Bure invests in Silex Microsystems – a Swedish world-leading semiconductor company

Bure
Regulatory

Bure has today entered into an agreement to acquire 17.0 percent of the shares in Silex Microsystems AB (“Silex” or the “Company”) for a total purchase price of SEK 917 million including expected transaction costs. The transaction is being carried out together with a consortium (the “Consortium”) of long-term Swedish investors led by Bure and Creades, which collectively acquires 48.2 percent of the shares in the Company. Other members of the Consortium include Grenspecialisten, 3S Invest, SEB-Stiftelsen, and TomEnterprise. Together with the Company’s founder and CEO Edvard Kälvesten and the management team, whose combined ownership amounts to 6.5 percent, the Consortium will thereby control 54.8 percent of the Company.

Silex was founded 25 years ago and is today a world-leading player in the MEMS foundry segment, i.e., the production of semiconductors with mechanically movable components. Through applications in areas such as medtech, data centers, telecommunications, and manufacturing/automation, Silex has established a broad customer base with a global presence. The company is headquartered and operates its production in Järfälla, Stockholm. Since 2015, Silex has achieved an average annual revenue growth (CAGR) of 17 percent. For the full year 2024, the Company reported revenues of SEK 1,226 million and an operating margin (EBIT) of 28 percent. The agreed transaction values Silex at SEK 5.5 billion on a debt-free basis.

The current majority owner of Silex, Sai Microelectronics Inc. (“SMEI”), is a Chinese publicly listed company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, which has held the majority of the shares in the Company since 2015. The background to the transaction is that a Swedish majority ownership will accelerate the Company’s growth opportunities in light of an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, which are expected to be obtained during the third quarter of 2025.

In connection with the change in ownership, it is intended that Patrik Tigerschiöld will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of the Company.

Patrik Tigerschiöld, Chairman of the Board of Bure, comments: “We are very pleased that the world-leading semiconductor company Silex is returning to Swedish majority ownership. The Company is an excellent addition to Bure’s portfolio – a leading high-tech company active in a growing niche market, with long-standing customer relationships and a proven track record of profitable growth under the leadership of strong entrepreneurs. We look forward to supporting Silex’s continued development together with the Company’s management.”

In connection with the transaction, the Consortium has engaged SEB Corporate Finance, law firm Cederquist, and EY-Parthenon as advisors on financial, legal, and tax matters.

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Bridgepoint to partner with Safe Life, a global leader in AED distribution, to drive next phase of growth

Bridgepoint

Bridgepoint, one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, today announced that it has agreed to acquire a significant controlling stake in Safe Life, the global leader in the distribution of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), in a transaction that values the company at c. €500 million.

Headquartered in Stockholm, Safe Life operates across North America and Europe and is a market leader in a highly fragmented and fast-growing sector. The company equips communities and workplaces with lifesaving AEDs supported by ongoing services, including CPR training, maintenance and replacement parts such as pads and batteries to enable a fast and effective response in an emergency.

Bridgepoint will partner with Safe Life’s founders and existing institutional investors including Byggmästaren, Bonnier Capital and Swedbank Robur, all of whom are materially reinvesting alongside Bridgepoint.

Since its founding in 2019, the company has distributed over 500,000 AEDs globally and is set to deliver over €250m of sales in 2025.

Cardiac arrest remains one of the leading causes of death globally. This partnership will support Safe Life in its mission to expand access to defibrillators and help communities respond with confidence when it matters most. With Bridgepoint’s backing, the company will continue to raise awareness about the importance of AED access, ongoing maintenance, and training. It will do so through international expansion, the growth of its aftermarket and training capabilities and continued M&A, ultimately helping to save more lives in the markets it serves.

Growing public awareness and evolving health and safety regulation are driving demand, with the core AED market growing rapidly. Crucially, growth is no longer just about the supply of devices, there is increasing focus on ensuring they remain ready to use, through proper support and upkeep.

Jimmy Eriksson and Alexander Albedj, Co-Founders of Safe Life, said:

“Our mission has always been simple: to save lives by making defibrillators and training more accessible. In Bridgepoint, we’ve found a partner who not only believes in that mission but brings the expertise and scale to help us reach more communities around the world, and to support us to grow further, faster. Every second counts in an emergency, and this partnership will help ensure that time makes a difference.”

Chris Bley, Partner and Co-Head of the Nordics at Bridgepoint, added:

“We’re thrilled to be backing Safe Life’s next chapter. This is a classic Bridgepoint investment: a founder-led, mission-driven company operating in a large and growing market. Safe Life has built a standout platform, combining leadership in AED distribution with a comprehensive offer of ongoing services and maintenance, ensuring these life-saving devices are ready when they’re needed most. We see meaningful opportunities for expansion, both organically and through continued M&A, and are excited to support the team as they take the business to the next level.”

Tomas Bergström, Safe Life Chair and Byggmästaren CEO, commented:

“It has been a privilege working with Jimmy and Alexander for the past five years. They are exceptional entrepreneurs and with Bridgepoint now on board they can accelerate further. As we remain a significant shareholder I look forward to the continued journey and will support in all the ways I can.”

Safe Life operates in one of Bridgepoint’s core focus areas: Medtech products that improve patient outcomes and offer strong growth potential across multiple markets. Bridgepoint has deep experience in this space, having backed companies such as Balt, a global specialist in neurovascular devices for stroke and aneurysm treatment; and Vivacy, a European leader in regenerative and aesthetic medicine injectables.

The partnership also builds on Bridgepoint’s strong track record of supporting Swedish-founded businesses to expand internationally. Previous investments include Diaverum, a global provider of life-sustaining dialysis care operating in 23 countries, and Vitamin Well, a health and wellness drinks company with distribution across 40 markets. Both were supported by Bridgepoint’s Stockholm team and scaled significantly under its ownership through international expansion and business development.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval and is expected to complete in Q3 2025.

Bridgepoint was advised by Jefferies (M&A Advisor), Vinge (Legal Advisor), EY (Financial, Tax & Operational Due Diligence), Strategy& (Commercial), ERM (ESG) and Marsh (Insurance).

Safe Life was advised by Baker & McKenzie (Legal Advisor).

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Sedai Raises $20 Million for the First Self-Driving Cloud

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AVP

The platform reduces cloud costs and prevents system outages by taking action with patented AI technology.

June 12, 2025 6:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 12, 2025 — Sedai, the self-driving cloud™, today announced a $20 million Series B round, led by AVP (Atlantic Vantage Point). The new funding, which also includes investments from Norwest, Sierra Ventures, and Uncorrelated Ventures, will fuel innovation across Sedai’s patented AI platform, so engineering leaders can safely and effortlessly manage the cloud.

Worldwide, the cloud will cost more than $700 billion this year, due to the rise of generative AI models that require vast computing power. A typical company now needs a small army of engineers to manage its cloud environment: an ever-growing array of complex microservices. Sedai uses its own AI to understand each unique environment. The platform then acts to prevent availability issues and eliminate wasted resources, through a patented process that Sedai’s co-founders invented.

“Every company needs a self-driving cloud,” said Suresh Mathew, CEO & Founder of Sedai. “Modern cloud environments are too complex to manage with simple automation, meaning that AI is the only safe solution for this problem. Fortune 500 companies that use Sedai save more than $5 million a year — plus over 22,000 hours of engineering time. This isn’t a future vision. It’s mission-critical technology, already in action.” Sedai deeply integrates with all major cloud service providers, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Customers build trust with Sedai until they’re ready to let the AI platform take action across their cloud infrastructure, without human intervention. These “self-driving” actions include:

● Self-scaling: Sedai replaces the risks and inaccuracies of traditional autoscaling with Smart Scaling. Powered by a patented deep reinforcement learning system, Sedai’s Smart Scaling continuously determines the exact resources each application needs, under varying traffic conditions. It predicts demand using live traffic, historical patterns, and application behavior. Sedai then scales vertically, horizontally, or both — precisely and safely — to prevent overprovisioning and improve performance.

● Self-healing: Sedai detects critical production issues, such as degradation, failures, or outages. It then takes immediate, autonomous action to resolve them. In many cases, Sedai prevents incidents before they impact users, by spotting early signs of failure. While most tools provide alerts or suggestions, Sedai acts in real time to fix or prevent issues, avoiding disruptions.

“For our business to move fast, we need our cloud to operate at peak performance,” said Venkat Gopalan, Chief Technology Officer at Belcorp. “Sedai gives us that confidence. The AI manages and optimizes every application, every second of the day, so Belcorp’s cloud is always efficient and reliable. Sedai dramatically reduces our costs. But more importantly, it speeds up the pace that our engineering team can innovate.

” The core of Sedai’s platform is its proprietary Decision Engine, which orchestrates multiple AI agents each focused on a different goal. The agents use reinforcement learning to optimize based on cost, performance, and availability goals. Sedai also adapts to changes in a customer’s cloud environment, leveraging a combination of seasonality and causality modeling, anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and topology inference. The company holds a portfolio of U.S. patents that protect its ability to safely take action in the cloud.

“Sedai is a game-changing tool, both for our cloud strategy and for me personally,” said Matthew Duren, Vice President of Engineering at KnowBe4. “From a cost perspective, Sedai reduced our spend by up to 50% in production and by up to 87% in development, 2which meant it very quickly paid for itself. And from a personal perspective, Sedai helped me become a key strategic leader at KnowBe4. It frees up our team to focus on more valuable projects.

” Sedai will deliver a number of world-first capabilities in the months and years ahead. These innovations range from a self-driving operating system for SRE and DevOps teams, autonomous management of data platforms like Databricks and Snowflake, self-tuning for LLM-based applications, and GPU optimization for AI workloads. Across the board, Sedai will pioneer the next generation of cloud management. The Series B financing will accelerate Sedai’s already rapid growth. The company increased revenue by 7X in 2024, headlined by deals with multiple Fortune 500 firms. For Sedai’s investors, the market opportunity is clear: “As cloud adoption increases, companies are now struggling to improve the availability and performance of their infrastructure, while also reducing cost,” said Manish Agarwal, General Partner at AVP. “FinOps, as a category, has emerged to help companies get visibility into their cloud spend. However, we feel that visibility is only a small part of the solution. What enterprises really need is a way to optimize their cloud environment, in real time. Our view is that AI agents are uniquely positioned to address this need and enable autonomous cloud management. Sedai fits squarely into that thesis, and we are honored to be part of the company.

” “The rise of AI has led to both revolutionary new products and runaway cloud costs,” said Matthew Howard, General Partner at Norwest Venture Partners. “I see Sedai as a foundational tool in the enterprise stack, because it empowers engineers to build powerful AI systems, without wasting millions of dollars. There’s an enormous opportunity to make GPUs more efficient, and Sedai is in the perfect position to lead the charge. We’re thrilled to be part of its story.” “Sedai doesn’t just save money, it rewrites the physics of how engineering teams operate,” said Tim Guleri, Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures. “It’s the first AI system we’ve seen that turns cloud infrastructure into a competitive advantage, not a cost center.

” “There was a time when we had to write every line of code by hand and install servers ourselves, just like cars used to have manual transmissions,” said Salil Deshpande, General Partner at Uncorrelated Ventures. “Those days are over. Today, AI can optimize cloud resources and fix performance issues, at all hours of the day. Driving stick isn’t the best way to get around anymore, and neither is manually managing your infrastructure. Sedai has shown that the future of the cloud is self-driving.”

About Sedai Sedai is the world’s first self-driving cloud.™ Our platform uses patented AI to safely optimize your compute, storage, and data — freeing your engineers from routine work. Whatever your cloud looks like, Sedai learns how to drive it and fixes issues in seconds, before they waste money or cause outages. Today, we save millions of dollars for engineering leaders at Palo Alto Networks, Experian, and McGraw Hill. See for yourself: sedai.io

About AVP AVP is an independent global investment platform dedicated to high-growth, tech (from deep-tech to tech-enabled) companies across Europe and North America, managing more than €2.5bn of assets across four investment strategies: venture, early growth, growth and fund of funds. Our multi-stage platform combines global research with local execution to drive investment. Since its establishment in 2016, AVP has invested in more than 60 technology companies and in more than 60 funds with the Fund of Funds investment strategy. Beyond providing equity capital, our expansion team works closely with founders, providing the expertise, connections and resources needed to unlock growth opportunities, and create lasting value through meaningful collaborations. For more information, visit our new website: www.avpcap.com Press Contact Logan Goldberg Sr. Director of Brand press@sedai.ioThe platform reduces cloud costs and prevents system outages by taking action with patented AI technology.

 

 

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My Jewellery Partners with Freshstream to Drive International Expansion

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Freshstream today announces that it has agreed to enter into a strategic partnership agreement in the leading Dutch jewellery and lifestyle brand, My Jewellery, and will partner with CEO and founder Sharon Hilgers and CFO/CTO Vilmar Bliekendaal to accelerate the international growth of the business.

My Jewellery was founded by Sharon in the summer of 2011, driven by her passion for jewellery and design. Since its inception the has swiftly ascended to prominence, offering a diverse array of on-trend products becoming the largest affordable jewellery brand in the Benelux. Today the company’s omnichannel offering attracts a loyal customer base and the business employs over 800 people with over 40 stores in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France.

The investment forms part of Freshstream’s core strategy of partnering with entrepreneurs and families to fast-track growth. Following the transaction, Sharon and Vilmar will continue to lead the company. The board will be bolstered with Glen Senk as Chairman and Jenny de Vries as non-executive director. Glen was previously the CEO of global lifestyle brand URBN Outfitters and a non-executive at jewellery companies David Yurman and Kendra Scott. Jenny will become a non-executive Board member, next to her current role as CFO of Dutch home and body products company Rituals, which has >13,000 employees and over 1,300 stores in >100 countries.

In collaboration with Freshstream, My Jewellery is set to expedite its expansion into Germany, France, and emerging target markets across Europe, while reinforcing its established presence in the Benelux region.

My Jewellery will be the 9th investment in Freshstream’s first independent fund, which closed in 2023 having raised €762 million. The business joins other high growth, originally entrepreneur led businesses in the portfolio including MCR, Bella Figura Music, G2V Group, Detertech and Nafinco, which is now a minority holding following the sale of Freshstream’s majority stake to Waterland in September 2024.

“This investment represents more than financial backing; it’s a validation of our vision and recognition of the entire My Jewellery team who made this journey possible.”

Paul Tutein Nolthenius, Director at Freshstream, said:

“My Jewellery is a standout brand with exceptional potential, led by Sharon and Vilmar’s entrepreneurial vision and drive. We are hugely impressed by their energy and the remarkable growth they’ve already achieved. Their exciting expansion plans align perfectly with our investment strategy, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to accelerate this next phase of growth.”

Sharon Hilgers, CEO of My Jewellery, commented:

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built from the ground up—transforming our passion for jewellery into a brand that truly connects with its customers and builds a highly engaged community who embrace the celebration of life. This investment represents more than financial backing; it’s a validation of our vision and recognition of the entire My Jewellery team who made this journey possible. I’m excited to partner with Freshstream as we accelerate our expansion into new markets and enter this exciting next chapter of growth.”

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Carlyle and Citi to Collaborate on Asset-Backed Finance Opportunities in Fintech Specialty Lending

Carlyle

NEW YORK, NY – June 12, 2025 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) and Citi today announced they will collaborate on asset-backed financing opportunities in the rapidly evolving fintech specialty lending space.

Carlyle and Citi have formalized a framework to exchange market intelligence and explore co-investment and financing opportunities. Their mutual strength as global leaders in asset-backed finance will be enhanced by the investment expertise and network of Citi’s Spread Products Investment in Technologies (SPRINT) team – a prominent venture equity investor in fintech specialty lenders.

“Our collaboration with Citi brings together two best-in-class platforms to unlock growth in one of the most dynamic areas of private credit,” said Akhil Bansal, Head of Asset-Backed Finance at Carlyle. “Demand for scalable and tailored asset-backed financing solutions from fintech lenders has increased as they mature and seek efficient ways to fund their growth. By combining our deep credit and structuring expertise with Citi’s leading presence in the fintech investment landscape, we’re well-positioned to capture emerging opportunities and support the next generation of financial technology leaders.”

“The strategic connectivity of our SPRINT team to our asset-backed finance business enables us to seamlessly share expertise and fulfil the financing needs of tomorrow’s fintech leaders across the entire capital structure,” said Lee Smallwood, Head of Markets Innovation & Investments.

“This collaboration leverages the best of both our firms. Through the scale of our franchise, we are uniquely positioned to unlock opportunities by bringing the dynamism of innovative tech platforms to an established global leader such as Carlyle,” said Rajiv Amlani, Head of Private Markets Coverage at Citi.

Carlyle Asset-Backed Finance (“Carlyle ABF”) is a group within Carlyle’s Global Credit platform focused on private fixed income and asset-backed investments. The highly experienced team leverages the knowledge, sourcing, structuring, and breadth of the entire Carlyle investment platform to deliver tailored asset-focused financing solutions to businesses, specialty finance companies, banks, asset managers, and other originators and owners of diversified pools of assets. Carlyle ABF has deployed approximately $8 billion since 2021 and has approximately $9 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $453 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About Citi

Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in more than 180 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | X: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi

Media Contacts

 

Carlyle

Kristen Ashton

(212) 813-4763

Kristen.ashton@carlyle.com

 

Citi

Rekha Jogia-Soni

(212) 793-0710

Rekha.JogiaSoni@citi.com

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CapMan Real Estate signs major office lease agreement in Oslo

Capman

CapMan Nordic Real Estate III fund has signed a landmark 17,600 sqm lease agreement with a 15-year maturity with Visma, securing the entire office premises at Sørkedalsveien 6 in Oslo. The asset will undergo a full-scale renovation with a strong focus on sustainability, with completion expected in late 2027.

CapMan acquired the 18-storey landmark office building, originally built in 2001, in late 2022, anticipating the departure of the previous tenant. Over the past 18 months, the project has undergone a comprehensive design phase to reposition the iconic building as a high-quality, full-service, and sustainable* office destination. Once completed, the property will serve as Visma’s new global headquarters.

Visma is a leading provider of mission-critical business software, including solutions for accounting, payroll, invoicing and tax. As of 2024, Visma reported revenues of €2.8 billion with over 16,000 employees globally.

The renovation work will be guided by an ambitious sustainability strategy, aiming to transform the property into a benchmark for sustainable* office refurbishments. Key upgrades include the expansion of the ground floor to create a more welcoming and accessible environment for tenants and visitors, a new facade, upgraded technical systems, and unique tenant spaces. The building’s energy classification will be significantly improved—from EPC E to EPC A—and the project is targeting a BREEAM-NOR Excellent certification. Construction is already underway, with Insenti serving as the project management advisor.

“We are truly honoured to partner with Visma on this landmark project. Securing the lease agreement ahead of construction start for the entire building marks a significant milestone. It reflects both the strength of our project vision and the enduring appeal of Majorstuen as a premier office location,” says Andreas Wang, Investment Director at CapMan Real Estate.

“This lease agreement is a testament to the flight to quality and the continued demand for sustainable, modern office space in prime locations,” said Magnus Berglund, Head of Sweden & Norway at CapMan Real Estate.

*The project aligns with the EU Taxonomy’s technical screening criteria for substantial contribution to climate change mitigation through the renovation of existing buildings (7.2). Upon completion, it will also meet the criteria for substantial contribution to climate change mitigation through the acquisition and ownership of buildings (7.7).

For more information, please contact:

Magnus Berglund, Head of Sweden and Norway, CapMan Real Estate, magnus.berglund@capman.com

About CapMan

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation and 6.4 billion in assets under management. As one of the private equity pioneers in the Nordics we have developed hundreds of companies and assets creating significant value for over three decades. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors by enabling change across our portfolio companies. An example of this is greenhouse gas reduction targets that we have set under the Science Based Targets initiative in line with the 1.5°C scenario and our commitment to net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover real estate and infrastructure assets, natural capital and minority and majority investments in portfolio companies. We also provide wealth management solutions. Altogether, CapMan employs around 200 professionals in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Luxembourg. We are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001. www.capman.com

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Almaviva Signs Agreement to Acquire TIVIT from the Apax Funds to Accelerate Its Digital Expansion in Latin America

Apax
  • The transaction between Almaviva and the Apax Funds will unite two technology leaders in the digital transformation of major companies in Brazil and worldwide.

Almaviva, a leading Italian provider of digital solutions and technological transformation, has taken another bold step in its global trajectory by entering into a definitive agreement to acquire TIVIT, one of Brazil’s largest technology companies with a strong presence across Latin America, from funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”).

This union, will create a powerhouse with the ability to accelerate innovation, expand the reach of digital solutions, and drive the growth of companies across multiple sectors in one of the world’s most promising regions. Together, Almaviva and TIVIT will combine complementary technologies and offerings to continue supporting the success of their clients.

TIVIT was acquired by the Apax Funds in 2010. Since then, with the strategy of expanding its presence in new markets, the company carried out several acquisitions, including Synapsis, a leading IT services firm in Latin America, and XMS, a cloud implementation specialist across Latin America. In 2016 and 2022, as part of its strategy to focus on digital solutions, TIVIT spun out two businesses units, Neobpo and Takoda. Following this repositioning, the company strengthened its board and attracted strategic talent in the areas of digital transformation, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, and SAP.

“TIVIT has a solid track record and serves the largest companies in the country. It is recognized for its technical expertise and deep knowledge of local markets. By integrating TIVIT into our ecosystem, we take a significant step forward in consolidating Almaviva as a global leader in digital transformation, with revenue exceeding 12 billion reais.” said Marco Tripi, shareholder and CEO of Almaviva.

Operating in 10 Latin American countries, TIVIT is distinguished by its robust portfolio of cloud solutions, cybersecurity management, digital platforms, and managed services. With Almaviva’s strategic support, the company is now poised to further scale its operations and expand the global impact of its solutions.

“We are entering a new chapter. Almaviva’s arrival opens the door to even greater opportunities for growth and innovation. We are truly excited about what we will build together.” said Paulo Freitas, CEO of TIVIT.

Sectors such as financial services, transportation, manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, and government will directly benefit from the complementarity of the two companies’ portfolios and their new joint delivery capabilities — combining local and international expertise with global scale.

“We are very proud to have been part of TIVIT’s journey, supporting its mission to empower the largest companies in Latin America through technology. Over this period, the Apax Funds have been an active and strategic owner, partnering with management in the spin-off of divisions and in the acquisitions of key businesses to drive growth. It has been a privilege to work with Luiz Mattar, the founder of TIVIT, Paulo Freitas and other members of the leadership team to help TIVIT scale and evolve in this dynamic sector. We expect this new chapter with Almaviva will create a range of opportunities for continued growth.” said Jason Wright, Partner at Apax.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Once completed, it will mark the beginning of a new phase of joint growth between Almaviva and TIVIT, bringing direct benefits to their clients, partners, and teams.

J.P. Morgan acted as the financial advisor to Apax, and Mattos Filho and Skadden acted as legal advisors to Apax and TIVIT in the transaction. Benetti & Giammarino Advogados and L.O. Baptista Advogados acted as the legal advisors to Almaviva.

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Foundation Software Acquires Vendrix, Inc.

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Thomabravo

Strongsville, OHFoundation Software, LLC, the nation’s leading provider of construction software and services, today announced its acquisition of Vendrix, Inc, a construction financial management platform offering corporate cards, expense management, AP automation and bill pay solutions.

Since its founding in 1985, Foundation Software has curated a product portfolio designed to ease the daily administrative tasks of commercial contractors across the United States. Beginning with their flagship accounting program, FOUNDATION®, the list of in-suite solutions has grown to include payroll, takeoff & estimating, field time tracking, safety management, project management, HR management and labor & resource allocation.

With the addition of Vendrix’s expense management and AP capabilities, Foundation Software now offers digital tools that cover nearly every stage of a construction project — giving contractors complete control throughout the project’s lifecycle.

“We’re constantly looking for technology to make our clients’ lives easier — whether through in-house software development or acquisitions —so when we started conversations with Vendrix and saw how well their business values and software operations fit into our platform, it just made sense,” said Mike Ode, CEO of Foundation Software. “Vendrix is construction-focused like us, and they handle an important part of the financial process that our users have been asking for. It has been our goal to build a comprehensive digital solution to cover the full lifecycle of a construction project and this acquisition helps us achieve just that. I can’t wait to see all the ways our clients benefit from this addition.”

The co-founders of Vendrix, David Stewart and Joe Turner, are also looking forward to the impact this acquisition will have on the industry: “We founded Vendrix with the vision of transforming back-office financial workflows for construction teams — bringing simplicity and efficiency to a historically complex and tedious process. Joining forces with Foundation Software is a natural next step. Their deep roots in construction, strong client relationships and comprehensive suite of tools make them an ideal partner to help advance our vision.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reed Smith served as legal advisors to Vendrix and Massumi + Consoli LLP served as legal advisor to Foundation Software.

Foundation Software, LLC

Foundation Software delivers job cost accounting, estimating and takeoff, project management, mobile applications, and payroll services, to help contractors run the business side of construction. For information, call (800) 246-0800 visit www.foundationsoft.com or email info@foundationsoft.com.

Read the release on the Foundation Software website here.

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Equistone fully realises investment in KWC Group with the sale of KWC Professional to DELABIE

Equistone

Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s most established mid-market private equity investors, today announces the full realisation of its investment in KWC Group (“KWC”) through the sale of KWC Professional to France-headquartered DELABIE Group, a fourth-generation family-owned European leader in tapware and sanitary equipment for public and commercial buildings. The transaction creates a leading pan-European industrial group with a significant additional footprint in the Middle East.

Headquartered in Unterkulm, Switzerland, KWC Professional serves (semi-)public institutions such as airports, shopping centres, schools, sports and leisure facilities, hospitals and security facilities. The company operates across multiple countries and regions, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the UK, Finland and the Middle East, and currently employs around 400 people.

Equistone Partners Europe acquired a majority stake in KWC Group (then Franke Group’s Water Systems division) in April 2021, in a carve-out transaction that brought together its Home, Professional and Medical business units, as well as Nokite, a well-established Chinese original equipment/design manufacturer (OEM) of stainless-steel faucets. Since then, Equistone has worked closely with the management team to execute a strategic realignment focused on fostering the strengths of each business division. As part of this strategy, in 2024, the company successfully sold its medical division to the Swedish Alumbra Group, its home division to Paini and its OEM division back to former owner, Franke Group. The sale of KWC Professional to DELABIE Group now marks the full realisation of Equistone’s investment in KWC.

Following the carve-out from the Franke Group, Equistone supported the rebranding of Franke Water Systems to KWC Group, with its business units renamed KWC Home, KWC Professional and KWC Medical. Nokite retained its original name, having always operated as an independently branded unit within the group. During the investment period, Equistone supported the acquisition of UK-based Newcastle Joinery Ltd, strengthening KWC Professional’s position in the specialised market for sanitary solutions in security and custodial facilities. The firm also drove a wide-ranging value creation program and operational improvements, including implementing a state-of-the-art public cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, which reduced costs, enhanced global process consistency and laid the foundation for future innovations.

David Zahnd, Partner at Equistone, said: “We are proud to have supported KWC Group over the past four years. In that time, the business has undergone an important strategic realignment, which leaves it in an exceptionally strong position. In DELABIE, KWC Professional has found the right long-term partner, and we wish the team continued success going forward.”

Roman E. Hegglin, Partner at Equistone, added: “When we invested in KWC Group in 2021, we recognised the significant potential within the business. Through strategic divestments and a clear focus on expanding the professional division, we’ve unlocked this potential, and the business is now primed for sustained future growth.”

The agreed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

The Equistone deal team consists of Stefan Maser, David Zahnd and Roman E. Hegglin. Equistone was advised on this transaction by Enqcor (M&A), Bär & Karrer (Legal & Tax) and Deloitte (Financial Due Diligence).

DELABIE Group was advised on this transaction by Natixis Partners (M&A & Financing), McDermott Will & Emery (Legal), 8Advisory (Financial & Operational Due Diligence), Arsène Taxand (Tax) and ERM (Environment).

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EQT Life Sciences Co-Leads USD 135 Million Series B Financing in SpliceBio

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  • inancing was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Sanofi Ventures, with participation from Roche Venture Fund, as well as all existing investors
  • Proceeds will support the Phase 1/2 clinical development of lead program SB-007 in Stargardt disease, a genetic eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss and blindness
  • Funding will also advance a broader pipeline of genetic medicines targeting indications in ophthalmology, neurology, and other therapeutic areas

EQT Life Sciences is pleased to announce that the LSP 7 fund has invested in SpliceBio. The Spanish biotech company is developing novel therapies for genetic diseases – including ophthalmology, neurology, and other therapeutic areas – by leveraging an innovative intein platform. The platform allows large genes to be split into smaller pieces, delivered separately, and then reassembled to create full-length proteins needed to treat diseases.

The USD 135 million Series B financing round will help fund the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SpliceBio’s lead gene therapy candidate, SB-007, which is being developed to treat Stargardt disease. The round was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Sanofi Ventures, with participation from new investor Roche Venture Fund, as well as all existing investors: New Enterprise Associates, UCB Ventures, Ysios Capital, Gilde Healthcare, Novartis Venture Fund, and Asabys Partners.

Stargardt disease, which leads to progressive vision loss and blindness, is the most commonly inherited condition causing degeneration in the macula, affecting 1 in 8,000-10,000 people. Currently, there are no approved treatments available for Stargardt disease. The disease is caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene, which result in a dysfunctional ABCA4 protein. SpliceBio’s SB-007 uses an innovative Protein Splicing technology, based on a family of proprietary engineered proteins called inteins, originally developed at Princeton University. The approach overcomes the challenge of the ABCA4 gene that is too big for traditional gene therapy delivery methods, thereby enabling the production of a healthy ABCA4 protein directly in the retina. 

This approach has the potential to benefit the entire addressable patient pool, regardless of which of the more than 1,200 known mutations responsible for causing Stargardt disease patients carry. Crucially, the difficulty of delivering large genes is also a common barrier in treating many other genetic disorders, highlighting the broad potential and versatility of SpliceBio’s technology beyond Stargardt disease.

“This financing marks a pivotal milestone for SpliceBio as we advance the clinical development of SB-007 for Stargardt disease and continue to expand our pipeline across ophthalmology, neurology, and beyond,” said Miquel Vila-Perelló, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of SpliceBio. “The support from such high-quality investors underscores the strength of our programs and our unique Protein Splicing platform and its potential to unlock gene therapies for diseases that remain untreatable today. We are building a company positioned to lead the next wave of genetic medicines.”

Daniela Begolo, Managing Director at EQT Life Sciences who will join the SpliceBio Board of Directors, commented: “We are proud to support SpliceBio, a pioneer among the next generation of genetic medicine companies. Its Protein Splicing platform offers a novel solution to deliver large genes, one of the field’s most pressing challenges, and exemplifies our commitment to backing science that transforms patients’ lives.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

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About EQT Life Sciences
EQT Life Sciences was formed in 2022 following an integration of LSP, a leading European life sciences and healthcare venture capital firm, into the EQT platform. As LSP, the firm raised over EUR 3.0 billion (USD 3.5 billion) and supported the growth of more than 150 companies since it started to invest over 30 years ago. With a dedicated team of highly experienced investment professionals, coming from backgrounds in medicine, science, business, and finance, EQT Life Sciences backs the smartest inventors who have ideas that could truly make a difference for patients.

More information: https://eqtgroup.com/private-capital/eqt-life-sciences

About SpliceBio 
SpliceBio is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company pioneering Protein Splicing to address diseases caused by mutations in large genes. The Company’s lead program, SB-007, targets the root cause of Stargardt disease, a genetic eye disease that causes blindness in children and adults. SpliceBio’s pipeline comprises additional gene therapy programs across therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology and neurology. SpliceBio’s platform is based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University after more than 20 years of pioneering intein, Protein Splicing, and protein engineering research. For additional information, please visit www.splice.bio

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