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Volpi Capital expands its investment team with the appointment of Erik Berggren

Volpi Capital

London, 6 March 2019: Volpi Capital (“Volpi”), a specialist European lower mid-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that Erik Berggren has joined its investment team. Erik’s appointment takes Volpi’s total headcount to 11, including 7 investment professionals.

Working as part of Volpi’s investment team, Erik will help source and execute deals across Europe, particularly in the Nordic region. In addition, he will also work with current and prospective portfolio company management teams to help them realise their growth objectives.

Erik, whose background includes investment banking and consulting, joins from Arma Partners, where he provided M&A advisory services to technology companies for three years. During his time at Arma Partners, Erik advised on transactions predominantly in the Nordic, German and UK markets. Prior to this, he worked at Deloitte in London, advising private equity houses and their portfolio companies.

Erik is Swedish – taking Volpi’s spread of nationalities to 9 – and holds a first class undergraduate degree from King’s College, London.

Commenting on the appointment, Marco Sodi from Volpi Capital said: “We are delighted that Erik has joined Volpi. Erik brings significant technology sector expertise, which aligns well with our thesis driven origination and investment approach, targeting investment in ambitious businesses using technology to disrupt traditional business models and processes.

“Since 2016, we have established a strong, internationally diverse and talented team that will deliver long-term success. We look forward to further additions to the team over the next twelve months, as we continue to expand and develop as a specialist European lower mid-market firm.”

Erik added: “This is a great opportunity to join a firm that is on a clear upwards trajectory and which has made strong progress in a short period of time. I was particularly drawn to Volpi’s ‘pick-your-partner’ approach when working with company owners and management teams, their industry specialist focus and their entrepreneurial and ambitious culture.

“I look forward to working with the team, the portfolio company management teams, as well as our limited partners.”

Volpi successfully closed its maiden fund – Volpi Capital Fund I – at its €185m hard cap in April 2018. Volpi’s current portfolio companies are CycloMedia, Version 1, Medinet and Digital Barriers.

Volpi was founded in 2016 by Crevan O’Grady and Marco Sodi.

About Volpi Capital

Volpi Capital is a specialist European lower mid-market private equity firm. Volpi has a thesis-driven approach targeting ambitious businesses using enabling technologies to disrupt traditional B2B value chains. Volpi typically invests €25-75 million of equity in businesses with enterprise values between €50 million and €200 million and seeks to drive transformative growth through international expansion and consolidation. The firm, which was founded in 2016 by Crevan O’Grady and Marco Sodi, closed its first fund (Volpi Capital Fund I) in April 2018 with commitments of €185 million.

http://www.volpicapital.com

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Instinctif Partners

Ross Gillam/Justine Crestois

+44 20 7457 2020

volpi@instinctif.com

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HQ Equita strengthens leadership team and initiates a generation change

HQ Capital

Bad Homburg, 6 March 2019 – HQ Equita, the mid-cap buyout arm of HQ Capital and a successful partner for small and medium-sized enterprises in the German-speaking area for about three decades, strengthens its management team and initiates the generational change. Christine Weiß, who joined HQ Equita in 2006 and became a Partner in 2014, is appointed Managing Director of HQ Equita. Frank Schäfer, Matthias Tabbert and Florian Wiemken are appointed Partners.

 

Frank Schäfer has been part of HQ Equita’s Investment Team since 2012. During this time, he was involved in the management and successful sales of ISOLITE and MEN. Most recently, he completed the acquisitions of r2p Group and Open Access (Sydney).

 

Matthias Tabbert has over ten years of experience in the mid-cap buyout business and joined HQ Equita’s Investment Team in early 2011. He has worked on various portfolio company acquisitions and exits, including WindStar Medical and Well Plus Trade.

 

Florian Wiemken has been a member of HQ Equita’s Investment Team since 2012 and has been involved in numerous transactions over the past seven years, including the acquisition, management and successful sale of Rovema Group.

 

Torsten Krumm, who has been responsible for leading the generation change at HQ Equita and has successfully strengthened its management team, will head the Investment Committee in a new role in the future.

 

The team has been working together successfully for many years and has been instrumental in the development of HQ Equita. With the generational change and the support of Managing Director and Partner Hans J. Moock, who has been working for HQ Equita for more than 13 years, continuity in the management of HQ Equita will be ensured.

 

“As an experienced and proven team, we are optimally positioned to further develop HQ Equita. Together, we will continue to consistently realize attractive investment opportunities and support the growth strategies and development of our portfolio companies in a sustainable manner”, says Christine Weiß.

 

“The generation change is the next logical step in HQ Equita’s onward development as a specialist for primary investments in SMEs,” says Dr Bernd Türk, Managing Director of HQ Capital. “These appointments lay the foundation for stability and continuity. I am pleased to work with this dynamic team.”

 

With the strengthened management team, HQ Equita intends to expand its existing relationships with entrepreneurs, enhance its investment focus and raise its profile in the market.

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Bluebee receives Health Data Hosting (HDS) accreditation

Rijswijk, The Netherlands: 6 March 2019 – Bluebee, a global bioinformatics solutions provider, has been awarded the HDS:2018 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS). The Hébergeurs de Données de Santé or Health Data Hosting (HDS) accreditation is required for entities hosting personal health data governed by French laws. The British Standards Institution (BSI) conducted the audit and confirmed Bluebee’s compliance with all requirements and controls defined by the French Agency, Agence des Systèmes d’Information Partagés de Santé (ASIP).

Bluebee’s ISMS governs HDS outsourcer host activities, including development, management, support and maintenance of cloud infrastructure and cloud-based information systems that process large volumes of omics and health data. The achievement of this accreditation reaffirms Bluebee’s continued commitment to providing the most secure and reliable data management solutions to clinical laboratories, diagnostic assay manufacturers and population genomics initiatives.

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Axonics® Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Financial Results and Operational Update

GIlde Healthcare

IRVINE, CA – Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXNX) a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel implantable Sacral Neuromodulation (“SNM”) devices for the treatment of urinary and bowel dysfunction, reported today financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2018, and provided an update on operational initiatives.

Recent Business Highlights

  • In Q4, commercial sales of the miniaturized rechargeable Axonics r-SNM® System totaled $0.5 million.
  • On February 11, filed full-body magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) seeking conditional labeling for the miniaturized rechargeable Axonics r-SNM System.
  • On February 19, disclosed top-line six-month clinical results on the full cohort of patients for the ARTISAN-SNM pivotal clinical study of the Axonics r-SNM System which indicated 90% of all implanted subjects met the efficacy endpoint and that the study met all primary and secondary endpoints.
  • On February 21, filed a detailed six-month clinical study report with the FDA on the results of the ARTISAN-SNM pivotal clinical study.
  • On February 22, announced CE Mark approval for full-body MRI conditional labeling in Europe for the Axonics r-SNM System, making the Axonics system the first SNM device that allows a safe full-body MRI scan while implanted.
  • On March 4, appointed Michael H. Carrel to the Board of Directors.

Raymond W. Cohen, CEO of Axonics, commented, “We view the generation of $0.5 million of revenue in the fourth quarter, serving a handful of customers with a small team of sales professionals, to be a harbinger of things to come. We are seeking measurable market share gains in 2019 from our two primary markets in Europe, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The accounts we have secured in these markets are exceeding our expectations in terms of the percentage of SNM implants using the Axonics system. Moreover, we now have the only SNM device with full-body MRI labeling, an advantage that should aid us in gaining further traction.”

Cohen continued, “Our primary focus continues to be gaining FDA approval in the shortest possible timeframe. To that end, and based on interaction with the FDA, we determined our best course of action was to further enrich our current literature-based PMA with the full cohort of ARTISAN-SNM study data as well as the full-body MRI data. As we advance our regulatory strategy, we continue to press forward on our initiative to be fully prepared to execute a broad, fully staffed U.S. launch upon FDA approval. We are building a world-class team and have been pleased that many experienced neuromodulation and urology professionals view Axonics as an attractive place to work that represents an exciting career opportunity. Overall, we are making excellent progress on our key operational objectives.”

Fourth Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Net revenue was $0.5 million in the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018, derived from the sale of the Company’s r-SNM Systems to customers in Europe and Canada, as compared to no net revenue for the same period of last year.

Gross margin was 50.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Operating expense was $9.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, as compared to $4.9 million in the prior-year quarter. This increase was primarily due to higher personnel costs across the organization as well as the costs of operating as a public company.

Net loss for the fourth quarter of 2018 was $9.7 million as compared to $4.9 million in the prior-year quarter. Net loss per share for the fourth quarter of 2018 was $0.50 per share.

As of December 31, 2018, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $157.5 million.

Dan L. Dearen, Axonics President and CFO, said, “We have been actively hiring commercial, operations, regulatory, and quality personnel to ensure we execute on our strategy of fielding a full complement of sales and marketing professionals with sufficient inventory on hand to support a U.S. launch upon FDA approval. To date, we have hired 60 well-qualified sales professionals, 11 regional sales directors and 12 clinical specialists, putting us ahead of schedule and in a good position with the build out of our team and its ability to execute if the approval were to come before our initial projection. The accelerated costs associated with that shift puts us in the best position to achieve our commercial goals when approved.”

Full Year 2018 Financial Results

Net revenue was $0.7 million in fiscal year 2018, derived from the sale of the Company’s r-SNM Systems to customers in Europe and Canada, as compared to $0.1 million in fiscal year 2017.

Gross margin was 49.7% in fiscal year 2018, compared to 7.9% gross margin in fiscal year 2017. The increase in gross margin is primarily due to country and product mix.

Operating expense was $32.5 million in fiscal year 2018, as compared to $18.2 million in fiscal year 2017. This increase was primarily due to increases in personnel, regulatory submissions and clinical development, contract fabrication and manufacturing, and legal costs.

Net loss for the year was $32.5 million as compared to $18.1 million in the prior year. Net loss per share for fiscal year 2018 was $4.64 per share.

Webcast and Conference Call

Today, on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the Company will host a conference call with the investment community to discuss the financial results and recent business developments.
Interested parties may access the live call via telephone by dialing (866) 687-5771 (U.S.) or (409) 217-8725 (International) and using conference ID 3386378.

A live webcast of the call may be accessed by visiting the Events & Presentations page of the investors section of the Company’s website at ir.axonicsmodulation.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the Company’s website for 90 days.
About Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc.

Axonics, based in Irvine, CA, is focused on the development and commercialization of novel implantable Sacral Neuromodulation devices for patients with urinary and bowel dysfunction. Overactive bladder affects an estimated 87 million adults in the U.S. and Europe. Another estimated 40 million adults are reported to suffer from fecal incontinence. SNM therapy is a well-established treatment that has been widely used and reimbursed in Europe and the U.S. for the past two decades. The Axonics r-SNM System is the first rechargeable Sacral Neuromodulation system approved for sale in Europe, Canada and Australia, and the first SNM system to gain CE mark for full-body MRI conditional labeling. Premarket Approval (PMA) for the r-SNM System is currently pending with the U.S. FDA. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.axonicsmodulation.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that relate to future plans, events, prospects or performance are forward-looking statements as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “planned,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “designed,” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of management, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this press release, including the risks and uncertainties disclosed in Axonics filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available online at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Axonics undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, changed circumstances or unanticipated events.

 

Contacts:

Axonics’ Contact

Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc.
Dan Dearen, +1-949-396-6320
President & Chief Financial Officer
ir@axonics.com

Investor & Media Contact

W2Opure
Matt Clawson, +1-949-370-8500
mclawson@w2ogroup.com

 

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Gaw Capital Partners Wins Two Awards at PERE Awards 2018 – Asia’s Deal of the Year & Industry Figure of the Year

Gaw Capital

HONG KONG, March 5, 2019 – Gaw Capital Partners is delighted to have been awarded Asia’s ‘Deal of the Year’ for its HK$23 billion acquisition of 17 Hong Kong shopping centres from Link REIT, which was completed in February 2018, and Asia’s ‘Industry Figure of the Year’ for Goodwin Gaw at this year’s PERE Awards.
The firm was also very pleased to have been a runner up for Global ‘Office Investor of the Year’, Global ‘Retail Investor of the Year’, ‘Capital Raise of the Year’ in Asia for its Gateway Real Estate Fund VI and ‘Firm of the Year’ in Asia and China respectfully.
The awards and recognitions follow another successful year for Gaw Capital, in which it closed major deals in China, Australia and Japan. These include the acquisitions of a further 12 Hong Kong shopping centres from Link REIT, Shanghai’s Ocean Towers and four premium Grade A offices at Shanghai MixC through its funds under management.
During 2018, the firm raised additional US$4.8 billion of equity commitments, acquired 24 projects in 15 cities and disposed 7 projects in 8 cities through its funds under management. The total deal transaction volume exceeds US$11.9 billion globally.
Mr. Goodwin Gaw, Chairman and Management Principal at Gaw Capital Partners, commented, “It is an honor to have received these accolades and recognitions, which have been the result of our strong teamwork culture. The awards reflect the recognition globally of Gaw Capital’s creativity and capabilities on some of the most complex but high-potential real estate transactions. We thank PERE for the awards and express our heartfelt gratitude to our LPs, partners and team for your continuous support, partnership and hard work.”
The Global PERE Awards recognize significant highlights in the global real estate industry and is highly respected across the global real estate private equity industry.

 

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Onex Completes Sale of BrightSpring Health Services

Onex

Toronto, March 5, 2019 – Onex Corporation (“Onex”) (TSX: ONEX) and its affiliates (the “Onex
Group”) today announced they have completed the sale of BrightSpring Health Services
(“BrightSpring”) to affiliates of KKR. BrightSpring is a leading provider of diversified home and
community-based health services to complex, high-cost populations.
In June 2004, Onex Partners I made an initial minority investment in BrightSpring (formerly
ResCare) and in November 2010, Onex Partners III invested additional capital to acquire a
majority stake in a take-private transaction. In total, the Onex Group invested $204 million, of
which Onex’ portion was $41 million. The Onex Group has received total proceeds of
approximately $1.0 billion, including prior distributions of $218 million. Onex’ portion of the sale
proceeds was approximately $190 million, including $39 million of carried interest. This results
in a blended gross multiple of invested capital of 5.7 times and a 17% gross rate of return on
Onex’ investment.

About Onex
Onex is one of the oldest and most successful private equity firms. Through its Onex Partners and
ONCAP private equity funds, Onex acquires and builds high-quality businesses in partnership with
talented management teams. At Onex Credit, Onex manages and invests in leveraged loans,
collateralized loan obligations and other credit securities. Onex has $31 billion of assets under
management, including $6.4 billion of Onex proprietary capital, in private equity and credit
securities. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and the team are
collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.
Onex’ businesses have assets of $51 billion, generate annual revenues of $32 billion and employ
approximately 217,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the stock symbol ONEX.

For more information on Onex, visit its website at
www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current
expectations and are subject to known and unknown uncertainties and risks, which could cause
actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained
herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or otherwise.

For further information:
Emilie Blouin
Director, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 416.362.7711

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KKR Completes Acquisition of BrightSpring Health Services

KKR

BrightSpring merges with PharMerica to form leading provider of health and pharmacy services

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global investment firm KKR and BrightSpring Health Services (“BrightSpring”), one of the largest home and community-based health services providers, announced today that KKR has closed on its acquisition of BrightSpring. As part of this transaction, BrightSpring has merged with PharMerica Corporation (“PharMerica”) to now become a leading provider of both home and community-based health and pharmacy services for high-need and medically complex populations.

The strategic combination of BrightSpring and PharMerica creates a uniquely positioned, diversified health care platform with comprehensive care capabilities across clinical, pharmacy, and non-clinical support services in multiple care settings. Upon close, the combined company will serve over 300,000 clients daily in 47 states, Puerto Rico and Canada with combined revenue of approximately $4.5 billion.

“Today marks the start of a new and exciting chapter for BrightSpring and PharMerica. We look forward to working with the team on the combined company’s next phase of growth and development,” said KKR member Max Lin.

“Combining BrightSpring and PharMerica brings together two well-respected, high quality and innovative leaders within their markets. Together, we will have unmatched capabilities to drive improved outcomes and reduced costs through integrated service and care models for all of the people and stakeholders we serve. Through the combination of our community-based health services and pharmacy capabilities, our complementary offerings will have valuable benefits to our clients, patients and customers and provide new opportunities together,” said Jon Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of BrightSpring and Chief Executive Officer of PharMerica.

With the combined enterprise led by Rousseau as CEO, Bob Dries has been named the President of PharMerica as part of the combination. “Greater independence, improved health outcomes and reduced hospitalizations all depend on three things to be present – non-clinical support services, daily medication optimization and clinical monitoring and interventions when required, which is what we are focused on providing to deliver value as a combined company,” said Dries. “With PharMerica, we provide industry leading medication availability, cost containment results, and clinical, regulatory and education support for our customers and their residents and patients – through our proprietary programs and systems,” he added.

BrightSpring and PharMerica will continue to support all operations from Louisville, Kentucky, where both businesses are headquartered, and anticipate many benefits to its customers and people served from its scale and scope of integrated services. The combined organization will continue to take a local and customized approach when serving its behavioral, senior and specialty populations in the community, as well as offering differentiated capabilities and a unique set of comprehensive offerings to the skilled nursing, senior living, hospital, behavioral provider, and home infusion and specialty clinic customers that it serves. The increased breadth of the company’s services and its proximity in serving complex populations, which are most often significant polypharmacy populations, will provide added solutions and opportunities for working with Medicare, states and other payers to improve outcomes and lower costs.

Under the terms of the deal originally announced on Dec. 10, 2018, KKR has purchased BrightSpring for approximately $1.32 billion with an affiliate of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. as a minority investor. KKR is making the investment from KKR’s Americas XII Fund.

About BrightSpring

BrightSpring Health Services is the parent company of a family of brands and services that provides clinical, nonclinical and pharmacy and other ancillary care services for people of all ages, health and skill levels across home and community settings. BrightSpring is one of the largest providers of diversified home and community-based health services to complex, high-cost populations. Its primary businesses include: behavioral health (including autism services), home health care (including personal care, home health, and hospice), neuro therapy, and job placement and vocational training, supported by pharmacy and telecare ancillary technologies and services. These businesses employ over 45,000 dedicated team members in more than 40 states and provide services to over 2 million people annually.

BrightSpring Health Services is focused on providing quality and lower-cost outcomes to challenging and high-cost populations, through best-in-class services and technology innovation. Its Connected Home care model is becoming an industry-leading approach to the future of health care services to achieve strong quality and compliance while also driving efficiency and cutting waste. The company’s care professionals work in thousands of communities across the United States providing critically needed daily support services, as well as clinical and pharmacy health services, in community settings. Founded and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, BrightSpring has been making a difference in people’s lives and communities since 1974 – helping people live their best life. For more information, visit www.BrightSpringHealth.com.

About PharMerica

PharMerica Corporation is a leading provider of institutional and community-based pharmacy services. The company serves the long-term care, senior living, hospital, home infusion, behavioral, specialty and oncology pharmacy markets. Today, PharMerica operates 96 institutional pharmacies, 20 specialty home infusion pharmacies and five specialty oncology pharmacies in 45 states. PharMerica is a customer service and patient-focused organization serving institutional healthcare providers, such as skilled nursing facilities, senior living communities, hospitals, behavioral and seniors individuals receiving in-home care, and patients with cancer. The company provides highly reliable and accurate medication delivery and support services to approximately 250,000 individuals a day with unmatched service reliability, cost containment, and clinical, regulatory and educational support for its clients and their residents and patients. For more information visit www.PharMerica.com.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_C.

Contacts
KKR Americas
Kristi Huller
+1 212-750-8300
Media@KKR.com

BrightSpring / PharMerica
Barnard Baker
+1 502-630-7254
Barnard.Baker@BrightSpringHealth.com

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Cinven to acquire INSEEC U.

Cinven

Investment in a leading European private higher education group

International private equity firm, Cinven, today announces that it has agreed the acquisition of INSEEC U. (‘the Group’), a leading European institution of private higher education and research. The consideration is not disclosed.

Founded in 1975 in Bordeaux, France, today INSEEC U. operates 16 schools worldwide with campuses across France, the UK, the US, China, Switzerland and Monaco, as well as online education programmes. INSEEC U. offers degrees and accreditation programmes principally in Management & Business, Engineering, Communications & Marketing and Political Science, providing courses for approx. 25,000 students annually. Over the past few years, INSEEC U. has become the first cross-disciplinary education platform in France, combining cutting-edge research, agile teaching, innovative teaching methods and CSR values, in order to provide strong and enduring employability to its students.

Having focused on the education subsector for some time, based on its attractive market dynamics, Cinven’s Business Services Sector team worked closely with its French Regional team to identify INSEEC U. as a compelling investment opportunity, given:

  • The European higher education market represents a growing and non-cyclical market, driven by the increasing numbers of students enrolling in higher education;
  • The private sector is gaining share within higher education, due to attractive employability prospects for graduates; and it has material scope for consolidation;
  • The Group has proven its ability to deliver strong organic growth across the economic cycle supported by the quality of its courses in attractive disciplines, strong student employment outcomes, its strong brand positioning and product innovation;
  • INSEEC U. has successfully developed its online education programmes, which have benefitted from investment in technology supported by the Group’s scale advantage, with further scope for significant growth;
  • INSEEC U. is well positioned to continue its consolidation of the highly fragmented private higher education market, both in France where it is already the market leader and internationally; and
  • INSEEC U. is led by a strong management team with a proven track record of developing the Group successfully over the long-term.

Bpifrance, the French government agency, has been a minority investor in INSEEC U. since 2016 and is fully committed to continue supporting the development of the business and the private higher education sector in the years ahead.

Rory Neeson, Partner at Cinven, said:

“Our Business Services Sector team has been focused on investment prospects in education for some time given the attractive trends we see in this sector. INSEEC U. represents an excellent opportunity given its strong student outcomes, market-leading position, and the scale and professionalism of its operations. In particular, INSEEC U. ranks as a leader across its key disciplines and is highly regarded by students and recruiters for both the quality of its teaching and its students’ post-graduation employability. We look forward to working with the highly talented management team, led by Catherine Lespine, to further grow the business in France and internationally, both organically and through acquisition.”

Pierre Estrade, Partner at Cinven, added:

“INSEEC U. operates in a highly attractive, scalable and resilient market, with strong underlying macro trends expected to continue driving growth, particularly across Europe. The Cinven team is highly experienced at growing businesses internationally as well as executing successful buy and build strategies and we look forward to working with the team at INSEEC U., led by Catherine Lespine, to achieve this.”

Nicolas Paulmier, Partner at Cinven added:

“In this fast changing world, higher and continuous education is a key enabler for societies to evolve. Through its size and agility, Inseec U is set to become a major European player in higher education.”

Catherine Lespine, Chief Executive Officer of INSEEC U., commented:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Cinven, whose strategy for our business is fully aligned with the vision the INSEEC U. senior management team has for the Group. We look forward to working together: continuing INSEEC U’s successful growth trajectory and benefitting from Cinven’s international footprint and significant experience of supporting growth both organically and through consolidation.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory and antitrust approvals.

Advisors to Cinven on the transaction included: Messier Maris et Associés and Financière de Courcelles (M&A), Eight Advisory (Financial), Freshfields (Legal), TAJ (Tax), BCG and PMSI (Commercial)

Advisors to the Group and Shareholders on the transaction included: Rothschild (M&A), PwC (Financial), Linklaters (Legal, Tax), TAJ (Legal), LEK (Commercial), Fidufrance (Management)

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The Carlyle Group to Make Strategic Investment in Aerospace Company NORDAM

Carlyle

Investment will accelerate growth and support strategic plan

New York, NY and Tulsa, OK – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and family-owned aerospace company NORDAM today announced that The Carlyle Group has agreed to make an equity investment in The NORDAM Group, Inc., an aerospace manufacturing and repair company. Carlyle’s equity, along with new debt financing, will fund NORDAM’s exit from Chapter 11, de-lever the business and position the company for continued growth. The Siegfried family will retain its 50-year ownership and oversight of the business, and continue to lead the company forward. Carlyle’s equity will come from Carlyle Strategic Partners IV L.P.

Founded in 1969 by the Siegfried family’s late patriarch, aerospace-industry leader Ray Siegfried II, NORDAM is an aerospace manufacturer and provider of critical maintenance, repair and overhaul services (MRO) to the business, commercial and military aviation end-markets. With highly differentiated composites capabilities, NORDAM is committed to the superior performance and quality of its products as well as its customer-centric approach to MRO services. The company provides services to a global customer base through its nine strategically-located operations and customer support facilities on three continents.

“This is an important milestone for NORDAM as we exit Chapter 11 and embark on our next chapter of growth,” said Meredith Siegfried Madden, Chief Executive Officer of NORDAM. “We are thrilled to partner with Carlyle and look forward to working together to continue providing world-class products and services to our valued customers and enhancing flight safety globally. With Carlyle’s deep industry, operational and financial expertise, we believe we will be well positioned to execute on our strategic plan, expand our business and take advantage of the many growth opportunities that lie ahead.”

Shary Moalemzadeh, Managing Director and Co-Head of Carlyle Strategic Partners, said, “We are excited to partner with NORDAM’s outstanding management team and support the high-quality business they have built over the past 50 years. NORDAM has a stellar reputation for providing industry-leading products and services across global aviation end-markets. With this investment and the support of Carlyle’s global platform, we are confident that the company will have the right capital structure and resources to continue its legacy as a best-in-class aerospace manufacturer and provider of MRO services.”

Evan Middleton, Managing Director of Carlyle Strategic Partners, said, “NORDAM has established itself as a key partner to the U.S. military and business and commercial customers around the world. As a respected, differentiated provider of aerospace products and services, we see significant opportunities for continued growth, both organically and through acquisitions. We look forward to working closely with the NORDAM team to scale the business, expand into new end-markets and further develop the company’s composites capabilities – creating value for all stakeholders.”

The transaction is expected to close early in the first half of 2019, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval and satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

* * * * *

About NORDAM

Founded in 1969 on family values with multiple, strategically-located operations and customer support facilities around the world, Tulsa-based NORDAM is a leading independently owned aerospace company. The firm designs, certifies and manufactures integrated propulsion systems, nacelles and thrust reversers for business jets; builds composite aircraft structures, interior shells, custom cabinetry and radomes; and manufactures aircraft transparencies, such as cabin windows, wing-tip lens assemblies and flight deck windows. NORDAM also is a major third-party provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the military, commercial airline and air freight markets. Learn more about NORDAM at NORDAM.com.

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 $216 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2018, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,650 people in 31 offices across six continents.

Web: www.carlyle.com
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ARI Announces Strategic Growth Investment from TA Associates

TA associates

MILWAUKEE – ARI Network Services, Inc. (“ARI”), a provider of software and marketing solutions to dealers, equipment manufacturers and distributors in select vertical markets, today announced it has received a strategic growth investment from TA Associates, a leading global growth private equity firm.

True Wind Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm that completed a take-private transaction of ARI in August 2017, will remain the largest shareholder in the company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1981, ARI provides lead-generation, e-commerce, digital marketing, electronic catalog and dealer management solutions to dealers in end markets such as power sports, outdoor power equipment, marine, recreational vehicle, tire and wheel, aftermarket auto service, appliances and home medical equipment. The company’s suite of products are mission critical in helping dealers drive sales and manage operations. ARI has offices throughout the United States and around the globe.

“We are thrilled to complete an investment in ARI and help build upon the company’s outstanding record of supporting dealerships’ end-to-end technology needs,” said Ashutosh Agrawal, a Managing Director at TA Associates who will join the ARI Board of Directors. “We are confident that ARI is well positioned to continue to grow organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions, and look forward to contributing additional resources to support the ongoing momentum of the company.”

“ARI was built on the basis that manufacturers, distributors, dealers and service providers deserve premier solutions to automate and enhance their businesses,” said Roy W. Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of ARI. “In keeping with our roots, we believe it is critical to have value-add partners in place who are aligned with and supportive of our mission and goals. With True Wind retaining a significant stake in the business and TA Associates coming on board as a new partner, we feel fortunate to have two highly regarded investors at our side as we seek to continuously innovate and improve our suite of data-powered technology tools to enable our customers to drive sales. It is a pleasure to welcome TA to the ARI family.”

“We have thoroughly enjoyed our relationship with the entire ARI team since we successfully took the company private 18 months ago,” said Adam Clammer, a Founding Partner of True Wind Capital. “We are delighted to continue our relationship with ARI and are eager to begin working collaboratively with TA to help the company in its next phase of growth.”

In addition to Ashutosh Agrawal, Nicholas D. Leppla, a Vice President at TA Associates, will join the ARI Network Services Board of Directors.

About ARI Network Services
ARI Network Services, Inc. (ARI) offers an award-winning suite of SaaS, software tools and marketing services to help dealers, equipment manufacturers and distributors in selected vertical markets Sell More Stuff!™ – online and in-store. Our innovative products are powered by a proprietary data repository of enriched original equipment and aftermarket electronic content spanning more than 17 million active part and accessory SKUs and 750,000 equipment models. Business is complicated, but we believe our customers’ technology tools don’t have to be. We remove the complexity of selling and servicing new and used vehicle inventory, parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) for customers in the automotive tire and wheel aftermarket, power sports, outdoor power equipment, marine, home medical equipment, recreational vehicles and appliance industries. More than 23,500 equipment dealers, 195 distributors and 3,360 brands worldwide leverage our web and eCatalog platforms to Sell More Stuff!™ For more information on ARI, visit arinet.com.

About TA Associates
TA Associates is one of the largest and most experienced global growth private equity firms. Focused on five target industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services – TA invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth, and has invested in more than 500 companies around the world. Investing as either a majority or minority investor, TA employs a long-term approach, utilizing its strategic resources to help management teams build lasting value in growth companies. TA has raised $24 billion in capital since its founding in 1968 and is committing to new investments at the pace of $2 billion per year. The firm’s more than 85 investment professionals are based in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA Associates can be found at www.ta.com.

About True Wind Capital
True Wind Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on investing in leading technology companies. True Wind is a value-added partner, providing support and expertise that is rooted in 75+ years of collective investing experience. True Wind’s founding partners have successfully invested more than $15 billion of equity in transactions with over $75 billion of value across a variety of industries, geographies, economic cycles and transaction types. True Wind targets investments in which they partner directly with management teams to support their pursuit of market leadership and its investment professionals have completed more than 50 platform investments. Visit www.truewindcapital.com for more information.

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