insights. We look forward to partnering with Press Ganey and to leveraging our world class technology and expertise to accelerate growth across the combined business.”

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals, and is expected to close in H1 2022.

Jefferies acted as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to Verdane, EQT Private Equity and Forsta.

Contact for EQT
US media inquiries: mathilde.milch@eqtpartners.com, +1 (917) 510-6626
European media inquiries: press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

Contact for Verdane
Verdane press office: press@verdane.com, +46 76 27 28 100

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with more than EUR 73.4 billion in assets under management across 28 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas with total sales of approximately EUR 29 billion and more than 175,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

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

About Verdane
Verdane is a specialist growth equity investment firm that partners with tech-enabled and sustainable European businesses to help them reach the next stage of international growth. Verdane can invest as a minority or majority investor, either in single companies or through portfolios of companies, and looks to deploy behind three core themes; the Digital Consumer, Software Everywhere and Sustainable Society. Verdane funds hold €3.6bn in total commitments and have made over 135 investments in fast-growing businesses since 2003. Verdane’s team of 100 investment professionals and operating experts, based out of Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Oslo and Stockholm, is dedicated to being the preferred growth partner to tech-enabled and sustainable businesses in Europe.

More info: www.verdane.com
Follow Verdane on LinkedIn

About Forsta
Forsta is an Experience and Research Technology Platform that gathers and analyzes data, and translates the findings into shareable actions to inform decision making and drive growth. Forsta’s technology is designed to discover, analyze and share smart insights packed with real action potential, and help organizations better understand the full Human Experiences of their audiences.

More info: www.forsta.com

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