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CapMan Real Estate sells office property in Stockholm to Fabege

CapMan Real Estate
Press Release
8 May 2020 at 12.00 p.m. EEST

CapMan Real Estate sells office property in Stockholm to Fabege

CapMan Nordic Real Estate II Fund has signed a sale agreement with Fabege regarding Påsen 1, an approx. 10,000 sqm multi-let office building in Hammarby Sjöstad. The agreed property value is SEK 441.4 million.

“We purchased this property in March 2018 and were very much drawn towards the value-add opportunities we saw at that time. Hammarby Sjöstad and its surrounding area in southern Stockholm has experienced rapid development and growth in the past few years and we have seen rental values rise significantly as a result. We are pleased to capitalise the value we have created to date and also to sell to Fabege who is a long-term owner and developer in the area,” comments Per Tängerstad, Partner at CapMan Real Estate.

Påsen 1 is the second exit of the CapMan Nordic Real Estate II Fund. The focus of the €425 million fund was to acquire mainly office, retail and residential properties located in established submarkets of major Nordic cities. CapMan is currently raising its third value-add Nordic fund.

Nordanö and Mannheimer Swartling assisted CapMan on the sale.

For further information, please contact:
Per Tängerstad, Partner, CapMan Real Estate, tel. +46 70 591 23 00

About CapMan www.capman.com

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation. We offer a wide selection of investment products and services. As one of the Nordic private equity pioneers, we have developed hundreds of companies and real estate assets and created substantial value in these businesses and assets over the past 30 years. With over €3 billion in assets under management, our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover Private Equity, Real Estate and Infra. We also have a growing service business that includes procurement services, fundraising advisory, and analysis, reporting and wealth management services. Altogether, CapMan employs approx. 150 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London and Luxembourg. We are a public company listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001 and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2012.

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The Carlyle Group Enters into Binding Agreements to Acquire a Majority Stake in SeQuent Scientific Limited

Carlyle

Mumbai, May 8, 2020 – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and the existing promoters of SeQuent Scientific Limited (BSE-512529; NSE: SEQUENT) today announced that CA Harbor Investments, an affiliated entity of CAP V Mauritius Limited and The Carlyle Group (together, “Carlyle”), has agreed to acquire an equity stake of up to 74% in SeQuent Scientific Limited (“SeQuent”), the largest pure-play animal healthcare company in India.

CA Harbor Investments proposes to acquire a majority stake in SeQuent via private share purchase agreements, for a purchase price of INR 86 per share. Pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s Takeover Regulations, the proposed transaction will trigger a mandatory open offer by CA Harbor Investments and CAP V Mauritius Limited for the purchase of up to 26% equity shares of SeQuent from public shareholders to be identified in the open offer documents[1]. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Following the completion of this transaction, CA Harbor Investments will become the new promoter of SeQuent.

Headquartered in Mumbai, SeQuent is the largest Indian pure-play animal healthcare company with global operations. SeQuent provides animal health Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (“API”), formulations, and analytical services in over 100 countries, with more than 1,700 employees and manufacturing operations in India, Spain, Turkey, Germany and Brazil.

Arun Kumar, on behalf of the current promoter group of SeQuent, said, “We are pleased to have achieved this strategic outcome for SeQuent and its investors through this divestment. Our investment in this niche sector of the industry has played out as intended thanks to the leadership of Manish Gupta, his leadership team and employees, who have collectively created this world-class Indian animal health company. We are confident that Carlyle’s global network and resources will be a catalyst for SeQuent’s next stage of growth and innovation. We thank the Board of Directors, our employees, investors, banks and other stakeholders for their support in building SeQuent to what it is today and wish the SeQuent team the very best.”

Neeraj Bharadwaj, Managing Director of the Carlyle Asia Partners team, said, “SeQuent is led by an experienced management team, and has built strong API and formulation businesses that are poised for continued growth in the evolving animal health industry. We will draw on our global network, industry knowledge and operating expertise in healthcare to advise SeQuent on its business expansion strategy, enhance its operations, and help the company drive sales and product innovation.”

“We see strong growth potential in the global animal health industry, including the livestock segment where SeQuent is operating, thanks to increasing demand for animal protein, rising awareness of food safety, and growing disposable income,” he added.

Manish Gupta, CEO of SeQuent, said, “SeQuent emerged as India’s leading animal healthcare company within six years, completing phase one of SeQuent’s growth journey. On behalf of the entire management team, I would like to thank Mr. Arun Kumar for his vision and support in building a global animal healthcare company. We look forward to a new phase of development, where we together with Carlyle will work to grow the company into one of the top global animal healthcare companies.”

The Carlyle Group has a well-established history of investing in the healthcare sector, both in India and globally, fueled by a deep understanding of the market and an ability to create value through its operational expertise and close partnerships with management. Its investments in the Indian healthcare sector include Medanta Medicity Hospital, a leading hospital in the National Capital Region of Delhi, and Metropolis Healthcare, which operates a chain of diagnostic centers and laboratories.

The Carlyle Group is a long-standing global investment firm in India, making investments in India since 2000. With global resources, deep industry expertise and strong local knowledge, Carlyle has invested more than US$2.5 billion in India as of March 31, 2020. Its other notable investments include SBI Life, SBI Card, HDFC, India Infoline, Delhivery and PNB Housing Finance.

J.P. Morgan acted as exclusive financial advisor while Nishith Desai Associates acted as legal advisor to SeQuent and its promoters.

Nomura acted as exclusive financial advisor while AZB & Partners and White & Case acted as legal counsels to CA Harbor Investments and Carlyle. Nomura will be acting as the manager to the public tender offer.

* * *

About SeQuent Scientific Limited

SeQuent Scientific Limited (BSE-512529, NSE-SEQUENT) headquartered in Mumbai, India with a global footprint, operates in the domains of Animal Health (Alivira) and Analytical Services. SeQuent has eight manufacturing facilities based in India, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Turkey with approvals from global regulatory bodies, including USFDA, EUGMP, WHO, TGA among others. Its Vizag facility is India’s first and only USFDA approved facility for veterinary APIs. SeQuent is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE: SEQUENT) and BSE Limited (BSE: 512529) in India.

 

SeQuent’s revenue for the twelve months ended December 2019 was INR 11,606 million and profit after tax (before minority interest) for the same period was INR 851 million. The company was recently named “The Best Company in India/Middle East/Africa” at the Animal Pharm Awards 2019.

 

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $217 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2020, 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. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,775 people in 32 offices across six continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow The Carlyle Group on Twitter @OneCarlyle.

 

Media Contacts:

SeQuent
Tushar Mistry
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +91 22 4111 4717
tushar.m@sequent.in

Diwakar Pingle
Christensen Investor Relations
Tel : +91 22 4215 0210
dpingle@christensenir.com

Abhishek Singhal
Investor Relations Consultants
abhishek.s@sequent.in

Carlyle

Tammy Li
Phone: +852 2878 5236
tammy.li@carlyle.com

Adfactors PR
Manibalan Manoharan
Phone: +91 9833949919
manibalan.manoharan@adfactorspr.com

Certain statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like government actions, local, political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements. SeQuent Scientific Ltd. and The Carlyle Group will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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Hg strengthens executive team with four Partner promotions

HG Capital

Alongside a total of 30 promotions, the appointments support the evolution of the firm, further reinforcing Hg as the largest technology team in Europe

Hg, Europe’s leading software investor, today announces four new Partner appointments as part of a number of senior promotions across the firm.

The promotions continue to strengthen the executive leadership team and further support the evolution of the firm, having now grown to over 200 employees. Today the team is made up of over 140 investors, more than 30 operational experts and several other transaction support teams, together comprising the largest technology investor in the region.

Hg has promoted four long-standing colleagues to Partner: Martina Sanow (Deputy COO), Luke Finch (Client Services), Joris van Gool and Stefan Margolis (Investment team). The average tenure of these four individuals at Hg is close to a decade, during which time they have all made a material individual contribution to the firm’s achievements as well as helping to build and shape the firm over that period.

Hg is also pleased to promote several colleagues to Director: Yasemin Arik, Viviana Kane, Manuela Thomys, Richard Earnshaw, Hector Guinness, Benedikt Joeris and Carlo Pohlhausen.   Each of these colleagues has made a strong contribution to developing and leading investment activity at Hg over many years.

Matthew Brockman, Managing Partner at Hg, commented: “I am delighted to announce these positive developments, as we recognise individuals whose commitment and performance has stood out over years.  We are hugely committed to the long-term development of our people.  Each of these new Partners joined the firm as a junior team member nearly 10 years ago and since then have worked tirelessly across investments, deepening our client relationships and improving our business. They also share our values and each have supported several areas of the business during that time.  We are delighted to now have them as Partners.”

Martina Sanow joined the Client Services team in 2009 and has worked on all Hg fundraisings since then.  She was promoted to the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Today Martina has responsibility for the firm’s operations including talent, finance, technology and ESG. She also leads the firm’s work on Diversity & Inclusion and has been leading the work in establishing the Hg Foundation. Most recently Martina was recognised in the ‘Future 40’ list of PE operators on course for stand-out roles in private markets.

Luke Finch joined Hg’s Client Services team in 2010 and has led this team for the last 18 months. Over the last decade he has worked on several fundraisings including Hg Mercury 1, Hg Genesis 7 (2012/13 vintage funds) and Hg Mercury 2, Hg Genesis 8, Hg Saturn 1 (2017 vintage funds), as well as the current fundraising activities.

Joris Van Gool joined in 2013 having previously interned with Hg when at Harvard Business School.  Joris has worked on, led and originated numerous deals on behalf of Hg. He is currently a board director of team.blue and Citation. His other investments at Hg have included Zenith, Parts Alliance, Raet/Visma (and the Benelux consolidation including Roxit, ProActive), JLA, Kinapse and A-Plan. Joris was recognised as a ‘Rising Star of Private Equity’ back in 2017.

Stefan Margolis joined in 2013 from Warburg Pincus. Stefan works from the Munich office and led current Hg investments into Transporeon and Medifox and in addition is also a Board Director of STP.  He has also been a strong contributor to a series of other successful investments including e-conomic, Speedledger, P&I, Eucon, Visma and Teufel.

Categories: People

Biotalys’ first biocontrol proves consistent with high efficacy in global fruit and vegetables field trials

GIMV

06/05/2020 – 09:30 | Portfolio

Ghent, BELGIUM – 6 May 2020 – Biotalys NV, a transformative food and crop protection company, today announced the results from more than 100 field trials with its first, breakthrough biofungicide, BioFun-1, which is on track to launch in the United States in 2022, followed by global market introductions. Developing a new generation of protein-based biocontrol solutions, Biotalys aims to help farmers protect yields and reduce food waste by both preventing crop loss and extending post-harvest protection with sustainable and safe products.

 

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A positive outlook for Eurazeo Growth in a more digital world

Eurazeo

Paris, May 6, 2020 – The Eurazeo Growth companies, which currently account for 12% of the Group’s net
asset value (more than € 700 million) are successfully weathering the crisis and most have seen the pace
pick up in their underlying markets.

Since France put in place its lockdown measures and after practices were adapted in record time, a
number of these companies have experienced a significant surge in business, as they offer a digital
alternative in industries that have been badly shaken by the current health crisis. Examples include
Doctolib, a website that enables thousands of health practitioners in France and Germany to continue
consulting patients, as well as ManoMano, Back Market and Vestiaire Collective, which have clocked up
a considerable rise in demand on their retail websites and double-digit year-on-year growth on average,
or Younited Credit, which alongside Bpifrance is distributing fully digital “Recovery Loans” to support SMEs
in France, thereby maintaining strong momentum in its B2B venture, Younited Business Solutions.

In a world undergoing wholesale changes that will need to further harness digital technology, the mediumterm outlook has improved for all Eurazeo Growth companies, in particular those facilitating the digital transformation, such as Adjust, Contentsquare and Payfit. With their strong cash position and as leaders in the market, these companies are well positioned to take advantage of the additional growth opportunities that arise.

This is demonstrated by the success of recent funding rounds, in which Eurazeo invested nearly €150
million and in particular, Back Market with Eurazeo Growth investing €35 million. The strong outlook is
also bolstered by the trust of the Group’s investor partners, which, despite uncertainty in the global market,
have confirmed their interest in the Eurazeo Growth III fund.

About Eurazeo
o Eurazeo is a leading global investment company, with a diversified portfolio of €18,8 billion in assets under
management, including €12,5 billion from third parties, invested in over 430 companies. With its considerable
private equity, venture capital, real estate, private debt and fund of funds expertise, Eurazeo accompanies
companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its nearly 300 professionals
and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for
transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of
structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term.

o Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Berlin
and Madrid.
o Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.
o ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA

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The Carlyle Group Leads, Structures Debt Financing for Sterling Investment Partners’ Acquisition of AIMS Companies

Carlyle

NEW YORK – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced it led and structured the debt financing package to support Sterling Investment Partners’ recapitalization of AIMS Companies alongside AIMS’ founder and CEO, Chris Mihaletos. Carlyle’s middle market lending platform, Carlyle Direct Lending, acted as sole lead arranger and sole book runner on the financing.

With approximately $5 billion of assets under management, Carlyle Direct Lending is focused on making directly originated investments across the capital structure, including senior secured loans, unitranche loans and junior debt, primarily in private equity sponsor-backed companies. The team is comprised of more than 30 dedicated investment professionals in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.

Miles Toben, Principal of Carlyle Direct Lending, said, “We are grateful for our long-standing relationship with Sterling and the opportunity to strengthen our partnership through the AIMS transaction. We look forward to supporting AIMS’ robust pipeline of new contract and M&A opportunities under Sterling’s ownership.”

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, AIMS is a leading national provider of infrastructure inspection, maintenance and support services to the municipal, utility, industrial and energy end-markets. The company’s complementary services, including pipe inspection and cleaning, hydroexcavation and vacuum and hydroblast cleaning, are critical to its customers’ ability to maintain operational workflow and regulatory compliance. The company’s cross-trained workforce, expansive fleet of over 400 units, strategically-positioned 15 branch locations and company-wide culture of safety and performance have enabled AIMS to become a trusted partner to its customer base.

* * * * *

About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $217 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2020, 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. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,775 people in 32 offices across six continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow The Carlyle Group on Twitter @OneCarlyle.

Carlyle Global Credit is the credit investment arm of The Carlyle Group with approximately $49 billion of assets under management. The group’s investment strategies span the credit spectrum: liquid credit, illiquid credit and real assets credit. Since 1999, Carlyle Global Credit has provided creative solutions for borrowers and delivered attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors by drawing on the deep credit expertise and disciplined underwriting capabilities of our over 150 investment professionals and by leveraging the resources and industry expertise of Carlyle’s global network.

About Sterling Investment Partners
Sterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been investing in and building middle-market companies for over 29 years with a highly-experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling acquires businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 170 transactions, representing $17.5 billion in transaction value. Key industries Sterling focuses on include value-added distribution and business services.

Media contact:
Brittany Berliner
+1 (212) 813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

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Verso Capital acquires and accelerates spin-offs with a new €100 million fund

Tesi

INVESTMENTS IN FUNDS – 4.5.2020

The new €100 million fund acquires businesses that have strong growth potential but are not living up to their full potential in the current ownership.

Verso Capital is a growth stage buyout investor with a special focus on carve-out situations. The new €100 million sector agnostic fund acquires businesses that have €5-50 million revenues but suffer from growth or profitability bottlenecks. Typical cases are carve-outs from larger corporations and rearrangements of joint ventures, but the fund also invests in existing growth companies to help drive accelerated growth through M&A transactions. With offices in Helsinki and Munich, Verso Capital invests across Europe with a focus on the Nordic, DACH and North-European markets.

“The shift in the world economy forces companies to focus on their core activities. Verso has a quick and efficient process to carve out businesses that are not able to grow to their full potential in the current ownership,” says Anssi Kariola, Managing Partner, Verso Capital. “We build new growth companies from non-core businesses working in close co-operation with the current operative management.”

The first investors in Verso Fund III are KRR III, Tesi, pension funds Ilmarinen, Varma and Elo, as well as Nokia, Valeado AB and Etrisk Oy with a total investment commitment of €66 million. The target size for the fund is €100 million and fundraising will continue until the end of 2020.

Unique investment focus: turning non-core businesses into new growth companies

Verso Fund III acquires businesses that can grow faster as new independent companies. The Verso team has extensive transaction expertise and own methodology to speed up and simplify the carve-out process while reducing carve-out costs. The Verso team then actively supports these new growth companies to achieve international success.

Acquisition and investment targets can include non-core businesses inside larger companies, rearrangement of joint ventures, or any business that is unable to live up to its full potential in the current ownership. For example, businesses, that were transferred to a new owner as part of a larger M&A transaction but do not fully fit the buyer’s strategy, may have a better chance of success as independent companies.

“Not all businesses can be optimally developed inside large organisations. We create new international growth companies by focusing on the needs of the business as an independent company,” says Anssi Kariola, Managing Partner, Verso Capital. ”Our team has experience from more than 100 carve-out transactions, making us an efficient and reliable partner in all possible transaction situations.”

Verso Capital

Verso Capital is a growth stage buyout investor that specializes in carve-out situations. We acquire and invest in European B2B companies and businesses that have good growth potential and revenues up to €50m, but currently are suffering from growth bottlenecks. Our team has experience from over 100 carveout and M&A transactions – we have the necessary know-how and methodology to execute even complicated transactions quickly and efficiently. We are typically a majority investor and spend a considerable amount of our time working together with the management in order to solve growth and profitability bottlenecks. We manage three funds with a total of €126 million in assets under management. Our offices are in Helsinki and Munich.

Contact for more information:
Anssi Kariola

Managing Partner
Verso Capital Oy
+358 50 589 0520
anssi.kariola@versocapital.com

www.versocapital.com

 

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Argon & Co welcomes Ardian

Ardian

Paris, May 4th 2020. Argon & Co, the global management consultancy that specializes in operations strategy and transformation, is delighted to announce it has chosen to partner with Ardian, world-leading private investment house, to support its development and growth.

Argon & Co has over 270 consultants worldwide in 7 offices. Its expertise spans the supply chain, procurement, finance and shared services, working together with clients to transform their businesses and generate real change. Its consultants apply a combination of deep technical expertise, operational experience and broad business knowledge to deliver lasting results.

In a globalized economy with increasingly complex business processes, where the digital revolution favours a highly sophisticated use of data, and where environmental concerns encourage companies to re-think their operations, Argon & Co is ideally positioned to meet the challenges of its clients. The current health crisis and the operational challenges of the post-crisis period make these issues ever more critical for companies who need a specialized player to help them with high value-added consulting projects.

With Ardian’s acquisition of a minority stake, Argon & Co has the financial resources to accelerate its ambitious international development and growth strategy.

“The arrival of Ardian as a minority shareholder consolidates our development strategy. Operations management has never been so critical for our clients who are facing very short-term business recovery issues, and also issues of competitiveness and resilience of their operations, all in a context of environmental sustainability. We are applying all our expertise on these subjects alongside them to meet these challenges,” said Yvan Salamon, CEO of Argon & Co.

Geoffroy de La Grandière and Frédéric Quéru, Directors at Ardian Growth, continued “In the coming period, more than ever, Ardian Growth will be supporting entrepreneurs with ambitious projects, and we are thrilled to be partnering alongside Argon & Co which offers services that will be all the more critical and strategic for its clients in this new context.”

ABOUT ARGON & CO

Argon & Co is a global management consultancy that specializes in operations strategy and transformation. Its expertise spans the supply chain, procurement, finance and shared services, working together with clients to transform their businesses and generate real change. Its people are engaging to work with and trusted by clients to get the job done.
Argon & Co has offices in Paris, London, Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Melbourne, Mumbai and Singapore.
www.argonandco.com

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 680 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
www.ardian.com

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

– Argon & Co: Yvan Salamon, Fabrice Bonneau
– Ardian: Geoffroy de La Grandière, Frédéric Quéru, Mélissa Yvonnou- Legal and tax Advisors to Ardian: McDermott Will & Emery (Diana Hund, Herschel Guez, Marianne Zwobada – corporate / Pierre-Arnoux Mayoly, Hugo Lamour – banking)
– Financial Advisors to Ardian: KPMG (Philippe Blanadet, Arthur Texte)

– Corporate finance Advisors to Argon & Co: Rothschild & Co (Jean-Christophe Quiniou, Romain Golven)
– Legal and fiscal Advisors to Argon & Co: Paul Hasting (Olivier Deren, Charlotte Dupont, Vincent Nacinovic) and Jeausserand Audouard (Erwan Bordet, Antoine Le Roux, Elle Otto)
– Financial Advisors to Argon & Co: Oderis (Thomas Claverie, Leo Placzek)

– Bank arranger: LCL (Cécile Penard, Véronique Darchy)
– Legal Advisors to the banks: Hogan Lovells (Sabine Bironneau, Maria Klass, Aurélien Périgois)

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
Viktor Tsvetanov
vtsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.co.uk
Tel: +44 020 3435 7469
ARGON & Co
Johanna Balabane-Dugas
Johanna Balabane-Dugas@argonandco.com
Tel: +33 (0)1 55 46 13 00
PDF VERSION

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AURELIUS portfolio company completes sale of online bookshop WORDERY

Aurelius Capital

Munich / London, May 1, 2020 – AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) (“AURELIUS”) today announces the sale of the online specialist bookseller Wordery by its portfolio company Bertram Group to Elliott Advisors.

The sale of Wordery follows the sale of Bertram Group’s library businesses, Erasmus Antiquariaat en Boekhandel BV and Houtschild Internationale Boekhandel BV, to Italian Casalini Libri SPA, a strategic partner and family-owned business, at the end of March.

These successful disposals of the e-commerce and library businesses have secured many jobs and, in both cases, compliment their new owners’ existing models, thereby securing the futures of both businesses. Wordery has performed well under Aurelius’ ownership receiving prestigious awards continually for the last two years as the best online bookshop. Separately, as a result of the economic uncertainty created by Brexit and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic, AURELIUS is reviewing its strategic options for the Bertram wholesale division, Education Umbrella, a key supplier of books to schools and Dawson Books a major partner of UK Universities.

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Waterlogic closes on long-term investment from strong institutional partners to accelerate growth ambition

Castik Capital

Waterlogic, a leading global designer, manufacturer, distributor and service provider of purified drinking water dispensers, is pleased to announce the closing of the acquisition of a significant minority stake in the company by four strong institutional investors – BCI, Neuberger Berman, StepStone, and Skandia.

Following January’s announcement of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) entering into an agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in Waterlogic from Funds managed by Castik Capital and the Waterlogic management team, Waterlogic and Castik Capital complete the transaction and include three additional partners.

BCI, with C$153.4 billion in assets under management (as of March 31, 2019), is a leading provider of investment management services to British Columbia’s public sector and one of Canada’s largest asset managers. Joining BCI as minority shareholders in Waterlogic are:

  • Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment management firm that manages equities, fixed income and private equity portfolios for global institutional investors, advisors and high-net-worth individuals;
  • StepStone, a global private markets firm providing customised investment and advisory solutions to some of the most sophisticated investors in the world; and
  • Skandia, a mutual life insurance company with SEK 692 billion under management as of 31 December 2019, provides pension, banking and insurance services to the population of Sweden.

Jeremy Ben-David, Founder and Group CEO of Waterlogic, said: “This is a very pleasing result and a testament to Waterlogic’s businesses resilience, especially considering the unprecedented economic downturn and turbulent times we currently find ourselves in. The acquisition provides further access to capital in support of Waterlogic’s growth ambition to become the global leader in the fast-growing market for bottle-less workplace hydration. We look forward to continuing our journey with Castik Capital and the new shareholders in this next exciting phase of our growth.” 

Waterlogic has a direct presence in 17 countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Chile, Australia and Western Europe, and an extensive independent global distribution network reaching over 50 countries around the world. The company is responsible for hydrating nearly 50 million consumers daily and contributes to the reduction of 23.8 billion single-use plastic bottles around the world each year.

Waterlogic aims to build on its capabilities and customer base in both established and new geographic markets in pursuit of its mission to offer healthy drinking water solutions and contribute to the reduction of plastic pollution globally with a range of freestanding and countertop dispensers, Billi integrated dispensers and Purezza, the company’s specialty restaurant and hospitality solution.

Inspired by innovation, Waterlogic has embraced superior FirewallTM and BioCote® technologies to create cutting-edge, highly certified products focused on delivering the safest, best-tasting water to all businesses in the most sustainable way. The company’s approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) supports the growing demand from organisations looking to reduce the plastic pollution and high CO2 emissions associated with bottled water, and supports Waterlogic’s long-term growth, relevancy and financial standing in the marketplace.

Waterlogic has annualised revenues of c. $400M and c. 550k water dispensers on rental and service contracts across 17 direct markets and employs over 3,000 people worldwide. Waterlogic was advised on the transaction by Goldman Sachs International, Skadden (legal), PwC (financial and commercial), Deloitte (tax), L.E.K. (commercial), and EY (Luxembourg legal).

Media Contact

Rosanna Turner, Group Marketing Communications Manager
rosanna.turner@waterlogic.com

 

About Waterlogic

Waterlogic is an innovative designer, manufacturer, distributor and service provider of drinking water dispensers and solutions designed for environments such as offices, factories, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, schools and public spaces. From freestanding, countertop and integrated dispensers to water filling stations, fountains and boilers, every solution focuses on delivering the best quality water in the most sustainable way. Founded in 1992, Waterlogic was one of the first companies to introduce mains-fed dispensers to customers worldwide and has been at the forefront of the market promoting product design and water quality, the application of proprietary technologies, sustainability and world-class sales and service. Waterlogic has its own subsidiaries in 17 countries and its leading markets are the U.S., Australia and Western Europe, in particular the UK and Germany. In addition, Waterlogic’s extensive and expanding independent global distribution network reaches over 50 countries around the world in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa. More information can be found at www.waterlogic.com.

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