Gryphon Investors Acquires RoC, Leading Anti-Aging Skincare Brand

admin January 22, 2019

Marks Gryphon’s Second Global Platform in the Beauty Sector

San Francisco, CA – January 22, 2019 —

Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a San Francisco-based middle market private equity firm, announced today that it acquired RoC® Skincare (“RoC”), a market-leading anti-aging skincare brand, from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is Gryphon’s second investment in the beauty sector after the firm acquired indie color cosmetics brand Milani Cosmetics in June 2018.

Gryphon Executive Advisors Steve LaMonte and Michelle Taylor will serve as advisors to RoC, with Mr. Lamonte acting as Executive Chairman. In addition to Mr. LaMonte, Ms. Taylor, along with select individuals from Gryphon, will join the Board of Directors. As part of the carve-out transaction, Mr. LaMonte and Ms. Taylor will be focused on recruiting the go-forward senior management team to lead RoC under Gryphon’s ownership.

Matt Farron, Principal at Gryphon, said, “RoC has a rich history of skincare solutions innovation stemming from its French pharmacy roots. As the first brand to stabilize Retinol, which is one of the top U.S. dermatologist-recommended cosmetic ingredients for improving the appearance of aging skin, RoC continues to be one of the largest brands solely focused on anti-aging skincare products. By leveraging the brand’s French pharmacy heritage and track record of clinically proven innovation, we see numerous opportunities to expand RoC’s product offering to establish it as a brand with complete skincare solutions leading to increased market share.”

Now headquartered in Manhattan, RoC is a global skincare brand that offers highly efficacious, high quality anti-aging skincare products. RoC was created in 1957 by French pharmacist Dr. Jean-Charles Lissarrague, who believed that skincare solutions should be proactive, positive, and a pleasurable approach to beauty, and has a 60+ year history of revolutionizing the skincare industry. RoC products are primarily manufactured in France, and RoC’s more than 75 products are sold in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America through key mass, drug, club, specialty, ecommerce, and pharmacy channels. Key domestic retailer partners include Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Ulta, and Amazon.

Mr. LaMonte added, “We are excited to build on RoC’s past to connect with today’s customers. We see opportunities to expand the portfolio beyond Retinol and anti-aging, improve product support in international markets, strengthen links with the dermatology community, and drive customers into stores with creative, technology-driven product launches and marketing efforts. We also plan to boost RoC’s engagement with all age groups. In addition to RoC’s core customer demographic of women aged 40+, millennials are showing great interest in the category and have responded positively to product trials.”

Ms. Taylor continued, “Gryphon has a long-standing track record of growing consumer product brands and I’m excited to partner with them for a second investment in the beauty sector to capitalize on one of the most iconic skincare brands in the market today. I believe the financial and operational resources we bring will ensure RoC’s ability to thrive as a stand-alone company, delivering a world-class brand to new and existing customers.”

Sawaya Partners, LLC was financial advisor to Johnson & Johnson, and Covington & Burling was legal advisor to Johnson & Johnson. Luc-Henry Rousselle at LSH Partners was Gryphon Investors’ financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis acted as Gryphon’s legal advisor.

About RoC
RoC is an iconic brand and category pioneer with 60+ year history in anti-wrinkle and anti-aging skincare, offering a full suite of anti-aging products sold across the globe. RoC’s product offering is highly efficacious and clinically proven to reduce signs of facial aging including wrinkles, dark spots, and dullness of skin. The Company’s more than 75 products are sold in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America through key mass, drug, club, specialty, ecommerce, and pharmacy channels. Key domestic retailer partners include Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Ulta, and Amazon. Please visit www.rocskincare.com for more information

About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management teams. The firm has managed over $4.5 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $200 million in portfolio companies with sales ranging from approximately $100 million to $500 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.

Contacts

Caroline Luz
Blicksilver Public Relations
203-656-2829
CAROLINE@BLICKSILVERPR.COM

Categories: News

Tags: Consumer brands

OPTIMIND welcomes ARDIAN as a minority shareholder

admin January 22, 2019

Paris, 22 January 2019 – Optimind has chosen Ardian, a world leading private investment house, to support its growth and development as part of a fundraising round totalling €25 million.
Optimind is an independent consulting firm that provides support to insurance firms, banks and corporate clients through its expertise in qualitative, quantitative and administrative risk management solutions. The company focuses on five main practice areas:

Actuarial and Financial Services,
Corporate Risk Services,
Risk Management,
Business Transformation,
Business Process Outsourcing.

Optimind has more than 200 employees, and generates turnover of €30 million. The introduction of Ardian as a minority shareholder will allow the company to accelerate its expansion through major investments and external growth.
Christophe Eberlé, CEO of Optimind, said: “Ardian’s investment in our company proves the strength and relevance of Optimind’s business model and it is a recognition of our strong performance and of the quality of our teams. Ardian is a great asset to have behind us and our partnership will be key in progressing our organic and external growth strategy.”
Alexis Saada, Managing Director at Ardian Growth, added: “Christophe Eberlé and his team have clearly demonstrated their ability to implement an ambitious strategy and position Optimind as a leading independent risk management consultancy firm. This transaction reflects our commitment to supporting high-growth potential companies.”
Geoffroy de La Grandière, Director of Ardian Growth, added: “The expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of Optimind’s team is reflected in the company’s continued focus on innovation. Optimind has great potential for expansion and we look forward to partnering with the team to support the business in its further growth ambitions.”

ABOUT OPTIMIND

Optimind is an independent consulting firm that supports insurance firms, banks and large companies in focusing on opportunities that can increase their performance. We offer advisory services and solutions to help address the major challenges of competitiveness, transformation and regulation. Despite the risks associated, these challenges offer significant opportunities for development. Our range of services cover all aspects of our clients’ value chain: Strategy, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Market, Human Resources, Digital Transformation, Data, BPO.

www.optimind.com

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$82bn 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 560 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 750 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

www.ardian.com

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

– Optimind: Christophe Eberlé, Pierre-Alain Boscher, Jean-Charles Simon
– Ardian: Alexis Saada, Geoffroy de La Grandière, Mélissa Yvonnou- Strategic DD Ardian: Chappuis Halder (Pierre Bustamante, Louis Forteguerre, Valérie Herisson-Andouart)
– Financial Advisor to Ardian: Eight Advisory (Fabien Thièblemont, Nabil Saci)
– Tax Advisor to Ardian: Arsene Taxand (Franck Chaminade, Noémie Bastien, Sarah Lellouche)
– Legal Advisor to Ardian: Baker & McKenzie (Matthieu Grollemund, Hélène Parent,– corporate / Gonzague Basso– banking / Charles Baudoin – tax)

– Corporate Finance Lead Advisor: Corporate Finance International (Clément Barbot)
– Corporate Legal & Tax Advisor: Jean-Charles Béroard

– Arranger Bank: Société Générale (Patrick Evin, Gaëlle Seznec, Guillaume Mayot)

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
Viktor Tsvetanov

vtsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.co.uk
Tel: +44 020 3435 7469

OPTIMIND
Marine de Pallières

marine.depallieres@optimind.com
Tel: 06 07 03 57 91

Categories: News

Tags: Services

GP Bullhound advises Filter on its sale to Merkle

admin January 22, 2019

GP Bullhound acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Filter on its sale to Merkle. Founded in 1991, Filter helps leading brands develop and deliver better customer experiences, multi-channel campaigns and virtual realities by embedding its proven expertise inside the client’s own organization. With offices in Seattle and Portland, the Company maintains longstanding client relationships with Fortune 100 CPG and enterprise technology clients including Nike, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.

Filter’s deep expertise and executional horsepower add significant capability and scale, accelerating Merkle’s growth and differentiation through its next-generation delivery model for digital marketing services.

Kristin Knight, Founder and Chairwoman of Filter, said: “Filter has a long and vibrant history, so a key priority was ensuring a strong cultural and professional fit for our employees and our clients. As an innovative, growth-focused agency, Merkle shares our vision and recognized our strengths. They’re an ideal partner to advance our business to exciting new heights. We could not have found a better fit without the help and dedication of the team at GP Bullhound.”

Alec Dafferner, Partner at GP Bullhound, said: “We are pleased to have advised Filter in this strategic transaction. Filter’s embedded talent model offering will be a powerful complement to Merkle’s comprehensive portfolio of services.”

The transaction is a further testament to GP Bullhound’s expertise in advising category leaders in the Digital Services sector, with more than 20 transactions completed in the last 24 months including the sale of Oliver to You & Mr. Jones, Namics to Merkle, Kepler Group to KYU, and Wongdoody to Infosys, among many others.

Inquiries
For inquiries please contact:
Alec Dafferner, Partner, at Alec.Dafferner@gpbullhound.com
Greg Smith, Partner, at Greg.Smith@gpbullhound.com
Eric Crowley, Vice President, at Eric.Crowley@gpbullhound.com

About GP Bullhound
GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory and investment firm, providing transaction advice and capital to the world’s best entrepreneurs and founders. Founded in 1999, the firm today has offices in London, San Francisco, Stockholm, Berlin, Manchester, Paris, Hong Kong, Madrid and New York. For more information, please visit www.gpbullhound.com, or follow on Twitter @GPBullhound

Categories: News

EQT Credit is the largest lender in a second lien financing to support Jacobs Holding’s acquisition of Cognita

admin January 22, 2019

EQT Credit, through its Mid-Market Credit investment strategy, is pleased to announce that it is the largest lender in a EUR 255 million second lien term loan financing solution to support Jacobs Holding AG’s (“Jacobs”) investment in Cognita (the “Company”).

Launched in 2004, Cognita is a leading global provider of private premium K-12 education services, currently comprising 72 schools in eight countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Company employs 7,000 teaching and support staff, educating over 40,000 students across a diverse range of international, national and bilingual curricula.

Paul Johnson, Partner at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, commented:

“Cognita is strongly positioned as one of the largest K-12 platforms globally, with a diversified portfolio of high-quality schools that is well invested to support continued growth and has an outstanding management team with a strong performance track record. EQT Credit looks forward to supporting the Company in its future development.”

Nakul Sarin, Director at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Mid-Market Credit, added: “EQT is proud to partner with Jacobs and Cognita for the third Mid-Market Credit investment in the education sector. We would like to thank EQT’s Industrial Advisors who, as senior executives in the European and Asian private school sectors, provided key support and insight to the EQT Credit deal team throughout the due diligence process.”

Contacts:
Paul Johnson, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, +44 203 372 9424
Nakul Sarin, Director at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, +44 208 432 5420
EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a leading investment firm with more than EUR 50 billion in raised capital across 28 funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

About EQT Credit
EQT Credit invests through four complementary strategies: Senior Debt, Mid-Market Credit (direct lending), Core Value and Credit Opportunities. Since inception, EQT Credit has invested in excess of EUR 5.5 billion in about 180 companies. EQT Credit’s direct lending strategy seeks to provide flexible, long- term debt capital solutions to medium-sized European businesses, across a wide range of sectors. These businesses may be privately-owned corporates seeking alternative funding to grow or be the subject of private equity-led acquisitions or refinancings.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com/Investment-Strategies/Credit

Acacia Pharma reports positive cardiac safety data for BARHEMSYS™

admin January 22, 2019

Cambridge, UK and Indianapolis, US – Acacia Pharma (EURONEXT: ACPH) announces results from its latest study of BARHEMSYS™, its anti-emetic currently under FDA review for the management of post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV).

The study did not find a significant risk for heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) at the highest proposed dose of BARHEMSYS, given alone or in combination with intravenous ondansetron, a widely used PONV therapy with a known effect on the heart trace.

The data confirm that a single 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, which has previously been shown to reduce PONV in clinical trials, will not have a clinically significant effect on the QTc interval, part of the ECG trace which is an important indicator of cardiac risk, even when given with ondansetron. If approved, BARHEMSYS is likely to be given to many patients also receiving ondansetron.

In 30 healthy volunteers, the average maximum effect on the QTc interval of a single 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, infused over one minute, was 5.2 milliseconds (90% confidence interval 3.53-6.96 milliseconds). When a standard 4 mg dose of IV ondansetron was given at the same time, the average maximum effect was 7.3 milliseconds (90% confidence interval 5.48-9.16 milliseconds). The internationally agreed threshold level of regulatory concern for serious arrhythmias, such as torsade de pointes, is a mean effect on QTc of 10 milliseconds.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, conducted in a specialist Phase 1 trials unit in London, UK, also demonstrated that a second 10 mg dose of BARHEMSYS, given two hours after the first, had a similar pharmacokinetic profile and did not significantly affect the QT or clinical safety profile of the drug. No serious adverse events were reported in the trial and there was no material difference in safety profile between BARHEMSYS (with or without concomitant ondansetron) and placebo.

The most common adverse events were infusion site pain/discomfort, which occurred in eight subjects (28%) with BARHEMSYS alone, nine subjects (30%) with BARHEMSYS plus ondansetron and 12 subjects (40%) with placebo; and headache, which occurred in four subjects (14%) with BARHEMSYS alone, three subjects (10%) with BARHEMSYS plus ondansetron and two subjects (7%) with placebo.

BARHEMSYS is currently under review by FDA for the proposed indications of the treatment of established PONV, whether or not prior prophylaxis was given, and the prevention of PONV, alone or in combination with other antiemetics, with a target action date of May 5, 2019.

About Acacia Pharma
Acacia Pharma is a hospital pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of new nausea & vomiting treatments for surgical and cancer patients. Acacia Pharma has identified important and commercially attractive unmet needs in nausea & vomiting and has discovered two product candidates based on the same active ingredient, amisulpride, to meet those needs.
Acacia Pharma’s lead project, BARHEMSYS™ for post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV), has generated positive results in four Phase 3 clinical studies. A New Drug Application (NDA) for BARHEMSYS is under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Its sister project, APD403 for chemotherapy induced nausea & vomiting (CINV), has successfully completed one proof-of-concept and one Phase 2 dose-ranging study in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
Acacia Pharma is based in Cambridge, UK and its US operations are centered in Indianapolis, IN. The Company is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange under the under ISIN code GB00BYWF9Y76 and ticker symbol ACPH.
Website: www.acaciapharma.com

About Gilde Healthcare
Gilde Healthcare is a specialized European healthcare investor managing €1 billion across two business lines: a venture & growth capital fund and a lower mid-market buy-out fund. Gilde Healthcare’s venture & growth capital fund invests in medtech, digital health and therapeutics. The portfolio companies are based in Europe and North America. Gilde Healthcare’s lower mid-market buy-out fund invests in profitable European healthcare services companies with a focus on the Benelux and DACH-region. The portfolio consists of healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and other service providers in the healthcare market.
Website: www.gildehealthcare.com

Gilde Healthcare II is supported by the European Communities Growth and Employment Initiative, MAP – ETF Start-up Facility.

Categories: News

Tags: healthcare

London fintech Marketinvoice lands £56m in funding from Barclays and Santander

admin January 22, 2019

London-based fintech business lender Marketinvoice has today closed a £56m round made up of equity and debt funding, led by Barclays and Santander‘s venture arm Innoventures.

The series B-stage equity funding, which amounted to £26m, also received significant participation from European venture capital firm Northzone, which has previously backed the likes of Spotify, Trustpilot and fellow fintech lender Zopa.

The remaining amount raised is a debt facility of up to £30m, provided by Israeli fund Viola Credit. Marketinvoice said this funding will be used to scale its business lending solution, which works alongside its core invoice financing operation.

Established in 2011, the series B round takes Marketinvoice’s total equity funding to date to more than £45m.

The news comes after Barclays took up a minority stake in the fintech firm in August last year, as part of a partnership deal that gave Barclays’ small business customers access to lending through Marketinvoice’s platform.

Categories: News

Tags: Information technology

AXA Venture Partners (AVP) raises $150 million for second Early Stage Fund.

admin January 22, 2019

AVP, a venture capital firm investing in high-growth technology companies, announces it has
completed the first closing of the second vintage of its Early Stage Fund (AVP Early Stage II)
with $150 million (€130 million). The first Early Stage Fund, a $110 million vehicle raised 2015,
has now been successfully deployed. The launch of the second Fund confirms AVP’s ambition
and commitment to early stage venture investing.

The fundraise has generated strong interest from existing and new investors and confirms the
differentiation of AVP’s approach to venture investment: strong team with deep sector
expertise, global presence and ability to add value beyond capital, notably through business
development opportunities with the investors of the Fund.
Similar to AVP Early Stage I, AVP Early Stage II will focus on North America, Europe & Israel and
will aim to invest in outstanding technology businesses, pre and early revenue, in enterprise
SaaS, consumer platform and SME solutions, with particular focus on fintech and digital health.
AVP Early Stage II will write initial checks up to $6 million and will support entrepreneurs in
their ambition by providing them business development opportunities with AXA and any other
relevant corporations.

AVP confirms with this fundraise, its position as a unique platform for investments in
technology with $600 million of assets under management (AUM) through three pillars of
investment expertise: Early Stage Fund, Growth Stage Fund and Fund of Funds, allowing its
investors to choose the most appropriate solution for tech investing.
AVP’s ambition is to become a preferred partner for entrepreneurs looking to grow their
business in Europe, North America and Israel. Since 2015, AVP has supported more than 40
companies in the Early and Growth stages with a focus on the following verticals: digital health,
cyber-security, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, fintech/insurtech, most recently
including investments in early stage companies such as Hackajob, K4Connect, Futurae and
growth stage companies like Zenjob, Phenom People and Happytal.
Francois Robinet, AVP Managing Partner, said: “This fundraise was completed at a record speed
with existing and new investors. This is a strong vote of confidence for our team and strategy,
and a recognition of what has been achieved with our first Early Stage Fund. We plan to hold
Paris – London – New York – San Francisco – Hong Kong
a second closing with additional new investors. This fundraise strengthens AVP’s positioning as
a leading player for ambitious entrepreneurs across Europe and North America.”

ABOUT AVP
AXA Venture Partners (AVP) is a venture capital fund investing in high-growth, technologyenabled
companies. AVP has built a unique investment platform specialized in tech investments
with $600 million of assets under management through three pillars of investment expertise:
Early Stage Fund, Growth Stage Fund and Fund of Funds. To date, AVP has invested in 40 Early
and Growth equity deals and 6 Fund investments. AVP team operates globally backed by offices
in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong. Beyond investments, AVP provides
access to business development opportunities helping portfolio companies to scale globally
and accelerate their growth.

ABOUT THE AXA GROUP
The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 160,000
employees serving 105 million clients in 62 countries. In 2017, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro
98.5 billion and IFRS underlying earnings to Euro 6.0 billion. AXA had Euro 1,439 billion in assets
under management as of December 31, 2017.

For further information, please contact:
Sébastien LOUBRY
Partner, Business Development
sebastien@axavp.com
06.15.31.61.68

Categories: News

Tags: Investments Venture Capital

Trendy Group acquires Denham the Jeanmaker

admin January 22, 2019

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Trendy (China) Group Co., Ltd. (which together with its subsidiaries and affiliates are collectively referred to as “Trendy Group”) has entered into share purchase agreement to acquire majority equity interest in Denham Group B.V. (“Denham Group”, the parent company of Denham the Jeanmaker B.V. and the joint-venture partner of both Denham Japan Inc. and Shanghai Trendy Denham Commercial Co., Ltd.).

Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, Trendy Group will acquire all shares held by Amlon Capital B.V. in Denham Group. Jason Denham remains as a shareholder of Denham Group and will stay in his position as Chief Creative Officer after closing of the acquisition.

In March 2017 Denham Group and Trendy Group started a joint venture in China to build the brand. Until January 2019 the joint venture has opened 16 retail stores in key cities in China and has plans to grow the business much larger in the coming years.

‘Trendy Group is a strong retail company with its roots in China and over the years it has successfully rolled out well-known international brands including Miss Sixty and Superdry in China’ said Ludo Onnink, departing CEO of Denham Group. ‘With Trendy Group as a new major shareholder with all the relevant experience needed for our group, this will be a major step for our 10-year old business, embarking for the next decade of growth’.

‘We are very pleased with Trendy Group as our new major shareholder and partner in the business,’ said Jason Denham, Chief Creative Officer of Denham Group. ‘After the start of our joint venture in 2017 our relationship with Jacky Xu, Chairman of the Board of Trendy Group, further intensified and led to the current transaction’.

‘We see many opportunities to grow the Denham business in the existing markets but also as the most influential denim player in the future’, said Andre Chen, the new CEO of Denham Group. ‘This will not only be achieved by extending our jeans business, but also by adding additional product categories’.

ABOUT DENHAM

DENHAM was founded in Amsterdam in 2008 by Jason Denham, an English jeanmaker with an obsession for premium quality denim. Driven by the pioneering spirit of the original blue jean, collections for men, women and children are created with a passion for innovation while honouring tradition. Inspired by the tagline ‘The Truth is in the Details,’ DENHAM obsesses over every detail of the design process and across every brand touchpoint. Its growing global network reaches over 20 countries, with stores in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai and Seoul. It is also available through top-tier wholesale partners and an online flagship store at denhamthejeanmaker.com. DENHAM is based in Amsterdam, with satellite offices in Düsseldorf, Shanghai and Tokyo.

ABOUT TRENDY GROUP

Founded in 1999, Trendy Group has grown into an international fashion conglomerate which possesses a rich portfolio of fashion brands and has set up nearly 3,000 boutiques in more than 290 cities worldwide. Under the umbrella of Trendy Group are famous fashion brands such as ochirly, Five Plus, COVEN GARDEN, TRENDIANO and fashion brands of the Italian house SIXTY GROUP – MISS SIXTY, Killah and ENERGIE.

In 2015, Trendy Group and the British company Superdry Plc pooled capital to introduce Superdry, the world-renowned metropolitan fashion band, into China. Trendy Group is committed to achieving the perfect integration of arts and businesses; establishing a digital sales network and an omnichannel shopping environment that enables interaction with consumers; and providing consumers with comprehensive, premium lifestyle services.

ABOUT AMLON

Amlon is a private investment vehicle, with offices in Amsterdam and London, which invests in apparel and accessory brands and has stakes in Karl Lagerfeld, Denham the jeanmaker, DKNY China and kids wear brand Vingino.

Categories: News

Altor divests majority stake in Orchid Orthopedic Solutions to Nordic Capital

admin January 21, 2019

On January 21, Altor Fund III (“Altor”) announced that it has agreed to divest the majority of its current holding in Orchid Orthopedic Solutions (“Orchid”) to Nordic Capital Fund IX (“Nordic Capital”). Altor will retain a significant minority holding in the company.

Altor has been the majority owner of Orchid since 2011. Headquartered in Holt, Michigan, Orchid is a world leader in the design and manufacture of implants to the global orthopedic market. Orchid’s leading offerings span hip, knee, trauma, extremity and spinal implant products, as well as single-use and multi-use complex instruments used in implant related surgical procedures.

As a strategic partner to the leading global medical device OEMs, Orchid offers solutions in product and procedure design and possesses the full range of manufacturing processes required to produce finished, packaged products. The Company serves a global customer base from its 12 manufacturing sites in the US, UK, Switzerland and China. Orchid innovates continually to provide differentiated processes yielding unique products, while simplifying its customers’ supply chains, delivering outstanding quality and offering end-to-end solutions benefitting from the broadest implants portfolio in the market.

The orthopedic implant market benefits from strong secular growth driven by larger and increasingly active elderly populations, obesity, medical advancements and increased access to surgical orthopedic care. As a leader in the industry, Orchid is ideally positioned to capitalize on this demand growth while helping its customers become more competitive.

“We are proud of what we have achieved together with the management team during these eight years where we have built Orchid into a world leading supplier of design and manufacturing solutions for the rapidly growing global orthopedic implant market. During Altor’s ownership, Orchid has developed into a true global company serving global customers with innovative end-to-end manufacturing solutions. We are excited to see Nordic Capital as the new main owner with Altor continuing the journey as a significant minority shareholder since we have continued strong belief in Orchid’s strong management team, unique position and the attractive long-term industry fundamentals. Together we are fully committed to support Orchid’s management team in realizing the company’s growth strategy” says Claes Ekström, Chairman of Orchid and Senior Advisor at Altor Equity Partners AB.

Orchid’s current management team, led by CEO Jerry Jurkiewicz, will continue to lead the Company, building on its strong track record of both organic and acquisitive growth.

“We are very proud of our achievements during Altor’s tenure as our majority owner. We have transformed Orchid from a US contract manufacturer to the leading global orthopedic implants design and manufacturing partner in the world. We focused on satisfying our customers with a broad array of innovative implants procedure solutions built upon manufacturing sites dedicated to delivering operational excellence. We are humbled by Altor’s renewed commitment to Orchid in partnership with Nordic Capital” says Orchid CEO Jerry Jurkiewicz.
The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction, which remains subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Media contacts
Tor Krusell, Head of Communications at Altor
Tel: +46 70 543 87 47
e-mail: tor.krusell@altor.com

About Orchid Orthopedic Solutions
Orchid is a world leader in orthopedic medical device solutions, providing design and manufacturing services globally. As a strategic partner, Orchid has the capability of providing entire implant procedure and product design services, as well as, complete single source manufacturing. Orchid has the broadest portfolio in the industry, ranging from design and development through finished goods manufacturing and packaging, improving customers’ supply chains and adhering to the highest quality standards in the industry. Orchid specializes in implants, single use instruments and innovative technologies within joint reconstruction, hips, knees, spine, trauma, extremities and dental. For further information, please see www.orchid-ortho.com

About Altor
Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised some EUR 5.8 billion in total commitments. The funds have invested in excess of EUR 4.2 billion in more than 40 companies. The investments have been made in medium sized, predominantly Nordic, companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are ByggMax, Carnegie Investment Bank, Dustin, Dynapac, Helly Hansen, Lindorff and SATS ELIXIA. For more information visit altor.com.

Categories: News

Tags: healthcare

ARDIAN enters into exclusive negotiations to support REVIMA, a major player in the aerospace MRO sector, in its development alongside Argos Wityu

admin January 19, 2019

Paris, January, 16, 2019 – Ardian, a world leading private investment house announces that it is in exclusive talks to acquire a majority stake in Revima, a leading MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) solutions provider for aircraft equipment, from private equity firm, Argos Wityu. Following the transaction, Olivier Legrand, President of the Group, and Argos Wityu will reinvest alongside Ardian. This transaction is subject to approval from the antitrust authorities as well as the opinion of the works council.

Founded in 1952, Revima is an independent company which has become a leader in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of commercial transport aircraft equipment. The group is well-known for its expertise in the maintenance of auxiliary power units (APU) and landing gears for regional, medium and long-haul aircraft. The company, which has c.750 employees, realized revenues of more than €280 million in 2018, showing double digit growth for several years.

Revima is active in a fast-growing market driven by the continued increase of aircrafts in service worldwide. The group is ideally positioned to continue this development following investment in its French site, the construction of a new industrial site in Thailand which will be operational in 2020, and the pursuit of a bolt-on acquisition strategy. In this regard, Revima is currently in exclusive negotiations for two acquisitions aimed at strengthening its skillsets in repairing engine parts and in the field of advanced predictive maintenance.

Yann Bak, Managing Director at Ardian Buyout, said: “We are very pleased to be associated with the teams at Revima, a fast-growing company positioned in a very promising niche market. We will use our experience and network to expand the group’s international presence and further accelerate its commercial development.”

Olivier Legrand, President and CEO of Revima added: “Our rapid development these last years and the existing and future opportunities for both internal and external growth make us particularly enthusiastic about Revima’s prospects. We are delighted with Ardian’s investment alongside Argos Wityu, as we share common values and entrepreneurial cultures. Our priority is for Revima to become a global player, expanding its skills and know-how into new areas, and be closer to its customers.”

Gilles Mougenot, partner at Argos Wityu concluded: “Revima perfectly illustrates a situation where we helped position the company into new areas of growth. The objective we set ourselves in 2015 was to simplify the shareholder structure while opening it up to employees, help build a supportive management team, and from 2017, invest significantly in the business, notably internationally.”

ABOUT REVIMA

Revima is a leading independent MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) solutions provider, specialized in APUs, Engine Parts and Landing Gears, for civil and military aircraft through five dedicated services: Repair & Overhaul, Engine Parts Repair, Material Solutions, Fleet Management and Leasing.
With committed and passionate employees across locations in France, Asia, North America and the Middle East, Revima boasts over 60 years of MRO expertise. Revima supports aircraft operators, lessors, and repair stations worldwide, is an EASA & FAA Part 145 certified organization, and has approvals from numerous agencies.

www.revima-group.com