Centerfield Acquires Digital Commerce Platform ConsumerVoice

A corner of a modern office lobby. The

LOS ANGELES, August 21, 2025 — Centerfield, a premier technology service for digital customer acquisition, today announced the acquisition of ConsumerVoice, a digital commerce platform that curates and promotes products to engaged audiences on its popular websites ConsumerVoice.org and BuyersReport.org.

Centerfield’s digital brands and proprietary platform, Dugout, engage in-market consumers and supercharge customer acquisition for leading brands in home services, insurance, business services, e-commerce, and many other categories. With ConsumerVoice, Centerfield will drive additional purchases at scale.

“Centerfield continues to be a powerful platform for growth, and we’re excited to support its expansion into new audiences and channels. We remain focused on identifying strategic acquisitions that enhance Centerfield’s ability to deliver exceptional customer acquisition outcomes for top-tier brands.”

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

“ConsumerVoice is an innovative business that allows Centerfield to serve leading brands in more than a dozen new categories,” said Kris Barton, CEO of Centerfield. “In addition to offering Centerfield’s core capabilities to ConsumerVoice customers, we are excited for their digital commerce capabilities to expand the business of our current clients.”

“Our team has achieved significant scale over the past several years in all types of service and commerce categories,” said Dylan Ramsey, Co-Founder and CEO of ConsumerVoice. “By partnering with Centerfield we will be able to grow faster and leverage our platform for more brands.”

The transaction announced today will mark the sixth Centerfield add-on acquisition since the company was acquired by Platinum Equity.

Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei and Managing Director Matthew Louie in a joint statement, said,  “Centerfield continues to be a powerful platform for growth, and we’re excited to support its expansion into new audiences and channels. We remain focused on identifying strategic acquisitions that enhance Centerfield’s ability to deliver exceptional customer acquisition outcomes for top-tier brands.”

Vista Point Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to ConsumerVoice.

About Centerfield

Centerfield’s proprietary audiences and technology platform, Dugout, supercharge customer acquisition for the world’s largest brands in residential services, business services, insurance, e-commerce and many other product and service categories. Centerfield’s marketing and sales technology platform, Dugout, and engaged audiences reach more than 200 million in-market consumers to help them make complex purchasing decisions. Centerfield is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Connect with Centerfield at www.centerfield.com

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BGF successfully exits Derry-based homebuilder Braidwater Group

BGF

The exit follows a decade of sustained growth from Braidwater, and strong regional momentum for BGF, investing over £100m in Northern Ireland to date.

21 August 2025

BGF has successfully exited its investment in Northern Ireland residential developer Braidwater Group, following the company’s decision to buyback equity, after a decade of sustained growth.

Over the past 10 years, Derry-based Braidwater has transformed from a small-scale construction business into one of Northern Ireland’s leading housebuilders, with turnover growing from £4 million in 2015 to £45 million in 2024.

The investment in Braidwater – BGF’s first deal in Northern Ireland back in 2015 – was instrumental in helping BGF to establish a strong foothold in the region.

The partnership has not only supported Braidwater’s transformation, but also played a pivotal role in cementing BGF’s position in the local market. Today, BGF has invested over £100 million in Northern Irish businesses.

Since its initial investment in Braidwater in 2015, BGF has provided two follow-on investments, allowing the family-owned business to scale operations and pursue strategic expansion. The funding from BGF has been instrumental in enabling Braidwater to develop and grow its land bank, build out and evolve its management team, and expand its footprint across the entirety of Northern Ireland.

The company now operates across the region, with notable developments, such as Beech Hill on the Glenshane Road in Derry, and Castle Hill on the Ballygowan Road in Belfast.

In January 2019, Braidwater merged with sister company BW Homes & Construction, to create Braidwater Group – diversifying its offering, and entering the social and affordable housing market. With BGF’s support, the Group professionalised and strengthened its leadership, combining internal promotions with key external hires, to form a resilient and experienced executive team.

Joe McGinnis, CEO of Braidwater, said: “We’re grateful to BGF for their support over the last decade, as we scaled our operations and established the Braidwater Group. Their initial investment gave us the springboard to enter new markets, while follow-on funding instilled us with the confidence to go even further.

“Today, we are in a strong position, with a professionalised team, a significant development pipeline, and a clear strategic vision for the next 10 years. Most importantly, this buyback ensures Braidwater remains a family-run enterprise for the future – something that was always important to us. BGF has been a valued and supportive partner throughout this growth journey.”

Paddy Graham, Regional Partner at BGF, added: “Our partnership with Braidwater has been one of the most significant for BGF in Northern Ireland. It was our first investment in the region, and it gave us a visible and successful platform from which to grow.

“The company had a quality product, a strong team, and a compelling market opportunity in 2015 – and the same is true today. We’re proud to have supported the business through a period of transformation, and are pleased to see the family take it forward with renewed ownership and ambition.

“The success of this partnership has also played a pivotal role in shaping BGF’s presence in Northern Ireland. Today, we’ve invested over £100 million in Northern Ireland, and we remain deeply committed to supporting ambitious businesses across the region.”

BGF recently pledged a further £100 million to Northern Irish businesses, over the next five years, as part of its wider £3 billion, UK-wide strategy to support high-potential companies. Meanwhile, the sale of its stake in Braidwater marks BGF’s third successful exit in Northern Ireland, following deals with waste management company RiverRidge and specialist kitchen manufacturer Uform, which both attracted large private equity investments.

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Gryphon Investors to Sell Shermco to Blackstone in $1.6 Billion Transaction

Gryphon Investors

Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a leading middle-market private investment firm, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company Shermco (“the Company”), a leading player in electrical testing, engineering, maintenance and repair, to private equity funds affiliated with Blackstone (NYSE: BX). The transaction is valued at approximately $1.6 billion.

Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Irving, TX, Shermco is one of the largest electrical testing organizations accredited by the InterNational Electrical Testing Association (“NETA”), providing comprehensive electrical system maintenance, repair, testing, commissioning, and engineering & design services, with more than 600 NETA technicians and 200 engineers across 40 service centers in the U.S. and Canada. Shermco provides critical services for data centers, utilities and other diversified commercial and industrial end-markets, partnering with customers to enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of their critical electrical infrastructure, while minimizing downtime and outages.

Gryphon, which made its initial investment in Shermco in June 2018, partnered with CEO Phil Petrocelli and other members of Shermco management to achieve strong organic growth and operating margin improvement at Shermco, while also building through add-on acquisitions.

Alex Earls, Partner and Co-Head of the Business Services Group at Gryphon, said, “We are proud of the exceptional business building and financial performance achieved by Shermco management, including two-fold revenue growth under Gryphon’s ownership. We are pleased that Blackstone recognized the strength of Shermco’s platform and believe the firm will be an excellent partner for Shermco management in its next phase of growth.”

Mr. Petrocelli commented, “With Gryphon’s support and operational expertise, Shermco has become a highly valued partner for its blue-chip customer base. We look forward to pursuing organic initiatives and making additional add-on acquisitions in partnership with Blackstone.”

Harris Williams served as lead financial advisor to Shermco and Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor to Gryphon.

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About Gryphon Investors

Gryphon Investors is a leading middle-market private investment firm focused on profitably growing,

competitively advantaged companies in the Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth,

Software, and Technology Solutions & Services sectors. With more than $10 billion of assets under management, Gryphon prioritizes investments in which it can form strong partnerships with founders, owners, and executives to accelerate the building of leading companies and generate enduring value through its integrated deal and operations business model. Gryphon’s highly differentiated model integrates its well-proven Operations Resources Group, which is led by full-time, Gryphon senior operating executives with general management, human capital acquisition and development, treasury, finance, and accounting expertise. Gryphon’s three core investment strategies include its Flagship, Heritage, and Junior Capital strategies, each with dedicated funds of capital. The Flagship and Heritage strategies target equity investments of $50 million to $500 million per portfolio company. The Junior Capital strategy targets investments of $10 million to $25 million in junior securities of credit facilities, arranged by leading middle-market lenders, in both Gryphon-controlled companies, as well as in other private equity-backed companies operating in Gryphon’s targeted investment sectors.

About Shermco

Headquartered in Irving, TX, Shermco provides electrical testing, maintenance, commissioning and repair services to a wide range of utility, industrial, energy and other end markets. With more than 40 locations, Shermco serves a diversified blue-chip client base across North America. The Company is an active participant in NETA (the InterNational Electrical Testing Association), EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association), and ACP (American Clean Power Association). For more information, visit www.shermco.com.

Contact:

Lambert

Caroline Luz

203-570-6462

cluz@lambert.com

or

Jennifer Hurson

845-507-0571

jhurson@lambert.com

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CVC DIF delivers three exits in quick succession

DIF
  • CVC DIF exits Boluda Maritime Terminals (BMT) and Mallorca Fire Station, and has signed a sale and purchase agreement to exit TTI Algeciras (TTIA)
  • These deals are returning capital to CVC DIF’s investors in spite of the industry’s difficult exit environment

CVC DIF, the infrastructure strategy of leading global private markets manager CVC, is pleased to announce the successful completion of two portfolio company exits and the signing of another with completion targeted for the next quarter, returning significant capital to investors despite ongoing headwinds in the broader M&A landscape. These deals reflect CVC DIF’s strong portfolio management and commitment to disciplined value creation.

These transactions also demonstrate the strength of CVC DIF’s specialised divestment team, which operates as an integrated function within the investment lifecycle. As part of CVC DIF’s overall value creation model, the team proactively engages across the firm’s portfolio, identifying strategic pathways, cultivating buyer relationships, and optimising timing and structure to maximise value for our investors. This focused approach has enabled CVC DIF to deliver positive outcomes for investors during this recent period of dislocation.

Quotes

These successful exits are a testament to the strength and foresight of the investment teams, as well as our dedicated divestment team.

Gijs VoskuylHead of CVC DIF

Gijs Voskuyl, Head of CVC DIF commented: “These successful exits are a testament to the strength and foresight of the investment teams, as well as our dedicated divestment team. In today’s market, achieving liquidity requires more than just waiting for favourable conditions, it demands preparation, creativity, and deep market connectivity.”

Andrew Freeman, Partner & Head of Divestments at CVC DIF, commented: “Our core focus is on delivering meaningful outcomes for our investors – that means finding and executing exit strategies that others might overlook, and this is especially important when the broader market is subdued.”

Each of the three businesses have developed well during CVC DIF’s ownership period. Boluda Maritime Terminals which owns eight operational terminals in mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, has transformed its commercial strategy, leading to significant growth. Mallorca Fire Station, an availability-based PPP project on the island of Mallorca, Spain, has embraced significant costs efficiencies and operational improvements. TTIA, a port terminal located at the Strait of Gibraltar in Algeciras, Spain, has undergone multiple upgrades to increase volumes and improve the maturity of the terminal.

These three exits follow other recent divestment activity across CVC DIF’s portfolio including the sale of a 1GW+ portfolio of Australian renewable energy projects and the exit from a 169MW portfolio of Uruguayan wind farm projects.

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Ontic Raises $230 Million Series C Led by KKR to Redefine Security Through AI and Connected Security Intelligence

KKR

The investment will accelerate Ontic’s mission to deliver Connected Intelligence at scale across enterprise and public sector security

AUSTIN, TX & NEW YORK – August 21, 2025 – Ontic, a leading software platform for connected security intelligence, today announced it has raised $230 million in Series C funding led by funds managed by KKR, a global investment firm, with participation from JMI Equity, Silverton Partners, Ridge Ventures and Ten Eleven Ventures. This latest funding will accelerate Ontic’s investment in artificial intelligence, bringing faster, smarter threat detection and automation to security teams. The company will also grow its international presence and continue advancing its platform to support both global enterprises and the U.S. public sector.

Founded in 2017 and based in Austin, Texas, Ontic has built a holistic platform that helps security teams efficiently monitor, analyze, and respond to physical threats concerning an organization’s personnel and facilities. The company has scaled into a product leader in the security space, servicing a wide range of enterprise customers including Fortune 50 companies across technology, financial services and consumer goods.

As the risk environment becomes more complex, organizations are increasingly prioritizing physical security solutions and working to unify fragmented security operations, reinforcing the demand for Ontic’s Connected Intelligence Platform, which acts as a command center to help security teams shift from siloed, reactive operations to proactive programs that surface meaningful insights, improve response, and support smarter business decisions. Ontic aggregates open-source intelligence (OSINT) and external threat signals alongside internal data from systems like HR, legal, IT, and facilities. Spanning risk intelligence, incident management, investigations and case management, the platform eliminates manual processes and delivers a common operating picture across the entire risk landscape—from executive protection and workplace violence to insider threats and travel risk.

“Security leaders are being asked to do more than ever—track growing volumes of data, work with limited resources, and still show up as strategic partners to the business,” said Lukas Quanstrom, CEO and co-founder of Ontic. “It’s a heavy lift. This investment is about backing them. It’s about giving them a unified platform—powered by AI and built for real-world complexity—that reduces noise, connects the dots, and helps them lead with clarity and confidence in moments that matter.”

Ontic helps protect organizations that collectively generate nearly $30 billion in revenue and employ over 14 million people—giving their security teams the tools to streamline operations and deliver meaningful ROI. Ontic clients report:

  • Reducing new staffing needs by 33% and cutting investigation time in half at a major tech company.
  • Centralizing incident response across more than 400 locations, reducing inefficiencies and surfacing critical threats earlier for a national grocer
  • Savings of more than $4.5M over three years in cost avoidance at a global enterprise.

“Ontic has shown a remarkable ability to support security teams across industries—from multinational enterprises to federal agencies—by addressing the increasingly complex and data-driven nature of security,” said Jake Heller, Partner and Head of Tech Growth Equity, Americas at KKR. “We believe Ontic is setting the standard for what modern security operations should look like. Their platform is built on a foundation of integrated intelligence rather than point solutions and positions them to be a leader in a market that is demanding consolidation, clarity, and scale.”

KKR has established a proven track record of supporting technology-focused growth companies, having invested approximately $24 billion in related investments since 2016 and built a dedicated global team of 28 investment professionals with deep technology growth equity expertise. KKR’s extensive industry experience, local resources, and global network will help further enhance Ontic’s customer offerings and tap into new segments.

This latest funding builds on Ontic’s $40M Series B investment round, which was completed in November 2021. Existing investors JMI Equity, Felicis Ventures, Silverton Partners and Ridge Ventures will continue their participation in the business.

KKR is funding this investment through its Next Generation Technology III Fund.

Kastner Gravelle LLP served as legal advisor to Ontic and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to KKR.

 

About Ontic

Ontic provides software that helps corporate and government security teams identify threats, assess risk, and respond faster to keep people and organizations safe. Its Connected Intelligence Platform unifies security operations and data into a centralized system of record, enabling organizations to conduct risk assessments, protect against workplace violence, and manage threats and incidents more efficiently. Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies rely on Ontic to support security programs such as executive protection, threat intelligence, and corporate investigations. Learn more at ontic.co or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

About KKR

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

 

Media Contacts:

Ontic

Zander Wharton

Sr. Director, Brand and Communications

zwharton@ontic.co

203.733.2815

 

KKR

Brooke Rustad

Brooke.rustad@kkr.com

 

Will provide a UTM link for this

 

Will provide a UTM link for this

 

Will provide updated UTM link for this

 

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Blackstone Announces Agreement to Acquire Shermco for Approximately $1.6 Billion

Blackstone

New York, NY – August 21, 2025 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) announced today that private equity funds affiliated with Blackstone (“Blackstone”) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Shermco, a leading provider of full life-cycle electrical equipment services, from Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private investment firm. The transaction values the business at approximately $1.6 billion.

Founded in 1974, Shermco is one of the largest electrical testing organizations accredited by the InterNational Electrical Testing Association (“NETA”), providing comprehensive electrical system maintenance, repair, testing, commissioning and design services, with more than 600 NETA technicians and 200 engineers across 40 service centers in the U.S. and Canada. Shermco provides critical services for data centers, utilities and diversified commercial and industrial end-markets, partnering with customers to enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of their critical electrical infrastructure, while minimizing downtime and outages.

JP Munfa and Michael Staub, Senior Managing Directors at Blackstone, said: “Shermco’s maintenance, testing, and commissioning services are vital to maintaining the reliability and safety of mission-critical electrical infrastructure. We are excited to partner with Phil Petrocelli and his exceptional leadership team to build on Shermco’s strong momentum and expand its ability to serve customers nationwide as a trusted provider of essential electrical services.”

David Foley, Global Head of Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, added: “As a leading energy investor focused on investment opportunities related to increasing electrification and the energy transition, we proactively seek out companies with strong, entrepreneurial management and work with them to fully capitalize on growth opportunities, building scale and competitive advantage. Shermco is well positioned to benefit from continued growth in the installed base of technically complex electrical equipment both on the grid and behind the meter and is the twelfth investment commitment from our most recent energy transition fund since the initiation of its investment period in June last year.”

Phil Petrocelli, CEO of Shermco, said: “Partnering with Blackstone marks an exciting next step in our growth trajectory. Together with its scale, resources and deep expertise across the energy industry, we’re excited to continue serving our customers’ critical power-system needs and expand our footprint and capabilities for our talented technicians and engineers – all while maintaining Shermco’s unwavering commitment to safety, service and excellence.”

Shermco represents the latest in a number of recent transactions Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has announced behind its high-conviction investment themes in electrification and the ongoing energy transition, including Enverus, Lancium, Power Grid ComponentsPotomac Energy CenterSediverTrystarWestwood, and others. Blackstone Energy Transition Partners and Blackstone’s private equity strategy for individual investors are each expected to invest in Shermco as part of this transaction.

Stifel and JPMorgan acted as financial advisors and Vinson & Elkins acted as a legal advisor to Blackstone. Harris Williams served as a financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis served as a legal advisor to Gryphon Investors and Shermco.

About Blackstone Energy Transition Partners    
Blackstone Energy Transition Partners is Blackstone’s energy-focused private equity business, a leading energy investor with a successful long-term record, having committed over $27 billion of equity globally across a broad range of sectors within the energy industry. Our investment philosophy is based on backing exceptional management teams with flexible capital to provide solutions that help energy companies grow and improve performance, thereby delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy to meet the needs of the global community. In the process, we build stronger, larger scale enterprises, create jobs and generate lasting value for our investors, employees and all stakeholders. Further information is available at https://www.blackstone.com/our-businesses/blackstone-energy-transition-partners/.

About Shermco
Headquartered in Irving, TX, Shermco provides electrical testing, maintenance, commissioning and repair services to a wide range of utility, industrial, energy and other end markets. With more than 40 locations, Shermco serves a diversified blue-chip client base across North America. The Company is an active participant in NETA (the InterNational Electrical Testing Association), EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association), and ACP (American Clean Power Association). For more information, visit www.shermco.com.

Media Contacts
 
Blackstone
Jennifer Heath
Jennifer.Heath@Blackstone.com
(347) 603-9256

Shermco
Drew Johns
Drew.Johns@shermco.com

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Blackstone Credit & Insurance and Aligned Data Centers Expand Financing Partnership, Surpassing $1 Billion in Commitments

Blackstone

NEW YORK, NY and DALLAS, TX – Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“BXCI”) and Aligned Data Centers, a leading technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable and adaptive Scale Data Centers and Build-to-Scale solutions for global hyperscale, AI/HPC, and enterprise customers, today announced the successful upsize of their existing senior secured credit facility to fund Aligned’s continued growth and accelerate its portfolio strategy.  The upsize brings BXCI commitments to Aligned to over $1 billion and is committed entirely by accounts managed by BXCI’s Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit Group.

The expanded financing partnership supports Aligned’s rapid growth and accelerates the development of the company’s planned 5+ GW of future capacity across the Americas. The investment also positions Aligned to better meet surging demand for adaptive, sustainable and future-ready infrastructure supporting next-generation workloads ranging from high-density AI implementation, to cloud, and enterprise applications.

“Our stakeholders are key partners in our journey. We are thankful for their support as we strategically pursue the vast development opportunities driven by AI, cloud, and enterprise services,” said Meghan Baivier, Chief Financial Officer at Aligned. “This issuance is a testament to the market’s confidence in our long-term strategy and the strength of our entire portfolio. It provides us with an efficient capital structure to fuel our long-term growth and continue delivering industry-leading solutions that scale with our customers’ evolving needs.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Aligned, and this financing is consistent with Blackstone’s focus on providing large scale and flexible high-grade capital solutions to support critical digital infrastructure,” said Rick Campbell, Head of U.S. Private High Grade Credit at BXCI.

Alex Zoeckler, Senior Associate, Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit at BXCI, said, “We are grateful to work with the Aligned team and look forward to continuing to support the company’s infrastructure that powers the digital economy.”

Aligned is uniquely positioned to address the growing demand for AI, cloud, and enterprise services, leveraging its history of successful deployments in scalable locations and over a decade of innovation in both air and liquid cooling solutions optimized for the most powerful Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).

About Aligned Data Centers
Aligned Data Centers is a leading technology infrastructure company offering innovative, sustainable, and adaptive Scale Data Centers and Build-to-Scale solutions for global hyperscale, AI/HPC, and enterprise customers. Our intelligent infrastructure allows densification and vertical growth within the same footprint, enabling customers to scale up without disruption, all while maintaining industry-leading Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). By reducing the energy, water and space needed to operate, our data center solutions, combined with our patented cooling technology, offer businesses a competitive advantage by improving sustainability, reliability, and their bottom line. For more information, visit www.aligneddc.com and connect with us on XLinkedIn and Facebook.

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.

Press and Analyst Inquiries
Jennifer Handshew for Aligned Data Centers
jennifer@180-mktg.com
+1 (917) 359-8838

Thomas Clements for Blackstone
Thomas.Clements@blackstone.com
(646) 482-6088

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Dayforce Enters into US$12.3 Billion Definitive Agreement with Thoma Bravo to Become a Private Company

Thomabravo

Dayforce Stockholders to Receive US$70 Per Share in Cash, a 32% Premium to the Unaffected Share Price

Transaction Aims to Accelerate Dayforce’s Growth, Customer Value, and AI Leadership in HCM

MINNEAPOLIS and TORONTODayforce, Inc. (“Dayforce” or the “Company”) (NYSE:DAY) (TSX:DAY), a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, to become a privately held company in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of US$12.3 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dayforce stockholders will receive US$70.00 per share in cash. The per share purchase price represents a premium of 32% over the Company’s unaffected closing share price on August 15, 2025, the last trading day prior to media reports regarding a potential transaction. The transaction includes a significant minority investment from a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (“ADIA”).

“Dayforce has always stood for a bold promise: to make work life better. As one of the world’s leading enterprise software investors, Thoma Bravo’s commitment amplifies this promise as we partner to grow our business, increase quantifiable value for customers, and further secure our position in AI as a generational software company,” said David Ossip, Chair and CEO of Dayforce. “With Thoma Bravo, we are partnering with a truly special organization to accelerate our business – with our focus, resources, and product innovation all laser-pointed on leaping forward as the HCM leader for a world of work shaped by AI.”

“The Board of Directors believes this transaction will provide immediate and substantial value to Dayforce stockholders and recognizes the valuable organization that the team has built,” said Gerald Throop, Lead Independent Director of Dayforce.

“We are thrilled to be investing in Dayforce, a clear category leader that is poised to define the future of HCM in the age of AI,” said Holden Spaht, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo. “Dayforce’s differentiated platform, global scale, and world-class team make it well-positioned to meet the growing and evolving needs of employers and employees around the world. We see significant opportunity to accelerate growth, deepen customer impact, and continue to drive innovation across the global HCM landscape.”

“Dayforce has built an exceptional business by pairing relentless innovation with a deep commitment to its customers,” said Tara Gadgil, a Partner at Thoma Bravo. “This combination has fueled strong growth and established Dayforce as a partner of choice in HCM. We are excited to build on this strong foundation and momentum alongside them, helping them to move faster, think bigger, and unlock even more market and product potential.”

Transaction Details
The transaction, which was approved by the Dayforce Board of Directors, is expected to close in early 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Dayforce stockholders and the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

Upon completion of the transaction, Dayforce’s common stock will no longer be listed on any public stock exchange. The Company will continue to operate under the Dayforce name and brand.

Advisors
Evercore is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Dayforce and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as the Company’s legal advisor. Financing for the transaction is being provided by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are serving as financial advisors to Thoma Bravo, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as its legal counsel.

About Dayforce
Dayforce makes work life better. Everything we do as a global leader in HCM technology is focused on enabling thousands of customers and millions of employees around the world do the work they’re meant to do. With our single AI-powered people platform for HR, Pay, Time, Talent, and Analytics, organizations of all sizes and industries are benefiting from simplicity at scale with Dayforce to help unlock their full workforce potential, operate with confidence, and realize quantifiable value. To learn more, visit dayforce.com.

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “continue,” “guidance,” “expect,” “outlook,” “project,” “believe” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the benefits of and timeline for closing the merger. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on current expectations and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and may differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Dayforce. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could delay the consummation of the proposed transaction or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement entered into in connection with the proposed transaction; the possibility that Dayforce stockholders may not approve the proposed transaction; the risk that the parties to the merger agreement may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all; risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Dayforce’s common stock; the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction; and the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Dayforce to retain and hire key personnel and to maintain relationships with customers, vendors, partners, employees, stockholders and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally. Further information on factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by the forward-looking statements is included in the Dayforce Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and Canadian securities regulators on February 28, 2025, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings made by Dayforce from time to time with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators. These filings, when available, are available on the investor relations section of the Dayforce website at https://investors.dayforce.com or on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. If any of these risks materialize or any of these assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Dayforce presently does not know of or that Dayforce currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Dayforce assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction between Dayforce and Thoma Bravo, Dayforce will file with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators a preliminary Proxy Statement of Dayforce (the “Proxy Statement”). Dayforce plans to mail to its stockholders and holders of exchangeable shares a definitive Proxy Statement in connection with the proposed transaction. DAYFORCE URGES YOU TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DAYFORCE, THOMA BRAVO, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. You will be able to obtain a free copy of the Proxy Statement and other related documents (when available) filed by Dayforce with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. You also will be able to obtain a free copy of the Proxy Statement and other documents (when available) filed by Dayforce with the SEC by accessing the investor relations section of Dayforce’s website at https://investors.dayforce.com or by contacting Dayforce investor relations at investors@dayforce.com or calling (844) 829-9499.

Participants in the Solicitation
Dayforce and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Dayforce stockholders in connection with the merger.

Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Dayforce, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth (i) in Dayforce’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including under the headings “Proposal One: Election of Directors,” “Executive Team,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Executive Compensation Tables,” “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” which was filed with the SEC on March 13, 2025 and is available at https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1725057/000172505725000064/day-20250313.htm, and (ii) to the extent holdings of Dayforce’s securities by its directors or executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in Dayforce’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3, Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4, or Annual Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 5 filed with the SEC, which are available at EDGAR Search Results https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=0001725057&owner=only.

Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents through the website maintained by the SEC at https://www.sec.gov.

Read the release on Globe Newswire here.

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Abry Partners Launches Collateralized Loan Obligation Platform

Abry Partners logo

Strategy led by seasoned executives Mike Ferrante and Jon Barry

Inaugural CLO priced at $400 million, building on strength of the firm’s Liquid Credit business

BOSTON, MA, August 21, 2025 – Abry Partners (“Abry”), a Boston-based private equity and credit firm, today announced the formal launch of its collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) platform to further build upon the firm’s liquid credit management strategy. The platform will be overseen by Mike Ferrante, CFA, Managing Director and Head of Abry Liquid Credit, and Jon Barry, Head of CLO Structuring. The seasoned team employs a disciplined, diversified investment approach with a focus on capital preservation and loss avoidance.

In connection with the launch of Abry’s CLO platform, the firm also announced the successful pricing of its inaugural CLO, Abry Liquid Credit CLO 2025-1, LLC (“ALC CLO 2025-1”). The $400 million CLO is the first in a program expected to issue two to three transactions annually.

Abry’s senior-led team combines deep underwriting expertise with active portfolio management, building on the firm’s long track record of delivering consistent results across credit cycles. The addition of the CLO strategy is a natural extension of Abry’s expertise in managing diversified portfolios of broadly syndicated loans. The CLO platform is supported by robust middle- and back-office infrastructure, led by Head of Credit Operations Alana Lavelle.

“Launching our CLO platform is an exciting milestone that underscores the strength and maturity of our Liquid Credit business,” said Mike Ferrante. “We continuously strive to deliver the risk-adjusted returns that our limited partners are seeking while building on Abry’s evolution and growth. This initiative reflects our commitment to providing investors with innovative solutions, and we believe that ALC CLO 2025-1 and our future investment vehicles will position us for continued success.”

Under Abry’s existing Liquid Credit strategy, the firm has invested nearly $44 billion in broadly syndicated senior debt since 2008, and currently has $4.8 billion in invested gross assets under management.

Key ALC CLO 2025-1 Terms

• $248.00 mm Class A-1 notes, AAA, 38%, S+140
• $12.00 mm Class A-2 notes, AAA, 35%, S+165
• $44.00 mm Class B notes, AA, 24%, S+180
• $24.00 mm Class C notes, A, 18%, S+210
• $24.00 mm Class D notes, BBB-, 12%, S+325
• $16.00 mm Class E notes, BB-, 8%, S+600

About Abry Partners
Abry Partners is one of the most experienced and successful sector-focused private equity investment firms in North America. Since its founding in 1989, the firm has completed over $90 billion of leveraged transactions and other private equity or preferred equity placements. Currently, the firm manages $17 billion of assets across several fund strategies.

More information about Abry Partners: www.abry.com

Contact
FGS Global
abry@fgsglobal.com
(212) 687-8080

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FieldAI Announces Over $400M in Funds Raised to Advance Embodied AI at Scale

Intel Capital

Backing from Bezos Expeditions, Canaan Partners, Khosla Ventures, Prysm, Temasek, and others to accelerate commercial expansion of first risk-aware foundation models for robotics

Irvine, CA – August 20, 2025 – FieldAI, a leader in physical AI and robotic autonomy, today announced that it has raised $405 million in two consecutive rounds. Investors include Bezos Expeditions, BHP Ventures, Canaan Partners, Emerson Collective, Intel Capital, Khosla Ventures, NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm), Prysm, Temasek, and others. Previous investors include Gates Frontier and Samsung. The latest round was oversubscribed, following rapid customer adoption and multiple expansion contracts for FieldAI’s general-purpose robotics intelligence, with successful testing and deployments across hundreds of complex real-world industrial environments.

FieldAI is at the forefront of the general-purpose robotics revolution, developing a single software brain that is powering a variety of robots in many diverse environments. FieldAI robots are deployed in daily operations at numerous customer sites worldwide. Deployments span a variety of robot types in high-complexity environments from Japan, to Europe, to the U.S., with some of the world’s largest companies in industries including construction, energy, manufacturing, urban delivery and inspection.

FieldAI’s systems operate in real-time autonomously, with decisions made directly by the models at the edge, seamlessly integrating into real customer workflows. They have logged unprecedented real-world data and operational hours, demonstrated a transformative pace of model evolution, and delivered value and cost-effective autonomy at scale. As industries turn to automation to address labor shortages, safety risks, and efficiency goals, demand for FieldAI’s platform continues to accelerate.

Capital to Accelerate Global Expansion

The newly raised capital will accelerate FieldAI’s global growth, support continued product development across locomotion and manipulation, and enable strategic hiring to scale its team as it plans to double headcount by the end of the year.

“Enabling autonomy solutions at scale is an extremely difficult problem, but the deep expertise of the FieldAI team and their unique approach to embodied intelligence reflects a pragmatic path forward,” said Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures. “FieldAI is at the forefront of the general-purpose robotics revolution, and its ability to rapidly deploy will unlock long-term economic and societal value.”

A New Era of Robot Intelligence

At the core of FieldAI’s platform are Field Foundation Models (FFMs): a new class of “physics-first” foundation models built specifically for embodied intelligence. Unlike conventional vision or language models retrofitted for robotics, FFMs are designed from the ground up to grapple with uncertainty, risk, and the physical constraints of the real world. This enables safe and reliable robot behaviors when managing scenarios that they have not been trained on, navigating dynamic, unstructured environments without prior maps, GPS, or predefined paths.

“Our team has spent years in the field, driving major breakthroughs in ‘field robotics’ and safety-critical robotic AI in complex environments,” said Ali Agha, Founder and CEO of FieldAI. “With a deep understanding of the resilience and robustness required to deploy robotic AI in complex real-world conditions, we have taken a fundamentally different approach. Rather than attempting to shoehorn large language and vision models into robotics—only to address their hallucinations and limitations as an afterthought—we have designed intrinsically risk-aware architectures from the ground up. With Field Foundation Models, we are enabling robotic operations to scale seamlessly across diverse environments with varying risk profiles, moving beyond the constraints of traditional solutions.”

The FieldAI architecture marks a breakthrough in the robotics space. FFMs’ robust nature enables the models to safely and dynamically adapt to new and unexpected conditions without requiring reprogramming, enabling robots to execute complex tasks reliably in unstructured environments. FFMs have already been proven across a wide range of embodiments, including quadrupeds, humanoids, wheeled robots, and passenger-scale vehicles. Their hardware-agnostic design allows different form factors and manipulators to operate using the same core intelligence, accelerating deployment and scalability.

“We are excited and privileged to be partnering with the FieldAI team on this next phase of their journey. Their new class of foundation models offers the reliability and adaptability required for autonomous robotics deployment at scale across numerous sectors,” said Jay Park, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Prysm Capital. “FieldAI’s revolutionary models not only greatly broaden possible use cases but also enable risk-aware deployment, a critical element for scaling AI that has the potential to reshape how robots interact with the physical world.”

Led by world-renowned veterans in robotic AI from DeepMind, Google Brain, Tesla Autopilot, NASA JPL, SpaceX, Zoox, Cruise, Amazon, DARPA, TRI, and others, FieldAI combines deep research expertise with unmatched real-world deployment experience. From Mars rovers to Earth’s mines and factories, the FieldAI team has driven landmark breakthroughs in field robotics – winning DARPA challenge circuits, scaling foundation models across autonomous fleets, and delivering autonomy at scale. That ethos of solving for the field is what inspired the company’s name.

About FieldAI

Headquartered in Irvine, CA, FieldAI is a pioneer in developing embodied AI software that is redefining autonomous robot operations in real-world environments. The company’s Field Foundation Models provide an embodiment-agnostic autonomy brain, empowering robots to navigate dynamic and unpredictable conditions without maps, GPS, or predefined trajectories. Proven across diverse platforms – from quadrupeds to humanoids – FieldAI is driving a global expansion that enables industries such as construction, energy, mining, logistics, and federal applications to scale automation like never before. With a robust pipeline of deployments and strategic partnerships accelerating its growth, FieldAI is spearheading a new era in industrial robotics, setting the stage for transformative, large-scale automation worldwide.

For more information, visit www.fieldai.com or contact PR@fieldai.com.