Category Archives: News

L&G and Blackstone Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Growth Ambitions

Blackstone

LONDON, UK and NEW YORK, US – 10 July 2025 – Today, Legal & General (L&G, LSE:LGEN) and Blackstone (NYSE:BX) are announcing a long-term strategic partnership that combines the strength of L&G and Blackstone’s respective credit platforms to enhance L&G’s competitive advantage in annuities and bolster its asset management proposition in key geographies and channels.

L&G’s annuities business will leverage Blackstone’s private credit origination platform to access a pipeline of diversified investment-grade assets, predominantly from the US. This partnership will complement L&G’s existing capabilities to gain competitive advantage, enhanced returns, and support its growth ambitions. L&G will invest up to 10% of anticipated annuities new business flows. This will add to the $237 billion in third-party insurance assets Blackstone manages across investment-grade private credit, liquid credit, and other strategies.[1]

Additionally, L&G’s asset management business will develop public/private hybrid credit solutions that combine Blackstone’s leading private credit platform with L&G’s best-in-class active fixed income capabilities. This will accelerate L&G’s ambitions to expand into highly attractive global wealth and wholesale channels.

The partnership combines L&G’s leading positions in pension risk transfer and asset management – comprising a $122.5 billion (£92 billion) annuities book and $1.4 trillion (£1.1 trillion) in assets under management[2] – with the strength and scale of Blackstone’s $465 billion credit platform.

Antonio Simões, Group CEO, L&G said: “Today’s announcement marks another important step in delivering our strategy for focused, sustainable growth and enhanced shareholder returns. Complementing L&G’s own insurance, investment and asset origination capabilities, our partnership with Blackstone will further cement our market leading position in pension risk transfer, and enable us to address growing demand for public-private hybrid investment products. L&G will benefit from a more diverse pipeline of assets for our annuity book, and growth in asset management as we develop more sophisticated investment solutions for clients around the world.”

Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer, Blackstone said: “We’re thrilled to partner with L&G, a world-class firm with strong performance that we have long admired. Blackstone has been a pioneer in bringing the benefits of private markets investing to insurance companies, individuals and institutional investors. Together, our two firms’ unmatched scale and expertise should drive innovative solutions in the private credit market.”

Eric Adler, CEO, Asset Management, L&G said: “In June, we set out our vision as a leading global investor innovating to solve client challenges, using the power of L&G. This partnership brings together the combined strengths of L&G and Blackstone’s respective credit businesses, to offer new, innovative investment solutions and extend our international reach. I am especially energised by the potential of our alliance to advance our proposition in global wealth and wholesale channels, and deepen the capabilities we can draw upon to support our institutional clients.”

Philip Sherrill, Global Head of Insurance, Blackstone said: “We believe this partnership shows the best of what Blackstone can offer to our insurance company clients. The breadth of our capabilities allows us to support our partners across their businesses – originating assets, working together to identify investment opportunities, and designing products that meet the needs of both institutional clients and individual investors.”

About Blackstone Credit & Insurance
Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“BXCI”) is one of the world’s leading credit investors. Our investments span the credit markets, including private investment grade, asset-based lending, public investment grade and high yield, sustainable resources, infrastructure debt, collateralized loan obligations, direct lending and opportunistic credit. We seek to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for institutional and individual investors by offering companies capital needed to strengthen and grow their businesses. BXCI is also a leading provider of investment management services for insurers, helping those companies better deliver for policyholders through our world-class capabilities in investment grade private credit.

About L&G
Established in 1836, L&G is one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.1 trillion in total assets under management (as at FY24) of which c. 44% (c. £0.5 trillion) is international.

We have a highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. We are a leading player in Institutional Retirement, in Retail Savings and Protection, and in Asset Management through both public and private markets. Across the Group, we are committed to responsible investing and dedicated to serving the long-term savings and investment needs of customers and society.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which reflect Blackstone’s current views with respect to, among other things, its operations, taxes, earnings and financial performance and the strategic partnership referred to herein. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook,” “indicator,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “opportunity,” “leads,” “forecast,” “possible” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. Blackstone believes these factors include but are not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its periodic filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in its other periodic filings. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Blackstone undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Blackstone
Felix Lettau
Felix.Lettau@blackstone.com
+44 20 7104 4562

L&G
Sneha Patel
sneha.patel@group.landg.com
+44 75536 04804

Headland Consultancy
Lucy Legh
landg@headlandconsultancy.com

[1] As of March 31, 2025
[2] FX conversion rate as at YE 2024

Categories: News

Tags:

Arclight to acquire Middletown Energy Center

Arclight

Acquisition of Highly Efficient PJM Power Infrastructure Asset

Well Positioned to Support AI-driven Power Demand in Ohio

BOSTON, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC (together with its affiliates, “ArcLight”) announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire 100 percent of the economic interests in Middletown Energy Center (“Middletown“), a top quartile, highly efficient 484 MW natural gas fired power generation asset located in Butler County, Ohio. ArcLight is acquiring Middletown through a series of transactions from a consortium of sellers.

The transaction is ArcLight’s most recent investment in power infrastructure, a sector it has been investing in since the firm’s inception in 2001. Since then, ArcLight has made over 50 power infrastructure investments, representing one of the most extensive and longest track records in the power infrastructure sector in North America.

Middletown, which commenced operations in 2018, is one of the newest natural gas combined cycle power plants in PJM, with access to advantaged gas supply. Middletown provides reliable and dispatchable power to the PJM market, the largest wholesale electricity market in the U.S.  The asset has a strong historical operating track record and is located in a market with material demand tailwinds from AI and data center related power demand.

“With increasing demand for digital infrastructure, Ohio has emerged as a premier hub for data centers and Middletown Energy Center, with ArcLight’s stewardship, stands ready to meet the substantial electric infrastructure needs of this vital sector,” said Angelo Acconcia, Partner at ArcLight. “This acquisition is the latest example of ArcLight’s value-add electric infrastructure investing strategy which includes power, renewables, battery storage, transmission, natural gas transmission and storage, and digital power.”

“We expect Middletown to play an increasingly critical role in providing reliable and affordable power to a market that is experiencing a rapid expansion of data center-driven demand growth,” said Andrew Brannan, Managing Director at ArcLight. “Reliable and efficient power generation is essential to ensuring continued industrial and data-center related investment in the region, and highly efficient resources such as Middletown are vital to these initiatives.”

Since 2001, ArcLight has owned, controlled, or operated over 65 GW of assets and 47,000 miles of electric and gas transmission infrastructure, with over $80 billion of enterprise value. With its deep industry experience and suite of internal operational and technical resources, ArcLight believes it is well positioned to deliver the innovative and customized electric infrastructure solutions required by AI and data center power demand. Today, ArcLight manages the largest private power infrastructure portfolio in North America.

Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal counsel to ArcLight.

About ArcLight
ArcLight is a leading infrastructure investor which has been investing in critical electrification infrastructure since its founding in 2001.  ArcLight has owned, controlled or operated over 65 GW of assets and 47,000 miles of electric and gas transmission and storage infrastructure representing $80 billion of enterprise value.  ArcLight has a long and proven track record of value-added investing across its core investment sectors including power, hydro, solar, wind, battery storage, electric transmission and natural gas transmission and storage infrastructure to support the growing need for power, reliability, security, and sustainability.  ArcLight’s team employs an operationally intensive investment approach that benefits from its dedicated in-house strategic, technical, operational, and commercial specialists, as well as the firm’s ~2,000-person asset management partner. For more information, please visit www.arclight.com. References to “ArcLight” herein refers to ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC and/or its managed investment vehicles, as the context requires.

Categories: News

Tags:

Rehlko Expands Data Center Back-Up Power Offering With Acquisition of The Wilmott Group

Platinum

Acquisition Strengthens Position in Data Centers & Mission-Critical Segments

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – July 10, 2025 – Rehlko, a global leader in energy resilience, announced today it has reached a tentative agreement to acquire The Wilmott Group, a premier supplier of critical back-up power solutions in the United Kingdom. This acquisition establishes Rehlko as one of the leading energy resilience providers in the U.K. and strengthens the company’s position as a global leader in delivering energy solutions critical to sustaining and improving life. The Wilmott Group will operate as part of Rehlko’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) business – a global leader in backup power solutions for the most critical applications.

The Wilmott Group’s comprehensive capabilities in design, testing, installation and service will strengthen and support the acceleration of Rehlko’s core and aftermarket service offerings.  This acquisition will also deliver manufacturing and engineering efficiencies to support the strategic expansion of Rehlko’s data center position across EMEA.

“The addition of WBPS expands Rehlko’s data center capabilities and service offerings across EMEA, enhances vertical integration in enclosure manufacturing, and strengthens relationships with key European customers.”

Jacob Kotzubei, Co-President and Matthew Louie, Managing Director, Platinum Equity

“The Wilmott Group’s dedication to creating long-term value with customers strongly complements Rehlko’s commitment to delivering innovative and reliable energy solutions,” said Brian Melka, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rehlko. “In this new chapter for Rehlko, The Wilmott Group’s long history of success will bolster our data center solutions across the U.K. and the rest of Europe.”

The Willmott Group includes critical power specialist WB Power Services (WBPS) as well as power and industrial acoustic product manufacturer, Wiltech Acoustics.

Backed by Rehlko’s expansive organization, WBPS’ project engineering team will enhance collaboration across data center projects—a key focus of this partnership—while strengthening Rehlko’s position in the data center space across EMEA. Rehlko will also leverage Wiltech’s in-house enclosure manufacturing capabilities to reduce production time and enable greater flexibility in meeting customer needs and market demand.

Rehlko was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2024. Since its establishment as an independent company, Rehlko has continued to provide control, resilience and innovation through a comprehensive range of energy solutions. The Wilmott Group’s 19 locations across the U.K. and support at more than 4,000 critical power plants adeptly enhances Rehlko’s positioning as a reliable partner to data centers and other commercial operations across EMEA.

“The addition of WBPS expands Rehlko’s data center capabilities and service offerings across EMEA, enhances vertical integration in enclosure manufacturing, and strengthens relationships with key European customers,” said Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei and Managing Director Matthew Louie in a joint statement. “The acquisition also represents another significant milestone in our commitment to investing in Rehlko’s growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. We look forward to partnering with the company to pursue additional opportunities to grow the business across its verticals.”

Andy Wilmott, Co-CEO and Chairman of Wilmott Group, shared “We’re thrilled to be joining forces with the Rehlko team. Combining our shared capabilities will enable us to continue delivering reliable, trusted back-up power solutions to data centers, hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Together, we also will realize operational improvements and organizational efficiencies.”

About Rehlko

A global leader in energy resilience, Rehlko delivers innovative energy solutions that sustain and improve life across home energy, industrial energy systems, and powertrain technologies with control, resilience, and innovation. Leveraging the strength of its portfolio of businesses— Power Systems, Home Energy, Kohler Uninterruptible Power, Clarke Energy, Curtis Instruments, and Engines—and its more than a century of industry leadership, Rehlko provides power where and when the grid cannot. Rehlko goes beyond function and individual recovery to create better lives, communities, and a more durable and energy-resilient future. Learn more at rehlko.com.

About The Wilmott Group

Built on a rich heritage of over 40 years’ experience, The Wilmott Group Ltd brings together WB Power Services (WBPS) and Wiltech Acoustics under one umbrella. Since 1983, family-founded WBPS have delivered critical power solutions, including sales, hire, installation, maintenance, and renewables, across the UK. 2023 witnessed the acquisition of Wiltech Acoustics, specialists in engineered noise control acoustic systems that safeguard people, the environment, and equipment in industrial and power environments. This paved the way for the incorporation of The Wilmott Group and greatly enhanced the businesses industry-leading proposition.

Categories: News

Tags:

Soleno Therapeutics Announces Proposed $200 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

Abingworth

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (Soleno) (Nasdaq:SLNO), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases, announced today that it intends to offer and sell $200 million of shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. In addition, Soleno intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $30 million of shares of common stock. The proposed public offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Guggenheim Securities are acting as the joint book-running managers for the proposed public offering.

Soleno intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the commercialization of VYKAT™ XR, the first approved therapy to address hyperphagia in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 26, 2025. Soleno also intends to use the proceeds from the public offering to fund its regulatory and market development activities in the European Union and further research and development efforts, as well as general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, other clinical trials, other corporate expenses and acquisitions of complementary products, technologies or businesses, though the company does not have agreements or commitments for any specific acquisitions at this time.

The shares will be offered pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-276344) previously filed with, and automatically declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 2, 2024. The offering is being made solely by means of a written prospectus and a prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering will be filed with the SEC. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Prospectus Department, by telephone at (866) 471-2526, or by email at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; or Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10017, by telephone at (212) 518-9544, or by email at GSEquityProspectusDelivery@guggenheimpartners.com. Electronic copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will also be available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. The final terms of the public offering will be disclosed in a final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering that will be filed with the SEC.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Soleno Therapeutics, Inc.

Soleno is focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases. The company’s first commercial product, VYKAT XR (diazoxide choline) extended-release tablets, formerly known as DCCR, is a once-daily oral treatment for hyperphagia in adults and children 4 years of age and older with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Soleno’s expectations on the completion, timing and size of the proposed public offering, Soleno’s intention to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional shares, the anticipated use of proceeds therefrom, and all other statements that are not statements of historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties associated with market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the proposed public offering, as well as risks and uncertainties inherent in Soleno’s business, including those described in Soleno’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, Soleno’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three month period ended March 31, 2025, prior press releases and in other filings and reports filed with the SEC. The events and circumstances reflected in Soleno’s forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Soleno does not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Corporate Contact:

Brian Ritchie
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
212-915-2578

Media Contact:
media@soleno.life


Primary Logo

Source: Soleno Therapeutics

Categories: News

Tags:

Renasant Bio, chasing drugs for ADPKD, raises $55M in seed funding

Atlas Venture

The biotech is taking inspiration from cystic fibrosis treatment and applying a similar approach to developing “corrector” and “potentiator” medicines for the kidney disease.

Renasant Bio researchers work in the biotech's lab.

The drug industry’s efforts to develop a treatment for a rare kidney condition known in shorthand as ADPKD have come in fits and starts.

People with ADPKD, or autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, can use an Otsuka drug, Jynarque, that U.S. regulators cleared in 2018 to slow the decline in organ function that’s brought on by the condition.

They have few other good options, however. Sanofi was developing a drug, venglustat, around the same time as Jynarque’s approval, but stopped clinical testing in 2021 after negative study results.

The disease stayed on some drugmaker’s radars. In April, Novartis agreed to pay $800 million to acquire Regulus Therapeutics and an experimental therapy, farabursen, that the Swiss pharmaceutical company said showed “promising clinical efficacy and safety.” And a new biotechnology company launching Thursday is trying its hand at developing another.

Called Renasant Bio, the company raised $54.5 million in seed financing from blue-chip investors 5AM Ventures, Atlas Venture, OrbiMed and Qiming Venture Partners USA.

Renasant is the brainchild of a pair of University of California, San Francisco professors, Jeremy Reiter and Markus Delling, who sent 5AM a cold email in 2022 with a pitch built from their research into the disease’s biology. It’s now headed up by Emily Conley, a Stanford University scientist who previously led Federation Bio, a gut microbiome biotech, and oversaw business development at the genetic testing company 23AndMe.

Renasant draws inspiration from drug development in cystic fibrosis. While cystic fibrosis is a disease of the lungs, both conditions are linked to malformed ion channels. As in cystic fibrosis, where drugs like Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Trikafta work by correcting and boosting the activity of those channel proteins, Renasant believes it can develop “corrector” and “potentiator” treatments that restore and open up the channels relevant to ADPKD.

“What a corrector does is it helps that misfolded protein fold properly,” said Conley. “Once the protein gets into the right shape, then it can go where it needs to go, and then the potentiator holds the channel open.”

“We know what’s broken,” Conley added. “If we can fix it with correctors and potentiators, then we could have this very dramatic effect on patient outcomes.”

Renasant’s lead drug candidate, which is currently in preclinical testing, is a small molecule corrector the company hopes can work in patients with any of the wide range of mutations that cause ADPKD. While Renasant envisions this molecule working as a standalone treatment, it’s also developing a potentiator that could be used in tandem to prevent cysts from forming or growing in the kidney.

The company plans to enter clinical testing in the next few years.

Overseeing Renasant’s scientific work is Gus Gustafson, a veteran of large pharmaceutical firms like Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Its board of directors is led by Natalie Holles, the former CEO of Third Harmonic Bio, and includes Charlotte McKee, chief medical officer of cystic fibrosis drugmaker Sionna Therapeutics, as well as venture investors.

“Renasant has assembled the right team, with years of research experience in polycystic disease that has informed the right scientific approach,” Deborah Palestrant, a partner at 5AM, which incubated the biotech, said in a statement.

Renasant estimates that some 12 million people have ADPKD worldwide. In addition to Novartis and Regulus, Vertex is also developing a drug for the disease.

Categories: News

Tags:

Stonepeak to Acquire a Co-Control Stake in IFCO from ADIA

Stonepeak

Stonepeak to join existing IFCO investor Triton, who remains a committed partner to the Company

MUNICH & NEW YORK & PULLACH, FRANKFURT AM MAIN – July 9, 2025 – Stonepeak, a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Stonepeak will acquire an ~50% co-controlling stake in IFCO Group (“IFCO” or “the Company”), a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh foods, from a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”). Triton, a leading European mid-market sector-specialist investor and existing investor in IFCO, will remain a committed partner to the Company. Together, Stonepeak and Triton will have joint and equal ownership and governance of IFCO.

Founded in 1992, IFCO today manages a global logistics system that utilizes over 400 million reusable packaging containers (“RPCs”) to enable more than 2.5 billion annual shipments of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishables from producers to retailers through a closed-loop, circular supply chain. The Company operates a network of approximately 140 service centers to wash and repair RPCs between trips. IFCO’s reusable solutions offer clear advantages over single-use packaging, providing cost, sustainability, and automation benefits to leading food retailers and producers. With a team of approximately 2,000 employees, the Company runs a global operation serving over 300 retailers and 18,000 growers in more than 50 countries.

“With the support of ADIA and Triton, IFCO has gone through a successful strategic and operational transformation and delivered strong growth. We want to thank both investors for their contribution and welcome Stonepeak as a new partner alongside Triton. Stonepeak’s expertise in critical infrastructure and proven investment strategy paired with Triton’s long years of sector experience and focus on digitalisation and sustainability will contribute largely to IFCO’s further growth, strengthening our market leading position globally,” commented Michael Pooley, Chief Executive Officer of IFCO.

“As the operator of the largest and most established logistics network for reusable packaging in the grocery supply chain globally, IFCO represents a critical component of the logistics infrastructure delivering fresh produce,” said Nikolaus Woloszczuk, Senior Managing Director at Stonepeak. “Its leadership position is underpinned by its network and scale, which deliver cost and sustainability advantages over single-use cardboard for retailers and growers. We believe the Company’s high-quality, market-leading platform has meaningful embedded and adjacent growth opportunities, and we are excited to partner with Triton and the IFCO team to accelerate this next chapter of growth at IFCO. With IFCO’s strong and growing presence in North America, the Company fits squarely within our infrastructure investment strategy for the region.”

“We thank ADIA for its support of IFCO and the trustful collaboration with Triton over the last six years and are looking forward to continuing our investment journey with Stonepeak. Together we share the same ambition to create value for our investors and portfolio companies. IFCO is at the core of Triton’s Business Services investment strategy, where we have many years of experience and in-depth sector know-how. We thank the IFCO management team and all employees for the great journey and their excellent contribution so far and will remain a committed investor as we are very excited about the Company prospects,” adds Stephan Förschle, Partner and Co-Head of Business Services at Triton.

Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, Executive Director of the Private Equities Department at ADIA, said, “ADIA invested alongside Triton in IFCO’s carve-out from Brambles in 2019. Since then, IFCO has built solid foundations for the future, based on strong operational performance and enhanced digital capabilities, and is well positioned for growth. We wish the Company, Triton, and Stonepeak continued success in the years ahead.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Citi is serving as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis is serving as legal counsel to Stonepeak. Bank of America and Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC are serving as financial advisors and Latham & Watkins as legal counsel to ADIA and Triton. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is serving as legal counsel to ADIA.

About IFCO
IFCO is a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh foods, empowering customers to participate in the circular economy in 50+ countries. IFCO operates a pool of over 400 million reusable packaging containers (RPCs) globally, which are used for over 2.5 billion shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items from suppliers to grocery retailers every year. IFCO RPCs ensure a better fresh food supply chain by protecting freshness and quality and lowering costs, food waste and environmental impact compared to single-use packaging.

About Stonepeak
Stonepeak is a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets with approximately $73 billion of assets under management. Through its investment in defensive, hard-asset businesses globally, Stonepeak aims to create value for its investors and portfolio companies, with a focus on downside protection and strong risk-adjusted returns. Stonepeak, as sponsor of private equity and credit investment vehicles, provides capital, operational support, and committed partnership to grow investments in its target sectors, which include transport and logistics, digital infrastructure, energy and energy transition, and real estate. Stonepeak is headquartered in New York with offices in Houston, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. For more information, please visit www.stonepeak.com.

About Triton
Founded in 1997 and owned by its partners, Triton is a leading European mid-market sector-specialist investor. Triton focuses on investing in businesses that provide mission critical goods and services in its three core sectors of Business Services, Industrial Tech, and Healthcare.

Triton has over 150 investment professionals and value creation experts across 11 offices and invests through three complementary “All Weather” strategies: Mid-Market Private Equity, Smaller Mid-Cap Private Equity, and Opportunistic Credit.

About ADIA
Established in 1976, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”) is a globally-diversified investment institution that prudently invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi through a strategy focused on long-term value creation. For more information: https://www.adia.ae

Contacts

For IFCO
Inigo Canalejo
Vice President, ESG and Strategic Marketing
media@ifco.com

For Stonepeak
Kate Beers / Maya Brounstein
corporatecomms@stonepeak.com
+1 (646) 540-5225

For Triton
media@triton-partners.com

Categories: News

Tags:

SAI360 Acquires Lawcode to Disrupt U.S. Legacy Whistleblower Hotline Market

Stg Partners

SAI360, the leader in integrated risk and compliance software, has acquired Germany-based Lawcode GmbH, creators of Hintbox — a next-generation whistleblower hotline and case management platform trusted across the DACH region. This strategic acquisition marks a major leap forward in modernizing the U.S. hotline case management and reporting landscape.

“Most U.S. companies are still relying on hotline case management software tools that haven’t evolved in decades,” said Peter Granat, CEO of SAI360. “This acquisition allows us to introduce a proven, modern mobile-first platform that delivers a vastly better user experience and at a much lower cost.”

Hintbox was developed to meet the stringent privacy standards of the EU’s whistleblower laws, including GDPR, the EU Whistleblower Directive, and Germany’s HinSchG. “Security and compliance are in the platform’s DNA,” said Ubbo Aßmus, cofounder and CEO of Lawcode GmbH. “We’re bringing a European standard of data privacy and protection to a market that needs it.”

Categories: News

Tags:

PAI Partners and ADIA complete acquisition of majority stake in Alvest

PAI Partners

PAI Partners, a pre-eminent private equity firm, together with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”), have completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Alvest, the world leader in airport Ground Support Equipment (“GSE”) full-lifecycle solutions. Ardian retains a minority stake in Alvest, alongside the company’s founders and management team, who are significantly reinvesting as part of the transaction.

With a presence in airports for more than 70 years and headquartered in France, Alvest has grown to be the reference in GSE globally, providing high-performance, innovative and sustainable solutions to the aviation industry. Alvest is a key enabler of a leaner and greener aviation industry by helping airlines, ground handlers and airports reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and CO2 emissions.

With more than 4,000 employees and 11 industrial factories worldwide, Alvest serves customers in over 170 countries, offering a broad range of GSE products and services including new equipment sales, integrated maintenance, leasing and decarbonisation solutions.

PAI and ADIA’s investment will support Alvest’s next phase of expansion and innovation, leveraging PAI’s deep expertise in the Industrial Goods & Services sector. The investment will focus on enabling Alvest to accelerate the transition to electric GSE and continue growing its product and service offering, including automated or autonomous units, innovative decarbonisation solutions, resilient servicing activities, fleet management systems and maintenance services.

Contacts

PAI Partners
Dania Saidam
+44 20 7297 4678

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Garry Nickson
+971 2 415 6085

About PAI Partners

PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm investing in market-leading companies across the globe. The Firm has more than €27 billion of assets under management and, since 1994, has completed over 100 investments in 12 countries and realised more than €27 billion in proceeds from over 60 exits. PAI has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience, and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential – and push beyond. Learn more about the PAI story, the team and their approach at: www.paipartners.com

About ADIA

Established in 1976, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”) is a globally-diversified investment institution that prudently invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi through a strategy focused on long-term value creation. For more information: https://www.adia.ae

Categories: News

Tags:

KaraFun Group partners with Vendis Capital and Verlinvest to scale the future of karaoke

KaraFun Group, a global leader in interactive music entertainment, has successfully secured investment from Vendis Capital and Verlinvest, two leading investors known for backing consumer-focused brands.

This partnership will strengthen the company’s mission to provide an active music experience through its proprietary technology, broad and curated song catalog as well as its omnichannel approach. It comes as KaraFun Group continues to scale rapidly, offering the world’s largest proprietary song catalog featuring in-house recorded tracks in over 30 languages — all delivered in exceptional audio quality.

Founded in 2005 by brothers Jean-Baptiste and Bart Defossez, the French company set out to revolutionize karaoke through gamified, interactive experiences that include music trivia, live quizzes, and games that engage users in playful and social ways. KaraFun Group’s unique ecosystem spans B2C and B2Pro apps, B2B software for hospitality venues, and branded karaoke bars in France and Belgium.

Jean-Baptiste Defossez, Founder & Executive Chairman at KaraFun Group, shared, “Together with the experienced teams at Vendis Capital and Verlinvest — renowned for scaling category-leading consumer brands across Europe, the US, and Asia — we will harness shared insights and networks to fuel data-driven, immersive karaoke experiences and drive rapid global adoption of our advanced music platforms. With more than 30 million karaoke nights powered worldwide, KaraFun Group has redefined the interactive music experience by combining state-of-the-art technology with curated design and hospitality. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in bringing that vision to a wider global audience.”

With a fast-growing user base across its different products, KaraFun Group is poised to lead the next evolution in global music engagement. In 2025, the company will accelerate international expansion and enhance its B2C and B2B karaoke solutions. Verlinvest and Vendis Capital will work closely with KaraFun Group’s leadership to support international expansion, enhance personalization across its digital platforms, and bring the company’s award-winning technology to new audiences and markets.

Mathieu de Medeiros, Partner at Vendis Capital, said, “We were deeply impressed by the KaraFun Group founders and their leadership team, who have built a truly global, product-driven business through an unwavering focus on user experience and continuous innovation. Their strategic vision and user-centric mindset have enabled product excellence and clear market differentiation, driving sustained growth. With strong momentum and a highly scalable platform, KaraFun Group is ideally positioned to accelerate its growth trajectory. We are proud to partner with Jean-Baptiste and his team to support the next stage of the company’s development and help them reach new heights”.

Raphael Thiolon, Managing Director at Verlinvest, added, “In a world where shared experiences and creative expression are more valued than ever, KaraFun Group is redefining how people connect through music. The brand is uniquely positioned to meet that demand by merging content, community, and cutting-edge user experience, in a way few others can. We see immense potential in KaraFun’s ability to scale across markets and formats, and we are proud to support the team’s vision of creating a seamless and comprehensive singing and karaoke experience for fun-loving consumers worldwide.”

KaraFun Group is dedicated to both amateurs and professionals, with a user base across more than 50 countries. Backed by a highly engaged community that spends an average of 4 hours per month singing on the platform, KaraFun’s YouTube channel boasts over 3 million subscribers and more than 3 billion views, highlighting the scale and passion of their audience.

Committed to making interactive and enjoyable experiences accessible to all, KaraFun Group also features Jamzone, an app which allows professional musicians, bands and music-lovers to play along to a selection of current hits and classics and completely customize the experience according to the needed key and tempo.

Categories: News

Tags:

EQT Life Sciences leads USD 56 million Series D financing in Neuros Medical to commercialize FDA-approved treatment for post-amputation pain

EQT Life Science
  • Proceeds will be used to support U.S. commercialization of Altius®, a direct electrical nerve stimulation system designed to treat chronic, intractable post-amputation pain in adult amputees
  • Post-amputation pain is a severely underserved indication, affecting up to 80% of amputees in the U.S., with few effective non-opioid treatment options

EQT Life Sciences (“EQT”)  is pleased to announce that the LSP 7 fund and the EQT Health Economics strategy have co-led the USD 56 million Series D financing round of Neuros Medical, Inc., a U.S.-based medical device company developing breakthrough treatments for chronic post-amputation pain. The oversubscribed round marks a significant milestone in supporting the company’s mission to address a critical unmet need.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to support U.S. commercialization of Altius®, a FDA-approved direct electrical nerve stimulation system designed to treat chronic, intractable post-amputation pain in adult amputees.

Post-amputation pain is a severely underserved indication, affecting up to 80 percent of amputees in the U.S., with few effective non-opioid treatment options. The Altius® system delivers targeted nerve stimulation through a patient-controlled, on-demand therapy, and is currently the only FDA-approved solution for post-amputation pain.

David Veino, President and CEO of Neuros Medical, commented: “This funding enables us to scale our commercial operations and expand access to a breakthrough non-opioid treatment for a highly underserved patient population. We are grateful for the support from EQT and our syndicate partners as we continue our mission to relieve pain and restore life for amputees.”

Fouad Azzam, Ph.D., Partner in the EQT Life Sciences advisory team, commented: “Neuros Medical is addressing one of the most urgent and overlooked challenges in chronic pain management. EQT believes Altius has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for amputees, and we are proud to partner with this team to bring the therapy to market.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

Downloads

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 273 billion in total assets under management (EUR 142 billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 31 March 2025, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About Neuros Medical
Founded to address the critical unmet need in chronic post-amputation pain, Neuros Medical is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. Its flagship product, the Altius® Direct Electrical Nerve Stimulation System, is a non-opioid, FDA-approved device that provides on-demand, patient-controlled pain relief by targeting peripheral nerves near the amputation site.

The system comprises a nerve cuff electrode and an implantable pulse generator, delivering 30-minute stimulation sessions as needed by the patient. With nearly 2 million amputees in the U.S. and 300,000 new amputations annually, the Altius® System offers a differentiated, scalable solution in a large and growing market.

For more information: www.neurosmedical.com

Categories: News

Tags: