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Clearlake and STG to sell Archer to Cinven

Clearlake

Under Clearlake’s and STG’s ownership, Archer has transformed into a leading end-to-end integrated risk management software-as-a-service platform serving customers around the world

 

Santa Monica, CA, Menlo Park, CA, London, UK, and Overland Park, KS – April 13, 2023 – Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”) and Symphony Technology Group (“STG”) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to sell Archer (the “Company”) to Cinven. The transaction is expected to close in the middle of 2023 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

 

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, Archer is a leading provider of integrated risk management (“IRM”) cloud software solutions with products that encompass compliance, governance, security, audit and ESG. STG initially acquired Archer in 2020 as a part of its acquisition of RSA Security LLC from Dell Technologies and subsequently partnered with Clearlake in 2021 to establish Archer as an independent business.

 

Over the course of Clearlake’s and STG’s ownership, Archer was strategically repositioned as a leading standalone IRM platform poised for continued expansion under the guidance of a new executive leadership team. The Archer executive team accelerated product innovation by modernizing its core platform to drive customer satisfaction and launched new product offerings that allowed the Company to broaden its addressable market with a focus on ESG risk quantification and modeling.

 

Leveraging Clearlake’s O.P.S.® strategy and best practices from STG’s software investment portfolio, Archer transformed its global go-to-market motion, resulting in accelerated bookings and annual recurring revenue (“ARR”) growth, while transitioning many of its customers to its cloud subscription offerings. As a result, Archer has approximately doubled the size of its software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) ARR under Clearlake and STG’s ownership. Today, Archer has over 1,000 customers spread throughout the globe, including more than 50% of the Fortune 500 across financial services, healthcare, technology, consumer and other end-markets, and has been awarded 24 cumulative “Leader” positions from Gartner since 2013.

 

“We are thrilled by the tremendous progress Archer has made since re-launching as an independent SaaS Company and we want to recognize the efforts of CEO Bill Diaz and the rest of the management team that have made Archer a leading provider of cloud-based IRM solutions across a broad range of applications, end markets, and geographies,” said Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Prashant Mehrotra, Partner and Managing Director, at Clearlake. “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with the Archer and STG teams to create a solid foundation for the Company’s continued growth under Cinven’s ownership.”

 

“It has been a pleasure partnering with Bill and the entire Archer management team in scaling the business,” said William Chisholm, Managing Partner, at STG. ‘Since the Dell carveout in 2020, we established Archer as a standalone business and drove investments in both product and sales and marketing, which resulted in product innovation and capital efficient growth at the Company. Archer has evolved to become a leader in the SaaS-based integrated risk compliance and management market delivering significant value to its customers and partners.”

 

Mr. Diaz, Chief Executive Officer at Archer, said, “This is a very exciting milestone in Archer’s history after going through a tremendous strategic transformation over the past few years under Clearlake’s and STG’s ownership. Cinven’s acquisition of Archer represents confidence in our ability to accelerate our leadership position in integrated risk management and our goal to help organizations manage risk in the digital era. We are grateful to Clearlake and STG for their support during this process, and we are excited for the next chapter of Archer’s story with Cinven.”

 

“With a portfolio of leading end-to-end software solutions alongside a history of product innovation, we believe Archer is well positioned to capitalize on emerging growth trends in global risk and compliance software markets,” said Julia Kahr, Partner and Head of North America, and Daniel Garin, Senior Principal, at Cinven. “As an independent scaled platform, Archer is strategically differentiated in the IRM market, and we’re excited to partner with the management team to help Archer accelerate growth through both organic and inorganic initiatives.”

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley and Co. LLC acted as financial advisors to Archer. Sidley Austin LLP provided legal counsel to Archer, Clearlake, and STG.

 

About Clearlake

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $70 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK, Dublin, Ireland and Singapore. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.

 

About STG

STG is a private equity partner to market leading companies in data, software, and analytics. The firm brings experience, flexibility, and resources to build strategic value and unlock the potential of innovative companies. Partnering to build customer-centric, market winning portfolio companies, STG creates sustainable foundations for growth that bring value to existing and future stakeholders. The firm is dedicated to transforming and building outstanding technology companies in partnership with world class management teams. STG’s expansive portfolio has consisted of more than 50 global companies. For more information, please visit www.stg.com.

 

About Cinven

Cinven is a leading international private equity firm focused on building world-class global and European companies. Its funds invest in six key sectors: Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT). Cinven has offices in London, New York, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Guernsey and Luxembourg.

 

 

Media Contacts

 

For Archer:

Ben Desjardins

571-758-7286

ben.desjardins@archerirm.com

 

For Clearlake:

Jennifer Hurson

Lambert & Co.

845-507-0571

jhurson@lambert.com

 

For STG:

Gloria Consola

pr@stgpartners.com

 

For Cinven:

Alison Raymond

Alison.Raymond@Cinven.com

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Cinven agrees to acquire Archer

Cinven

Acquisition to create a global leader in governance, risk and compliance technology solutions

International private equity firm Cinven today announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire Archer, a leading provider of integrated risk management solutions, from RSA Security, a portfolio company of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. and Symphony Technology Group. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Archer is a leading provider of governance, risk and compliance (‘GRC’) software globally. Founded in 2000, Archer has a 20+ year track record of providing integrated risk management (‘IRM’) and software solutions across the GRC landscape. Archer’s industry leading solutions support its diverse and growing customer base of large and mid-sized enterprises to improve their strategic decision-making and operational resilience. Headquartered in Kansas, US, Archer has significant international operations in Europe, the Middle East, and APAC, with European expansion a strategic priority.

Having spent significant time targeting investment opportunities in the global GRC subsector, Cinven’s TMT and Business Services sector teams in North America and Europe worked closely together to identify Archer as an attractive primary carve-out investment opportunity, given:

  • The GRC software market is highly attractive, rapidly growing and fragmented, with opportunity for further consolidation;
  • Archer has a leading position, with the opportunity to grow further through organic and inorganic expansion in both North America and Europe;
  • The quality and breadth of Archer’s product portfolio, as it serves more than half of the Fortune 500; and
  • Archer’s highly recurring revenue stream, with strong visibility and high customer retention.

Through this transaction, Cinven will support the long-term strategic growth of Archer’s integrated software platform as a standalone business following the initial carve-out from RSA Security. Drawing on its European and US platform and expertise, Cinven will work in close partnership with management to continue internationalising the business, including executing opportunities to expand Archer’s presence in key markets and verticals across both North America and Europe.

 

Julia Kahr, Partner and Head of North America at Cinven, commented:

“This transaction exemplifies Cinven’s ability to deploy our differentiated sector-country matrix to carve-out and invest behind high-growth businesses, and to position them for long-term success as standalone companies. This is a tremendous opportunity to leverage our sector expertise and established track record of investing in both North America and Europe to drive growth in a leading business with an unmatched product offering in a dynamic and growing market.”

 

Daniel Garin, Senior Principal at Cinven, added:

“The governance, risk and compliance market has been a significant focus area for Cinven globally for many years, and Archer continues to be a leading player in a highly fragmented market. Our investment in Archer builds on our strong track record of driving product innovation and geographic expansion that better supports customers around the world.”

 

Bill Diaz, Chief Executive Officer at Archer, commented:

“Cinven has a strong track record of driving value in software businesses and they are the ideal partner to support Archer’s next phase of growth. This partnership with Cinven will allow us to capitalize on significant growth opportunities both organically and through strategic acquisitions and further accelerate our leading position to the benefit of our customers, employees and all stakeholders.”

 

Upon the close of the transaction, Bill Diaz will continue to lead the business as Chief Executive Officer alongside the existing Archer leadership team.

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

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Investcorp Acquires Shearer Supply, a Leading HVAC Equipment Distributor

Investcorp

Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, today announced a majority investment in Shearer Supply (“Shearer” or “the Company”), a leading independent distributor of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (“HVAC”) equipment for residential and commercial properties in the southern United States region. Shearer’s management team, the Shearer family and PNC Riverarch Capital will remain shareholders in the Company alongside Investcorp. Additional financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1983, Shearer is one of the nation’s largest independent distributors of HVAC equipment, parts and supplies serving over 5,500 customers from 22 branches across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Shearer’s core product lines include American Standard Residential and Commercial HVAC, Ameristar Heating and Air Conditioning and Samsung HVAC.

“Shearer operates in a large, resilient and highly fragmented market driven by non-discretionary replacement demand and will continue to benefit from strong secular tailwinds including an aging housing stock, shortening replacement cycles and favorable regulation, in addition to its attractive Southern US geographic footprint. We are excited to partner with the Shearer family to drive organic growth and further expansion,” said Dave Tayeh, Head of Private Equity – North America at Investcorp. “We have experienced robust activity across our North American Private Equity platform this year, underscoring the strength of our strategy in partnering with growing, founder-led businesses as they look to scale their businesses.”

“Investcorp has an established history of working with companies like Shearer and have demonstrated a strong track record in HVAC and specialty distribution,” said Michelle Shearer-Rodriguez, CEO at Shearer Supply. “We are looking forward to partnering with them on our next phase of growth and leveraging their strong industry insights.”

“Shearer provides a compelling value proposition for both contractors and original equipment manufacturers, acting as a one-stop-shop local partner with a breadth of products, expertise and value-added services,” said Steve Miller, Managing Director, Private Equity – North America at Investcorp. “This is an impressive family-owned and run business that has differentiated itself in its ability to scale and grow in excess of the market throughout its history and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Company’s highly motivated management team.”

Investcorp has unique experience in the HVAC industry and specialty distribution, with investments including Arrowhead, ATD, Berlin Packaging and The Wrench Group.

This announcement follows the final closing of Investcorp North American Private Equity Fund I, L.P., which focuses on control buy-out investments in middle market service businesses in North America. Fund I closed at over $1.2 billion in capital commitments. Investcorp’s North America Private Equity group has been investing in North American mid-market businesses for over 40 years and has completed approximately 70 transactions, deploying more than $22 billion in transaction value since inception.

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Blue Owl Capital Launches Strategic Equity Strategy With Hiring of Chris Crampton

Blue Owl logo

New York, New York, April 11, 2023 – Blue Owl Capital Inc. (“Blue Owl”) (NYSE:OWL) today announced the launch of its Strategic Equity Strategy with the hiring of Chris Crampton as a Managing Director.

Crampton brings nearly two decades of experience as a private markets investor, having previously served as a Partner and Head of Services and Industrials private equity investing within the Merchant Banking and Asset Management Divisions of Goldman Sachs. Crampton invested across a range of investment vehicle types, asset classes and sectors while at Goldman, including traditional buyout, infrastructure, growth/technology, hybrid equity, distressed and private credit funds.

At Blue Owl, Crampton will spearhead the creation of the “Blue Owl Strategic Equity Strategy” which will focus on single-asset GP-led secondary transactions, or continuation fund investments. The effort will benefit from Blue Owl’s direct lending and GP capital solutions divisions, with fundraising targeting both institutional investors and private wealth channels.

Doug Ostrover, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Owl Capital said: “Creating a complementary equity and secondaries strategy for our clients is a natural extension of Blue Owl’s existing business given our sizable origination funnel and deep relationships with leading financial sponsors. Combining Blue Owl’s global platform with Chris Crampton’s extensive investment experience in private markets further reinforces our value proposition as a leading solutions provider to the alternative asset management industry.”

Chris Crampton, Managing Director at Blue Owl Capital said: “Continuation funds are a nascent but rapidly growing asset class with significant opportunity and potential for Blue Owl’s investors and private equity partners. I look forward to bringing this differentiated offering to market and working with Doug and the team to leverage the substantial synergies across the unique Blue Owl investment platform.”

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “future,” “propose,” “target,” “goal,” “objective,” “outlook” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions available under applicable securities laws and speak only as of the date made. Blue Owl assumes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements except as required by law.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Blue Owl’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of strategic acquisitions; costs related to acquisitions; the inability to maintain the listing of Blue Owl’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”); Blue Owl’s ability to manage growth; Blue Owl’s ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections; potential litigation involving Blue Owl; changes in applicable laws or regulations; and the possibility that Blue Owl may be adversely affected by other economic, business, geo-political and competitive factors.

Investor Contact
Ann Dai
Head of Investor Relations
blueowlir@blueowl.com

Media Contact
Nick Theccanat
Principal, Corporate Communications & Public Policy
nick.theccanat@blueowl.com

Categories: People

Renta acquires Hyrpoolen

IK Partners

Renta Group Oy (“Renta Group” or “Renta”) is strengthening its position in Sweden through the acquisition of Hederén Maskinuthyrning AB (“Hyrpoolen” or “the Company”). Hyrpoolen is a Swedish general rental company with two depots located in the Stockholm area. The Company has more than 30 employees and annual revenues of approximately SEK 70 million.

The acquisition expands Renta’s presence in the southern and eastern parts of Stockholm and is perfectly aligned with Renta’s strategy to strengthen its position in the capital region. The transaction marks another strategic step in building a nationwide network and following the transaction Renta will have 54 depots across Sweden.

Hyrpoolen’s profitable operations and local business model makes it an excellent fit for Renta. Hyrpoolen will continue to serve its customers with the same local approach and high-quality services as before and further benefit from implementing Renta’s cutting edge digital solutions to complement their services. The experienced management team and strong local market standing will provide a good foundation for continued growth in the region.

The acquisition was signed and completed on the 5th of April.

Kari Aulasmaa, CEO of Renta Group, said: 

“Hyrpoolen fits our strategic agenda very well given the profitable operations and local business model. The Company has a strong presence in attractive parts of Stockholm and has a reputation of providing high-quality services appreciated by its customers. We are very pleased to join forces with Hyrpoolen and look forward to the journey ahead.”

Per Gustavsson, CEO of Hyrpoolen, said: 

“We have been looking for a partner for some time to support us in further developing our operations and we are happy to say that Renta is an excellent match for us. Renta shares our values and partnering with them will provide us access to a broader range of equipment and to Renta’s top-notch digital solutions. Hyrpoolen has a solid customer base, a strong reputation and a deep knowledge of the local market in southern Stockholm. I am convinced that together with Renta we will become even stronger and the preferred partner for customers in our region.”

Enquiries: ir@renta.com

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KKR Invests in Leading Strategic Advisory and Communications Firm, FGS Global

KKR

NEW YORK & LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR today announced an agreement to make a growth investment in leading strategic advisory and communications firm, FGS Global (the “Company”). Under the terms of the agreement, WPP plc (“WPP”) will remain the Company’s majority owner and FGS employees will remain substantial shareholders. FGS also plans to expand its employee ownership to include nearly half of its staff worldwide. Golden Gate Capital, an FGS shareholder since 2016, will exit its investment through the sale of its interest to KKR.

FGS is a leader in all aspects of strategic advisory and communications, including corporate reputation, crisis management, government affairs and is a leading advisor on business-critical financial communications worldwide. FGS’s always-on global platform delivers trusted advice, data-driven insights and hands-on execution for clients navigating their defining moments. The Company’s 1,300 experts across 27 global offices oversee an integrated suite of reputation-shaping capabilities, with deep local relationships and extensive knowledge across industries and geographies. FGS empowers its over 1,600 clients to effectively engage with their key stakeholders and supports them in navigating important issues ranging from sustainability to litigation, regulatory developments and cybersecurity.

Philipp Freise, Partner and Co-Head of European Private Equity at KKR, stated: “Our investment in FGS is the latest example of our focus on proprietary, strategic partnership investments where we are providing long-term capital and a global network of resources to an entrepreneurial management team and alongside a world-class business. We firmly believe that Alex Geiser, Carter Eskew, Roland Rudd, George Sard and their talented global team are pioneering the next generation of value-add strategic communications services. Stakeholder engagement is a boardroom issue and we are confident that FGS, with whom we have enjoyed a long-term relationship, is well positioned to capitalize on significant growth opportunities ahead as a global category leader in the growing management consulting service industry.”

Alexander Geiser, Global CEO of FGS, added, “We are thrilled to have found a partner in KKR, who shares our vision of creating a global integrated communications consultancy and will help us to accelerate the evolution of our industry. Companies are operating in increasingly complex stakeholder ecosystems and FGS was created to build a new kind of consultancy to help leaders face this challenge. KKR’s exceptional investment track record, extensive experience and global resources will be invaluable as we seek to grow our integrated solutions globally. We are committed to creating value for all of our shareholders. This includes many of our colleagues who will be able to participate in our long-term success through a new expanded ownership program that we will create, which we believe is without precedent in our industry.”

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “FGS has established itself as a global leader in strategic advisory and communications, providing board-level counsel to the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are delighted to welcome KKR as a new strategic partner in FGS, in a transaction that recognizes the tremendous value of the business and its potential for continued strong growth.”

FGS was recently ranked the #1 Global PR firm for Deal Count and Value in 2022 by Mergermarket. It is also consistently ranked a Band 1 PR firm for Crisis & Risk Management and for Litigation Support by Chambers and Partners. FGS was created through a combination of leading strategic communications and public affairs firms: Finsbury, The Glover Park Group, Hering Schuppener, and Sard Verbinnen & Co.

KKR is making the investment in FGS primarily through its European Fund VI, an $8 billion fund that invests in the growth of leading businesses by providing access to KKR’s extensive network and business building resources. One of the core strategies of KKR’s European Private Equity team is investing alongside founders, entrepreneurs and corporates to provide flexible capital for strategic partnership transactions. The FGS investment follows a similar thematic pursued when KKR invested in ERM, the world’s largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, in 2021.

The transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

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 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.

About FGS
FGS is a leading global strategic communications consultancy, with 1,300 experts around the world, advising clients in navigating complex situations and reputational challenges. FGS Global was formed from the combination of Finsbury, The Glover Park Group, Hering Schuppener and Sard Verbinnen & Co to offer board-level and c-suite counsel in all aspects of strategic communications — including corporate reputation, crisis management, government affairs and is also the leading force in financial communications worldwide.

FGS offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., West Palm Beach, and Zurich. The headquarters is based in New York.

About WPP
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.

KKR
Julia Leeger/ Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
media@kkr.com

FGS Global
Dorothy Burwell / Brooke Gordon / Jennifer Loven / Dirk von Manikowsky
mediaglobal@fgsglobal.com

WPP
Chris Wade / Niken Wresniwiro / Richard Oldworth
Chris.wade@wpp.com / Niken.Wresniwiro@wpp.com / richard.oldworth@buchanancomms.co.uk

Source: KKR

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PNO Group and Bencis Capital Partners join hands to speed up international growth strategy

Bencis

Grants consultancy PNO Group and Bencis Capital Partners join hands to further develop PNO Group’s international growth path together. Both through acquisitions and organically, PNO has set a healthy growth curve over the years, which has resulted in a solid European foundation for further development. Understanding the specialist industry in which PNO operates makes Bencis the ideal strategic partner to help grow PNO Group into a leading European grants and innovation consultancy in the coming years.

 

Synergistic growth remains imperative

 

With roots dating back to 1985, PNO is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most solid grants and innovation consultancies in Europe. As market leader and with success rates in European grants well above average for years in a row, PNO managed to develop a unique client portfolio. PNO Group CEO Peter Zwart: “We have worked hard in recent years to further strengthen our business. In doing so, we gratefully drew on the vast expertise and enthusiasm of the people who make PNO what it is today: a dynamic club of committed professionals who wish only the best for their clients and through them for our society. Over the years, we have become increasingly involved in innovation projects, both on a national and European scale, addressing key issues in areas such as climate, health and safety. The fact that we are so successful in this, apart from our passionate people, is due to our scale: like no other, we are able to bring parties together across borders and achieve great results together. Looking at growing international demand, the scaling-up of European projects and the legitimate demands for excellence in our profession, synergistic growth remains imperative to meet this increasing need for quality. PNO has everything in place to provide this quality, and with Bencis’ help we can continue to do so as we grow”.

 

Great faith in PNO’s future

 

Jacob Versteeg of Bencis: “Extraordinary things are happening in the market in which PNO Group operates. Whether their clients work on a regional, national or European scale, they always contribute in one way or another to the larger goals of our time. Think energy transition and climate, care and health, innovation, economic development. For this reason alone, as well as the enormous professionalism PNO takes on new challenges, we have great faith in PNO’s future, and are delighted to help them achieve their ambitions.”

 

About PNO Group

 

PNO Group is a grants and innovation consultancy with a strong foothold in Europe’s most innovative economies. With over 400 highly skilled staff, the group contributes to the missions formulated by national governments as well as the EU by supporting SMEs, large industries, academic organisations and research institutions in their innovation projects. PNO offers a wide spectrum of services in the field of grants, strategic innovation advisory, compliance, IT-tooling, legal and communication.

 

About Bencis Capital Partners

Bencis is an independent investment company that supports business owners and management teams in achieving their growth ambitions. Working out of offices in Amsterdam and Brussels, and more recently in Düsseldorf, Bencis has been investing in strong and successful businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 1999.

 

 

For questions please refer to Bernard van Leeuwen, press@pnoconsultants.com, +31 (0)6 12 58 19 84

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New brand Cerios brings together Salves, Valori, De Agile Testers, and Quality Accelerators under one holding

Avedon

The new brand Cerios brings together leading companies Salves, Valori, De Agile Testers, and Quality Accelerators in a ‘House of Brands,’ and herewith acquires a leading position in the consolidating market of quality and software testing. Through this collaboration, the companies are creating more opportunities for their consultants and a broader proposition for their customers while maintaining their own identity and autonomy.

Leading position in consolidating market

The new brand Cerios brings together over 400 consultants with the shared goal of supporting clients in increasing the quality of their IT through a wide range of innovative (testing) services and automated testing solutions. By bringing together the four companies, accompanied by the recently acquired test management software tool Supportbook, Cerios is building an overarching brand with a leading position in a consolidating market. The collaboration is an important step in the growth ambitions of Salves, in which Avedon Capital Partners (‘Avedon’) invested mid last year.

Christ Coppens, CEO of Cerios and founder of Salves: “Within Cerios, the companies operate in a partnership, each retaining their own name, culture, and specializations. They work closely together and strengthen each other wherever possible. The focus on employees enables us to support clients in all aspects of quality and software testing. Always.”

Focus on consultants

In the current tight labor market, focus on consultants is crucial. Consultants make the company. Those who retain personnel for long periods can constantly provide quality to customers and are seen by (potential) employees as stable employers who take good care of their professionals. To safeguard the unique, personal culture of the companies, they will continue to operate independently. At the same time, consultants can benefit from more opportunities within the larger group.

“Providing sufficient career opportunities is important for retaining consultants in the long term,” Coppens says. “This, in combination with variation in the content of the work and the possibility for consultants to work in different sectors.”

According to Jaap Merkus, CEO of Valori, the proposition of Cerios is interesting for consultants: “The different profiles of the individual companies ensure that every professional can get the most out of their career.”

Broadening of proposition with specialized knowledge

Through the collaboration, Cerios can offer its clients a broader service portfolio with specialized knowledge. In addition, the cluster of 400 professionals will be able to guarantee the quality and continuity required for larger projects and tenders. Especially because the different companies are each fully focused on quality and software testing.

Marcel van Eekeren, Managing Director of Salves, is convinced that collaboration within the ‘House of Brands’ strengthens the group of companies: “Customers can benefit from even more certainty in terms of continuity.”

Furthermore, customers benefit from the diversity of the companies that work together within Cerios, Merkus: “Clients can choose the specialization and way of working of one of the four companies that are able to jointly offer a wide range of services.”

James Johnsen, founder and Managing Director of De Agile Testers and Quality Accelerators, adds: “Innovation runs through our veins. Therefore, we have set ourselves the goal of setting the market standard in the field of agile testing. The connection with like-minded companies within the ‘House of Brands’ offers each partner the opportunity to profile themselves even more as a specialist in the field of quality and software testing.”

Collaboration within ‘House of Brands’

Cerios is a cluster of powerful independent companies that will maintain their own authenticity and identity but can benefit from the larger group.

Michel Verhoog, Partner at Avedon: “Cerios operates in a fragmented and rapidly growing market driven by, amongst others, the increasing importance of software for mission-critical business processes. We see Cerios as a strong platform for further autonomous and acquisitive (international) growth where the independent companies can benefit from economies of scale. We are convinced that Cerios will have a distinctive position in the market for quality and software testing due to its unique setup.”

About Salves

Salves supports organizations in the field of quality. With audits, project management, coaching, and testing, Salves elevates the quality of IT. Salves maps risks, determines the strategy to improve quality, and provides customized training. Salves uses test automation where possible and where it contributes to business goals. Salves’ consultants often work in Agile and DevOps teams.

About Valori

Valori believes that building integral quality into information systems is crucial to enable seamless innovation. Valori’s QA- and test consultants help with the quality of IT systems in all phases of the software development lifecycle. We call this ‘Building IT Quality.’ Valori has been doing this for more than 30 years through technology solutions, advice, and expert services. The ultimate goal is to ensure that software can be developed faster with higher quality and afterwards maintains its quality.

About De Agile Testers

De Agile Testers is deeply rooted in agile principles, with innovation at its core. The company has set the goal of establishing the market standard for agile testing, not just in the Netherlands and Belgium, but across the globe. This led to the book FAST (Flexible Approach to Software Testing) and accompanying certified training modules which are used worldwide.

About Quality Accelerators

Agile transformations have yielded many benefits for organizations, but after a while the acceleration and improvement of software delivery reaches a standstill. This is the moment when customers approach Quality Accelerators. Quality Accelerators helps organizations to reignite the process of acceleration and improvement and even implement it sustainably in the existing organization.

About Avedon Capital Partners

Avedon Capital Partners is a private equity firm with offices in Amsterdam and Düsseldorf, which focuses on growing mid-market companies in the Benelux and DACH regions. Avedon supports ambitious entrepreneurs and management teams in accelerating organic growth, international expansion and/or buy-and-build strategies. Avedon focuses on companies in four sectors: i) business services, ii) software & technology, iii) smart industries and iv) consumer & health.

More information

Christ Coppens (CEO Cerios & founder Salves)

christ.coppens@cerios.nl
www.cerios.nl

Lotte Verhoeve (Investment Manager Avedon)

lotte.verhoeve@avedoncapital.com
+31 6 20 822 133

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ACTIVA CAPITAL promotes ELLIOT THIEBLIN as investment director

Activa Capital

Activa Capital has announced the promotion of Elliot Thiéblin to the position of Investment Director, five years after he joined the investment firm.

Elliot started working with Activa Capital as an Associate in 2018, and later became an Investment Manager in 2021. During his time at the company, Elliot has been involved in several transactions for Activa Capital Fund III (Explore and Medisys) and Activa Capital Fund IV (Arche MC2 and BSK Immobilier), as well as various build-ups for these companies.
Prior to joining Activa Capital, Elliot worked at Lincoln International for over three years as an Analyst and then as an Associate. While at Lincoln International, Elliot worked on numerous LBO transactions, particularly in the distribution, healthcare, packaging, and business services sectors.
Elliot holds a degree from EM Lyon.
Christophe Parier and Alexandre Masson, Managing Partners at Activa Capital, stated: “Elliot has been a key contributor to Activa Capital’s success. His promotion is a reflection of his constant dedication to the team, and we warmly congratulate him.”

About Activa Capital
Activa Capital is an independent private equity company, owned by its partners, characterised by a proactive build-up strategy. It currently manages more than €300 million on behalf of institutional investors investing in French SMEs and Mid-Caps with high growth potential and an enterprise value ranging between €20 million and €100 million. Activa Capital supports them in accelerating their development and their international presence.
To learn more about Activa Capital, visit www.activacapital.com

Press contacts
Contacts Presse Alexandre Masson Christophe Parier Managing Partner Managing Partner +33 1 43 12 50 12 +33 1 43 12 50 12 alexandre.masson@activacapital.com christophe.parier@activacapital.com

Categories: People

Action ranked favourite retailer in France 2023

3I

Action, 3i’s largest portfolio company, was ranked first in EY-Parthenon’s annual study of France’s retail landscape.
The study was carried out in January 2023 in partnership with Dynata, an opinion polling organisation, and involved the interview of a panel of over 9,300 consumers in France aged 18 and over. It measures the percentage of fans among customers that made a purchase in the relevant category over the last 12 months.
Experts from EY-Parthenon explained the success of Action, which achieved third place in the rankings in 2022, as its “offer focused on very low prices, but also – and above all! – on a shopping experience considered among the most efficient and pleasant (small pleasures, treasure hunt)’.
Action had the strongest ‘fan rate’ of all retailers at 46%. The company also saw the best growth in fan rate over the year, with an increase of 8.4 points. This measurement has increased by 19 points in three years.
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For further information, please contact:
Kathryn van der Kroft Communications Director Tel: 020 7975 3021
About 3i Group
3i is a leading international investment manager focused on mid-market Private Equity and Infrastructure. Our core investment markets are northern Europe and North America. For further information, please visit: www.3i.com.

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