Nordic Capital to invest in ERT, a leader in eClinical solutions for the pharmaceutical industry

admin March 28, 2016 No Comments

Nordic Capital Fund VIII (“Nordic Capital”) has reached a definitive agreement to become the new controlling shareholder of the US-based company eResearchTechnology, Inc. (“ERT” or the “Company”), a leading provider of high-quality patient safety and efficacy endpoint data collection solutions for use in clinical drug development. The investment in ERT further confirms Nordic Capital’s position as a leader in private healthcare investments. Supported by its new owner, ERT will be well positioned to continue its development as a global market leader within innovative and differentiated patient data collection solutions.

ERT is a trusted partner to many pharmaceutical companies who rely on ERT’s high-end services to ensure quality and expedience of clinical trials en route to new efficient drugs, as ERT simplifies and digitalises complex clinical trial experience and procedures. The Company has deep scientific, therapeutic and regulatory experience from over 8,500 clinical studies involving more than 2.7 million patients in 119 countries and has supported over 50% of all new FDA drug approvals in the past three years. ERT is headquartered in Philadelphia, USA and has over 1,200 employees and revenues in excess of USD 300 million.

ERT delivers a unique combination of technology, services and clinical consulting, built on a foundation of deep scientific and regulatory expertise. ERT’s solutions increase the accuracy and reliability of patient data and improve widely deployed solutions in healthcare areas such as Cardiac Safety, Respiratory Solutions and electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA). ERT has a proven track record of growth and it is Nordic Capital’s ambition as its new owner to support ERT’s continued development, strategic goals, future growth and further international expansion.

“Nordic Capital sees ERT as a very attractive investment opportunity in the eClinical market. It has deep insights into the clinical development process, an attractive technical platform and an outstanding competitive position. ERT is highly valued by the pharmaceutical industry as a business partner, as evidenced by its market leadership in eCOA, Cardiac Safety and Respiratory Solutions. ERT has an excellent performance track record and is well positioned for accelerated growth. Nordic Capital’s ambition is to support ERT’s executive management team to further develop the Company by growing in both existing and adjacent market segments,”says Jonas Agnblad, Partner, NC Advisory, advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds.

“This is an exciting next step for us. Nordic Capital has extensive experience in both healthcare and technology investments, and a successful track record in supporting management teams in developing and growing businesses.Together we will extend our leadership in eClinical solutions, and innovate better health through investments across our portfolio of capabilities to meet our customers’ evolving needs. We will further invest in attracting and retaining the industry’s best people, partnering for success in the dynamic regulatory environment, and enabling our customers to deliver safe and effective trials,” says Jim Corrigan, president and chief executive of ERT.

“We are impressed by the investments made in the technical platform as well as management’s overall development of ERT as a trusted healthcare service partner and the leading healthcare technology provider. Their leadership position in the attractive eCOA market, supported by similar strong positions in Cardiac Safety and Respiratory Solutions, provides a robust platform for future growth,” says Dr. Raj Shah, Partner, NC Advisory, advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction. The investment is subject to customary approvals by the relevant authorities.

Press contacts:

Nordic Capital
Katarina Janerud, Communications Manager
NC Advisory AB, advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

ERT
David Coman, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer
Tel: +1 919 749 6124
e-mail: david.coman@ert.com

About ERT

ERT is a leading provider of high-quality patient data collection solutions for use in clinical drug development. ERT delivers a combination of technology, services and clinical consulting that increase the accuracy and reliability of patient data and improve the widely deployed solutions in centralized Cardiac Safety, Respiratory, and electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA) – which includes patient-, clinician-, observer- and performance-reported outcomes – and cloud-based analytics and performance metrics. By efficiently integrating these solutions through a system built upon a scientific and regulatory foundation, ERT collects, analyzes and delivers safety and efficacy data critical to the approval, labeling and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products. For more information see www.ert.com

About Nordic Capital

Nordic Capital private equity funds have invested in mid-market companies primarily in the Nordic region since 1989. Through committed ownership and by targeting strategic development and operational improvements, Nordic Capital enables value creation in its investments. Nordic Capital Funds invest in companies in northern Europe and in selected investment opportunities internationally. The most recent fund is Nordic Capital Fund VIII with EUR 3.5 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Funds are based in Jersey, Channel Islands, and are advised by the NC Advisory companies in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany and the UK. For further information about Nordic Capital please see www.nordiccapital.com

Categories: News

Tags: healthcare

Spintop Ventures invests in Inkassogram,a Swedish game changing debt collection platform

admin March 16, 2016 No Comments

Spintop Ventures invests in Inkassogram – a Swedish game changing debt collection platform to get late invoices paid in a quick, user-friendly, polite and fair manner.

The company’s “reversed business model” focus on getting invoices to be paid quickly, rather than the industry’s practice of optimizing own revenues per case by slowing the payment processes. The company’s efficient platform and app enable all kinds of companies to efficiently run a hassle free, customer friendly and highly automated debt collection process – it only takes a few minutes to get the free process started. This in essence opens up the largely un-served SME segment, a potentially large market segment.

The invoice debt collection market is a highly profitable and large sector ripe for a new approach and there is substantial potential for Inkassogram.

The Stockholm and Gothenburg based company is run by an experienced entrepreneur team with extensive background in invoicing and debt collection processes.

Categories: News

PAI Partners and ADB Airfield Solutions to acquire SafeGate from Fairford Group

admin February 26, 2016

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a leading European private equity firm, and ADB Airfield Solutions (“ADB”), a global airfield lighting solutions provider, today announce the acquisition of Safegate International AB (“Safegate”), from Fairford Group (“Fairford”).

PAI Partners and ADB Airfield Solutions to acquire Safegate from Fairford Group

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a leading European private equity firm, and ADB Airfield Solutions (“ADB”), a global airfield lighting solutions provider, today announce the acquisition of Safegate International AB (“Safegate”), from Fairford Group (“Fairford”).

Safegate is a leading airfield solutions business providing aircraft docking guidance systems, gate management systems, airfield lighting solutions and air traffic control systems to more than 1,300 airports in 130 countries. Thanks to its pioneering R&D capabilities, Safegate delivers integrated, technology-driven solutions to help airports meet increasing demand for safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly airfield operations. Safegate is headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, has more than 300 employees worldwide and generated revenue of SEK 1.3 billion in 2015.
Fairford, the private investment company of the Osseiran Family Trust, has a range of investments across Europe, predominantly in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Fairford has owned Safegate since 1991 and under Fairford’s ownership, Safegate has developed from being a business with docking guidance systems and airfield lighting technologies into a world leader in airfield passenger throughput technologies.

Laurent Rivoire and Ragnar Hellenius, Partners at PAI, said:
“This is a very exciting moment. Through this combination between PAI-owned ADB and Safegate, we are creating the world leader in advanced airfield guidance systems, from aircraft landing to parking. Thanks to its scale, cumulative experience and innovation capabilities, ADB Safegate will be well positioned to assist airports in dealing with traffic expansion in absolute safety. We look forward to the successful development of the new ADB Safegate group.”

Christian Onselaere, CEO of ADB, said:
“At ADB we are excited and looking forward to team up with Safegate. ADB can build on 69 years of experience in the airfield lighting market. We have grown from a product supplier to a leader in turnkey solutions and services for the airside. The new combination will create a true expert in products, solutions and services from the airside over the gate to the tower. Our company ADB Safegate will use its power of innovation and global reach to offer best-in-class solutions that help airports meet the growing challenges of higher traffic throughput, the need for more efficiency and sustainable growth.”
Bengt A. Dahl, Chairman of Fairford, and Salah Osseiran, Director of Fairford, said:
“We have been proud owners of Safegate for 25 years. Under Fairford’s ownership, Safegate has remained at the forefront of technological innovation, strengthened its solutions offering and dramatically expanded its geographic footprint across the globe. Today, Safegate is associated with some of the world’s leading airports and has established itself as a leading innovator in its core markets. The Safegate success story is testament to its world class management team and we would like to thank everyone at Safegate for their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. We wish Safegate all the best in its partnership with PAI and ADB and look forward to seeing it continue to grow from strength to strength.”

Per-Olof Hammarlund, CEO of Safegate, said:
“Together with Fairford, we have built a premier global airfield solutions provider with a track-record of growth, excellence and innovation. We are thankful to Fairford for their constant support over so many years. We look forward to the partnership with PAI and ADB to deliver the next chapter of our story, as we continue to pursue our vision of becoming the world leader in integrated airfield solutions. Safegate’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation runs deep in our organisation and we are excited to work with partners who share our values. Our clients and employees stand to benefit from a broader platform of airfield solutions, greater global reach and continued focus on growth.”

Evercore and deNovo Corporate Advisors acted as financial advisors and Ashurst acted as legal advisor to Fairford. Rothschild acted as financial advisor to PAI.

Categories: News

Tags: Aerospace

Itiviti AB established to deliver powerful trading and connectivity offering built for the future

admin February 2, 2016

Market leaders Orc Group and CameronTec Group unite and create Itiviti, a new force in trading software and services for the global capital markets.

Stockholm, SWEDEN, February 2, 2016 – The management of Itiviti AB today introduced a newly named company and brand, marking the completion of the previously announced unification of Orc Group, a global market leader in electronic trading technology for listed derivatives and CameronTec Group, the global standard in financial messaging infrastructure and connectivity. Itiviti holds market leading positions in several areas from the outset, and the combination significantly expands the customer proposition for banks, brokers and trading firms.

Itiviti will continue to build partnerships with its customers, using the natural fit between Orc and CameronTec to launch a new and even more powerful portfolio: fully modular, transparent and flexible solutions for end-to-end trading, routing, connectivity and risk.

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Itiviti has truly global capabilities, with 400 staff located in 13 offices worldwide, covering all major financial centers. The company has a track record of delivering innovative, world class trading and financial infrastructure solutions to the capital markets across all geographies and regulatory landscapes.

“We are delighted to present our new company,” says Torben Munch, CEO, Itiviti AB. “We are doing so with the confidence of two established, successful brands, Orc and CameronTec with solid track records in our industry. By combining our respective skill sets in technology, products and services we can deliver a broad, yet advanced, high-performance platform. We feel that Itiviti holds a new and unrivaled position in terms of ability to meet specific customer requirements, ease of integration, and adaptability to changes in market structure and regulation.”

Joining CEO Torben Munch (formerly Orc Group CEO) on Itiviti’s executive management team are Tony Falck, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Troels Philip Jensen, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Anders Henriksson, Executive Vice President, Head of Business Unit Global Services & Chief Growth Officer, Jonas Hansbo, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, and Klaus Andersen, Executive Vice President Global Engineering. Per E. Larsson will serve as Itiviti’s Chairman of the Board. Larsson has been a member of the Boards of Orc Group and CameronTec Group since 2012 and served as Chairman on both Boards at the time of the combination.

Itiviti continues to develop, market, and support existing technology platforms, products and brands, including Orc Tbricks and Catalys. The combination also allows Itiviti to address a wider range of customer requirements for trading technology and infrastructure, with new products and services. Through state-of-the-art, integrated solutions built for the future, Itiviti will enable real cost savings for clients across all regions and markets.

All Itiviti solutions are backed by a highly skilled, global services organization. Through combining client and industry insight with technology expertise, Itiviti is uniquely positioned to provide effective support to its customers. Itiviti’s team of experts are available for tasks such as daily technology support, system configuration and integration, and tailored trading solutions and strategies.

Itiviti’s Managed Services offers a fully managed solution to replace in-house trading infrastructure, reducing cost of ownership and allowing customers to concentrate fully on core trading activities. The high-performance, low latency Itiviti ecosystem includes market connectivity, systems operations, monitoring, backup and failover procedures.

About Itiviti
Itiviti is a world-leading technology provider for the capital markets industry. Trading firms, banks, brokers and institutional clients rely on Itiviti technology, solutions and expertise for streamlining daily operations, while gaining sustainable competitive edge in global markets.

With 13 offices and serving more than 400 customers worldwide, Itiviti was formed by uniting Orc Group, a leader in trading and electronic execution, and CameronTec Group, the global standard in financial messaging infrastructure and connectivity. From its foundation in 2016, Itiviti has a staff of 400 and an estimated annual revenue of SEK 700 million.

Itiviti is committed to continuous innovation to deliver trading infrastructure built for today’s dynamic markets, offering highly adaptable platforms and solutions, enabling clients to stay ahead of competitive and regulatory challenges.

Itiviti is owned by Nordic Capital Fund VII.

www.itiviti.com

For further information, please contact:
Torben Munch, CEO, Itiviti AB, Tel. +45 2223 4789
Christine Blinke, CMO, Itiviti AB, Tel. +46 739 01 02 01

Categories: News

Tags: Software

Data Respons strengthens its position in Services in Sweden

admin January 26, 2016 No Comments

Sylog Sverige AB, a subsidiary of Data Respons, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 % of the shares in South Pole Consulting AB.

South Pole Consulting has 10 employees located in Stockholm and are experts in embedded Linux. The acquisition strengthens Sylog’s position as a leading player within embedded services in Stockholm.
South Pole Consulting expects a turnover of SEK 12 million for 2016 with an operating margin of approximately 10 %. The company will be consolidated into Data Respons’ financial statements from 2016.

An agreement has been reached for a cash consideration of SEK 2.8 million with additional payments depending on the company’s development over the next two years.

Categories: News

Tags: Software

New portfolio company: Spinchip Diagnostics

admin January 26, 2016

Investinor invests MEUR 1.9 in Norwegian medtech startup Spinchip Diagnostics AS.
Oslo based Spinchip Diagnostics is developing a new state of the art platform for in vitro diagnosis analyses in a point of care setting.

The solution will enable faster, easier and more reliable diagnosis and follow up of e.g. cardiovascular, inflammatory, infectious, diabetic and endocrine diseases.

A fraction of a blood droplet is drawn directly from a finger prick into the small disposable cartridge. The cartridge is then inserted into the small apparatus. Results of a variety of advanced analyses will be obtained automatically within a couple of minutes.

SpinChip’s point of care device will be the first to satisfy all key user requirements, both with respect to assaying performance and user-friendliness. The platform combines swift analysis and superior ease of use with laboratory quality of wide range of advanced analyses.

SpinChip Diagnostics was established in February 2012 as a spin-off from the research organization SINTEF. SpinChip Diagnostics is currently developing the technology and expects to launch the platform in late 2018.

In addition to Investinor, founders, SINTEF Venture III and Tronrud Engineering are large owners in the company.

Founder and CTO Stig Morten Borch has more than 30 years of experience from the medtech industry, where ha e.g. led the develpoment of Nycomed/Axis-Shield’s platform analyses Nycocard and Afinion.

SpinChip Diagnostics has raised a total of MEUR 3.9 in a private placement towards Investinor, existing owners and experienced business angels with proven rack reckord in the medtech industry, e.g. Lars-Olof Hansson, professor at Karolinska University Hospital and owner of Institute for Diagnostics Development AB and S2G Scandinavia AB.

Following the investment round Åse Aulie Michelet will take the posistion as chairman of the Board in SpinChip Diagnostics AS.

She was previously CEO of Teres Medical Group AS and Marine Harvest ASA, and held leading positions in Amersham and GE Healthcare. Åse Aulie Michelet has also held board positions in Orkla ASA, Cermaq ASA and Yara International ASA, and she was Chairman of the Board in Photocure ASA.

Categories: News

Tags: healthcare

Nordic Capital acquires world-leading innovative research technology provider Cint

admin January 11, 2016

Nordic Capital Fund VIII (‘Nordic Capital’) has acquired Cint, a leading global player in the insights data collection technology market. Nordic Capital will support Cint’s successful position as a leading global platform, aiding continued accelerated growth in an industry where consumers are becoming increasingly mobile and digital, and brand marketing spend is shifting to online.

Nordic Capital acquires Cint from a large shareholder group that includes Prime Ventures, Creandum, Cipio Partners, the founder, and a group of individual investors and employees.

Fredrik Näslund, Partner at NC Advisory AB, advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds said: “Nordic Capital is impressed by the quality and efficiency of Cint’s technology, its strong value proposition to its customers and the quick adoption of the technology. The company is ideally placed to add value to both suppliers and buyers of research panels as a fully automated, truly global platform. Nordic Capital looks forward to supporting the management team in further accelerating Cint’s growth as well as investing in further development of the company and its products.”

Cint’s CEO Morten Strand added: “We are very pleased that Nordic Capital has chosen to invest in Cint. Nordic Capital’s extensive experience of successfully developing and growing technology businesses, in cooperation with management and employees, suits us very well and gives us the opportunity to continue our positive development. In the age of accelerating digital transformation in consumer insights and behaviour, we will together continue to be a leader in technology innovation for the market research industry.”

Cint’s main product is OpinionHUB, a B2B exchange for seeking and collecting insights. The platform connects the buy-side – typically a market research firm that needs to access panellists for consumer research – with the sell-side, the companies owning consumer panels. This allows the customer easy access to a specific number of pre-defined, deeply profiled panellists in a specific country, region or local area in the world, through the platform’s self-service and real time matching algorithms.

Since launching its OpinionHUB panel marketplace platform in 2005, Cint has rapidly evolved in a technology centric environment and has established a profitable business model, which benefits the whole value chain when working with consumer surveys, as it reduces time and costs for all parties. Cint has a track record of launching industry ‘firsts’ that have raised standards in innovation, transparency and quality within the market research world.

Cint is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and has 13 offices in major cities across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The company has over 140 employees. Cint has enjoyed exponential growth and development over the last 10 years, and targets above 30% growth annually on average. With Nordic Capital as the new owner, Cint will continue on its rapid growth path, securing a leading position in the sector.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

The investment is subject to approval by the relevant authorities.

Press contacts:

Nordic Capital
Katarina Janerud, Communications Manager
NC Advisory AB, advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

Cint
Morten Strand CEO
Tel: +46 709702974
e-mail: morten.strand@cint.com

About Cint

Cint provides access to opinions by innovating market research technology. The company reaches over 19 million people in over 65 countries, all sourced via 800 different panels owned by publishers, local media outlets, market research agencies and non-profits. Cint’s exchange platform, OpinionHUB, a fully transparent insight marketplace, brings together questions and answers from all around the world. Cint is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and has offices in major cities across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please see www.cint.com

About Nordic Capital

Categories: News

Tags: Media Software

Herkules IV acquires Olivia AS

admin December 22, 2015

Herkules IV acquires Olivia AS

(Oslo, 22 December 2015) Herkules Private Equity Fund IV has entered into an agreement with Drueklasen AS to acquire Oliva AS, Norway’s largest Italian restaurant chain. Herkules considers Olivia, with its authentic Italian concept, strong brand and successful restaurants, to represent a powerful foundation for further growth and expansion.

Olivia employs more than 200 people in 3 restaurants in Oslo. The company serves authentic Italian food focusing on high quality pasta and pizza dishes as well as various Italian food specialities. Estimated turnover in 2015 is approximately NOK 175 million with an EBITDA of close to NOK 30 million.The founders Kristin Gjelseth, Anne Koppang and Gry Holm will retain a minority interest and contribute to further development of Olivia: “It has been our ambition to expand Olivia nationwide. Together with Herkules, we will have the competence, the capacity and the financial resources to accomplish this ambition over the next few years”.

“We are impressed by the outstanding track record, the strong culture and the enthusiasm in the organization. Olivia holds the x-factor that makes people want to return again and again. They have consistently shown a higher turnover per unit than other restaurants, due to the compelling brand that Olivia has become. We believe there is a strong potential for further growth, and we expect to leverage our experience from Espresso House”, says Sverre Flåskjer, Managing Partner at Herkules Capital.

Tone Wicklund-Hansen, CEO at Olivia, says that “Based on the strong Olivia brand, the concept and the success we have experienced, we are determined to expand the Olivia concept over the next 5 years. We really look forward to work with Herkules and the founders to grow the business rapidly”.

The plan for expansion is set by the management team and the owners. The ambitious plan for expansion calls for immediate action, whereas the search for new locations in all the large and medium sized cities in Norway, has already begun.

Herkules Private Equity Fund IV acquires a majority of the shares of Olivia AS from Drueklasen AS for an undisclosed amount. Closing of the transaction is planned to take place in January 2016.

Contact: Sverre Flåskjer, Managing Partner at Herkules Capital Telephone: +47 22 04 80 09 /+47 48 11 04 66

Tone Wicklund-Hansen, CEO at Olivia Telephone: +47 90 62 01 70

Spokesperson for the founders, Kristin Gjelseth

Telephone: +47 93 44 80 52

About Olivia: Olivia is Norway’s largest authentic Italian restaurant chain with 3 units located at Aker Brygge, Tjuvholmen and Hegdehaugsveien in Oslo. The first restaurant was founded in 2006 by Kristin Gjelseth, Anne Koppang and Gry Holm. Today Olivia employs over 200 people with a turnover of about NOK 175 million.

Herkules is a leading Private Equity firm in Norway and has raised funds with committed capital totalling approximately NOK 15 billion. We invest in companies located in the Nordic region, primarily in Norway, and acquire majority interests in established businesses with strong growth potential. We have a proven experience in working in partnership with existing shareholders. Our approach to ownership is industrial and long term, and is built on fundamental respect for the history, culture and experience within each individual company. More information can be found at www.herkules.no

Herkules was advised by Schjødt, PWC and BCG.

Drueklasen was advised by Handelsbanken and Selmer.

Categories: News

Tags: Agri & Food

Investment in Planctonic AS

admin December 3, 2015

Investinor invests MEUR 0.77 (MNOK 7) in Planktonic AS, which offers cutting-edge «baby food» for farmed fish fry.

Planktonic aims to remove a bottleneck for growth in the global aquaculture industry: the initial feeding of fry.

One of the reasons why anadromous* fish species, such as salmon and trout, have been so successful as farmed fish is that their young are relatively well developed when they hatch. Salmon and trout fry are therefore capable of digesting dried feed from day one.

Fry from the majority of other farmed species, particularly those which live their entire lives in saltwater, so-called marine species*, are far less developed, and therefore far less robust, when they hatch.

These fry must therefore be fed a diet based on live plankton until they are mature enough to eat dried fish feed. The feed must also be of a very high quality if the fry are to survive and grow.

The quality of the live feed that is available on the market today is unsuitable for many fish species. It is also labour-intensive for the fish farmers to use and extremely expensive. The initial feeding of fish fry is therefore a major bottleneck for the further expansion of the global aquaculture industry.

Enabling cost cuts
Planktonic supplies a type of initial feed that in tests has proved to dramatically improve survival and growth rates among hatchlings. In addition, the feed is cost-effective and easy for fish farmers to use.

«Planktonic’s feed products could enable several marine species that the industry has so far had no success with to be farmed profitably. This could therefore be of huge significance for the international seafood sector,» says Ronny Vikdal, head of investment at Investinor.

Small company, massive potential
Planktonic AS was founded in 2008 by Nils Tokle and Håvard Aakerøy. Nils Tokle is a marine biologist and a leading researcher in his field, while Håvard Aakerøy has many years’ experience of managing fish farming operations.

The company currently has four employees, and generated revenues of NOK 3.6 million in 2014.

Investinor already has a portfolio of marine investments: Nordic Halibut (fish farming), Smartfish (medicinal nutrition), Ayanda (Omega 3 products) and Cryogenetics (breeding technology).

Start-feed for marine fish fry is a growing international market, which generated combined revenues of NOK 7.5 billion in 2014. NOK 2.5 billion of this came from live feed.

The global market for the farming of marine (saltwater) fish species in 2014 totalled approx. NOK 60 billion.

Planktonic is raising a total of MEUR 1 (MNOK 10) in this round.

In addition to Investinor other shareholders in the company are its founders and a group of business angels.

Investinor already has a portfolio of marine investments: Nordic Halibut (fish farming), Smartfish (medicinal nutrition), Ayanda (Omega 3 products) and Cryogenetics (breeding technology).

* Anadromous species, such as salmon and trout, lay their eggs in freshwater, where the young spend the first stages of their lives before eventually migrating downstream to the sea. Marine species live their entire lives in saltwater. Examples of marine species that are currently being farmed include sea bass, sea bream and halibut.

Categories: News

Tags: Agri & Food

Investment in Fronteer Solutions

admin October 15, 2015

Investinor invests MNOK 3.5 in Oslo based Fronteer Solutions, a fintech startup that offers tech based equity fund management.

Fronteer Solutions recently launched its first equity fund where security selection and risk management is entrusted to a powerful machine. With the help of computing power and advanced mathematics, Fronteer provides smart portfolio solutions based on predetermined investment criteria.

The solution is described as «thousand analysts in a box», but without human psychology coming into play.

«Our vision is to make smart savings- and investment solutions available to all in a simple and safe way, and at a reasonable price. Fronteer shall be at the forefront of developments in science-based asset management and offer best-of-breed products. With the launch of our first fund, we have taken an important step towards providing our solutions to the retail market», says CEO Atle Christiansen.

Smart and long-term
«Fronteer’s approach is rooted in decades of financial research and contributions from several Nobel Prize-winning economists. Our solution is not, however, to automate short-term trading strategies or to be faster than everyone else. Put simply, we have built a powerful technology to make long-term investments smarter and at a lower risk. You may call it thousand analysts in a box», says Christiansen.

Fronteer’s computing machine has analyzed more than 7,000 stocks across 46 developed and emerging markets. Based on well-known investment criteria, the machine selects the best stocks and combines these in a portfolio. The machine continuously analyzes vast amounts of data to monitor market opportunities and risks.

Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fond, applies many of the same principles in its asset management.

Experienced team
Fronteer comprises a multi-disciplinary team with background from the start-up success Point Carbon, the Norwegian Government’s Soverign Wealth Fund and academics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

From it’s base at StartupLab in Oslo, the company has caught the attention of reputable and experienced investors. Among its owners are Investinor, Founders Fund, Martin Skancke and Åge Korsvold.

Skancke was formerly Director General at the Norwegian Ministry of Finance with responsibility for the development of the Norwegian Petroleum Fund’s strategy. Korsvold, previously CEO of Storebrand, Orkla and Kistefos, is the company’s Chairman.

«The finance industry is in an unprecedented era of digital innovation and disruption. Financial technology is internationally one the hottest growth areas. We believe the market is ripe for the solutions offered by Fronteer. The way that large parts of the asset management industry thinks and acts has not changed much during the last 50 years. We believe in the vision, the technology and the people behind Fronteer. It is exciting that a Norwegian player leads the way and acts as a challenger in this market», says Investment Director Jon Øyvind Eriksen at Investinor.

Fronteer’s first product is a global equity fund aimed at professional investors.

Categories: News

Tags: Investments

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Nordic Capital to invest in ERT, a leader in eClinical solutions for the pharmaceutical industry

Spintop Ventures invests in Inkassogram,a Swedish game changing debt collection platform

PAI Partners and ADB Airfield Solutions to acquire SafeGate from Fairford Group

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a leading European private equity firm, and ADB Airfield Solutions (“ADB”), a global airfield lighting solutions provider, today announce the acquisition of Safegate International AB (“Safegate”), from Fairford Group (“Fairford”).

Itiviti AB established to deliver powerful trading and connectivity offering built for the future

Data Respons strengthens its position in Services in Sweden

New portfolio company: Spinchip Diagnostics

Nordic Capital acquires world-leading innovative research technology provider Cint

About Cint

About Nordic Capital

Herkules IV acquires Olivia AS

Herkules IV acquires Olivia AS

Investment in Planctonic AS

Investment in Fronteer Solutions