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Truffle Capital successfully raises nearly €400 million for new Venture Capital funds. Funds backed by top-tier French and international institutional investors

Truffle Capital

Paris, France, December 18th, 2019 – Truffle Capital, a major European Venture Capital fund, announces the closing of its new BioMedTech and Fintech-InsurTech institutional funds, after having successfully raised close to €400 million from French and international institutional investors.

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Truffle Capital has received €250 million in commitments for its BioMedTech funds and €140 million for its new Fintech-Insurtech funds. The closing of these new funds marks a milestone for Truffle Capital, demonstrating a strong acceleration in its development (compared to the €750 million raised in the past 15 years) and the success of sector-specific funds with institutional investors, as previous Truffle funds were non sector-specific and mostly retail funds. The new BioMedTech fund will create and fund a dozen companies, mainly in France, developing medical devices and medications aiming to revolutionize mini-invasive medicine and health based on disruptive technologies sourced by Truffle from the top 50 US and European universities. The new Fintech-Insurtech fund will create and fund between 12 to 15 companies designing and building disruptive services and products for the banking and insurance industries, which will be developed around AI and blockchain technologies.

Created in 2001, Truffle Capital sets itself apart from other Venture Capital funds thanks to its unique business model of Business Builders. Truffle Capital is systematically the main investor in its participations, often the founder and majority shareholder during several years, and supports its companies until an advanced stage of their development. During the last 15 years, Truffle Capital has supported more than 70 companies, of which 80% were created by or with the support of Truffle Capital’s teams. Truffle Capital has successfully undertaken 13 IPOs and 17 divestitures for its portfolio companies, generating attractive returns on investment and supporting international growth of the companies.

About 60% of the amount raised for the new Truffle Capital funds comes from French investors and 40% from international investors. Obratori (l’Occitane Group), Guerbet Group, Agrica Group, la Cipav, BPCE, Caisse Centrale de Réassurances (CCR), ProBTP, Sopra Steria and many French and international family offices have invested in the BioMedTech or Truffle Financial Innovation funds. In 2017, the French pension fund Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) had notably given a mandate, one of the first dedicated to French Venture Capital, to Truffle Capital. Investments have already been made to create and support a dozen of promising companies:

• In BioMedTech, Truffle Capital has already created five startups, that rely on exclusive and global licensing agreements negotiated with prestigious international research centers and universities, with its new funds: HoliStick Medical, aiming to treat cardiac pathologies (PFO) without open-heart surgery, relying on technologies from Harvard and the MIT; Skinosive, which develops dermo-cosmetics technologies to prevent skin cancers based on a Yale University Technology; Artedrone, whose autonomous microrobots could prevent and treat cerebrovascular pathologies or treat tumors; PKMed, which develops smart bioactive implants; and finally, Bariatek, which works on non-invasive medical devices to treat obesity and diabetes.

• In FinTech-InsurTech, Truffle Capital is supporting the development of five startups with its new funds: MoneyTrack, which revolutionizes directed payment (especially in insurance reimbursement) by using blockchain technologies developed in partnership with INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique) and ENS (Ecole Normale Supérieure); RollingFunds, which develops an automated scoring technology allowing SMEs to benefit from instant cash advance; IPaidThat, which automates SMEs’ invoice processing; Monisnap, which simplifies and digitalizes money transfer in underbanked countries; and finally, Sharegroop, which has invented group payment systems on websites.

The three managing partners of Truffle Capital, Patrick Kron, Philippe Pouletty, and Bernard-Louis Roques, comment:

Patrick Kron, Chairman of Truffle Capital states: “The success of this ambitious fundraising is a great source of pride for Truffle Capital and its teams. The confidence of these top-tier investors is further proof of the relevance and the efficiency of our unique model. Our position as entrepreneur-investors has enabled us to create genuine global leaders, able to use disruptive technologies to propose new offers and address unmet needs. Thanks to the unique experience we have acquired, we are convinced that we will be able to structure and grow particularly promising investments.”

Philippe Pouletty, M.D., Co-founder, CEO of Truffle Capital, head of the BioMedTech Team adds: “With €250 million new funds, we are now among the top BioMedTech players in Europe, especially in the interventional medical devices segment. Our investment strategy is designed to allow clinicians to treat patients more effectively and in a less traumatic way with revolutionary products, allowing patients to enjoy better and longer lives, and payers to reduce health costs. Disruptive innovations sourced by Truffle Capital will combine smart implants, mini-invasive surgery, interventional radiology, AI, micro-robotics and the harnessing of human physiology. Medical needs and market potential are very important, especially in cardiology, neurology, dermo-cosmetics, oncology, gastroenterology, and orthopedics. We are working hand in hand with the top 50 universities and research centers based in Europe and the US. Following a stringent selection process, we aim to in-license and transform their disruptive inventions into major technological innovations and medical products. Our proven experience as entrepreneur-investors and our investment fire power allow us to build future world leaders within the excellent French ecosystem, from creation to clinical and commercial stage.”

Bernard-Louis Roques, Co-founder, CEO of Truffle Capital, head the FinTech-InsurTech team says: “In 2014, we felt that the combination between deregulation and rise of ‘deep techs’, mainly with AI and blockchain, would deeply and sustainably transform the world of finance. While FinTechs accounted for only 2% in Venture Capital, we decided to focus on this segment by creating the first French FinTech incubator, thus giving birth to seven companies, of which three were rapidly sold successfully. As we were encouraged by the success of this first phase, during which we invested €30 million and realized good exit multiples, we built an ecosystem around our network of entrepreneurs, scientists, and financial institutions, created by our major institutional fundraisings. FinTechs now represent 20% of Venture Capital, and we plan to deploy €140 million over the next six years to create future leaders who will help transform the financial industry.”

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Providence Agrees to Invest in Smartly.io

Providence

Smartly.io Announces Majority Investment from Providence Equity Partners

Providence to Partner with Smartly.io Founders, Who Will Continue to Lead the Company and Maintain Significant Ownership

HELSINKI & PROVIDENCE, R.I. – December 18, 2019 – Smartly.io, a leading global creative and digital advertising platform, today announced a majority investment of €200 million from funds advised by Providence Equity Partners (“Providence”), a premier private equity firm that specializes in the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence will partner with management to help accelerate the growth of Smartly.io through acquisition and organic investment to continue to build Smartly.io’s leading multi-platform advertising solution that combines creative production and media optimization.

Founded in 2013, Smartly.io is a leading digital advertising solution that helps major advertisers create, launch and iterate brand and performance advertising. Smartly.io works with some of the most advanced advertisers in the world, like Uber and eBay, as well as major global brands like Under Armour and Samsonite. With more than 350 employees, Smartly.io has offices in 16 locations around the world.

Smartly.io has been an official Facebook Marketing Partner since 2014, and has worked closely with the company to distinctly serve the data, media and creative optimization process on their platform. Providence and Smartly.io look forward to continuing to work closely with Facebook to accelerate further growth.

“By partnering with Providence, Smartly.io gains invaluable strategic advisory, deep operational experience and market insight, especially in the U.S. where major Fortune 500 companies are only starting to automate their creative processes,” said Smartly.io CEO and Founder Kristo Ovaska. “We envision Smartly.io as the number one digital advertising platform for all marketers, and one that allows teams to leverage enhanced creative capabilities to supercharge and optimize their campaigns. With over €2.5 billion in ad spend flowing through Smartly.io in 2019, the largest global brands are already managing their paid social and online video spend with the platform, and this new partner allows us to continue innovating to better serve our customers as their social media advertising needs evolve.”

Smartly.io enables advertisers to manage and optimize their creative and ad operations across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. With the creative suite of tools in the platform, marketers bring the brand and performance advertising teams closer as well as bridge the gap between creative and ad buying silos.

“Kristo and Tuomo together with the whole team have built an impressive platform, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them,” said Davis Noell, a Managing Director at Providence. “Smartly.io has a unique opportunity to help transform the creative and media optimization process, and we look forward to supporting the Company with our experience and capital to accelerate organic and inorganic growth.”

Providence Operating Partner Laura Desmond has been appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Smartly.io and joins a group of robust and dynamic leaders, having worked closely with some of the biggest and most successful marketers worldwide, including Samsung, Coca-Cola, Visa, Mondelez, P&G and a host of direct to consumer brands such as Airbnb, Spotify, EA Sports and Twitter. Desmond has spent considerable time with advertising and marketing platform, technology and software companies such as Facebook, Google, LiveRamp and Tencent. She also serves on the board of DoubleVerify (a Providence portfolio company).

“Over the past several years, I’ve seen marketing and advertising technology evolve, with an ever-growing set of companies understanding how to partner with the entire digital ad ecosystem to create value,” said Desmond. “Smartly.io is uniquely positioned to play a lead role in a market where brand and performance work is converging. Together, we intend to grow the Company’s presence in the U.S. and globally, expand to other platforms, and build relationships with brands and their partners to create value for all.”

Macquarie Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor to Smartly.io and Hannes Snellman served as Smartly.io’s legal advisor. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Krogerus provided legal counsel to Providence.

Visit Smartly.io’s website to learn more about its capabilities, and follow Smartly.io on Twitter for the latest updates on company announcements.

About Smartly.io
Powering beautifully effective ads, Smartly.io automates every step of social advertising to unlock greater performance and creativity. We combine creative production and ad buying automation with outstanding customer service to help 600+ brands scale their results – not headcount – on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. We are a fast-growing community of 350+ Smartlies with 16 offices around the world, managing over €2.5B in ad spend and growing rapidly and profitably. Visit smartly.io to learn more.

About Providence Equity Partners
Providence is a premier global asset management firm with over $45 billion in aggregate capital commitments. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm’s inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 200 companies and has become a leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI, and also has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.provequity.com.

Contacts

Smartly.io
Michael Wood
PAN Communications
617-502-4300
Smartly.io@pancomm.com

Providence Equity Partners
Sard Verbinnen & Co.
Andrew Cole / Hayley Cook (U.S.) 212-687-8080
Conrad Harrington (U.K.) +44 207 4671 050
Prov-SVC@sardverb.com

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EQT completes sale of Contanda

eqt

  • EQT Infrastructure has sold Contanda, a premier provider of liquid bulk storage solutions in North America, to institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management
  • During EQT Infrastructure’s ownership, Contanda has experienced substantial growth, particularly in its core Gulf Coast and West Coast positions, and further professionalized operations via systems implementation and upgrades

The EQT Infrastructure II fund (“EQT” or “EQT Infrastructure”) today announced that it has completed the sale of Contanda LLC (“Contanda” or the “Company”) to institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Acquired in February 2013, Contanda is a premier provider of storage and customized storage related services to owners of bulk liquid products, with a strong market position in the petrochemical, renewable energy and agricultural commodity sectors. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Contanda has 15 terminals in North America with over seven million barrels of total storage capacity and approximately 275 employees. Contanda’s terminals are strategically located near deep water ports and transportation infrastructure, providing customers access to critical shipping lanes and distribution networks.

Together with the management team, EQT has supported Contanda in accelerating its growth trajectory. During EQT Infrastructure’s ownership, Contanda has strengthened its foothold by expanding capacity, enhancing product diversity, and strengthening operating capabilities. As part of increasing Contanda’s runway for continued future organic growth, EQT has supported the Company in adding new terminal sites in Houston and Stockton, which enable Contanda to progress towards its ambition of more than doubling its current capacity.

Jan Vesely, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, commented: “Contanda has undergone a significant transformation over the past few years. While significantly diversifying its product base and growing in key US markets, Contanda has built a culture of safe operations and uncompromising customer focus. With an experienced team and existing and new strategic assets in place, the Company is well-positioned to execute against the next phase of its growth plan.”

G.R. “Jerry” Cardillo, CEO of Contanda, said: “We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with EQT over the past six years and have benefitted from their support, vision and vast experience in the bulk liquid storage business. With the support of EQT, Contanda has grown significantly, in terms of both our footprint and capabilities, and we look forward to working with our new partners as we continue on our growth journey.”

Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as legal advisor to Contanda and EQT Infrastructure.

Contact
Jan Vesely, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, +1 917 281 0850
US media inquiries: Stephanie Greengarten, +1 646 687 6810, stephanie.greengarten@eqtpartners.com
International media inquiries: EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 41 billion in assets under management across 20 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 21 billion and approximately 127,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

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

About Contanda
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Contanda is a premier provider of storage and logistics services to owners of bulk liquid products in North America. The Company has over 7 million barrels of storage capacity across 15 terminals in North America. The business is focused on growth in the petrochemical, hydrocarbon, and renewable markets while maintaining a leading market position in the petroleum, chemical, agricultural commodity sectors.

More info: www.contanda.com

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3i announces sale of Aspen Pumps generating proceeds of c. £208m and overall return of 4.1x MM

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that it has agreed the sale of its investment in Aspen Pumps Group (“Aspen”), the global market leader in condensate removal pumps, to Inflexion Private Equity, the mid-market private equity firm.

Proceeds to 3i will be c. £208m, which represents a c. 55% uplift on its 30 September 2019 valuation. Including the £52m of proceeds already received, this represents a 4.1x return on invested capital and a 34% IRR.

Aspen is the global leader in the supply of condensate removal pumps into the fast growing air conditioning market. Aspen has also built an impressive portfolio of brands including Xtra accessory products, JAVAC tools, Advanced chemicals and Big Foot roof support systems. In December 2019 Aspen Pumps celebrated the milestone of selling 1 million pumps in a single year, further cementing its position as the wholesaler’s choice for innovation and reliability.

3i invested in Aspen in 2015 and has supported the company’s transformation from a UK exporter into a truly multinational business with a strong local footprint and people in each of its key geographies. As part of the buy-and-build strategy, Aspen has completed 6 acquisitions in France, Germany, Australia and the UK, enabling international revenues to more than treble over the last 5 years.

Pete Wilson, Partner and Head of UK Private Equity, 3i, commented: “This has been a classic 3i deal, where we have partnered with a high quality management team to support Aspen’s transformation from a UK exporter into a truly multinational business, through a combination of strong organic growth and innovative product development as well as targeted acquisitions. I’d like to thank Adrian Thompson and his management team for their commitment to delivering this plan and wish them all the best in the future.”

Adrian Thompson, CEO, Aspen Pumps, said, “Working with 3i, it was clear from the start that they really understood the business, had significant experience in our sector and brought a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. They have been a fantastic partner, supporting us on the development of our strategy, our acquisitions and on expanding our global footprint.”

Jonny Crane, Partner and Global Head of Industrials, 3i, added: “Aspen is an exceptional business which has been a strong fit with our industrial sector strategy, due to its market leading, innovative products that are increasingly critical to its end users. This has enabled it to build a strong and sustainable market position globally and the business is well positioned to build further on its leadership going forward.”

The transaction is expected to complete in Q1 2020, subject to customary antitrust approvals.

3i’s advisors on the transaction were Robert W. Baird (financial advisor), Travers Smith (legal), Deloitte (financial and tax) and LEK (commercial).

 

-Ends-

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For further information, contact: 

3i Group plc

Kathryn van der Kroft

Media enquiries

 Tel: +44 20 7975 3021

Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

 
Silvia Santoro

Shareholder enquiries

 Tel: +44 20 7975 3258

Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com

 

Notes to editors:

About 3i Group

3i is a leading international investment manager focused on mid-market Private Equity and Infrastructure. Its core investment markets are northern Europe and North America. For further information, please visit: www.3i.com

About Aspen Pumps

Aspen Pumps Group is the global leader in the supply of condensate removal pumps into the fast growing air conditioning market. Aspen has also built an impressive portfolio of brands including Xtra accessory products, JAVAC tools, Advanced chemicals and Big Foot roof support systems. In December 2019 Aspen Pumps celebrated the milestone of selling 1 million pumps in a single year, further cementing its position as the wholesaler’s choice for innovation and reliability. With offices and warehousing in the UK, France, Germany, USA and Australia, Aspen Pumps Group has become a truly global business on its journey from an East Sussex start up founded by 3 air conditioning engineers in 1995.

Regulatory information

This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc.

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K1 Sells Buildium, Category Leader in Property Management Software

K1

LOS ANGELES, December 18, 2019 — K1 Investment Management, LLC (“K1”), a leading investment firm focusing on high-growth enterprise software companies, today announced the sale of its portfolio company, Buildium LLC (“Buildium”), category leader in SaaS real estate property management software, to RealPage, Inc. (NASDAQ: RP), a global real estate technology platform.

K1 was the first institutional investor in Buildium, partnering alongside the company’s co-founders, Michael Monteiro and Dimitris Georgakopoulos. Since K1’s initial investment, Buildium’s revenues have grown more than 10x and its customer base has more than tripled.

“We decided to partner with K1 as our first investor after their team reached out to us directly and built a relationship with our business for more than a year,” said Michael Monteiro, co-founder of Buildium. “K1’s track record in building exceptional software companies gave us confidence that they were the right partner to help Buildium reach its next stage of growth.”

With K1’s partnership, Buildium made significant investments to grow its headcount, strengthen its go-to-market efforts and expand its product portfolio. Additionally, Buildium leveraged K1’s sector specialization, sourcing capabilities and operational expertise to complete and integrate two add-on acquisitions.

“We are proud of the market-leading product and customer experience that Buildium provides to property managers worldwide and are grateful for our longstanding partnership with K1 to help realize this vision,” said Dimitris Georgakopoulos, co-founder of Buildium. “The K1 team has been a trusted partner and advisor to Buildium as it has grown into a true category leader in real estate technology.”

Additionally, K1 is an active participant and proud sponsor of Buildium’s community causes, including its team’s participation in Bike MS, an annual bike ride from Boston to Provincetown which is organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise funds for MS treatment and awareness.

“When we first invested in Buildium in 2012, K1 saw a company with a mission-critical product and compelling fundamentals where we could help accelerate growth and solidify the company’s market leadership,” said Taylor Beaupain, Managing Partner at K1. “Since then, we have had the privilege to partner with an exceptional management team focused on delivering the best to its customers, employees, investors and community, and look forward to seeing what the team will accomplish next.”

About K1

K1 builds category-leading enterprise software companies. As a global investment firm, K1 assists high-growth businesses to achieve successful outcomes. K1 invests alongside strong management teams that continue to guide their organizations on a day-to-day basis. With over 85 professionals, K1 changes industry landscapes by assisting with operationally-focused growth strategies. Since inception of the firm, K1 has partnered with over 115 enterprise software companies including category leaders such as Apttus, Buildium, Checkmarx, ChiroTouch, Chrome River, Granicus, Rave Mobile Safety, RFPIO, Smarsh, WorkForce Software and Zapproved. For more information about K1, please visit http://www.k1capital.com or http://www.linkedin.com/company/k1im.

SOURCE: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/k1-sells-buildium-category-leader-in-property-management-software-300977270.html?tc=eml_cleartime

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paraDIGMA Group and BlijWerkt Announce Collaboration with Support from Mentha Capital

Mentha Capital

paraDIGMA Group and BlijWerkt are to enter into collaboration and will form a new group. Investor Mentha Capital will take a majority stake in the combination of the two service providers which operate in the field of sustainable employability and provide employment to over 400 employees. The transaction is subject to the approval of the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa).

The collaboration creates a strong and fast-growing combination which challenges the established order with its innovative methods. The combination offers a wide range of services where an integral approach and personal approach are central. The two companies already have 500,000 affiliated employees throughout the country. Customers will benefit from the complementary service package of both companies and the focus on sharing knowledge and capacity.

paraDIGMA Group is a fast-growing group of companies operating in the field of sustainable employability. Its occupational health and safety services provider Argo Advies takes a unique approach to absenteeism, leading to progressive and highly effective absenteeism and health policies within organizations. The group also offers psychological interventions, outplacement and reintegration, labour research and advice, and business training. The paraDIGMA Group was founded in 2000 by Rudo Vissers. Mr Vissers will stay on as director and remain a shareholder in the combination.

BlijWerkt is an occupational health and safety service currently under the control of investment company Gilde Healthcare. It has become a successful, leading and nationally operating player where personal attention to its clients is central.

Mentha Capital will take over the shares in both companies from the current shareholders. Mentha invests in established, profitable companies which demonstrate clear potential for further expansion through organic growth, expansion into new markets and/or acquisitions. Mentha has 15 participations, active in various end-markets.

Rudo Vissers of paraDIGMA Group: “We are very pleased to have taken this step. The result is a unique and very solid company with a strong position in the market and major social significance. We continue to look at sustainable employability from the perspective of leadership and culture in organizations, reinforced by a high-quality medical base.”

Ruud Pels, BlijWerkt: “I am grateful to Gilde for having supported the development of our company. I look forward to working with Mentha and the paraDIGMA Group. Utilizing the expertise of the paraDIGMA Group in areas in which we at BlijWerkt are less active, enables us to serve our customers even better in the future.”

Barend Rutten, Mentha Capital: “Sustainable employability is an increasingly important theme for companies and society where the demand for effective and innovative service is increasing. By joining forces, paraDIGMA and BlijWerkt can further improve the quality and service they provide to customers and lay a solid foundation for further growth.

Gilde Healthcare reflects with satisfaction on its involvement with BlijWerkt: “as a sector specialist with an active growth strategy we have been able to add a lot of value to our investment in BlijWerkt,” commented Hugo de Bruin, partner at Gilde Healthcare, “we are convinced BlijWerkt will continue its succesful strategy together with paraDIGMA Group in the years to come.”

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BC Platforms Closes USD $15 million Series C Financing and Signs Partnership with IQVIA to extend Data Analytics in Genomics

Tesi

Investments in companies – 18.12.2019

BC Platforms, a world leader in genomic data management and analytics, today announced that it has closed a 15 million USD financing round alongside a new commercial partnership with IQVIA™ (NYSE: IQV). The round was led by IQVIA in conjunction with Debiopharm Innovation Fund and Tesi, a Finnish venture capital and private equity company. As part of the partnership, IQVIA and BC Platforms plan to launch new data driven technologies, integrating complex clinical and genomic data, to benefit transformational research.

IQVIA and BC Platforms have a shared vision to build a world leading analytics platform to enable the pharmaceutical industry’s advancement of precision medicine, improving the efficiency of drug development and patient outcomes. BC Platforms technology will enhance IQVIA’s E360™ Genomics – a scalable, privacy-preserving genotypic-phenotypic database solution – in supporting a federated data network of genomic related analytics while ensuring patient privacy.

BC Platforms will use the fundraising proceeds to expand its global network of clinical and genomics data, delivering novel automated solutions to pharmaceutical companies. To date, the company has established partnerships with approximately 100 enterprise level healthcare systems and biobanks globally in 25 countries and has recently established an entity in Singapore to spearhead its growing activities in Asia.

Tero Silvola, CEO at BC Platforms, said: “IQVIA and BC Platforms aim to combine genomic and clinical data assets around the world. IQVIA´s E360™ Genomics is built on patented techniques that allow us to build data access without compromising data privacy and security in any situation. Together with IQVIA´s deep healthcare expertise in managing and curating real-world data, we believe that we can accelerate precision medicine initiatives for patient benefits. This funding and commercial partnership will help accelerate our growth in serving healthcare and Life Science customers as well as connecting data partners in a global, interoperable federated network.’

Rob Kotchie, President, Real World Solution, IQVIA, said: “Drawing insights from integrated clinical-genomics data is a growing need of our life science and healthcare customers. Through the combination of BC Platforms technologies – which automates the workflow from genomic instruments to actionable insights – with IQVIAs leading real-world technologies platform we can enable customers to conduct novel research and discover new insights to advance healthcare.”

Tom Gibbs, Director at Debiopharm, commented: ‘We are dedicated supporters of innovation and believe that digital health and data accessibility are going to be key drivers of future healthcare research and development. We are delighted to be supporting BC Platforms, a leader in the field of genomic data management, in the next stage of their expansion and are excited by the potential of this collaboration with IQVIA.’

As part of its investment, IQVIA will have a designee on the BC Platforms’ Board of Directors.

Tesi’s Investment Manager Joni Karsikas comments: “The pharmaceutical industry and healthcare are operating in active partnership that is becoming ever closer. The pricing of pharmaceuticals, for instance, is more often being based on their impact. That requires genomic data to be combined with various clinical data registers. Patients will receive the most suitable and correctly-timed medications, and the system will charge for them according to the treatment results. We are very pleased that we can support BC Platforms, a pioneer in genomic data management, in the next stage of its expansion.”

Contact information:

BC Platforms, Tero Silvola, CEO, + 358 40 590 5733, tero.silvola@bcplatforms.com

IQVIA, Rob Kotchie, President Real World Solutions, + 44 20 3075 5705, Rob.Kotchie@iqvia.com

Tesi, Joni Karsikas, Investment Manager, +358 40 827 0395, joni.karsikas@tesi.fi 

 

About BC Platforms

BC Platforms is a world leader in providing powerful genomic data management and analysis solutions. Our high performing genomic data management platform enables flexible data integration, secure analysis and interpretation of molecular and clinical information. The company has launched and opened a global network of biobanks, known as BCRQUEST.COM, to provide genomic and clinical cohort data for pharmaceutical and medical research and development. BC Platforms’ vision is to build the world’s leading analytics platform for healthcare and industry by 2020, providing access to diverse genomic and clinical data and samples from more than 5 million subjects consolidated from a global network of biobanks.

Founded in 1997 from an MIT Whitehead project spinoff, the Company has a strong scientific heritage underpinned by over 20 years of working in close collaboration with a network of leading researchers, developers, manufacturers and vendors. BC Platforms has global operations with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, research and development in Espoo, Finland, and sales and marketing in London, Boston, Vancouver and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.bcplatforms.com or follow us on Twitter @BCPlatforms.

About IQVIA

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. Formed through the merger of IMS Health and Quintiles, IQVIA applies human data science — leveraging the analytic rigor and clarity of data science to the ever-expanding scope of human science — to enable companies to reimagine and develop new approaches to clinical development and commercialization, speed innovation and accelerate improvements in healthcare outcomes. Powered by the IQVIA CORE™, IQVIA delivers unique and actionable insights at the intersection of large-scale analytics, transformative technology and extensive domain expertise, as well as execution capabilities. With approximately 65,000 employees, IQVIA conducts operations in more than 100 countries.

IQVIA is a global leader in protecting individual patient privacy. The company uses a wide variety of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that helps healthcare stakeholders identify disease patterns and correlate with the precise treatment path and therapy needed for better outcomes. IQVIA’s insights and execution capabilities help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures. To learn more, visit www.iqvia.com.

About Tesi

Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd) is a state-owned investment company that wants to raise Finland to the front ranks of renewing economic growth by investing in funds and directly in companies. We invest profitably and responsibly, together with co-investors, to create the world’s new success stories. Our investments under management total 1.2 billion euros. Ambition for ownership and success www.tesi.fi | www.dtg.tesi.fi | @TesiFII

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Scandlines appoints Vagn Sørensen as Chairman

3I

Scandlines, the German-Danish, green and innovative ferry operator in the Baltic Sea, has appointed Vagn Sørensen as Chairman as of 01 January 2020.

Vagn Sørensen brings over 30 years’ experience from international business and the aviation industry in particular. He joined Scandinavian Airlines in 1984 and became Executive Vice President in 1994. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Austrian Airlines in 2001, stepping down in 2006 to successfully pursue a plural career.

Vagn Sørensen has extensive experience across both executive and non-executive positions internationally. He currently holds a number of roles, including Chairman of

Air Canada, Chairman of FLSmidth & Co., Chairman of SSP Group Plc and Chairman of Flying Tiger Copenhagen. Vagn Sørensen is also a board member at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Scandlines will benefit from Vagn Sørensen’s leadership skills and his extensive commercial experience, gained from a variety of businesses operating in similar industries as Scandlines.

Vagn Sørensen says: “I am delighted to be joining Scandlines as Chairman. I am excited by the company’s green agenda, its growth prospects and strong customer focus. I look forward to working with Søren Poulsgaard Jensen and the management team to continue Scandlines’ development.”

Søren Poulsgaard, CEO of Scandlines, comments:  “I am happy to welcome Vagn as Chairman. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we pursue our green strategy, continually enhance our customer experience and modernise our fleet.”

Vagn Sørensen takes over the position as Chairman from Steve Ridgway, who joined Scandlines as Chairman in 2014. Steve Ridgway comments: “I have enjoyed the journey with Scandlines since 2014 and I am happy to pass the keys on to an experienced operator with a track record of building big brands in the leisure travel and retail sector.”

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About Scandlines

Scandlines stands as a symbol of a historical and close cooperation between Denmark and Germany. Scandlines runs two ferry routes with high capacity and frequency as well as with a green vision for the future.

The core business is to provide an efficient and reliable transport service for both passengers and freight customers. The main focus for all activities in Scandlines is to create value for our customers on board the ferries as well as in our shops.

With more than 43,000 departures on 8 ferries, in 2018 Scandlines transported 7.4 million passengers, 1.8 million cars and more than 700,000 freight units and 36,000 busses on the routes Puttgarden-Rødby and Rostock-Gedser.

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Verto Analytics and Unacast announce Partnership

OpenOcean

Verto Analytics Expands in Location and POI Data Enrichment with a Single-Source Behavioral Panel, Selects Unacast’s Turbine Location Engine

Verto Analytics launches new research solutions to help understand the overlay of online usage and offline foot traffic with a panel-based measurement solution – Unacast will process Verto’s 1st-party location data to improve Verto’s data enrichment.

New York City, NY, USA

December 16, 2019, 9am NYC time

New York, NY – Unacast, an award-winning and industry-leading location data and strategic insights company, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Verto Analytics, a premier market research and behavioral research platform. Verto Analytics will use Turbine, Unacast’s Platform as a Service technology, as part of its new solutions built to process and turn location data into valuable information around place visitation in the offline world. In this collaboration, the parties process Verto’s 1st party location data to provide contextualized insights on how people move around in the physical world – without being dependent on any 3rd party sources, and solely based on Verto’s proprietary deterministic market research opt-in panel data.

 

Figure – Verto’s behavioral panel gives information on US commercial visits in the physical world for the purposes of advanced market research and media measurement.

 

Through this partnership, Verto is positioned to gain a competitive edge with improved accuracy and scope of their location data. Verto’s new solutions in this area are the first panel-based and opt-in based framework that assesses how people move around in the offline world around the clock, while being able to connect that information to insights/metrics around online usage. Further, the insights that can be derived from footfall patterns will provide a more comprehensive view of human mobility and contextualization of mobile and PC device usage across apps, web sites, e-commerce, shopping journeys, streaming media usage etc. Through this process, Verto’s data will more accurately reflect the depth of insights on consumer behavior by tying online behavior of offline actions, which will further solidify them as the trusted provider for cross-device behavioral information.

“We have a lot of passive location data collected with high cadence that we wanted to leverage to understand consumer behavior at a deeper level, so we searched for a company that has the expertise and experience to interpret all of this information,” says Dr. Hannu Verkasalo, Verto Analytics’ Founder and CEO. “Unacast is a pioneer in the location data space, and after testing the accuracy and quality of their data and the transparent insights they provided, we knew we had found the right fit – a data partner who can keep up with Verto’s evolving business challenges, and be able to expand from high level home/work/on-the move classification to detailed point of interest data to power stronger insights and newer capabilities in custom research and consumer journey analytics .

 

Figure – Verto’s panel data makes it possible to understand consumer visitation in commercial places. Eating out is one of the top categories in Verto’s day-to-day behavioral measurement

Turbine is Unacast’s platform for advanced data filtering and clustering. It enables clients to understand device activity and context for mobility patterns. This data is coupled with other signals to provide a transparent and complete picture of real world behavior while maintaining user privacy.

“We see a lot of companies who sit on petabytes of 1st party location, GPS, WiFi and cell tower data, but are not doing anything meaningful with it – that’s a lost opportunity to extract potential value and insights,” says Thomas Walle, CEO and Co-Founder at Unacast. “We built Turbine to allow companies to leverage the Unacast technology to provide them with location data insights. We are pleased to announce that one of the best known panel-based research companies, Verto Analytics, has started using our product as part of their research work!”

 

About Verto Analytics

Verto Analytics is a media measurement company that offers a holistic view of  consumers—their behavior, along with demographics, lifestyles, attitudes, and interests. Verto owns and operates single-source, passively metered panels in different countries; this gives us the power to measure behavioral changes over time across all media, second by second. Brands, publishers, and researchers can use Verto’s services to benchmark against competitors and the market, fill in the gaps in the consumer journey, and identify ways to increase engagement and loyalty. Verto’s behavioral research platform equips market researchers with deep, passive meter data solutions and the application of triggered surveys on top of the panel. Verto has been awarded in many categories over the years, in market research, including the Winner of Technology Breakthrough Award at Media Excellence Awards

 

About the Real World Graph®

The Real World Graph® is an interconnected system of data sets that understands human mobility in the physical world using a combination of map data, location data, and strategic insights. The Real World Graph® leverages a quality data set with the highest privacy standards and power multiple real estate developers, retailers, city planners and many other companies to build better products and make better decisions.

 

About Unacast

Unacast is an award-winning human mobility data company that harnesses anonymous device location data, map data, and strategic intelligence to tackle business challenges for the retail, real estate, tourism, transportation, and marketing industries. With its flagship product “The Real World Graph®”, it provides innovative solutions and insights to operational challenges for companies of any size or shape. Unacast was founded in 2014 with offices in New York and Oslo, Norway. In 2019, Unacast was awarded the #1 small company to work in NYC for by Built In NYC and received Street Fights’ Most Innovative Use of Geospatial Technology award.

 

All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

 

For more information:

https://www.vertoanalytics.com

Contact:

Hannu Verkasalo

+1 (347) 223 1856

hannu.verkasalo(at)vertoanalytics(dot)com

https://www.unacast.com

Contact:

John Bobis

+1 (646) 300 0708

john.bobis(at)Unacast(dot)com

This news was first published on Verto´s news page: https://vertoanalytics.com/verto-analytics-expands-in-location-and-poi-data-enrichment-with-a-single-source-behavioral-panel-selects-unacasts-turbine-location-engine/

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Innovestor invests in Luxmet – Technology Making Steel Production More Environmental

Innovestor

Luxmet completed their 0,8M€ oversubscribed round led by Innovestor: Advanced high temperature process monitoring and control systems for steel and metal industries.

Heavy industry plays its own significant climate change role. The media often highlights for example air travel and the meat industry as mainly responsible for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. But, as a matter of fact, heavy industry is a bigger source of CO2 emissions than air travel and all other transport modes combined.

Luxmet is on an important mission in cutting down CO2 emissions. Its ArcSpec solution is being applied in heavy industry, more specifically in steel production. Steel is now and will continue in the future to be an important part of sustainable development. Without steel, a low-carbon future is not possible: wind power and other renewable energy forms demand steel.

 

Electric arc furnace enables sustainably produced steel

Steel is produced in two alternative ways: the traditional model is to mine ore and refine it into steel in a blast furnace. Another more environmentally friendly method, is to utilize recycled steel: used metal is melted with electricity in a so-called electric arc furnace. This electric arc method generates merely a third of the CO2 emissions compared with blast furnace technology.

Luxmet’s ArcSpec technology makes electric arc furnaces even more environmentally friendly. According to Luxmet’s CEO Mikko Jokinen:

“Our solution analyzes all essential activities happening inside the furnace and therefore enables the optimization of the whole production process. Temperature’s inside the furnace can reach even 2000 degrees Celsius, so we attach our light-measuring sensors on top of the furnace’s roof. From there the observations are transferred to a nearby computer where the data is analyzed in real time.”

Founded in 2014, Luxmet’s technology is based on research from Oulu University. Jokinen joined the team when the research results were strong enough to start a company. Since then the company has expanded its operations: paying customers can at the moment be found in Finland, Norway, Spain, and Italy.

 

Going global

At the moment internationalization is at the core of Luxmet’s agenda. To enable it, Innovestor recently lead and organized Luxmet’s funding round. The target was to raise 0,8 million euros and the round was actually oversubscribed.

“We were supposed to have it open for a month but we reached the target in just two weeks”, Jokinen explained, clearly satisfied and excited about the co-operation with Innovestor.

The European Union requires significant CO2 emission reductions for heavy industry in the upcoming decades. This calls for innovations like ArcSpec.

At the moment Luxmet has a clear competitive advantage compared to other players in the domain. Their competitors either cannot deliver real time analyses or they concentrate on just one sub-process. ArcSpec is patented extensively which further strengthens Luxmet’s head start.

“ArcSpec is a result of many trials and errors. We realized early on that an innovation like this cannot be developed in the researcher’s lab. Instead, you need to try things out in actual factories. That is the only way to gather valuable real-life experience. Now our product is ripe and we are ready to go full steam global”, Jokinen sums up.

 

About Luxmet 

Luxmet has developed a unique solution for real-time measurement of steel production processes. The patented technology developed by the company is completely unique and enables for the first time reliable, real-time monitoring of the steel manufacturing process. The technology has been shown to improve processes by up to 8%. For steel producers, this means not only millions of euros in annual savings, but also more ecological production.

 

About Innovestor

Innovestor is an early-stage venture capital investor, who actively offers direct co-investment syndication opportunities and builds growth programs.  We manage the largest private venture backed portfolio in the Nordics and have to date invested around 140M€ together with our +500 co-investors. Around +1500 growth companies apply to our programs per year to whom we organize and facilitate +200 events with the support of +200 partners.

 

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