CDTI Innovation’s SICC Innvierte Invests in Next Technology Ventures II to Drive Innovative Solutions for Critical Energy Transition Challenges

Axon

With this investment, CDTI Innovation reaffirms its commitment to promoting projects that empower national companies to lead international markets, create high-quality employment, and enhance their competitiveness through advanced technology.

CDTI Innovation, through its Innvierte initiative, has invested 15 million euros in Next Technology Ventures II (NTV II), managed by Axon Partners Group. This investment aims to promote the development of high technology (‘Deeptech’) in SMEs within the climate sector (generation and smart grids, smart buildings and distributed energy, transport and mobility, industry, and circular economy), primarily targeting early-stage companies.

Next Technology Ventures II:

Driving Technological Innovation in Early-Stage Climate Solutions With a total size exceeding 60 million euros, NTV II began building its portfolio in 2023. Targeting between twenty and thirty investee companies, the fund has already made its first twelve investments in companies developing solutions to global challenges such as industrial decarbonisation (Build to Zero), green hydrogen production and carbon capture (Parallel Carbon), renewable energies and grid flexibility (Hepta, Phelas, or Novatron), and the circular economy (Nextmol).

Additionally, these companies are advancing enabling technologies based on IoT (Energiot or Wsense), new materials (Jolt), and even Quantum Computing applied to energy (Quilimanjaro).

The fund is managed by Axon Partners Group, which, since 2019, has maintained a dedicated investment strategy focused exclusively on the climate technology and energy transition ecosystem. While global in scope, Axon’s strategy prioritises Spain and Southern Europe.

Innvierte:

Promoting Business Innovation Through Venture Capital, Innvierte is a programme that fosters business innovation by supporting venture capital investments in technology-driven or innovative companies. Implemented through the closed-end collective investment entity Innvierte Economía Sostenible SICC S.M.E., S.A., this initiative operates under the supervision of the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), with CDTI Innovation as its sole shareholder.

To date, CDTI Innovation has committed 2,183 million euros in 57 investment vehicles that have invested in over 602 companies. It has directly committed 632 million euros to 188 companies through its co-investment line.

Innvierte is part of the Spanish Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy 2021-2027, approved by the Council of Ministers in September 2020. This strategy outlines the objectives, reforms, and measures to be implemented across the R&D&I sector to drive its growth and impact, forming a key pillar in the government’s R&D&I policy for the coming years.

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Altor divests all shares in XXL

27 May 2025. Altor Fund IV (“Altor”) has today accepted the mandatory offer from Frasers Group Plc for XXL ASA (“XXL” or the “Company”) and thereby sold 23,491,568 A shares and 17,051,037 B shares in XXL ASA, representing all its shares and votes in the Company, at a price of NOK 10 per share. Following these transactions, Altor will own no shares in XXL. Altor has supported XXL since they partnered in 2019.

“Given the current situation and the increasing short-term challenges, Altor has decided to accept Frasers Group’s offer, in line with the Board’s new recommendation. As we now hand over to Frasers Group, we believe XXL will benefit from their industry experience and benefit from being part of a larger group” said Øistein Widding, Partner and Head of Norway.

Andreas Källström Säfweräng, Partner and Head of the Consumer Sector continued: “XXL’s management team and dedicated employees are working hard every day to build a stronger company, and Altor believes they’ll succeed in getting back to profitable growth. That said, there are still real challenges ahead short-term. We see this as the right time for Frasers Group to guide the next chapter.”

About Altor

Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised more than EUR 12 billion in total commitments. The funds have invested in just south of 100 companies. The investments have been made in medium-sized predominantly Nordic and DACH companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are Helly Hansen, Meltwater, CCM Hockey, and Toteme.

Press contact

Karin Åström

Head of Communications

karin.astrom@altor.com

+46 707 64 86 59

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Smart Communications Announces Acquisition of Joisto

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Powerful Cloud Archival Capabilities Expand Smart Communications’ Market-Leading Conversation Cloud™ Platform

London and New York – Smart Communications, the leading cloud-based platform for enterprise customer communications, today announces it has acquired Joisto, a cloud data archive company. As a result, customers will now have the ability to seamlessly store, manage and retrieve digital records and documents, while meeting the stringent requirements for data retention that govern regulated industries worldwide.

“We’re delighted to incorporate Joisto’s deep expertise in cloud archival into Smart Communications,” said Leigh Segall, CEO of Smart Communications. “Our leading Conversation Cloud Platform already enables our customers to manage sophisticated customer conversations at tremendous scale. With the addition of Joisto, we will extend these capabilities to meet an increasing need for regulatory-compliant and readily accessible storage of these conversations in the cloud. Together we will support customers worldwide as they continue their journey to modernize and transform customer conversations.”

Joisto’s cloud-based archive solution is built to seamlessly connect to a wide range of core solutions across corporate ecosystems using a comprehensive set of APIs. This enables customers to store, manage, and retrieve documents, irrespective of their source. With powerful data-ingestion capabilities and a modern, scalable, cloud architecture, Joisto easily meets customer requirements to store large volumes of documents, while enabling access from any location. Built with industry regulations and retention rules in mind, Joisto supports compliance with GDPR while driving enhanced document integrity, document authorization and user validation.

“Joisto is thrilled to join forces with Smart Communications,” commented Joisto CEO, Tommi Hänninen. “We deeply understand the importance of archival in regulated industries and we are especially proud to partner with an organization that is equally passionate about providing industry-leading capabilities through a modern, cloud-based architecture. The combination of Smart Communications and Joisto represents an exciting step forward for both companies and our customers.”

The acquisition comes alongside a period of sustained, rapid growth for Smart Communications, as the company has consolidated its leadership position in the cloud CCM (Customer Communications Management) and IXM (Interaction Experience Management) sectors and earned recognition for its strength among today’s leading healthcare, financial services, insurance, and government organizations. In addition, analyst firms including IDC, Aspire, Aragon, Datos, and Celent have once again ranked Smart Communications as a strategic leader and highlighted the company’s vision, cloud strategy, and product innovation.

As Smart Communications extends capabilities across the Conversation Cloud with this acquisition, the company will continue to integrate and partner with leading platform vendors worldwide to make ongoing customer conversations – and archival – seamless for the enterprises we serve.

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IK Partners to invest in Kestrel Capital

IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund has signed an agreement to invest in Kestrel Capital (“Kestrel” or “the Company”), a fast-growing, independent Irish wealth manager. IK is investing alongside the current owners of Kestrel, who will all continue to develop and manage the business going forward. IK is investing from its dedicated pool of Development Capital, with this transaction representing IK’s first platform investment in Ireland. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed and completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Kestrel is an investment management and financial planning firm, offering bespoke services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporations, charities, foundations and retirement plans. The Company was founded in 2015 and its highly skilled team is led by John Crowe, Danny McGinley and Kenny Hope. Together, they have a combined experience of more than 70 years in wealth management and they will continue to apply all this knowledge and experience to the benefit of Kestrel’s clients.

Kestrel has built a strong reputation for delivering long-term wealth preservation and accumulation strategies to a loyal and rapidly growing client base. Its business model is built around three main pillars: bespoke advice; disciplined portfolio construction; and rigorous oversight. As one of only a few independent MiFID regulated wealth managers in Ireland, the Company is able to provide discretionary portfolio management services, tailored to the specific needs of each client.

Since inception, Kestrel has increased its assets under management to over €1bn and is well positioned to continue its impressive growth, due to the Company’s differentiated offering, its well-established track record and the backdrop of increasing wealth generation in Ireland.

In partnership with IK, Kestrel plans to: continue providing high-quality advice to its growing client base; broaden its service offering; and invest in its operations to uphold high service standards. The Company will also accelerate growth by developing its existing team, attracting new senior wealth managers and making selective complementary acquisitions in a highly fragmented market.

John Crowe, Founder and CEO of Kestrel, said: “This investment from IK marks an important milestone in the development of Kestrel as we seek to further strengthen our position in the Irish Wealth Management sector. With the expertise and experience brought by the IK team, we will be able to capitalise on the market opportunity and pursue a growth strategy in an industry that is poised for consolidation.”

Simon May, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK SC III Fund, added: “We have been very impressed with Kestrel’s achievements since inception. Its rapid growth is a real testament to the hard work and tireless efforts of John and his team to build a high-quality, client-centric business. We look forward to supporting John, Danny, Kenny and their team in the next chapter of Kestrel’s development, utilising the expertise of the wider IK platform and our experience with similar wealth management businesses.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0)7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

H/Advisors Maitland
Vikki Kosmalska
Phone: +44 (0) 7754 943 601
vikki.kosmalska@h-advisors.global

 

About Kestrel Capital

Kestrel Capital is an independent, employee-owned Investment Advisory and Management firm, supporting high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporations, charities, foundations and retirement plans. Kestrel Capital provides access to global financial markets via world class international trading platforms. For more information, visit kestrel.ie

About IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics, UK and Ireland. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €19 billion of capital and invested in over 200 European companies. IK supports companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit ikpartners.com

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Aliter backed TXP acquires Gen technology specialist Metatech

Deal supports scale-up of leading UK digital transformation and resourcing solutions group  

 
John Antunes, CEO, TXP (L) and Andy Scott, director, Metatech (R)

 

John Antunes, CEO, TXP (L) and Andy Scott, director, Metatech (R)
 

TXP (Technology x People), a portfolio company of Aliter, has completed the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, of Metatech Solutions Ltd. (Metatech), a highly specialised software company focused on automated Gen modernisation and migration solutions.

 

Metatech now becomes part of Aliter backed TXP, which delivers IT consulting, technology development and people resourcing to a diversified blue chip customer base.

 

Newcastle based Metatech offers a range of highly specialist IT automation solutions for the model-based development CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool Gen.  Its proprietary suite of automation tooling, called ‘MigrationWorks’, supports the key technical stages of a Gen legacy modernisation project.   

 

In recent years, Metatech’s work has been within the public, financial services, insurance, healthcare, aviation, automotive, telco and system integrator sectors, both in the UK and internationally. The firm has established a leading reputation in the automated Gen legacy modernisation and migration space, including regular collaborations with TXP.

 

Greig Brown, Aliter partner said, “The outlook for the conversion market is positive with increasing activity in modernising legacy IT systems. With its proven track record and proprietary technology, Metatech helps place the group in a strong position to benefit from this growing market.  As part of our portfolio of investments in the UK support services sector, we have, in recent years, invested significantly and successfully in the ICT services sector. Drawing on the knowledge, understanding and experience we have gained in the sector, we very much look forward to working with the team at TXP to support and grow the business, including further acquisition activity”.

 

Metatech’s senior management team is led by Andy Scott, who is remaining with the business to work closely with TXP’s CEO, John Antunes, to support further growth.

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Adelis new majority owner in ECM specialist EITCO

Adelis Equity
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Adelis Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in EITCO GmbH, a European IT consultancy specializing in enterprise content management (ECM). The partnership will support EITCO’s organic growth and strategic acquisitions. EITCO provides product-agnostic consulting, implementation and software solutions to public and private sector clients, enabling digital transformation and process automation.

EITCO, founded in 2006, follows a product-agnostic approach, delivering customized consulting and implementation services and solutions based on either leading third-party ECM platforms or its own proprietary software—depending on client needs. With a strong presence in both the private and public sectors, EITCO enables its customers to advance their digital transformation and automate document-handling processes through its deep consultancy expertise. The company currently employs around 200 FTEs across its offices in Berlin, Bonn, and Essen.

Adelis has extensive experience investing in the fast-growing and dynamic IT services and software sector, where service delivery is becoming increasingly complex and business-critical. This trend is driven by factors such as the widespread migration to the cloud and rapid technological innovation. At the same time, market demand is rising for customized, agile, and customer-centric solutions.

Building on its strong track record of partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs, Adelis has become the new majority owner of EITCO, a leading provider of ECM (Enterprise Content Management) services and software. Together with the existing management team — who will remain in place and continues as significant shareholders — Adelis aims to accelerate EITCO’s successful growth journey. The focus will be on expanding the company’s offering, enhancing its capabilities, and extending its geographical footprint.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adelis as a new growth partner for EITCO. Our unique offering combines major third-party ECM partner software solutions as well as our own modular arveo content services platform with our deep technological implementation and consulting expertise, and a strong commitment to reliability and customer satisfaction. This powerful combination is highly valued by our loyal customer base and enables us to deliver outstanding digital solutions tailored to their needs. We are confident that with Adelis as our partner, we can continue to grow and realize our full potential,” says Carsten Storck, Managing Director at EITCO.

“We are proud to become the new majority owner of EITCO, a company whose management, technical and central teams have built a leading ECM specialist with a distinctive offering and a loyal customer base. We look forward to supporting EITCO’s continued growth—both organically and through strategic acquisitions,” says Franz Reiffenstuel at Adelis.

The transaction has been approved by antitrust authorities.

For further information:

Carsten Storck, Managing Director at EITCO

E-Mail: cstorck@eitco.de

Franz Reiffenstuel, Adelis Equity Partners

E-Mail: franz.reiffenstuel@adelisequity.com

Joel Russ, Adelis Equity Partners

E-Mail: joel.russ@adelisequity.con

About EITCO

EITCO is a leading ECM specialist, serving public sector institutions, regulatory-driven organizations and enterprise customers with increasing demands for digital content and document management. The company offers tailored solutions based on either its own modern, modular arveo content services platform or leading third-party ECM software products—always selecting the best fit for each customer’s specific needs. With a strong focus on automation, compliance, and long-term digitalization strategies, EITCO combines deep industry expertise with a customer-centric approach, positioning itself as a trusted partner in the evolving ECM landscape. Today, EITCO employs c. 200 FTEs across its offices in Berlin, Bonn and Essen. For more information, please visit www.eitco.de

About Adelis Equity Partners

Adelis is a growth partner for well-positioned companies in the Nordics and DACH. Adelis partners with management and/or owners to build businesses in growth segments and with strong market positions. Since raising its first fund in 2013, Adelis has been one of the most active investors in the Nordic middle-market, making 46 platform investments and more than 260 add-on acquisitions. Adelis today manages approximately €4.5 billion in capital. For more information, please visit www.adelisequity.com

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Renta Acquires Tunnelling Infrastructure Assets In Norway

IK Partners

Renta Group Oy (“Renta Group” or “Renta”) strengthens its position in the Norwegian infrastructure rental sector by acquiring W. Giertsen Services AS’s (“WGS”) and AGTunnel AS’s (“AGT”) tunnelling infrastructure assets in two business transfer deals comprising in total nine specialised machines for tunnelling infrastructure projects.

The acquisitions are aligned with Renta’s strategy to expand its specialised infrastructure machinery rental business. In connection to the transaction, Renta signed long-term cooperation agreements with both WGS and AGT on the rental of specialist tunnelling machinery and general rental equipment to WGS and AGT. The cooperation agreements are expected to further drive cross-selling synergies between Renta’s tunnelling specialty and general rental operations. The transferring fleet is compatible with Renta’s existing tunnelling fleet and consists of equipment from high-quality OEMs.

The acquisitions have been completed.

Leif-Martin Drange, Managing Director at Renta Norway, said: “The transactions mark another step forward in our pursuit to grow in the attractive tunnelling infrastructure rental market. In addition to growing our fleet, we are particularly excited about strengthening and formalising the cooperation with two reputable companies in the Norwegian market. We expect the cooperation with W. Giertsen Services and AGTunnel to be mutually beneficial and to help us drive sales synergies between our specialist tunnelling rental operations and our general rental business.”

Enquiries: ir@renta.com

About Renta Group

Renta Group is a Northern European full-service equipment rental company founded in 2015. The Company has operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, and the Baltics, with 193 depots and more than 2,300 employees. Renta is a general rental company with a wide range of construction machines and equipment along with related services. In addition to operating a network of rental depots, Renta is a supplier of scaffolding and weather-protection services. For more information, visit www.renta.com

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Emerald Invests in Cajo Technologies, Sustainable Laser Marking Leader

Emerald

Kempele, Finland / Zurich, Switzerland – Cleantech venture capital pioneer Emerald Technology Ventures has announced an investment  in Cajo Technologies, a Finnish provider of advanced laser marking solutions. The round will accelerate Cajo’s growth and allow them to commercialize the groundbreaking  MakeBright™  marking technology for  packaging.

Advancing Sustainable Packaging Solutions

Cajo has developed and patented technologies that eliminate the need for consumables such as ink, labels, or adhesives, significantly lowering the environmental footprint of product marking. Their technology allows for the direct marking on a wide array of

Their MakeBright™  marking technology is a revolutionary new way to produce precise and permanent product markings on cardboard more sustainably, without additives like ink, glue, ribbons, or labels. This eases the recycling process and enables cost savings.

The Growing Need for Sustainable Packaging Marking

Cajo’s solutions cater to forward-thinking stakeholders in the industry looking to significantly improve production processes while lowering operational costs. Cajo’s solutions are already trusted by major industrial players across diverse sectors—including PepsiCo, SSAB, Fiskars, and Prysmian for applications ranging from primary and secondary packaging to metal, wire, and cable marking.

Capturing a High-Growth Market

The global laser marking market is forecasted to exceed EUR 4 billion by 2027, driven by increasing regulatory demands, anti-counterfeit measures, and the need for supply chain traceability. Cajo is well-positioned within this market with its scalable product portfolio—ranging from Integrable marking units to turnkey industrial systems—and its proprietary software platform.

Supporting Next-Stage Growth

With Emerald’s investment and strategic support, Cajo plans to scale commercial operations, expand internationally—particularly in Asia and North America—and advance its customer success, R&D, and production capabilities.

“We are thrilled to partner with Cajo to accelerate the transition to sustainable marking technology” said Fredric Petit, Partner at Emerald. “Cajo’s technology is not only a powerful enabler of traceability and eco-efficiency but also commercially validated by global industry leaders.”

Niko Karsikas, CEO of Cajo Technologies, added, “Emerald’s industrial network and deep expertise in scaling cleantech ventures make them an ideal partner for our next chapter. With their support, we are set to deliver impactful solutions to the global packaging and industrial sectors.”


More on sustainable packaging and materials at Emerald:

Emerald leads €6.2M investment in Vytal to fuel the reusable packaging revolution

Emerald client, SIG, invests into coating manufacturer Kalpana

How Innovation in the Field of Plastic Additives is Key for a Circular Economy

About Emerald Technology Ventures

Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.

This is Emerald.

Bold Ideas. Bright Future.  www.emerald.vc

CONTACT FOR EMERALD:

info@emerald.vc

About Cajo Technologies

Cajo Technologies: Pioneering Sustainable Product Marking

In an era where sustainability is a key driver of industrial innovation, Finnish SME Cajo Technologies Ltd. is revolutionizing product marking with its patented laser solutions. By eliminating the need for ink, labels, and chemicals, Cajo provides an eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative to traditional marking methods.

Headquartered in Kempele, Finland, with subsidiaries in India, Cajo Technologies is rapidly expanding its global presence. The company offers comprehensive, easy-to-use solutions for traceability and product marking, leveraging proprietary software and patented technology. Fully optimized for industrial production, Cajo’s marking solutions seamlessly integrate into existing manufacturing processes, significantly reducing maintenance and operational costs.

Beyond efficiency, Cajo’s technology ensures high-precision traceability markings, even in the harshest industrial environments, while reducing the carbon footprint by up to 90%. This sustainable alternative allows companies to eliminate consumables and harmful additives from their production, aligning with the growing demand for zero-waste manufacturing solutions.

With a trusted presence in over 80 countries and partnerships with global industry leaders, Cajo Technologies is setting a new benchmark in sustainable manufacturing. By combining innovation with environmental responsibility, the company demonstrates that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.

Choose Cajo for intelligent product marking.

CONTACT FOR CAJO:

info@cajotechnologies.com

 

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Main Capital Partners Successfully Closes €520 aMillion Multi-Asset Continution Fund

Main Capital Partners
Main Capital Partners, a leading enterprise software investor operating in Europe and North America, announces the successful closing of its first continuation fund, with a total €520 million in commitments.

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EURAZEO TO INVEST IN 3P, A LEADING SOFTWARE PROVIDER OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND POST PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS IN BELGIUM AND FRANCE

Eurazeo

Eurazeo, through its Small-mid buyout team, has entered into exclusive negotiations relating to an investment in 3P, a leading software publisher specialized in procurement and post-procurement as well as asset management solutions for public-sector institutions. The transaction marks the eleventh investment for Eurazeo PME IV, the third outside France, and demonstrates the expertise of the Small-mid buyout strategy in supporting fast-growing European technology and services mid-market champions in their international expansion.

Headquartered in Belgium and created in 2001, 3P offers a fully integrated platform with a subscription-driven revenue model designed to automate, secure and optimize tendering, procurement as well as post-procurement processes, while helping clients ensure compliance with the latest European, national and regional legislation and requirements. 3P’s products are used by 2,000+ public clients across Belgium and France and caters for the needs of diversified clients: municipalities, regional authorities, hospitals, universities, police forces, etc.

3P has showcased double-digit historical growth providing clients with mission-critical software enabling public entities to save time and optimize procurement processes while reducing administrative burden and ensuring compliance. Eurazeo will support and accelerate the company’s development by pursuing its European expansion strategy, which has been initiated in France by the historical shareholders: founders, 3d investors and ING who will all reinvest in the transaction alongside Eurazeo and the management team.

Clément Morin, Managing Director Small-mid buyout, at Eurazeo:

“We are thrilled to partner with 3P management team and historical shareholders on this next phase of growth. 3P is a perfect match to our ambition to support European software champions in both their organic and external growth. We now look forward to supporting the group by leveraging Eurazeo’s network, resources and experience, especially in cross-border M&A.“

Pascal Meyers, CEO of 3P:

“We are very enthusiastic about the arrival of Eurazeo as majority shareholder. We are convinced that their strong expertise, network and European DNA will help us to accelerate our strong growth ambitions to become Europe’s premier public-sector procurement technology partner, based on further broadening our European footprint as well as leveraging our major investments in a next-gen ai-empowered cloud solution.”

The reinvesting shareholders:

The founders, 3d investors, and ING are thrilled to welcome Eurazeo as 3P’s majority shareholder, reinforcing their confidence in 3P’s future through a significant reinvestment. There is a shared conviction that Eurazeo’s expertise as a leading IT investor will empower 3P to solidify its position in Belgium, and France and expand throughout Europe. They are fully committed to supporting 3P’s management team and Eurazeo in scaling 3P’s highly efficient GovTech public procurement platform throughout Europe.

Information – Individual investors

Eurazeo Investment Manager (EIM) and Eurazeo Mid Cap (EMC) are merging to form Eurazeo Global Investor (EGI)

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