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Espiria launches a new fund: Veteran manager brings a fresh take on Swedish Small Cap equities

East Capital

Espiria launches a new fund: Veteran manager brings a fresh take on Swedish Small Cap equities

Espiria, a part of East Capital Group, announces the launch of Espiria Sweden Small Cap – an actively managed equity strategy that brings a distinctive approach to investing in Swedish small-cap companies. Designed to break away from the crowd, the fund focuses on identifying structural change, market mispricing and untapped potential – rather than clustering around the usual suspects.

In contrast to many small cap fund peers that gradually drift toward larger, more liquid holdings, Espiria Sweden Small Cap is different by design. The fund will be a dynamic, stock-picking-driven strategy focused on less crowded names – companies that are often overlooked but rich in potential. It will be actively managed with a concentrated and agile approach, typically holding 30–45 companies, each selected for its ability to contribute to long-term returns in a fast-changing environment.

“The small-cap space in Sweden is full of opportunity, but it’s become too crowded around the same names,” said Staffan Östlin, Lead Portfolio Manager. “With this fund, we aim to go where others aren’t looking – to uncover companies undergoing transformation, restructuring or early-stage value creation. That’s where real long-term alpha is generated.”

With over 30 years of experience in Swedish equities, Staffan Östlin brings deep market insight and a disciplined, high-conviction mindset to the fund. He is part of Espiria’s seasoned investment team, led by Peter van Berlekom, Chief Investment Officer and one of the Nordic region’s most respected portfolio managers. Together with the wider Espiria team, they combine decades of experience, cross-sector expertise and Espiria’s global investment framework to create a strategy that is agile, focused and research-driven.

The launch of Espiria Sweden Small Cap comes at a time of strong and accelerating momentum for Espiria. This spring the firm’s Nordic Corporate Bond fund surpassed SEK 5 billion in AUM, driven by both performance and significant client inflows. Building on this success, the new small cap strategy is a natural next step in expanding Espiria’s actively managed offering.

“We’ve seen strong client interest ahead of this launch – especially from investors who want true small cap exposure without compromise,” said Nikodemus Dahlgren, Head of Sales at East Capital Group. “The success of our credit strategies has clearly demonstrated the demand for active, conviction-based investing. With Sweden Small Cap, we’re bringing that same philosophy to Swedish equities.”

Espiria Sweden Small Cap is now available for investment.

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Contact information
Jessica Scott, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, East Capital Group
mediaenquiries@eastcapital.com

About Espiria and East Capital Group
Espiria is a part of East Capital Group, a global asset manager based in Sweden since 1997. We offer a range of investment solutions within equities, fixed income securities, real estate, and alternatives. The essence of our business is not only to find attractive investment opportunities, but also to actively work to drive change, influencing industries around the world to become more sustainable.

Within East Capital Group you will find East Capital – specialising in emerging and frontier market strategies, East Capital Real Estate – managing commercial real estate investments in Central and Eastern Europe, Espiria – offering bespoke global and Nordic equities and fixed income strategies, and Adrigo – a Nordic long/short fund strategy targeting absolute returns. East Capital Group owns 49% of Cicero Fonder and 49% of Hjerta AB, it also has a significant holding in the listed company Eastnine (OM:EAST), which owns, develops and manages modern and sustainable office and logistics premises in prime locations in the Baltics and Poland.

For further information please visit our website: www.eastcapital.group

Risk information
Past performance is no guarantee for future performance. Fund units may go up or down in value and may be affected by changes in exchange rates. Investors may not get back the amount invested.

This is marketing communication. This publication is not directed at you if we are prohibited by any law in any jurisdiction from making this information available to you and is not intended for any use that would be contrary to local laws or regulations. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document, but it may be based on unaudited or unverified figures or sources. The information in this document should not be considered investment advice and should not be used as the sole basis for an investment decision. Please read the Prospectus and the KID, which are available on the fund page at www.espiria.se

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Categories: News

Clearlake Completes Acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet

Clearlake

Clearlake Completes Acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet

Santa Monica, CA and Jacksonville, FL – August 26, 2025

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with certain of its affiliates, “Clearlake”) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (“Dun & Bradstreet”), a global leader in business decisioning data and analytics. The transaction was previously announced on March 24, 2025, and approved by Dun & Bradstreet stockholders on June 12, 2025.

As a result of the completion of the transaction, Dun & Bradstreet stockholders will receive $9.15 in cash for each share of Dun & Bradstreet common stock that they own. Dun & Bradstreet is now a privately held company, and its stock has ceased trading and will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

Advisors
Financial advisors to Clearlake included Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Rothschild & Co., Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Santander, and Wells Fargo. Ares Capital Management, Morgan Stanley, Golub Capital, Blue Owl Credit, and Clearlake served as Joint Lead Arrangers on the financing for the transaction. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Clearlake. Bank of America Securities served as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel to Dun & Bradstreet.

About Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk, and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For more information on Dun & Bradstreet, please visit www.dnb.com.

About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group is a global investment firm managing integrated platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit, and other related strategies. Founded in 2006, the firm has more than $90 billion of assets under management and has led or co-led over 400 investments globally. With deep knowledge and operational expertise across the technology, industrials, and consumer sectors, Clearlake seeks to partner with experienced management teams, providing patient, long-term capital and aiming to drive value through its active hands-on operating approach, O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy). Headquartered in Santa Monica, Clearlake maintains a global footprint with offices in Dallas, London, Dublin, Luxembourg, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. More information, please visit clearlake.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

For Dun & Bradstreet:

Media Contact:
Michele Caselnova
PR@dnb.com
904-648-6130

For Clearlake:

Media Contact:
Jennifer Hurson
jhurson@lambert.com
845-507-0571

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Barti Raises $12M Series A to Accelerate AI-Powered EHR for Eye Care

Five-Elms

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 25, 2025 – Barti Software, a leading AI-powered company that provides innovative electronic health records (EHR) and practice management software built for eye care practices, announced a $12 million Series A investment led by Five Elms Capital. This partnership will enable Barti to scale its go-to-market efforts, grow its team across key functions, and accelerate development of new AI capabilities and workflow automation as Barti expands into ophthalmology. The company will also continue expanding its integrated features to drive greater efficiency for practices and solidify its position as the complete solution for modern eye care.

Co-founded by an optometrist, Barti is built to solve the pain points eye care practitioners face by providing an end-to-end operating system that unifies clinical, operational, and financial workflows – empowering practitioners to focus on caring for their patients with fewer clicks, systems, and administrative needs. “As an optometrist, I’ve seen how software can get in the way of patient care. We built Barti to change that experience and bring the focus back to patient care and the doctor–patient relationship,” said Kelly Cai, OD, COO and Co-Founder of Barti. Eye care practices face mounting pressure from staffing shortages, shrinking reimbursements, and growing online competition – all while juggling disconnected legacy systems that limit growth and burn out providers.

With unique and industry-first functionality, including an AI Scribe tailored for eye care, a native phone/VoiP system, and website management, Barti brings first-of-its-kind software that solves these challenges.

“Today, the eye care industry takes a massive leap forward,” said Colton Calandrella, CEO and Co-Founder of Barti. “This is one of the last sectors of healthcare still burdened with legacy systems. Instead of waiting a decade for modern tools to trickle in, providers using Barti now have access to the latest developments in AI designed specifically for optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists.”

With more than 200 practices onboarded in the past three years, Barti has quickly emerged as a leader in eye care technology. Barti is also the first and only company invested in by AOAExcel, the for-profit subsidiary of the American Optometric Association (AOA) delivering member benefits to support optometry practices.

“Our goal is to automate 80%+ of routine admin work through our tools, including AI agents, to enable practitioners to prioritize patient care without being bogged down by tedious administrative tasks,” Calandrella added. “Our AI Agents are quickly approaching the capability to do everything from handling calls, optimizing inventory and pricing, scrubbing and submitting insurance claims, and analyzing clinical images. By 2027, practices will look and sound completely different, with doctors using their voice to manage most of their work and eliminate repetitive tasks. Our goal has always been to provide a business in a box for modern eye care practices using our unique combination of Silicon Valley tech and deep industry expertise. This partnership with Five Elms enables us to double down on that vision by dramatically accelerating our product roadmap, scaling to more practices across the country, and leading the charge into the era of AI.”

“Barti is bringing real product depth to a space long underserved by legacy software,” said Ryan Mandl, Partner at Five Elms Capital. “By embedding AI into the core of its platform, not as a bolt-on but as a foundational layer, Barti delivers automation that feels native to how modern practices work. We’re excited to support their next phase of growth as they continue transforming how providers operate, scale, and serve patients.”

 

About Barti Software

Barti is on a mission to transform the technology that runs eye care practices. With AI at its core, Barti’s EHR and practice management platform unifies clinical charting, scheduling, billing, phones, payments, marketing, and more into one streamlined system. By eliminating 10+ disconnected tools, Barti empowers eye doctors and staff to operate more efficiently, make smarter business decisions, and spend more time with patients and less time clicking. Learn more at www.barti.com.

About Five Elms Capital

Five Elms Capital is a growth investor in software businesses that users love, providing capital and resources to help companies accelerate growth and further cement their role as industry leaders.

With over $3 billion in assets under management and a team of over 80 professionals, Five Elms has invested in more than 70 software platforms worldwide. Beyond providing capital, Five Elms delivers strategic and operational expertise, focused on executing initiatives that move the needle on growth, retention, product, and AI to set companies up for long-term success. For more information, visit fiveelms.com.

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OrganOx achieves one of UK’s largest medtech exits & record returns for BGF

BGF

At a $1.5bn valuation, the exit marks BGF’s largest-ever return, and highlights the importance of patient capital in scaling UK medtech innovation.

25 August 2025
OrganOx achieves one of UK’s largest medtech exits & record returns for BGF

Today, BGF announces the successful exit of OrganOx, the Oxford-based medtech company whose pioneering liver perfusion technology has transformed outcomes for transplant patients worldwide.

The deal represents one of the largest exits of a UK medtech company, at $1.5 billion. It also marks BGF’s largest-ever return, generating £175 million of proceeds. The deal has driven a 10x money multiple (MM) exit on BGF’s initial investment, and an overall IRR in the region of 69%.

BGF first invested in OrganOx in 2019 and has provided seven rounds of investment, including a £20 million commitment earlier this year. BGF participated in each of the company’s funding rounds, following its initial investment, and is the company’s largest shareholder. Other early backers of the company included Longwall Ventures and Oxford Investment Consultants. In the later stages of development, OrganOx was fortunate to attract capital from Lauxera Capital Partners (US/Fr), HealthQuest (US) and others joining in support.

Founded out of the University of Oxford, OrganOx developed the world’s first fully-automated device for liver preservation, metra, which enables donor livers to be maintained in a functioning state, outside the human body, for up to 24 hours. The technology, used in more than 6,000 liver transplants to date, has significantly increased the number of viable organs available for transplant and improved patient outcomes.

With BGF’s support, OrganOx has scaled into a world-leading medtech company. The business will continue to operate from Oxford, as a standalone division within global healthcare company Terumo Corporation, following the completion of the transaction.

OrganOx metra setup

Tim Rea, Co-Head of Early Stage investing at BGF, and a member of the OrganOx board since 2019, said: “OrganOx has transformed liver transplantation and built a world-class position in medtech. In a sector where institutional capital is constrained, this exit highlights the importance and potential of patient growth capital, and a willingness to back innovation before it is de-risked — something many investors find difficult to do in this still-nascent market.”

“BGF was built to deploy capital into underserved parts of the investment market. In early-stage medtech, we have gone further, by deliberately backing companies with significant hardware and manufacturing complexity. Our capital and commercial expertise made us ideally placed to take on this challenge, and OrganOx is a powerful example of why that strategy matters.”

Oern R. Stuge MD, MBA, Executive Chairman of OrganOx, commented: “Today’s announced transaction is expected to expand the adoption of our transplantation technology platform, by leveraging Terumo’s global infrastructure to benefit more patients around the globe. Thank you to BGF who have shown conviction and support as an investor and board member, since their first investment. Their capital and leadership have enabled the value creation inherent in today’s announced $1.5 billion transaction.”

Andy Gregory, CEO of BGF, said: “At a 10-figure valuation, we are incredibly proud to have played a key role in one of the UK’s largest medtech exits. It reflects a remarkable achievement by the OrganOx team, and we are especially proud that this success is tied directly to a positive impact in patient outcomes.

“By combining early and growth-stage investing across multiple sectors, BGF has created the right blend to deliver strong, sustainable and repeatable returns. Our ambition now is for more capital to flow into the UK’s most promising companies — whether through co-investments with international, specialist investors or domestic sources.”

Craig Marshall, CEO of OrganOx, commented: “Once BGF had a Board seat in 2019, occupied by Tim Rea, I knew that, if we succeeded in maintaining our focus and momentum as a business and a team, that OrganOx would not run out of funds in the future. BGF’s conviction remained with us throughout, and they not only participated in every round of funding after their first investment but initiated and shaped a number of these funding rounds.”

Stephen Deitsch, CFO of OrganOx, added: “It’s been an honour working alongside the BGF team, whose operational and financial contributions from 2019 through 2025 have enabled OrganOx’s global market leadership, culminating in today’s announced $1.5bn deal, with record returns for BGF.”

Rupa Basu, Global CCO of OrganOx, said: “Thanks to the support of BGF, we rapidly expanded our global footprint, positively impacting both patients and healthcare providers, while honouring the generosity of over 6,000 donors.”

Constantin Coussios, Co-Founder and CTO of OrganOx, said: “Medical device innovation requires patient and supportive capital to fully realise its life-saving, societal and economic impact. As science-led founders of OrganOx, Peter Friend and I feel privileged to have had the support of BGF and other committed investors to take our technology from university concept to standard-of-care, and see it transform the lives of over 6,000 patients to date.”

Alongside OrganOx, BGF has backed several high-potential UK medtech companies, including: Cyted, which uses AI-enabled diagnostics for early cancer detection; TidalSense, which develops innovative respiratory monitoring technology; and Entia, a home blood testing platform supporting cancer care.

The deal also follows BGF’s recent exit from Panthera Biopartners, a leading clinical trials site management organisation. During BGF’s investment period, Panthera’s revenue more than doubled, and the business expanded its national footprint and therapeutic coverage.

BGF recently pledged £500 million to early-stage deep tech and life sciences businesses, over the next five years, as part of its wider £3 billion, UK-wide strategy to support high-potential companies.

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Apheon brings onboard Unigestion as partner to continue development of Ortivity

Apheon

Apheon, a pan-European private equity investor, is pleased to announce a further investment in its portfolio company Ortivity (“Ortivity” or the “Company”), Germany’s leading outpatient orthopaedic care platform. The contemplated transaction provides a partial exit for existing Ortivity shareholders while bringing onboard Unigestion, a leading private equity firm focused on the mid-market, and selected new Apheon investors, thereby reinforcing Apheon’s overall exposure to the Company. The approximate EUR 200 million capital injection marks the successful completion of a targeted partner search. Through its private equity funds, Unigestion acquires a significant minority stake in Ortivity, while Apheon remains the lead investor.

Founded in 2022 by a group of leading physicians, Dr. med. Reinhard Wichels and Apheon, Ortivity has over the past four years developed rapidly into one of Germany’s most prominent outpatient healthcare platforms. The Company operates over 100 sites across three regional clusters in Germany, offering a full spectrum of orthopaedic services, including diagnostics, anaesthesia, surgery, prevention, and aftercare. Ortivity’s physician partnership model and emphasis on clinical excellence have positioned the Group as a trusted provider and builder of modern outpatient infrastructure. The Company is equally owned by physicians and capital providers.

To facilitate and further drive the ambitious growth plans, Apheon ran a targeted search to bring onboard a new financial partner. Through its private equity funds, Unigestion’s additional capital will support Ortivity’s ongoing investments in Germany, prioritizing the enhancement of its integrated, physician-led care model. The transaction marks a significant milestone for the Company as it enters its next phase of growth with an expanded investor base. Apheon and Unigestion have plans to further grow the Company within the existing regional clusters, and to establish new clusters, with the aim to transition Germany’s orthopaedic market towards a more modern, outpatient model.

Nils Lüssem, Partner at Apheon, and Sebastian Walter, Director at Apheon, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Unigestion as a trusted partner. During our search, Unigestion distinguished itself as collaborative, experienced, entrepreneurial and committed to long-term growth – we are delighted to have found such a partner. Since its founding by Apheon and leading physicians, Ortivity has quickly evolved into a leading provider of orthopaedic outpatient care in Germany. Partnering with Unigestion and other selected investors will ensure we have the necessary stable capital to sustain our growth and continue investing in top-quality patient care.”

Philipp Scheier, Partner at Unigestion, commented: “We have been very impressed by Ortivity’s development since its inception in 2022. Its rapid growth is a strong testament to the hard work of the Company’s physicians, management team and Apheon, who have established a leading, high-quality and patient-centred provider of orthopaedic outpatient care solutions. I am looking forward to working together with Ortivity and Apheon to support the next chapter of this unique success story.”

Dr. Andreas Hartung, current Co-CEO, commented “What we have built over the past four years is truly unique and Unigestion realised this right from the start of our partner search.” Dr. med. Michael Thorwarth, newly joined Co-CEO of Ortivity, commented: “I am delighted that the start of my tenure as CEO coincides with the strengthening of the capital base of Ortivity. This marks a significant milestone as we continue to build a powerful network dedicated to innovation in musculoskeletal care. I was drawn to Ortivity by its forward-thinking vision — the seamless integration of prevention, diagnostics, and both conservative and surgical therapies. I look forward to working closely with our orthopaedic and neurosurgical specialists, as well as our dedicated practice teams, to further develop this model. Together, we aim to set new standards in treatment quality and patient-centred service, delivering measurable benefits to those we serve.”

Markus Schneppenheim, Head of the Ortivity Medical Board, practicing physician at the OGPaedicum and co-founder of Ortivity, commented: “Ortivity is the market leader in modern outpatient orthopaedic solutions in Germany. We will now accelerate the expansion of existing clusters and enable the dynamic transfer of concepts to other regions. We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Apheon and remain fully committed to the joint project.”

Dr. med. Reinhard Wichels, physician, investor and co-founder of Ortivity: “It has been an exciting journey so far. Ortivity has not only become the largest orthopaedic outpatient platform in Germany, but also a visible thought leader on how physician networks can contribute to closing gaps in access and quality of care delivery.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Houlihan Lokey acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Apheon. Renzenbrink & Partner acted as legal advisors to Apheon.

About Apheon
Apheon is a pan‑European mid‑market private equity firm managing more than €3 billion in assets from select global institutional investors and families. Known for a “patient and friendly capital” approach, Apheon partners with entrepreneurs and management teams, offering industrial expertise to prepare companies for future growth. Through its European presence, the firm serves as a gateway into Europe for companies in the mid-market. Since its founding in 2005, Apheon has raised more than €3.5 billion in capital, invested in ~40 companies across Europe and completed ~200 add-on acquisitions for a total aggregate transaction value in excess of €7 billion. Apheon’s current portfolio consists of 21 companies across its target sectors, representing ~€3 billion sales and more than 20,000 employees. Apheon is advised by Apheon Advisors which has offices in Brussels, Milan, Madrid, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.apheon.com.

About Unigestion Private Equity
Unigestion S.A. manages €12 billion in private equity assets. Its award-winning team offers four key private equity strategies focused on secondaries, directs, emerging managers and climate impact. The team invests in the leaders of tomorrow, selecting exciting, hard-to-access companies with resilient profiles across five themes – supply chain efficiency, resilient infrastructure, future of work, healthcare performance and consumer evolution. Unigestion Private Equity believes that better and more consistent investment decisions can be made by harnessing the power of mind and machine and has applied its proprietary AI technology – PEpper – to private equity investments since 2020. The firm is also at the forefront of ESG investing, having launched its first environmental private equity fund in 2010. For more information, please visit www.unigestion.com.

About Ortivity
Ortivity is Germany’s leading integrated outpatient care platform for orthopaedic services. Built around a physician-led model, the Company operates over 100 medical centres across Germany, offering a full continuum of orthopaedic care. Ortivity has demonstrated consistent growth through a combination of strategic acquisitions and organic development.

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Apheon
John Mansvelt, COO, Apheon
jm@apheon.com
T: +32 2 213 60 90

Natalia Yek, Head of Investor Relations, Apheon
ny@apheon.com
T: +32 2 213 60 90

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Thoma Bravo to Acquire Verint to Join Forces with Calabrio to Create an AI-Driven Customer Experience Powerhouse

Thomabravo

MINNEAPOLIS & SAN FRANCISCO—Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Verint Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNT) (“Verint”) in an all-cash transaction reflecting an enterprise value of $2 billion for the company. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close before the end of Verint’s current fiscal year, in early 2026. More details on the transaction can be found via Verint’s Investor Relations page and in its regulatory filings.

Following the close of the transaction, Calabrio and Verint will be combined into one company and will be a leading provider of Customer Experience (CX) Automation Solutions to the $50B+ market in which they serve. Together, they will offer an expansive portfolio to advance the critical priorities of CX organizations across the size and complexity spectrum. The combination will create more opportunities for companies to quickly achieve business outcomes in their interactions with customers. Calabrio is fully committed to maintaining and investing in the products that support its installed base and customers’ workflows.

“Together Calabrio and Verint will bring a powerful set of products to accelerate a shared vision: delivering an AI-powered, open CX-platform to customers who are focused on driving strong business outcomes in their operations. As a combined company we are well positioned to lead the industry forward,” said Dave Rhodes, Calabrio CEO.

Mike Hoffmann, a Partner at Thoma Bravo added: “We have been active in the CX space for many years and are excited to bring these two companies together to lead more innovation and growth in the category. Calabrio and Verint both have powerful product portfolios and go-to-market strategies that cover the needs of a wide spectrum of the market. Together, the combined company will have the industry’s broadest CX platform, enabling brands of all sizes to drive transformative, AI-driven outcomes.”

About Thoma Bravo

Thoma Bravo is one of the largest software-focused investors in the world, with approximately $184 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025. Through its private equity, growth equity and credit strategies, the firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging Thoma Bravo’s deep sector knowledge and strategic and operational expertise, the firm collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices and drive growth initiatives. Over the past 20+ years, the firm has acquired or invested in approximately 535 companies representing approximately $275 billion in enterprise value (including control and non-control investments). The firm has offices in Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, New York and San Francisco. For more information, visit Thoma Bravo’s website at thomabravo.com.

About Calabrio

Calabrio is a trusted ally to leading brands. The digital foundation of a customer-centric contact center, the Calabrio ONE workforce performance suite helps enrich and understand human interactions, delivering business outcomes by optimizing every customer interaction. We maximize agent performance, exceed customer expectations, and boost workforce efficiency using connected data, AI-fueled analytics, automated workforce management, and personalized coaching. Only Calabrio ONE unites workforce optimization (WFO), agent engagement, and business intelligence solutions into a cloud-native, fully integrated suite that adapts to your business. Calabrio, Calabrio ONE, and the Calabrio logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Calabrio, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. Calabrio operates in Canada under Calabrio Canada, Ltd., based in British Columbia.

Read the release on the Business Wire site here.

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Launch of Leading Aesthetics Group

Bencis

As of August 2025, six highly regarded aesthetic clinics have come together under one name: Leading Aesthetics Group.

This newly formed group represents a significant step forward in the Dutch aesthetic medicine landscape. Each clinic brings a strong local presence, a loyal client base, and a reputation for medical quality and innovation. Together, they form a platform with nationwide coverage and the shared ambition to deliver high-end, doctor-led aesthetic care centred on long-term outcomes, safety, and trust.

The Clinics
• Arthur Ludlage, Cosmetische Kliniek – Haarlem
• Amstelzijde Kliniek – Amstelveen / Amsterdam
• ClausHoltz – Amsterdam
• Gooische Rimpels – Hilversum
• Van Rosmalen Kliniek – Rotterdam / The Hague / Nijmegen
• Haarkliniek De Kroon – Breda

All clinics will continue to operate under their own established names, retaining their individual identity and local reputation. Leading Aesthetics Group will serve as the overarching organisation, providing strategic direction, shared resources and a unified vision for growth. With nine locations across densely populated areas in the Netherlands, the group ensures strong regional coverage and accessibility.

A doctor-led platform with long-term focus.
Leading Aesthetics Group is built on a shared belief in high-quality, minimally invasive treatments with a medical, personalised, and future-oriented approach.
The platform’s core treatments include injectables, advanced skin and laser therapies, and hair transplant and restoration procedures. Treatments are exclusively performed by experienced medical experts.
“Our clients aren’t looking for a single quick fix, but for a treatment plan that evolves with their needs, now and in the future,” says Nicole van Riessen-Verschure, CEO of Leading Aesthetics Group.
“It is that long-term mindset, and the trust we build along the way, that connects every clinic in our group.”
“Our founders each bring over 20 years of pioneering expertise, not just in delivering exceptional results, but in redefining what aesthetic medicine can be. Their vision sets a new standard where innovation, integrity, and long-term care converge to shape the future of high-end cosmetic treatments.” CMO (Chief medical officer) of Leading Aesthetics Group, Annemarie van Rosmalen.

Supported by Bencis – built to grow
The group is backed by investment firm Bencis which has deep expertise in scaling multi-site healthcare businesses. A clear buy-and-build strategy is in place, focused on sustainable growth and consolidation in a fragmented market, both in the Netherlands and across Europe.
Leading Aesthetics Group benefits from medical excellence, operational synergies and a shared vision for continuous innovation. Each clinic retains its unique strengths while benefiting from a unified, scalable platform.

Looking ahead
This is the beginning of a new chapter.
The group is well positioned to lead in a fast-developing market, combining medical leadership, premium positioning, and strong client relationships.
Clients will immediately benefit from the collective expertise, integrated services and ongoing innovation across the platform.
With a clear ambition, a strong foundation and a doctor-led model, Leading Aesthetics Group is set to shape the future of high-end aesthetic care in the Netherlands and beyond.

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Advent International to Acquire PatientPoint, the Point of Change company, elevating healthcare through the nation’s largest digital point-of-care engagement network

Boston, MA and Cincinnati, OH – August 25, 2025 – Advent International (“Advent”), a leading global private equity investor, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PatientPoint, Inc. (“PatientPoint” or the “Company”), the nation’s largest digital point-of-care network, strategically delivering behavior-changing content and measurable outcomes for patients, providers, and health brands, from an investor group led by L Catterton and Littlejohn & Co., LLC (“Littlejohn”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

PatientPoint has more than 35 years of experience transforming the point-of-care experience by delivering actionable, educational content, and diagnostic tools to patients and healthcare providers. Through an interconnected nationwide network of 30,000 physician offices and 125,000 providers, PatientPoint delivers measurable outcomes while connecting patients, providers, and health brands with relevant information at critical moments of care. PatientPoint’s platform improves health awareness and drives positive behavior changes while enabling pharmaceutical and health brand sponsors, health associations, advocacy groups, and other organizations to reach highly targeted audiences.

Chris Comenos, Director at Advent, said, “We are thrilled to partner with PatientPoint, a leader in digital point-of-care engagement, as it continues its mission of helping patients take a more active role in understanding and managing their healthcare. We’re excited to help the Company provide increasingly targeted messaging about treatment options and advanced therapies, offering sponsors and partners more efficient, personalized, and measurable campaigns. Given the platform’s position in a patient’s healthcare journey, we also believe it has strong potential to deliver new, innovative solutions that will drive beneficial health outcomes over time.”

Carmine Petrone, Managing Director at Advent, added, “Drawing on Advent’s deep experience scaling innovative healthcare and pharmaceutical services companies, we look forward to working closely with CEO Sean Slovenski and the PatientPoint team to accelerate the Company’s network expansion and drive product innovation through this large and growing channel – delivering even greater value to providers, partners, and patients nationwide.”

Sean Slovenski, CEO of PatientPoint, said, “From the beginning, PatientPoint has been committed to a clear mission: driving better health outcomes by delivering trusted, behavior-changing education in the doctor’s office, where decisions are made. With Advent, we can accelerate growth, expand our network, and continue to deliver measurable value for providers, patients, and health brands.

“At PatientPoint, our clients and healthcare providers are at the heart of everything we do,” said Linda Ruschau, Chief Commercial Officer of PatientPoint. “This new partnership is an incredible catalyst for growth. Advent gives us the resources to innovate faster, expand our reach, and deliver even more value to our clients as they look to engage audiences at the point of care and beyond.”

“Our partnership with PatientPoint has been defined by a shared belief in its mission to transform the point-of-care experience for patients, providers, and healthcare sponsors,” said Andrew Taub, a Managing Partner at L Catterton. “We are proud to have leveraged our deep understanding of consumers to support the Company’s growth into becoming the clear market leader in patient engagement and grateful to the team for their vision and dedication.”

“PatientPoint’s growth over the past several years has been remarkable, and we have been privileged to support the Company through this important phase of its evolution,” said Drew Greenwood, Managing Director at Littlejohn. “We look forward to seeing the Company continue to expand its impact and leadership in the years ahead.”

PatientPoint will continue to be led by its existing management team, with support from Advent’s deep bench of advisors with relevant healthcare and digital expertise.

The acquisition underscores Advent’s conviction in the rapidly growing point-of-care market, which is benefiting from strong industry tailwinds as promotional spend shifts toward more digital and measurable channels. This investment builds upon Advent’s growing portfolio of healthcare and technology companies, including investments in Simtra BioPharma Solutions, Iodine (Waystar), Cohance Lifesciences (formed following the merger of Suven Pharmaceuticals), Mediq, GS Capsule, and Apollo HealthCo.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

Jefferies and Citi served as financial advisors and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal advisor to PatientPoint. Solomon Partners served as financial advisor and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal advisor to Advent.

About Advent International

Advent is a leading global private equity investor committed to working in partnership with management teams, entrepreneurs, and founders to help transform businesses. With 16 offices across five continents, we oversee more than USD $94 billion in assets under management* and have made 430 investments across 44 countries.

Since our founding in 1984, we have developed specialist market expertise across our five core sectors: business & financial services, consumer, healthcare, industrial, and technology. This approach is bolstered by our deep sub-sector knowledge, which informs every aspect of our investment strategy, from sourcing opportunities to working in partnership with management to execute value creation plans. We bring hands-on operational expertise to enhance and accelerate businesses.

As one of the largest privately-owned partnerships, our 660+ colleagues leverage the full ecosystem of Advent’s global resources, including our Portfolio Support Group, insights provided by industry expert Operating Partners and Operations Advisors, as well as bespoke tools to support and guide our portfolio companies as they seek to achieve their strategic goals.

To learn more, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

*Assets under management (AUM) as of March 31, 2025. AUM includes assets attributable to Advent advisory clients as well as employee and third-party co-investment vehicles.

About PatientPoint

PatientPoint® is the Point of Change company, transforming the healthcare experience through the strategic delivery of behavior-changing content at critical moments of care. As the nation’s largest and most impactful digital network in 30,000 physician offices, we connect patients, providers and health brands with relevant information that is proven to drive healthier decisions and better outcomes. Learn more at patientpoint.com.

About L Catterton

L Catterton is a market-leading consumer-focused investment firm, managing approximately $37 billion of equity capital across three multi-product platforms: private equity, credit, and real estate. The firm’s funds have the ability to invest between $5 million and $5 billion, across the capital structure, in well-positioned consumer businesses. Leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad network of strategic relationships, L Catterton’s team of more than 200 investment and operating professionals across 18 offices partners with management teams to drive differentiated value creation across its portfolio. Founded in 1989, the firm has made over 300 investments in some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands. For more information about L Catterton, please visit www.lcatterton.com.

About Littlejohn & Co.

Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments in growing middle-market industrial and services companies that can benefit from Littlejohn’s 25+ years of operational and sector expertise. With approximately $8 billion in regulatory assets under management, the firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com.

Media Contacts

Advent International
Leslie Shribman
lshribman@adventinternational.com

PatientPoint
Katie Fullen
katie.fullen@patientpoint.com

L Catterton
Julie Hamilton
media@lcatterton.com

Littlejohn
Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
Littlejohn@gasthalter.com

Categories: News

Francisco Partners Completes Sale of iconectiv to Koch

Franciso Partners

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Further to the announcement on August 16, 2024, affiliates of Francisco Partners, a leading technology investment firm, today announced they have completed the sale of iconectiv, LLC, a telecommunications solutions leader, in conjunction with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), the global supplier of mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises, to Koch Equity Development LLC (“KED”), the principal investment and acquisition arm of Koch, Inc.

“We are grateful to Francisco Partners and their many years of support which has helped us reach today and our new partnership with KED,” said Richard Jacowleff, CEO of iconectiv. “Francisco Partners’ stewardship helped us expand our services, customer base and deliver quality long-term value for our shareholders. I am confident that iconectiv will thrive in this next chapter with KED and will continue to execute its long-term vision of providing reliable and trusted communications solutions to its customers globally.”

“Globalization and digitalization have and will only continue to drive the need for technological security, especially in key areas that facilitate connectivity,” said Andrew Kowal, Partner at Francisco Partners. “iconectiv is at the nexus of these trends and combined with their strong product offering and management team led by Rich, has enabled them to become an industry leader.” Deep Shah, Vice Chairman at Francisco Partners, added, “We are proud to have been able to partner with Ericsson to help iconectiv scale their business and are confident KED is the right partner to help them in their next phase of growth.”

iconectiv was acquired by Ericsson in 2012 as part of the Telcordia acquisition. Since 2017, iconectiv was co-owned by Ericsson and Francisco Partners.

Jefferies LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as financial advisors to iconectiv, and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to iconectiv.

About iconectiv

Headquartered in the United States, iconectiv market-leading solutions in information services, digital identity and numbering intelligence are used by more than 5,000 service providers, regulators, enterprises, and content providers worldwide each day to keep their networks, devices and applications connected. With an unparalleled depth of experience, iconectiv manages programs on behalf of partners including serving as the U.S. Short Code Registry Administrator, U.S. Secure Telephone Identity Policy Administrator (STI-PA) and administrator of the country’s telecommunications Relay Service for those requiring auditory or speech communication assistance to communicate. Globally, iconectiv is the Number Portability Administrator in 10 countries, including the United States.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 25 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in more than 450 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. With more than $50 billion in capital raised, the firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

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KKR to Present at the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference

KKR

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR) announced today that Robert H. Lewin, Chief Financial Officer, will present at the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference on Monday, September 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM ET.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investor Center section of KKR’s website at https://ir.kkr.com/events-presentations/. For those unable to listen to the live webcast, a replay will be available on the website shortly after the event.

Any questions regarding the webcast may be addressed to KKR’s Investor Relations team at investor-relations@kkr.com.

ABOUT KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at www.globalatlantic.com.

Investor Relations:
Craig Larson
+1 (877) 610-4910 (U.S.) / +1 (212) 230-9410
investor-relations@kkr.com

Media:
Julia Kosygina
+ 1 (212) 750-8300
media@kkr.com

Source: KKR & Co. Inc.

 

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Categories: News