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Notpla secures £10M to industrialize sustainable packaging made of seaweed, including flexible films, coatings and paper

Horizons Ventures
  • Close of a £10 million Series A financing round for sustainable packaging start-up Notpla
  • Round led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from existing investors Astanor Ventures, Lupa Systems and Torch Capital.
  • Funding will accelerate the commercialization of Oohos and Notpla coating, and will support the industrialization of new innovative Notpla products, including flexible films and paper.

Sustainable packaging startup Notpla announced today the close of a £10 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from existing investors Astanor Ventures, Lupa Systems and Torch Capital.

Founded in 2014 by two Imperial College London and Royal College of Art alumni, Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre-Yves Paslier, Notpla’s mission is to make packaging disappear by providing a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging using seaweed. This new round of funding will enable the London startup to grow its manufacturing capacity while developing new innovative solutions, among which a transparent flexible film and a seaweed paper.

Notpla (a play on the term ‘Not Plastic’) is harnessing the power of seaweed to replace single-use plastic, one of the leading causes of environmental pollution across the globe. The UN Environment Programme estimates that only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, while 12% has been incinerated and the remaining 79% has accumulated in landfills, dumps, or the natural environment.

Seaweed is one of the planet’s most abundant sources of biomass (growing at a rate up to 1 metre per day), its production does not compete with food crops, requires no fertiliser or fresh water to produce and actively sequesters carbon dioxide. In line with the new EU Single-Use Plastic Directive which aims to ban synthetic materials such as PLA, PHA and other bioplastics, Notpla’s products easily biodegrade in nature in just 4-6 weeks without the need for industrial composting or special conditions. The EU’s ambitious targets cannot be achieved without innovative solutions like Notpla.

Notpla is best known for its sustainable packaging solution “Ooho” – an edible and fully biodegradable packaging made of seaweed – to date, Oohos has replaced over 500,000 single-use plastic packaging at major international events such as the London Marathon with Lucozade and London Cocktail Week with Glenlivet.

Notpla launched in 2021 the first seaweed coating for cardboard packaging. Unlike regular boxes, the Notpla boxes are biodegradable and recyclable. Successful trials of 30,000 boxes led to the commercial launch of the Notpla box with Just Eat Takeaway.com to hundreds of UK restaurants. This innovative packaging will progressively expand to Just Eat’s 26 countries and onboard new customers in the foodservice industry.

The startup’s product pipeline is filling up with exciting new plastic-free solutions. This latest funding round will help accelerate the industrialisation of Notpla’s flexible, biodegradable films – a packaging alternative for dry products that are currently in plastic sachets. Applications include packaging for hygiene, cleaning products such as detergents or pre-portioned foods such as pasta, coffee and drink flavourings. With no other readily biodegradable, biobased, and flexible solutions on the market, these applications are in high demand from brands that are struggling to effectively remove plastic from their product ranges. Notpla has completed successful lab trials and is now currently working on scaling up the process with several commercial partners.

The funds will also support the development of Notpla’s seaweed fibre paper made from the by-products of the company’s industrial processes. This seaweed paper requires 30% less wood pulp than conventional paper, lowering pressure on forests while reducing waste from the seaweed supply chain, making it a first-class sustainable solution. Notpla is collaborating with fashion and luxury brands to develop premium sustainable solutions for secondary packaging such as boxes, envelopes or sleeves.

Wayne Cheng, Portfolio Curator at Horizons Ventures, said: “We are excited to join Notpla’s journey to make packaging disappear. Conscious of the urgency to act on single-use plastic pollution, we’ve been impressed by the innovative solutions offered by this team of ambitious entrepreneurs. We believe Notpla is revolutionising the packaging industry with seaweed as a raw material.”

Pierre-Yves Paslier, Co-CEO of Notpla added: “We are delighted to accelerate the pace towards a zero single-use plastic future. This new round coupled with soon-to-be-announced commercial partnerships is the perfect opportunity to put seaweed on the map of packaging solutions. At Notpla we believe that “Nature knows best”, and we only use naturally occurring materials that have had millions of years to adapt with the rest of the environment. Our new films and seaweed paper are great examples of this principle and are the most sustainable solution in their categories. We’re excited to see traction in the food service industry and are looking forward to moving into the cosmetics and fashion markets very soon.”

For more information, visit www.notpla.com

For pictures and videos, discover Notpla press pack

-Ends –

About Notpla (www.notpla.com)

Founded in 2014, Notpla is a sustainable packaging company based in London that has pioneered the use of seaweed as an alternative to single-use plastic. The startup is addressing both the environmental and health implications of single-use plastic pollution by using only natural materials like seaweed that can biodegrade in nature in 4 to 6 weeks. Notpla has received multiple awards and grants from Innovate UK and the Ellen Macarthur Foundation for its innovative product “Ooho” – an edible and fully biodegradable sachet.

About Horizons Ventures (www.horizonsventures.com)

Horizons Ventures was co-founded by Solina Chau and Debbie Chang in 2005. It is known for backing era-defining companies making lasting and positive impact in the world. Amongst its string of notable early stage investments are Zoom, Impossible Foods, Perfect Day, Spotify, Siri and DeepMind, reflecting Horizons Ventures’ methodical long-term investment approach.

About Astanor Ventures (www.astanor.com)

Astanor Ventures is a global impact investor that backs ambitious entrepreneurs with disruptive, scalable solutions that will create systemic change across the agrifood value chain, from soil to gut. They partner with ambitious, impact-driven founders who are committed to restoring balance and sustainability to the land and oceans, prioritizing nature and culture, nurturing change and feeding growth.

For further information, or to arrange an interview, please email info@notpla.com

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True Fit secures $15 million credit facility from Espresso Capital

espresso capital

Boston — December 8, 2021 —  Espresso Capital announced today that it has provided True Fit, the global data and software leader retailers choose to decode fit & size, with a $15 million credit facility. The company will use the capital to make further enhancements to its product and scale its distribution.

“The pandemic has brought massive disruption to the apparel industry,” said William R. Adler, President & CEO of True Fit. “With the shift to digital shopping, we’ve experienced unprecedented demand for our product. Espresso’s facility allows us to make important investments in our business so that we’re better positioned to meet that demand and further optimize our business for growth.”

True Fit is the only platform that solves online fit at scale, serving high-fidelity, trusted experiences for shoppers everywhere. True Fit’s Fashion Genome is the world’s largest connected data platform, fueling AI-driven models that combine product attribution for 17,000 brands, $250 billion in cross-market buying behavior, and first party preference data from over 200 million registered True Fit members. The Fashion Genome underscores exceptional software and data services that brands and retailers use to personalize the buying experience online. This focus on customer experience across leading sites from PacSun to Under Armour to Boden translates to a 2-5 percent lift in revenue, driven by a +47 percent increase in order rate.

“True Fit solves a massive and real pain point for consumers by giving them the confidence that clothing and shoes purchased online will fit,” says Espresso Capital Director, Mark Gilbert. “This drives higher basket sizes at checkout, higher customer satisfaction, and lower return rates. They have a great team and are well positioned to take advantage of the tailwinds bolstering their industry.”

True Fit has nearly doubled its annual recurring revenue since the pandemic began. Adoption of its platform is up 109 percent and the company currently has an active base of 82 million active members.

“Espresso really listens,” said Adler. “They knew what was most important to us and demonstrated great flexibility in their model to create a win-win deal for everyone. They’ve been great to work with and we appreciate that they take a long-term, relationship-first approach to partnering.”

“It’s an exciting time for True Fit,” noted Justin LaFayette, Lead Investor at Georgian, one of the company’s sponsors. “The recent investment allows the team to make major innovations in its Fashion Genome platform and customer experience.”

About True Fit

True Fit is the leading consumer experience platform leveraged by apparel and footwear retailers to decode fit and connect shoppers with only what they love. It has organized the broadest footwear, apparel and consumer data in the world to provide best in class fit recommendations covering the industry’s brands and styles. The platform is leveraged by the world’s leading footwear and apparel retailers, representing 17,000 brands and 82 million active members. True Fit’s data platform underscores exceptional software and data services that brands and retailers utilize to personalize the buying experience online. TrueFit.com

About Georgian

At Georgian, we’re building a platform to provide a better experience of growth capital to software company CEOs and their teams. Georgian’s platform is designed to identify and accelerate the best growth-stage software companies, taking an intelligent, data-first approach to solving the key challenges CEOs face as they grow their businesses. We invest in high-growth companies across North America that harness the power of data in a trustworthy way. Based in Toronto, Georgian’s team brings together software entrepreneurs, machine learning experts, experienced operators and investment professionals. Georgian.io

About Espresso Capital

Espresso empowers companies with innovative venture debt solutions. Since 2009, we’ve helped more than 300 technology companies and their investors accelerate growth, extend runway and increase strategic flexibility with non-dilutive capital. Learn more at espressocapital.com.

Media contact

Kevin Cain
Head of Marketing
kcain@espressocapital.com

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NZXT Secures First-Ever Strategic Investment Led By Francisco Partners

Franciso Partners
ess Release – December 08 2021

New Investment Will Support Continued Expansion and Product Growth

City of Industry, CA – December 8, 2021 – NZXT, a leader in PC gaming hardware and services, today announced it has secured a strategic investment of approximately $100 million led by Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology businesses. This investment will allow NZXT to bring on more senior talent, expand its product offering to include new hardware categories, expand its direct-to-consumer offering in new global markets, invest more in the community, and focus on continuing to build the NZXT brand.

In addition to Francisco Partners, strategic investors in NZXT also include top leaders and entrepreneurs across multiple industries, reflecting how PC gaming connects many different worlds. This group of investors includes (but is not exclusive to):

  • Kevin Lin – Co-Founder of Twitch
  • Vanessa Dew – Co-Founder & CSO of Health-Ade Kombucha
  • Patrick Lee – Co-Founder of Rotten Tomatoes
  • James Lin – Co-Founder of CrunchyRoll
  • Eddie Hartman – Co-Founder of LegalZoom
  • James Park – Co-Founder & CEO of Fitbit, Inc.
  • Kevin Ma – Founder of Hypebeast
  • Michael Chen – Co-Founder and President of Pokeworks

“We have always been laser-focused on our community and meeting their needs. As the industry and the world around us has evolved, we realized it was time to reach out for strategic guidance and invest more deeply in all of the things our community has been asking for,” said Johnny Hou, CEO of NZXT. “Francisco Partners’ track record and expertise helping successful technology companies take their growth to the next level made them the ideal partner for us. We look forward to working closely with their team as they not only understand the challenges we face and where our priorities are, but most importantly, they are as committed to our community as we are.”

As a part of this investment, Hou will remain the majority shareholder and maintain control of the company and day-to-day operations. Alan Ni from Francisco Partners will also join NZXT’s Board of Directors.

“Under Johnny’s visionary leadership, NZXT has established itself as both a leader and innovator in the PC gaming industry with products that are designed to make PC gaming more achievable and accessible for everyone across the gaming community,” said Alan Ni, who leads consumer internet investing at Francisco Partners. “As NZXT enters this next phase of growth, we are excited to partner with Johnny and the entire team to help them scale the business and expand into new products built to serve the needs of gamers across the world.”

NZXT will remain focused on creating seamless experiences for PC gamers with products that include top quality PC cases, coolers, fans, and accessories including the newly released Capsule microphone. The Company will continue to offer PC gaming enthusiasts the opportunity to purchase customized ideal set-ups or pre-built systems, including the NZXT BLD Kit for the first-time builder. The BLD Kit comes complete with all of the components, tools, and guidance necessary for those who are new to PC gaming and are looking for a hands-on experience. With the BLD Kit in addition to a growing roster of configuration and support services, NZXT now has solutions for those at all experience levels – making PC gaming more achievable and seamless for everyone.

For more information about NZXT, please visit www.nzxt.com or follow the company on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/nzxt.

About Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. With more than $30 billion in assets under management, the firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

About NZXT
Founded in 2004, NZXT is dedicated to making PC gaming achievable to all of those with a passion for play. With design in mind, NZXT makes award-winning products that allow for a personalized approach to building PC’s. Their first products were computer cases and they have since expanded to include PC cooling solutions, RGB lighting kits, components, power supplies, and their free PC performance monitoring software, NZXT Cam. They have recently expanded to include new categories like Audio featuring the Capsule Microphone and BLD Kit– an exclusive experience for first-time builders. NZXT also has launched their CRFT line of products, bringing their PC design mindset together with some of entertainment’s most popular brands to create limited-edition cases and accessories for gaming enthusiasts. NZXT remains committed to serving the PC gaming community and keeping their needs at the core of who we are.

Media Contacts:

Francisco Partners
Kate Sylvester
ksylvester@sloanepr.com

NZXT
Tali Fischer
tali.fischer@nzxt.com

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Arcus announces the acquisition of Netherlands-based HB Returnable Transport Solutions, AEIF2’s seventh investment

Arcus

8 December 2021

London, United Kingdom (8 December 2021) – Arcus Infrastructure Partners (“Arcus”) announces today that Arcus European Infrastructure Fund 2 SCSp (“AEIF2” or the “Fund”) has completed the acquisition of 100% of HB Returnable Transport Solutions (“HB” or the “Company”), a leading provider of rental, washing and integrated logistics for returnable transport items (“RTIs”) in the Dutch food supply chain, from a selling shareholder group, including Mentha Capital (“Mentha”) and the Company’s founders. As part of the transaction, HB senior management will reinvest in the Company alongside the Fund.

HB, founded in Welsum (the Netherlands) in 2008, provides an integrated offering of RTI rental, washing and logistics services to a diverse and blue-chip customer base in the Dutch food and beverage supply chain, ensuring the safe and sustainable transport of consumable products from suppliers to consumers. The main RTIs handled by HB are plastic crates and pallets, which serve as essential load carriers for products being transported from production locations to distribution centres, foodservice outlets and supermarkets across the Netherlands. These reusable load carriers are critical assets within the circular economy, ensuring reliable and efficient transport, while minimising the use of single-use, one-way packaging in a variety of fast-moving supply chains. With an asset pool of 2.8 million RTIs and a network of 10 strategically located washing and logistics facilities across the country, HB provides vital RTI logistics infrastructure and an integrated one-stop shop solution for its customers.

Commenting on the acquisition, Ian Harding, Managing Partner at Arcus said: “We are extremely pleased to announce this investment in HB today. This acquisition is our seventh investment for AEIF2 and HB is a perfect fit with the Fund’s investment strategy of targeting mid-market, value-add infrastructure businesses in Europe. HB is a great addition to the Arcus portfolio.”

Jordan Cott, Arcus Partner who led the transaction said: “HB is a clear market leader in the RTI space in the Netherlands and has a proven track record of growth alongside its long-term customer base. The Company’s RTIs are essential assets within food and beverage supply chains, ensuring cost-efficient, reliable and sustainable transport of a wide range of products. These benefits are complemented by HB’s network of washing and logistics facilities, which are strategically located to enable customers to minimise transport distances and reduce the industry’s overall carbon footprint. We expect that HB and its customers will see significant and tangible benefits from strong RTI industry tailwinds over the coming years and look forward to working with Léon and the HB team as they continue to innovate and grow with their customers.”

Léon Rust, CEO of HB commented: “First of all we want to thank Mentha for their great support over the last five years. Together with the Mentha team we made great effort in further professionalizing the company and growing the business. With Arcus as our new shareholder, we will embark on an exciting new phase of growth in our business. From our first meeting, it was clear that Arcus already had a deep knowledge of our industry, which serves as an important criteria for our team as we look to grow with a new partner. We look forward to working with the Arcus team as we improve and build on our core customer offering, explore new verticals within the RTI space and maximise the sustainability benefits of our business. Our belief is that our network of washing and logistics facilities, together with our extensive RTI pool, is a unique proposition to reduce transport distances (and therefore carbon footprint and logistics costs) within the food and beverage supply chain.”

Mark van Ingen, Partner at Mentha said: “It was a pleasure to team up with HB, its founders, management and employees. Over the past five years, everyone has worked very hard to further improve HB with the aim to strengthen its position as a leading RTI service provider in the Netherlands. Together we have invested in machines and automation, increased productivity, added new customers and bolstered the organisation. This has resulted in a strong and professional player in the RTI space. We are extremely proud of what has been accomplished and I would like to thank everybody for their contribution. With Arcus onboard we believe HB has found a very knowledgeable and committed partner to continue its journey to further improve and grow the company. We wish them all the best in their period of ownership and we will be interested to see how the company develops further.”

Arcus was advised by Allen & Overy (legal), EY-Parthenon (commercial due diligence), Royal HaskoningDHV (technical due diligence) and BDO (financial and tax due diligence).

HB and the selling shareholder group were advised by Rabobank (M&A), JB Law (legal), SINCERIUS (financial due diligence) and JSA Tax (tax).

8 December 2021

– ENDS –

Arcus Media Contacts:

 

Debbie JohnstonE: debbie@sprengthomson.com

+44 7532 183811

About Arcus

Arcus Infrastructure Partners is an independent fund manager focused solely on long-term investments in European infrastructure. Arcus invests on behalf of institutional investors through discretionary funds and special co-investment vehicles and, through its subsidiaries, currently manages investments with an aggregate enterprise value in excess of EUR 19bn (as of 30 September 2021).  Arcus targets mid-market, value-add infrastructure investments, with a particular focus on businesses in the digital, transport and energy sectors.

www.arcusip.com

 

About HB

HB Returnable Transport Solutions is a logistics asset owner and service provider in the food and beverage supply chain. HB focuses on rental, washing, returns handling and management of various RTIs (CBL crates, pallets, pallet boxes, home delivery crates, and others). With an extensive network of 10 logistics facilities in the Netherlands, HB is uniquely positioned to support its long-term customer relationships, and is able to reduce transport, and therefore the carbon footprint and logistics costs, within its customers’ supply chains.

www.hb-rts.com

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Incode Secures $220M for its Series B, Earning Unicorn Status Less Than Seven Months Following Its Series A Round

Silicon Valley Company Provides Identity Solution to Increase Trust Between Customers and Businesses With AI-Based Digital Identity Platform

December 7, 2021

 Incode, a next-generation identity verification and authentication platform for global enterprises, today announced it has raised $220 million in its Series B funding round, giving the company a $1.25 billion valuation and propelling it to unicorn status less than seven months following its Series A round.

Incode’s significant rate of growth – the company grew 6x in revenues over the last 12 months – is driving the latest cycle of investments, which comes on top of the company raising $25 million Series A funding in March. The level of fundraise validates Incode’s leadership in the global digital identity solutions market and the potential for its innovative, automated AI-based approach to reinvent the customer experience of the future.

“We believe that our ‘One Identity Everywhere’ vision is transforming the way humans experience their identity journeys with companies,” said Ricardo Amper, Founder and CEO of Incode Technologies. “We have created an experience that we believe is seamless and frictionless, and it brings that ‘wow’ moment to the end customer when onboarding to a new bank, checking into a hotel or being admitted to a hospital. By reinventing these experiences, we are building trust and creating delight between enterprises and their customers.”

This latest investment round was led by investors General Atlantic and SoftBank, with additional investment from financial institutions J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Coinbase. Rounding out the fundraise are SVCI (Silicon Valley CISO Investments), a group of over 50 leading technology CISOs that are joining forces and funds to invest in the next generation of cybersecurity innovation, and the founders of dLocal, with participation from existing investors DN Capital, 3L Capital, Framework Ventures, and others.

What makes Incode unique in the crowded digital identity space?

  • Incode offers a full omnichannel orchestration platform that allows companies to have a single integration point to solve the identity problem – from onboarding customers in a frictionless and secure way to seamlessly authenticating them once they’re onboarded.
  • Incode’s solution is fully automated, meaning it doesn’t use humans in call centers to identify clients. Today machines can be more effective than humans both in terms of speed, privacy and accuracy, enabling Incode to deliver real-time responses with much less fraud.
  • Incode owns its entire technology stack, instead of using sub-vendors like many of its competitors.  This creates a direct relationship between the enterprise and the technology owner, which allows Incode to continually improve its tech based on customer feedback.
  • This direct relationship enables Incode to build true partnerships with its customers. “Incode is a key strategic partner in helping us to address our identity needs at scale. Incode offers the right combination of technology, security and seamless experience for our clients,” said Miguel Lavalle, Account Opening Head at Citi.

“Incode is a leader in the digital identity space and has developed a robust solution to address some of the industry’s most significant challenges, particularly around frictionless, secure onboarding and authentication. The company’s unique platform and technology has powered its growth to date, and we look forward to partnering with and supporting Incode as it helps drive the future of identity solutions,” said Martin Escobari, Co-President, Managing Director and Head of General Atlantic’s business in Latin America.

“We are very excited to support Ricardo and all of his strong team at Incode as they continue expanding globally through enterprise clients, including many of our portfolio companies. Incode provides a differentiated suite of digital onboarding and authentication tools, helping its clients manage customer identities while scaling trust and reducing friction,” said Paulo Passoni, Managing Partner of SoftBank Latin America funds.

“The biggest impact that Incode and the identity industry in general can have is to generate trust between people, companies and institutions,” said Amper. “Without trust, interest rates are set higher, processes get complicated, and business becomes more difficult. Trust is the core element that opens financial systems to everyone and allows many more people to participate in a democratic system. At Incode, we create trust by eliminating barriers, reducing costs and democratizing access.”

To learn more about Incode, visit incode.com.

About Incode Technologies

Incode is a leading identity company that is reinventing the way humans verify their identity and interact with the world’s largest companies with a highly secure and delightful AI based experience. Incode’s end-to-end fully automated orchestration platform enables seamless access across multiple channels with products focused on onboarding, authentication and payment verification that increase conversion and reduce fraud.

With its mission to build trust and democratize access, Incode works with a number of the world’s biggest banks, fintechs, hotels, governments and marketplaces.  Incode is based in San Francisco with offices in Europe and Latin America.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 445 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and deliver lasting impact, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to scale innovative businesses around the world. General Atlantic currently has over $86 billion in assets under management inclusive of all products as of September 30, 2021, and more than 215 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Stamford.

For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com.

About Softbank

The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than U.S. $100 billion to help entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the U.S. $5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region; and the SB Opportunity Fund, a U.S. $100 million fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://global.softbank.

Media Contacts

Mary Armstrong & Emily Japlon
General Atlantic media@generalatlantic.com

Alisha Alvarez
Bospar PRforIncode@bospar.com

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Altamir is to sell Unilabs, an investment held via the Apax IX LP fund

Altamir

Paris, 7 December 2021 – Apax Partners LLP is to sell its investment in Unilabs to the Danish holding company A.P. Moller.

The transaction, which is expected to close in Q1 2O22, will give Altamir a MOIC of around 3.2x. This represents an uplift of more than 25% to Unilabs‘ fair value as of 30 June 2021.

Unilabs is one of Europe’s leading diagnostics companies, offering services in laboratory medicine, imaging and pathology. Supported by the Apax team, Unilabs has grown both organically and through M&A, completing 50+ acquisitions since 2017, and it currently operates in 15 countries with market-leading positions in most of them. Unilabs has also become a pan-European leader in digital radiology and pathology.

About Altamir

Altamir is a listed private equity company (Euronext Paris-B, ticker: LTA) founded in 1995, with a NAV of more than €1.2bn. Its objective is to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation and regular dividends by investing in a diversified portfolio of essentially unlisted companies.

Altamir’s investment policy is to invest principally via and with the funds managed or advised by Apax Partners SAS and Apax Partners LLP, two leading private equity firms that take majority or lead positions in buyouts and growth capital transactions and seek ambitious value creation objectives.

In this way, Altamir provides access to a diversified portfolio of fast-growing companies across Apax’s sectors of specialisation (Tech & Telco, Consumer, Healthcare, Services) and in complementary market segments (mid-sized companies in continental Europe and large companies in Europe, North America and key emerging markets).

Altamir derives certain tax benefits from its status as a SCR (“Société de Capital Risque”). As such, Altamir is exempt from corporate tax and the company’s investors may benefit from tax exemptions, subject to specific holding-period and dividend-reinvestment conditions.

For more information: www.altamir.fr

Contact

Claire Peyssard Moses

Tel.: +33 1 53 65 01 74 / E-mail: investors@altamir.fr

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Audax Private Equity Completes the Sale of Acuant, Inc. to GB Group Plc

Audax Group

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Audax Private Equity (“Audax”) today announced that it has successfully completed the sale of Acuant, Inc. (“Acuant”) to GB Group Plc (“GBG”).

Acuant is a leading identity verification and KYC/AML compliance provider. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Acuant’s product offerings include identity verification, digital identity / eDNA proofing, and anti-fraud regulatory compliance tools. Acuant has more than 200 employees worldwide, serving a base of over 1,000 customers.

Since coming under Audax ownership in September of 2018, Acuant has achieved several key milestones of transformative growth:

  • Led significant team buildout efforts in critical engineering and go-to-market roles to accelerate revenue growth and product innovation
  • Diversified from a physical ID verification point solution to a primarily cloud-based digital identity proofing and fraud prevention platform
  • Completed the acquisitions of IdentityMind and Hello Soda to expand their product suite, breaking into new verticals and strengthening footholds within existing ones
  • Received FedRAMP Authorization for their cloud-delivered identity verification solution for government agencies

Tim Mack, Managing Director at Audax, remarked, “We are proud of the growth that Acuant has achieved in such a short period of time. The team has built a comprehensive identity verification and compliance platform, that has helped establish them as a leader in the global identity market.”

Iveshu Bhatia, Managing Director at Audax, added, “Our partnership with Acuant over the past few years has been highly collaborative. We are proud of everything the team has accomplished and wish them all the best as they continue their journey with GBG.”

Yossi Zekri, Chief Executive Officer of Acuant, commented, “Audax has played a crucial role in helping Acuant execute on its growth plan over the past few years. Through their support, we were able to establish a strong set of business fundamentals, bring on a world-class management and engineering team, and execute two highly strategic acquisitions. We are excited for the next phase of our journey with GBG as we look to become a true leader in global digital identity verification.”

Raymond James Financial served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Acuant.

 

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BigBear.ai Announces Completion of Business Combination with GigCapital4

Ae Industrial Partners

BigBear.ai Announces Completion of Business Combination with GigCapital4

Combined Company’s Modular Suite of Solutions Operationalizes AI and ML at Scale, Delivering Superior Decision Support for Defense, Intelligence and Commercial Sectors

BigBear.ai Expected to Begin Trading on NYSE Under Ticker Symbols “BBAI” and “BBAI.WS,” Respectively, on December 8, 2021

COLUMBIA, Md. & PALO ALTO, Calif. – December 7, 2021 – BigBear.ai, a leading provider of artificial intelligence (“AI”), machine learning, cloud-based big data analytics, and cyber engineering solutions, and GigCapital4, Inc. (“GigCapital4”; Nasdaq: GIGGU, GIG, GIGGW), a Private-to-Public Equity (PPE)TM entity also known as special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”), today announced the completion of their previously announced business combination (the “Business Combination”). The Business Combination was approved at a Special Meeting of GigCapital4’s stockholders on December 3, 2021. Upon completion of the Business Combination, the combined company changed its name to BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (“BigBear.ai”). BigBear.ai’s shares of common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the NYSE on December 8, 2021 under the new ticker symbols “BBAI” and “BBAI.WS,” respectively. The transaction values BigBear.ai at a $1.378 billion pro forma enterprise value.

Fueled by machine-driven analytics, BigBear.ai’s modular, end-to-end solutions transform raw data into knowledge, enabling enhanced decision-making in real-time. With well-established roots in the national security and defense space, BigBear.ai’s platform is battle-tested to perform in complex, real time environments, and its highly flexible solutions are highly applicable to the rapidly growing commercial market and state and local government sector. The Company is well positioned to leverage the significant growth opportunities in the global AI and machine learning (“ML”) market, which is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 40% to $310 billion by 20261.

Dr. Reggie Brothers, Chief Executive Officer of BigBear.ai, said, “The completion of our business combination with GigCapital4 and emergence as a publicly-traded company is a landmark achievement for BigBear.ai, and one that we would not have reached without the hard work and focus of our dedicated employees and the support of our partners, GigCapital4 and AE Industrial Partners. We are in the early innings of unprecedented growth in the AI/ML landscape, and we believe our recent contract wins, which bring our total backlog to $485 million, are the tip of the iceberg. As a public company, we plan to build value for shareholders by continuing our strong momentum in the government and defense sectors and accelerating our penetration of targeted commercial markets like space, maritime, transportation & logistics, energy, retail and infrastructure.”

Dr. Raluca Dinu, Founding Managing Partner of GigCapital Global and CEO of GigCapital4, said, “The GigCapital team is very proud to have closed our fourth business combination, GigCapital4 with BigBear.ai, our third closing in 2021. We stand committed to our mission of Mentor InvestorTM to guide brilliant teams like BigBear.ai as they navigate the journey of becoming a major public enterprise. We are pleased to continue to support BigBear.ai as part of its Board of Directors as the company enters its next phase of innovation and growth, and we believe it is very well positioned to address rapidly growing customer demand for solutions that augment the human decision-making process.”

Dr. Avi Katz, Founding Managing Partner of GigCapital Global and Executive Chairman of the Board of GigCapital4, said, “We are excited about the partnership with AE Industrial Partners who entrusted BigBear.ai to partner with our team. This combination is yet again a successful demonstration of our Private-to-Public Equity (PPE)™ methodology where we partner with lead private equity owners on the next chapter in the high growth public company journey.”

Kirk Konert, Partner at AE Industrial Partners, said, “BigBear.ai has a truly differentiated position and platform in the artificial intelligence market that is experiencing significant growth. As a public company, BigBear.ai has a strong capital base to invest in additional technology development, expand commercial R&D and business development teams, and accelerate growth – both organically and through acquisitions.”

Jeff Hart, Principal at AE Industrial Partners, said, “BigBear.ai will enter the public domain with its unique and proven AI products and strong financial position bolstered by a robust contract backlog. As organizations become increasingly more complex in the amount of data they receive, BigBear.ai’s products will be a linchpin in distilling that data into insights that can be used to make better decisions. We are tremendously proud of BigBear.ai and excited to continue partnering with them on this incredible journey.”

1 MarketsAndMarkets, Inc., May, 2021

Advisors
William Blair is serving as exclusive financial advisor, Kirkland and Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel, and Grant Thornton is serving as auditor to BigBear.ai. Oppenheimer & Co Inc. is serving as Capital Markets Advisor and Placement Agent, and BMO Capital Markets is serving as Exclusive Financial Advisor, DLA Piper LLP (US) is serving as legal counsel, and BPM LLP is serving as auditors to GigCapital4. Mayer Brown LLP is serving as legal counsel to Oppenheimer & Co Inc., BMO Capital Markets and William Blair.

About BigBear.ai
A leader in decision dominance for more than 20 years, BigBear.ai operationalizes artificial intelligence and machine learning at scale through its end-to-end data analytics platform. The company uses its proprietary AI/ML technology to support its customers’ decision-making processes and deliver practical solutions that work in complex, realistic, and imperfect data environments. In addition, BigBear.ai’s composable AI-powered platform solutions work together as often as they stand alone: Observe (data ingestion and conflation), Orient (composable machine learning at scale), and Dominate (visual anticipatory intelligence and optimization). BigBear.ai’s customers, which include the U.S. Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, the U.S. Federal Government, as well as customers in the commercial sector, rely on BigBear.ai’s high-value software products and technology to analyze information, identify and manage risk, and support mission-critical decision making. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, BigBear.ai has additional locations in Virginia, Massachusetts, Michigan, and California. For more information, please visit: http://bigbear.ai/ and follow BigBear.ai on Twitter: @BigBearai.

About GigCapital4
GigCapital4, Inc. is a Private-to-Public Equity (PPE)™ company, also known as a blank check company or special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), focusing on the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) and sustainable industries. It was sponsored by GigAcquisitions4, LLC, which was founded by GigFounders, LLC, each a member entity of GigCapital Global, and formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

“Private-to-Public Equity (PPE)” and “Mentor Investor” are trademarks of GigFounders, LLC, an affiliate GigCapital4, and are used pursuant to agreement.

About AE Industrial Partners
AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specializing in Aerospace, Defense & Government Services, Space, Power & Utility Services, and Specialty Industrial markets. AE Industrial Partners invests in market-leading companies that can benefit from our deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and relationships throughout our target markets. AE Industrial Partners is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and the ILPA Diversity in Action initiative. Learn more at Learn more at www.aeroequity.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including the business combination between GigCapital4 and BigBear.ai and the closing of those transactions, and statements regarding BigBear.ai’s management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects or strategies regarding the future, including possible business combinations, revenue growth and financial performance, product expansion and services. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs made by the management of GigCapital4 and BigBear.ai in light of their respective experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and their potential effects on BigBear.ai and GigCapital4 as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting BigBear.ai or GigCapital4 will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the parties) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including regulatory approvals, the ability of the post-combination company to meet the NYSE listing standards, product and service acceptance, and that BigBear.ai will have sufficient capital to operate as anticipated. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” and in other sections of GigCapital4’s filings with the SEC, and in GigCapital4’s current and periodic reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to GigCapital4 and BigBear.ai as of the date hereof, and GigCapital4 and BigBear.ai assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

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Contacts

For BigBear.ai
Reevemark
Paul Caminiti/Delia Cannan/Pam Greene
212-433-4600
bigbear.ai@reevemark.com

For GigCapital4
ICR
Brian Ruby
Brian.ruby@icrinc.com

For AE Industrial Partners
Lambert & Co.
Jennifer Hurson
(845) 507-0571
jhurson@lambert.com

Or

Caroline Luz
203-656-2829
cluz@lambert.com

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AES Completes Purchase of Wind Generation Portfolio from Carlyle in the State of New York

Carlyle

Portfolio Currently Produces Roughly 25% of State’s Wind Power

ARLINGTON, VA (Dec. 7, 2021) – The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) today announced the completion of the purchase of Valcour Wind Energy (Valcour) from global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG). Valcour’s six wind farms represent the largest operating wind platform in New York and play an important role in helping the state meet its commitment to have 70% of its electricity come from renewable resources by 2030.

The Valcour portfolio currently produces roughly 25% of the State of New York’s wind power and includes:

  • Three wind parks in Clinton County totaling 279 MW
  • Two wind parks in Wyoming County totaling 227 MW
  • One wind park in Franklin County totaling 106 MW

Cogentrix Energy, a Carlyle portfolio company, operated, maintained, and managed the portfolio since Carlyle’s acquisition of Valcour in 2018. AES is assuming these responsibilities going forward.

“The State of New York is a leader in the transition to a smarter, greener energy future while ensuring communities gain the economic benefits of hosting renewable energy projects. With the acquisition of the Valcour wind portfolio and our more than two decades of experience in New York, we’re proud to work together with state and local communities to help meet these admirable goals,” said Leo Moreno, AES Clean Energy President. “This wind portfolio complements our 1 GW solar pipeline in the state, allowing us to provide custom offerings such as our 24/7 product to realize a carbon-free energy grid. Thanks to the partnership between Carlyle, Cogentrix and Valcour, the Valcour portfolio also offers a strong platform upon which we can continue to build through repowering.”

Carlyle Managing Director J.B. Oldenburg said, “We are proud to have partnered with the Cogentrix and Valcour teams to help New York State continue to make progress towards its clean energy goals. As Carlyle’s first wind investment, this was a partnership where value creation and driving positive environmental change converged and we are thrilled for AES to build upon that impact. We believe the renewable and sustainable energy sector is at an inflection point and look forward to continuing to be a key contributor to progressing the transition.”

About AES

The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global energy company accelerating the future of energy. Together with our many stakeholders, we’re improving lives by delivering the greener, smarter energy solutions the world needs. Our diverse workforce is committed to continuous innovation and operational excellence, while partnering with our customers on their strategic energy transitions and continuing to meet their energy needs today. For more information, visit AES here.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $293 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2021, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 1,800 people in 26 offices across five continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on Twitter @OneCarlyle.

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Contact

AES
Gail Chalef
571.833.8804
gail.chalef@aes.com

Carlyle
Brittany Berliner
212.813.4839
Brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those related to future earnings, growth and financial and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are not intended to be a guarantee of future results, but instead constitute AES’ current expectations based on reasonable assumptions. Forecasted financial information is based on certain material assumptions. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, our expectations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate projections of future interest rates, commodity price and foreign currency pricing, continued normal levels of operating performance and electricity volume at our distribution companies and operational performance at our generation businesses consistent with historical levels, as well as the execution of PPAs, conversion of our backlog and growth investments at normalized investment levels and rates of return consistent with prior experience.

Actual results could differ materially from those projected in our forward-looking statements due to risks, uncertainties and other factors. Important factors that could affect actual results are discussed in AES’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks discussed under Item 1A: “Risk Factors” and Item 7: “Management’s Discussion & Analysis” in AES’ 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Readers are encouraged to read AES’ filings to learn more about the risk factors associated with AES’ business. AES undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Any Stockholder who desires a copy of the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 24, 2021 with the SEC may obtain a copy (excluding Exhibits) without charge by addressing a request to the Office of the Corporate Secretary, The AES Corporation, 4300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Exhibits also may be requested, but a charge equal to the reproduction cost thereof will be made. A copy of the Form 10-K may be obtained by visiting the Company’s website at www.aes.com

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Nebula Brands Receives Series B Investment Led by L Catterton Asia

LCatterton

Funding of over $50 million puts the company in prime position to aggregate Chinese Amazon vendors

Beijing, December 7, 2021 – Nebula Brands, China’s leading aggregator of third party Amazon vendors, today announced that it has successfully completed a Series B fundraising round with investments led by the Asia fund of L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. The investors which participated in the round have agreed to collectively provide Nebula Brands with over $50 million, subject to continued strong performance.

The investment will enable Nebula Brands to capitalize on the robust growth of Chinese third party Amazon vendors, who are increasingly driving the expansion of the marketplace. Between 2018 and 2021, the number of active Chinese third-party Amazon vendors and the gross merchandise value (“GMV”) of transactions they generated grew faster than the wider market. China now accounts for over one-third of the total Amazon market, with approximately 600,000 third-party vendors collectively generating transactions with a GMV of $135 billion. Chinese vendors’ share of the market is expected to rise further and account for 45% of third-party sales on Amazon in 2025.

Nebula Brands is uniquely poised to tap into this growth, having assembled a strong team of more than 50 professionals in China with deep knowledge of the market and extensive on-the-ground sourcing, underwriting, and operating experience. This team brings experience from renowned e commerce, technology, and financial firms and has developed a data analytics-enabled due diligence framework that streamlines its acquisition process. Since the company’s founding in May 2021, it has built a solid acquisition pipeline, focusing on the highest-ranked vendors across 10 key categories, including household goods, personal care, fitness, beauty, and pet supplies.

Nebula Brands Co-Founder William Wang commented, “The Chinese third-party vendor marketplace is experiencing rapid growth, with the ability to quickly scale and provide high quality products efficiently to Amazon customers across the globe. Hundreds of vendors are ready to evolve into top international brands, and we can help them reach new heights. The model of aggregating Fulfillment by Amazon vendors and strengthening their operations has already proven to be extremely effective in some markets in the west and is set to take-off in China, where Nebula Brands is leading the charge. We are excited about partnering with L Catterton, which brings deep consumer and operational expertise and a fantastic track record of value creation for portfolio companies.”

L Catterton Asia Managing Partner Scott Chen added, “Supported by visionary founders and an incredibly talented team, Nebula Brands has developed an efficient acquisition process and promising pipeline within a remarkably short period of time. There are significant opportunities for the company to leverage our operating capabilities, functional expertise, and global presence as we have extensive experience in its key categories. We look forward to partnering with the team to further drive Nebula Brands’ growth and market leadership.”

L Catterton has significant experience investing in many fast-growing, disruptive digitally-enabled brands globally. Current and past investments in the space include Vroom, Peloton, ClassPass, Freetrade, Eco, Public Goods, Butternut Box, Sociolla, and Zenyum.

About Nebula Brands

Nebula Brands is a tech-driven company with a unique combination of merger and acquisition, online retail, e commerce, branding, and local supply chain knowledge that can take Amazon brands to the next level of growth. As the leading Amazon brand acquisition group in China, Nebula Brands has been expanding the global presence of domestic products through an “Acquisition Capital + Brand Operation” model. The company strives to help more Chinese consumer brands shine on the Amazon platform.

About L Catterton

With approximately $30 billion of equity capital across its fund strategies and 17 offices around the world, L Catterton is the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. L Catterton’s team of nearly 200 investment and operating professionals partners with management teams around the world to implement strategic plans to foster growth, leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad partnership network. Since 1989, the firm has made over 250 investments in leading consumer brands. For more information about L Catterton, please visit lcatterton.com.

CONTACTS

Nebula Brands

William Wang
Co-Founder
william.w@nebula.site
+86 186 6933 8926

L Catterton

Julie Hamilton (U.S.)
Managing Director, Firm Communications
media@lcatterton.com
+1 203 742 5185

Bob Ong / Bonnie Gan (Asia)
bob.ong@lcatterton.com / bonnie.gan@lcatterton.com
+65 6672 7619 / +86 10 8555 1807

Categories: News