Platinum Equity Invests in Tongrun International

Platinum

Tongrun to leverage Platinum’s operations capabilities and sector expertise in energy resilience and data center end markets

LOS ANGELES (January 15, 2026) – Platinum Equity announced today an investment in Tongrun International, a precision contract manufacturer and provider of value-added services that delivers high-quality sheet metal solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Bonham, Texas, Tongrun provides end to end contract manufacturing solutions to blue chip customers across a diversified mix of high growth sectors.

“Tongrun sits at the center of several powerful long term trends, especially the unprecedented investment in data centers and AI infrastructure. Its ability to pair front end design and prototyping with highly scalable domestic and international manufacturing makes the company an essential partner to the world’s most sophisticated OEMs. ”

Jacob Kotzubei, Co-President, Platinum Equity

Tongrun specializes in fabricating custom metal products — including cabinets, enclosures and racking solutions — for data centers, power generation, telecommunications, medical, gaming, and food and beverage applications. The company offers product design, design for manufacturability, precision manufacturing, assembly, kitting and logistics services.

“Tongrun sits at the center of several powerful long term trends, especially the unprecedented investment in data centers and AI infrastructure,” said Platinum Equity Co President Jacob Kotzubei. “Its ability to pair front end design and prototyping with highly scalable domestic and international manufacturing makes the company an essential partner to the world’s most sophisticated OEMs. With demand accelerating and customers seeking partners that can grow with them, Tongrun is exceptionally well positioned for its next chapter.”

Tongrun has built a robust manufacturing platform capable of supporting highly technical mechanical design through large scale production. The company prides itself on the ability to tailor supply-chain strategies to each customer program and offers a combination of domestic and international production capacity to optimize for cost, speed, and geography.

Demand from the power generation and data center sectors continues to drive increasing order volumes, including for electrical component enclosures used in the buildout of AI infrastructure. The company’s end market customers include some of the world’s largest technology firms, which have announced more than $1 trillion in data center investment with build plans stretching well into the next decade. With meaningful capacity and identified expansion opportunities, Tongrun is positioned to support its current customer base while capitalizing on significant incremental growth.

Tongrun founder and President Brandt Strieby, who retained a significant equity stake in the business, will continue to lead the company going forward.

“Partnering with Platinum Equity represents an exciting opportunity to double down on our accelerating growth trajectory through a strong, collaborative relationship,” said Strieby. “Together, Tongrun and Platinum Equity will drive expansion while maintaining our core focus on manufacturing excellence and unmatched customer service.”

Platinum Equity has deep experience in domestic and international manufacturing operations and in the end markets Tongrun serves. The firm’s current portfolio includes Rehlko (formerly Kohler Energy), a global leader in energy resilience solutions. Platinum Equity also previously owned Vertiv, a global leader in critical digital infrastructure for data centers and communications networks.

“Tongrun has a robust pipeline, an expanding customer base, and a thoughtful plan for scaling capacity, while also needing investment and assistance with execution to fully seize the opportunity in front of it,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Nick Fries. “We see tremendous potential to expand the company’s production footprint, enhance its operational capabilities, and accelerate growth both organically and through targeted add‑on acquisitions that can broaden Tongrun’s capacity, capabilities and customer reach.”

G2 Capital Advisors, LLC served as financial advisor and Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal counsel to Tongrun’s shareholders on the sale to Platinum Equity. O’Melveny & Myers LLP served as legal counsel to Platinum Equity.

About Platinum Equity

Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $50 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 60 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 30 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 500 acquisitions.

About Tongrun International

Tongrun International is a leading precision sheet metal contract manufacturing platform delivering high-quality engineered solutions through a differentiated, end-to-end manufacturing model. The company’s integrated approach combines design-for-manufacturability expertise with comprehensive production capabilities to support global customers across high-growth sectors. www.tongruninternational.com

Categories: News

Tags:

KKR Completes US$2.5 Billion Asia Private Credit Fundraise

KKR

HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the completion of a US$2.5 billion fundraise focused on committing capital to privately originated performing credit investments in Asia Pacific. The fundraise includes US$1.8 billion in KKR Asia Credit Opportunities Fund II (“ACOF II” or the “Fund”) and US$700 million raised from separately managed accounts focused on the same types of investment opportunities.

At close, the Fund is the largest pan-regional performing private credit fund in Asia Pacific. This closely follows KKR’s inaugural Asia Pacific-dedicated private credit fund, KKR Asia Credit Opportunities Fund, which closed at US$1.1 billion in 2022 as the largest inaugural pan-regional fund focused on performing credit. KKR’s Asia Credit platform has signed 10 investments through ACOF II representing US$1.9 billion in KKR commitments, including other pools of capital, and a total transaction volume of US$4.6 billion.

Diane Raposio, Partner and Head of Asia Credit & Markets at KKR, said “Asia is a key pillar of KKR’s global credit strategy. The close of ACOF II demonstrates the breadth and scale we have built across our Asia credit platform, spanning both private and liquid markets. We are seeing growing investor demand for allocation to credit in the region. Our pan-Asia approach and ability to leverage the broader KKR Asia platform uniquely positions us to continue sourcing and executing interesting opportunities across the region for our investors.”

KKR’s Asia Credit platform seeks to provide bespoke private credit solutions to companies and sponsors which harness the strength of KKR’s investment capabilities and its expertise as one of the largest credit managers globally. The Asia Credit team leverages KKR’s local and global resources to source, diligence, and execute investment opportunities to provide borrowers with customized financing and value creation potential while ensuring lender capital protections. Like its predecessor, ACOF II will pursue investments in performing privately originated credit and target opportunities across three primary investing themes, including senior and unitranche direct lending, capital solutions, and collateral-backed investments.

SJ Lim, Managing Director and Head of Asia Private Credit at KKR, said “Private credit remains a relatively nascent yet compelling opportunity across the region. We see strong demand for private credit as an important tool for sponsors or corporates seeking flexible financing solutions and bespoke, partnership-oriented capital to support growth and meet their diverse needs. Our performing credit strategy is based on the same long term structural themes such as rising consumption, urbanization and digitalization that have underpinned the growth of private markets in Asia.”

The Fund received strong support from a diverse group of new and existing investors, including insurance companies, public and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, banks, corporates, and asset managers.

In Asia Pacific, KKR has closed over 60 investments through its Asia Credit strategy since 2019, accounting for approximately US$8.3 billion invested by KKR and total transaction value of US$27.5 billion. This has included providing acquisition financing and bespoke capital solutions for companies and financial sponsors in the healthcare, education, real estate, logistics, and infrastructure sectors. KKR targets credit investments in Australia, Greater China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

Over the past two decades KKR has built one of the largest credit investment platforms globally with the ability to invest across the capital structure and liquidity spectrum. These capabilities are paired with KKR’s approach to proprietary sourcing, capital preservation, and active portfolio management to seek out long-term capital appreciation and attractive risk-adjusted returns. Today, KKR manages approximately US$282 billion of credit assets globally, including approximately US$143 billion in leveraged credit, approximately US$131 billion in private credit, and approximately US$8 billion in strategic investments, as of September 30, 2025. KKR has a team of approximately 250 credit investment professionals across 12 offices globally.

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 Contact
Wei Jun Ong
Media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

 

Download PDF

Categories: News

Tags:

KKR Announces Strategic Partnership With RWE to Realise UK Offshore Windfarms

KKR

Project to deliver c.3GW of new UK offshore wind capacity and support national decarbonisation goals

LONDON & ESSEN, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, and RWE, one of the global leading renewable energy companies, today announced a strategic partnership to jointly realise RWE’s UK Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West offshore wind projects. The two new wind farms will have a combined generation capacity of approximately 3GW.

KKR and RWE will establish a 50:50 joint venture to build and operate the two windfarms, which require over $15bn of total development and capital expenditure to make the windfarms operational by 2029 and 2030 respectively. Together, the offshore wind projects are expected to be able to power over 3 million UK homes with clean energy, further contributing to the UK government’s goal of doubling offshore wind capacity over the next 10 years.

A leading supplier of renewables with a 125-year history in electricity production, RWE has a broad portfolio of renewables and flexible generation capacity, and is Germany’s and the UK’s largest power producer. RWE is the second largest player in offshore wind globally, and owns 19 operational offshore wind farms throughout Europe.

Offshore wind is a key pillar of the UK’s energy system, supplying around 20% of the country’s electricity and underpinning the target of reaching up to 50GW of capacity by 2030. The new windfarms will be located approximately 50 to 80km off the UK’s East Anglia coast in the North Sea and will comprise 184 turbines, offshore substations, and a connection to the National Grid.

Commenting on the announcement, Vincent Policard, Co-Head of European Infrastructure at KKR, said: “We are delighted to be forming this strategic partnership with RWE, a proven leader in offshore wind with an exceptional track record of developing high-quality projects. This investment underscores our conviction in the long-term importance of UK renewables and the central role offshore wind will play in advancing the country’s energy transition. By leveraging our complementary strengths – RWE’s world-class development expertise and KKR’s expertise in investing and owning large scale construction and renewable projects – we are helping deliver a significant addition to the UK’s future offshore wind capacity and support the UK in its decarbonisation journey.”

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind: “We are pleased with the successful outcome of AR7 and are delighted to join forces with KKR as our strategic partner in the Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West offshore wind projects. By combining KKR’s investment know-how in large-scale, complex infrastructure projects with RWE’s extensive offshore wind expertise, we are well positioned to jointly realise these major projects.”

Shreya Malik, Managing Director in KKR’s European Infrastructure team, added: “KKR has built one of the largest renewable energy portfolios globally with a pipeline of over 50GW across its portfolio. We bring a full operational and financing toolkit that is designed to support the delivery of large-scale renewable projects alongside strategic partners like RWE. Our partnership model combines KKR’s know-how in executing on large scale complex infrastructure projects with leading industrial capabilities to accelerate the build-out of critical clean-energy infrastructure. RWE is one of the most respected offshore wind developers, and we are proud to partner with them on this milestone project.”

KKR has extensive experience in investing behind the energy transition with a strong focus on renewable and transition-related assets globally. Since 2011, KKR’s Infrastructure platform has committed more than $31 billion into energy transition and renewables infrastructure globally. KKR’s portfolio also includes over 10 renewable energy developers. In 2024, KKR invested in Encavis, a German renewable energy platform that owns and operates a diversified portfolio of onshore wind farms across multiple European countries. Previous investments have also included the acquisition of a controlling stake in European renewables developer Greenvolt, and a majority equity investment in U.S. solar and storage developer Avantus.

Both projects have received an allocation for Contract for Difference in the UK’s Allocation Round 7 awards, announced today. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

KKR is funding the investment through capital accounts advised by KKR.

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.

About RWE

RWE is leading the way to a modern energy world. With its investment and growth strategy, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide. RWE is one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energy. RWE is investing billions of euros in expanding its generation portfolio, in particular in offshore and onshore wind, solar energy and batteries. It is perfectly complemented by its global energy trading business. Thanks to its integrated portfolio of renewables, battery storage and flexible generation, as well as its broad project pipeline of possible new builds, RWE is well positioned to address the growing global demand for electricity, particularly driving by further electrification and artificial intelligence. RWE is decarbonising its business in line with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway and will phase out coal by 2030. RWE will be net zero by 2040. Fully in line with the company’s purpose – Our energy for a sustainable life.

For more information contact Liidia Liuksila (KKR) at media@kkr.com.

Source: KKR

 

Download PDF

Categories: News

Tags:

CVC DIF has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a significant majority stake in Celeste

CVC|DIF
  • CVC DIF to acquire a c.88% stake in Celeste, a French B2B digital infrastructure operator, serving more than 20,000 businesses and 3,000 municipalities across France and Switzerland
  • CVC DIF will support Celeste in accelerating its development, by expanding its cloud and cybersecurity activities and continuing to strengthen and densify its infrastructure network
  • The investment marks CVC DIF’s first investment from its latest Value Add fund, which invests in companies with strong competitive positions, offering significant growth potential, mostly in digital, energy transition, sustainable transport and healthcare sectors

CVC DIF, the infrastructure business of leading global private equity manager CVC, has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a c.88% stake in Celeste, from Infravia.

Headquartered near Paris, Celeste is a French B2B digital infrastructure operator. The company was founded in 2001, and provides end-to-end digital infrastructure solutions to companies and public-sector organisations across connectivity, hosting and cloud, and cybersecurity services.

Celeste serves more than 20,000 businesses and 3,000 municipalities in France and Switzerland, relying on a fully owned and operated infrastructure platform comprising 13,600km of proprietary fibre network and six data centers. The company is recognised for the quality and reliability of its services and fully controls its value chain. The actual ownership of the infrastructure assets represents a key competitive advantage in the digital infrastructure market, where Celeste stands out as one of the few fully integrated alternative operators.

CVC DIF, through its DIF Value-Add IV fund, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Celeste. As part of the transaction, Nicolas Aubé, founder and CEO, and the management team will reinvest their proceeds into a significant minority stake, ensuring strong alignment with CVC DIF. Infravia Capital Partners will fully exit its investment following the completion of the transaction.

Following the planned transaction, CVC DIF will support Celeste in accelerating its development, with a particular focus on expanding its cloud and cybersecurity activities while continuing to strengthen and densify its infrastructure network. This investment will enable Celeste to further deploy its integrated, end-to-end offering in a market where demand for fibre connectivity, data usage and cybersecurity solutions is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.

Quotes

Our investment in Celeste underlines our expertise and focus on resilient digital infrastructure which provide companies with critical services.

Willem JansoniusManaging Partner at CVC DIF and Head of DIF Value-Add strategy

Willem Jansonius, a Managing Partner at CVC DIF and Head of DIF Value-Add strategy, commented: “Our investment in Celeste underlines our expertise and focus on resilient digital infrastructure which provide companies with critical services. Celeste’s solid proprietary network, integrated resilient model and best-in-class quality of services gives the company a highly attractive competitive positioning. We look forward to working closely with Celeste management to support their exciting growth story over the year ahead.”

Nicolas Aubé, CEO & Founder of Celeste, said: “We look forward to the next chapter of our growth journey with CVC DIF. CVC DIF is a highly experienced infrastructure investor with a deep understanding of the fibre and cloud sectors. Their support will enable Celeste to pursue its expansion, accelerate market consolidation and continue to deliver secured, resilient and high-performance digital infrastructure services to our clients.”

The transaction will require the completion of the information and consultation process with the relevant French employee representative bodies and remains subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions precedent. Completion is expected in Q1 2026.

CVC DIF is advised by Oddo BHF (financial advisor), De Pardieu (legal advisor), 8 Advisory (finance and tax advisor), Phora Capital (commercial advisor), Tactis (technical advisor) and Aon (insurance advisor).

Categories: News

Tags:

myKaarma Accelerates AI-Enabled Service Lane Solutions with Warburg Pincus Investment

Warburg Pincus logo

Long Beach, CA – January 14, 2026 – myKaarma, a leading provider of end-to-end service lane solutions for automotive dealerships, today announced a strategic investment from Warburg Pincus, the pioneer of global growth investing. The investment will accelerate myKaarma’s growth, as the company expands its portfolio of AI-driven fixed ops and payments solutions that help dealerships streamline operations, improve customer experience, and drive revenue. The transaction includes a partial sale by H.I.G. Growth Partners (“H.I.G. Growth”), with Warburg Pincus joining myKaarma’s Board of Directors as part of the transaction.

“myKaarma has more than tripled in size since 2022, and we are thrilled to now have Warburg Pincus as a strategic partner as we continue to expand our AI-enabled service lane and fixed operations solutions,” said Ujj Nath, CEO of myKaarma. “With both H.I.G. and Warburg’s operational support and experience, we are further positioned to help dealerships maximize efficiency, revenue, and customer satisfaction across their service lanes.”

myKaarma offers a comprehensive, cloud-native Workflow AI platform built for franchise auto dealerships. Its suite of solutions helps dealers streamline service leads, operations and payments, enhance customer experience, and improve service advisor and technician efficiency to drive measurable revenue improvement. Since H.I.G.’s initial investment, myKaarma has experienced strong growth through product innovation, category expansion, operational execution, and expansion of its loyal and growing customer base.

“We are proud of the transformation and growth myKaarma has achieved,” said Evan Karp, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital. “We believe Warburg Pincus is the right long-term partner to support the company’s continued innovation and expansion, given their deep domain expertise and strong history of scaling software businesses.”

“myKaarma is the market leader in service marketing, service lane technology, and dealership payments, distinguished by its exceptional customer advocacy. Fixed operations remains a critical profit engine for dealerships and OEMs, and myKaarma leverages innovative AI and embedded finance solutions to help clients deliver best-in-class consumer outcomes. We look forward to applying our expertise in automotive technology, integrated payments, and generative AI to support the company’s continued growth,” said Michael Ding, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus. “We are excited about myKaarma’s long-term growth trajectory, and our investment will help scale the company’s offerings to enable auto dealerships across the country to optimize their service center profitability and unlock additional value,” added Allison Ross, Principal, Warburg Pincus.

The equity for the transaction is being provided by Warburg Pincus Capital Solutions Founders Fund (“WPCS FF”), which closed in September 2024 with over $4 billion in commitments.

myKaarma was advised by Houlihan Lokey and TD Securities.

RBC Capital Markets served as financial advisor to Warburg Pincus.

About myKaarma

myKaarma is a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions that transform the after-sales service experience at automotive dealerships. Its integrated platform includes communications, appointment scheduling, payments, video inspections, and analytics tools used by thousands of dealers to increase efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability. For more information, visit mykaarma.com.

About H.I.G. Growth Partners

H.I.G. Growth Partners is the dedicated growth capital investment affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm with $74 billion of capital under management.* H.I.G. Growth seeks to make both majority and minority investments in strong, growth-oriented businesses located throughout North America, Europe, and Latin America. H.I.G. Growth Partners considers investments across all industries but focuses on certain high-growth sectors where it has extensive in-house expertise, such as technology, healthcare, internet and media, consumer products and technology-enabled financial and business services. H.I.G. Growth strives to work closely with its management teams to serve as an experienced resource, providing broad-based strategic, operational, recruiting, and financial management services from a vast in-house team and a substantial network of third-party relationships. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at HIGgrowth.com.

About Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus LLC is the pioneer of global growth investing. A private partnership since 1966, the firm has the flexibility and experience to focus on helping investors and management teams achieve enduring success across market cycles. Today, the firm has more than $100 billion in assets under management, and more than 215 companies in their active portfolio, diversified across stages, sectors, and geographies. Warburg Pincus has invested in more than 1,100 companies across its private equity, real estate, and capital solutions strategies.

Warburg Pincus’ Capital Solutions team collaborates closely with the firm’s 290+ investment professionals and approximately 75 value creation executives across Warburg Pincus’ global industry verticals, critical to sourcing and underwriting differentiated, attractive investments. In addition to a long and successful track record of investing in capital solutions-like transactions historically, the Warburg Pincus Capital Solutions Founders Fund portfolio consists of investments including DriveCentric, Excelitas Technologies, MB2 Dental, MIAX, Nord Security, Service Compression, and United Trust Bank.

The firm is headquartered in New York with more than 15 offices globally. For more information, please visit warburgpincus.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Laurie Halter

Charisma! Communications

503-816-2474

Laurie@charismacommunications.com

Corilus and Sofia Développement Join Forces to Build a Leading European Healthcare Software Platform

Rivean

Transaction combines two complementary players, creating a European leader in digital solutions for outpatient care professionals across Belgium and France

Ghent & Paris – Corilus N.V. (“Corilus”) and Sofia Développement (“Sofia”), two leading providers of healthcare software for outpatient professionals, today announced that they have joined forces, creating a leading European platform that will serve over 70,000 practitioners across Belgium and France. The platform is backed by PSG Equity and Rivean Capital (“Rivean”).

Sofia is a leading French provider of practice management software for nurses, physiotherapists, and speech therapists, used by more than 38,000 healthcare professionals. IK Partners (“IK”) acquired a stake in Sofia in March 2022 via the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund, joining existing shareholders, Extens, Capital Croissance and Bpifrance. Corilus, headquartered in Belgium, offers multi-specialty healthcare software that supports, among others, around 40,000 general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists, pharmacists, and specialists.

Both Corilus and Sofia have a shared vision to build a transformational European healthcare software provider for outpatient care. Corilus’ experience in scaling healthcare software as a service across multiple professions and strength in patient engagement, combined with Sofia’s deep network across the French outpatient market, will help enable the platform to deliver efficient, innovative solutions for healthcare professionals.
Together, the two companies create a highly complementary platform with significant opportunities to drive growth. The combined group is well positioned to continue expansion across core healthcare professions and accelerate its product roadmap through the integration of new AI-powered tools and telehealth capabilities — including Sofia’s Harry AI assistant and Corilus’ Helena (Pro) solution — as well as accounting and invoicing modules such as Sofia’s ComptaSanté. The partnership also creates a solid foundation for further expansion in outpatient care across Europe.

“We are excited to welcome Sofia into the Corilus group. Together, we have the opportunity to shape the future of outpatient care through technology, combining two innovative teams, two strong markets, and one shared goal to make healthcare more efficient, connected, and patient-focused,” said Franck Frayer, CEO of Corilus.

“Joining forces with Corilus marks an exciting milestone in Sofia’s journey. By combining our deep understanding of the French outpatient market with Corilus’ experience and scale, we are creating a stronger platform that will help simplify the lives of healthcare professionals. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank IK for all their support over the past four years, as well as our historical shareholders Extens, Capital Croissance and Bpifrance which have supported Sofia since 2017” said Geoffroy Lapointe CEO of Sofia.

“We are proud to have supported Sofia’s growth journey and to see the business take this next step alongside Corilus. This partnership creates a solid foundation for continued innovation and expansion, and we are confident that the combined group will play a leading role in shaping the future of digital healthcare in Europe,” said Arnaud Bosc, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK SC III Fund.

“At PSG Equity, we are committed to backing European software champions that shape the future of their industries. The combination of Corilus and Sofia creates a platform with the scale and innovation needed to accelerate the digital transformation of outpatient care, including through GenAI solutions, and improve outcomes for practitioners and patients alike,” said Dany Rammal, Managing Director and Head of Europe at PSG Equity.

“Rivean Capital is proud to back the combination of Corilus and Sofia. Together, they have the expertise and vision to set a new standard for European healthcare software innovation, and we are excited to support the next phase of their growth journey,” said Nicolas Linkens, Senior Partner at Rivean.

PSG Equity and Rivean will remain the joint majority shareholders of the combined group, continuing to support its next chapter of growth.

About Corilus
Corilus develops and provides cloud-based innovative software solutions for healthcare providers: general practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, midwives, specialists, ophthalmologists, opticians, nurses, physiotherapists, and elderly care homes. Corilus offers a full suite of products and support services that care providers use to perform their daily jobs. Approximately 40,000 care professionals in Belgium and France use Corilus software every day. Corilus employs around 400 staff based in Belgium and France. For more information, visit www.corilus.be.

About Sofia Développement

Sofia Développement is a vertical software and service solution provider dedicated to independent healthcare professionals, primarily nurses, speech therapists and physios. Sofia supports more than 38,000 healthcare professionals — designed together with those who use it every day to help them focus on what truly matters: their patients.

IK Partners
IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €20 billion of capital and invested in over 200 European companies. IK supports companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit ikpartners.com.

IK is an affiliate of the Wendel Group. For more information, visit wendelgroup.com.

About PSG Equity
PSG Equity (“PSG”) is a growth equity firm that partners with software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities, and build strong teams. Having backed more than 160 companies and facilitated over 530 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology, and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, London, Paris, and Madrid. To learn more about PSG, visit www.psgequity.com.

About Rivean Capital
Rivean Capital (“Rivean”) is a leading European private equity investor in mid-market transactions with operations in the Benelux, DACH region, and Italy. Rivean has assets under management in excess of €5bn and has offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Milan, and Zug. Since its inception in 1982, Rivean has supported more than 250 companies in realizing their growth ambitions and has a strong track record of supporting and scaling successful high-tech businesses with cross-border growth agendas, including footprint expansions and operational excellence trajectories. For more information, visit www.riveancapital.com.

Media Contacts

Corilus
Dieter Roman
Dieter.roman@corilus.be

Sofia Développement
Clément Pouget-Osmont
clement.pouget-osmont@sofia.dev

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

PSG
Kate Pledger/Isabella Durant
pro-psg@prosek.com

Rivean Capital
Maikel Wieland
m.wieland@riveancapital.com

Categories: News

StarLIMS Announces Strategic Investment By Turn/River Capital

Franciso Partners

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., [January 13, 2026] — StarLIMS, a global enterprise informatics platform for laboratories, today announced a strategic investment by Turn/River Capital, a leading software private equity firm. Existing investor Francisco Partners will exit its investment as a result of this transaction.

StarLIMS powers manufacturing and research lab operations worldwide. The company enables greater data automation and visibility, regulatory control, and workflow management, with a product suite that includes: Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN), Laboratory Execution Systems (LES), and Scientific Data Management Systems (SDMS). Looking ahead, StarLIMS sees a significant opportunity to responsibly embed AI across its platform and operating model to accelerate insight generation, extend automation at scale, and drive durable value for customers.

Turn/River’s investment marks an important milestone in StarLIMS’ evolution, positioning it to accelerate its product innovation, deepen customer engagement, and expand into new markets. “Our mission has always been to empower laboratories with data-driven insights and robust informatics solutions that make scientific work more efficient, compliant, and connected. Turn/River’s deep experience scaling global software companies will help us accelerate our mission and impact,” said Trey Cook, Chief Executive Officer of StarLIMS.

Turn/River’s investment underscores its commitment to advancing software companies that are critical to modern industries. “StarLIMS represents the type of software leader we seek: innovative, mission-driven and essential to its customers’ success,” said Matthew Amico, Partner at Turn/River Capital. “We’re excited to partner closely with the StarLIMS team to build on this strong foundation and accelerate product innovation and customer value,” added Priya Diwakar, Senior Vice President at Turn/River Capital.

“It has been rewarding to partner with Trey and the leadership team at StarLIMS to strengthen its position as a leading provider of laboratory informatics software,” said Ezra Perlman, Co-President at Francisco Partners. “We look forward to StarLIMS’ continued success in this next chapter,” added Nick Nelson, Vice President at Francisco Partners.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to Turn/River. Harris Williams served as the exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Francisco Partners and StarLIMS.

About StarLIMS
As a recognized leader in LIMS and informatics solutions, StarLIMS is committed to providing quality products and services to over 1,100 customers across the globe. Found in more than 2,000 laboratories, StarLIMS serves life sciences, CDMOs, food & beverage, chemical, agrochemical, oil & gas, consumer goods, contract testing, R&D, public health, and clinical diagnostics organizations. With a modern R&D ELN incorporated into its portfolio, StarLIMS addresses the critical challenges customers face in finding an advanced platform that supports them from R&D through commercialization.

About Turn/River Capital Turn/River Capital is a private equity firm that applies a proprietary growth engineering strategy to investing, partnering with software businesses to accelerate growth and build enduring value. The firm’s team of equal parts investors and operators provides hands-on operational support and the flexible capital to systematically scale marketing, sales, and customer success at its portfolio companies. Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, Turn/River invests globally with a focus on North America and Europe. Learn more at www.turnriver.com

About Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 25 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in over 500 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. With over $50 billion in capital raised to date, the firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

Media Contacts
Carlos Roig
Clear Hill Strategies for Turn/River Capital
T: +1 415.305.6590
media@turnriver.com

Francisco Partners
Prosek Partners
Pro-FP@Prosek.com

Categories: News

Tags:

Ahold Delhaize USA Announces Strategic Investment from Blackstone Credit & Insurance to Advance State-of-the-Art Distribution Center in Burlington, N.C.

Blackstone

SALISBURY, N.C. – Leading grocery retail group Ahold Delhaize USA today announced a definitive agreement under which funds managed by Blackstone Credit & Insurance will invest $475 million in connection with a triple net lease transaction to construct a highly automated grocery distribution center in Burlington, N.C.

Under the triple net lease agreement, Blackstone Credit & Insurance will own the facility and fund 100% of in-scope construction costs. Once construction is complete, Ahold Delhaize USA will lease the facility for long-term use, with an option to purchase the site in the future under pre-agreed terms.

“We are pleased to support Ahold Delhaize USA and enable a critical long‑term investment in its U.S. supply chain,” said Christopher Yonan, Head of European Infrastructure, Blackstone Credit & Insurance. “This investment reflects our focus on partnering with leading investment grade corporations globally by providing flexible, low-cost capital through our credit and insurance platform.”

Ahold Delhaize USA and ADUSA Distribution previously announced plans in October 2025 to develop an $860 million, highly automated distribution center in Burlington, N.C. (Guilford County). The facility is expected to add more than one million square feet of additional distribution infrastructure, delivering fresh and frozen grocery items to Food Lion stores.

“Ahold Delhaize USA, along with ADUSA Distribution, is proud to partner with Blackstone Credit & Insurance on this new distribution center,” said JJ Fleeman, CEO, Ahold Delhaize USA. “Through the new distribution center, ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation will expand their capacity to support Food Lion’s growth in the state, along with bringing new jobs. We continue to be very excited about locating this facility in North Carolina as we grow our presence in a state where our companies have done business for more than 65 years.”

The investment is structured to align the timing of costs with the long-term benefits of the facility. The long-term lease approach supports a project of this scale, reduces refinancing risk and enables Ahold Delhaize USA to deploy capital efficiently to advance major infrastructure investments.

Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with an anticipated start of operations in 2029. The site is expected to employ over 500 associates within ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation companies over time.

J.P. Morgan acted as exclusive financial advisor to Ahold Delhaize USA and A&O Shearman served as legal counsel to Ahold Delhaize USA. Milbank LLP acted as legal counsel to Blackstone Credit & Insurance.

About Ahold Delhaize USA 
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which also includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands: Food Lion, The GIANT Company, Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. When considered together, the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest in the nation, serving 26 million omnichannel customers each week. For more information, visit www.adusa.com.

About Blackstone Credit & Insurance
Blackstone Credit & Insurance 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.

Blackstone Credit & Insurance’s Infrastructure and Asset Based Credit group manages over $100 billion and has over 80 investment professionals, as of September 30, 2025. The platform is focused on providing investment grade credit, non-investment grade credit and structured investments across the real economy in sectors such as infrastructure, commercial finance, fund finance, consumer finance and residential real estate loans.

Media Contact
mediarelations@adusa.com

Categories: News

Tags:

Defense Unicorns Raises $136 Million Series B to Build the Software Backbone of the Department of War

BainCapital

Reaching a $1B valuation underscores Defense Unicorns’ role as modern foundational infrastructure for secure software delivery across critical military platforms.

SAN ANTONIO – Jan. 13, 2026 – Today, Defense Unicorns, the leader in airgap software delivery for national security mission systems, announced the completion of a $136 million Series B financing round led by Bain Capital. The investment brings the company to unicorn status with a valuation exceeding $1 billion, driven by the company’s rapid and profitable growth. The company has seen a 300% increase in adoption year-over-year in military systems.

The Department of War is prioritizing modernization and speed, and Defense Unicorns’ platform addresses a critical infrastructure challenge by enabling secure, rapid software updates across disconnected environments from submarines, ships, and aircraft to forward operating bases. Warfighters often operate in conditions where connectivity is limited or nonexistent, and the ability to deploy software updates securely and instantly is now essential to mission success. Unicorn Delivery Service (UDS) bridges high security requirements while supporting partners and allies with modern software solutions essential for next-generation national security capabilities.

“Defense Unicorns gives our nation a wartime software advantage,” said Dr. Rob Slaughter, CEO of Defense Unicorns. “The U.S. has significant commercial software advantages, but the systems we go to war with are typically outdated. At Defense Unicorns, we make software a strategic deterrent by making it easy to deploy and operate software in any mission environment,” continued Dr. Slaughter.

The funding round was led by Bain Capital’s Tech Opportunities fund, the growth technology platform of Bain Capital. With participation from Ansa Capital, Sapphire Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, AVP, Uncorrelated Ventures, and the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus.

“We are thrilled to support Defense Unicorns as it works to ensure that U.S. service members have access to the most advanced, secure, and rapidly deployable software possible. Defense Unicorns plays a vital role in helping the military modernize mission systems, enabling capabilities that directly improve readiness, resilience, and operational advantage in the field,” said Dewey Awad, a Partner at Bain Capital Tech Opportunities. “We believe Defense Unicorns is building foundational infrastructure for modern defense,” added Zach Berger, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Tech Opportunities. “The company combines unmatched technical expertise with a deep understanding of how the military operates, and that combination is critical to delivering real, measurable impact for service members who rely on software in high-stakes environments.”

Demand for secure software delivery continues to rise. Marco DeMeireles, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Ansa Capital, stated, “We’ve been proud to partner with Defense Unicorns since the Series A, and our continued investment reflects the conviction we’ve built watching the team execute against an incredibly complex and mission-critical problem. What Rob and the team have built is foundational infrastructure for modern defense, and this next chapter only reinforces the scale of impact ahead.”

The new capital will enable Defense Unicorns to further scale and integrate open-source and commercial dual-use technology throughout the U.S. military and allied forces. To address the most critical modernization needs in defense, the company plans to advance product development across the following strategic products:

  • UDS: A secure, portable, airgap-native runtime platform, purpose-built to solve DOW-specific software delivery challenges. UDS makes deploying and updating software on military systems fast and easy, with essential tools for packaging, deploying, monitoring, and sustaining mission applications.
  • UDS Registry: The first software registry of its kind to offer the speed, reliability, and mission-critical performance required by military systems operating in the most extreme environments. UDS Registry gives the U.S. and our allies an American-maintained solution that secures our software supply chain and maintains trust and reliability across the software development lifecycle.
  • UDS Army: A new approach to accelerate the continuous delivery of secure, mission-ready software to soldiers. UDS Army gives commercial software vendors a faster, simpler path to bring their capabilities to Army missions by combining secure DevSecOps pipelines with pre-authorized cloud environments.

“Before UDS, there was no open, secure, and airgap-native modern software delivery capability for warfighters. More than just a piece of software, UDS is an entire open ecosystem of tools and technologies purpose-built to securely bring capabilities to the field faster. I’m grateful for the incredible teams at Defense Unicorns that continue to evolve UDS to bring even more technical advantage to our nation’s heroes,” concluded Co-Founder and CTO Jeff McCoy.

About Defense Unicorns
Defense Unicorns is a veteran-owned defense technology company founded in 2021 by Rob Slaughter, Jeff McCoy, and Andrew Greene to make software a strategic deterrent for the U.S. Department of War. The company builds open-source, airgap-native technologies that enable the secure development, delivery, and sustainment of mission software across cloud, on-premises, and tactical edge environments. Defense Unicorns’ technology is trusted by the operators of some of the most critical systems in the world, including the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and Space Force.
Learn more at https://defenseunicorns.com.

About Bain Capital 
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit &Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850employees, and approximately $185 billion in assets under management. Bain Capital’s Tech Opportunities business (baincapitaltechopportunities.com) aims to help growing technology companies reach their full potential. We focus on companies in large, growing end markets with innovative or disruptive technology where we believe we can support transformational growth. Our dedicated, tenured team has deep experience supporting growing technology businesses—bringing together differentiated backgrounds in private and public equity investing as well as technology operating roles. We invest behind fundamental long-term tailwinds as technology penetrates across industries, creating a large and growing number of investment opportunities. To learn more, visit www.baincapital.com. Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

 

Eddie de Sciora

Categories: News

Tags:

Bain Capital Real Estate Closes on $5 Billion in New Capital, Expanding Scale Across High-Conviction Strategies

BainCapital

Firm completes fundraising for Real Estate Fund III, with $3.4 billion in commitments

BOSTON – January 13, 2026 – Bain Capital today announced the close of more than $5 billion in new capital across its real estate strategies, including the completion of fundraising for Bain Capital Real Estate Fund III (“Fund III” or the “Fund”), with approximately $3.4 billion in total commitments. Fund III received significant support from a diverse group of new and existing limited partners globally, and includes $300 million from Bain Capital employees and alumni, underscoring the firm’s long-standing commitment to ensuring alignment with its investors.

The final close of Fund III follows Bain Capital Real Estate’s recent $1.6 billion capital raise alongside 11North Partners, which will invest through their co-owned, open-air, necessity-based retail operating platform. Together, these raises, along with additional co-investments, represent more than $5 billion of investible capital across Bain Capital Real Estate strategies, enhancing the firm’s ability to invest selectively and at scale across its highest-conviction themes. These successful capital formation efforts represent a significant increase over the $3 billion in total commitments raised by Bain Capital Real Estate Fund II.

Fund III continues to reflect Bain Capital Real Estate’s research-driven, thematic investment approach, providing curated exposure to sectors that complement traditional real estate portfolios. The team invests behind long-dated secular trends, partners with experienced operators through dedicated platforms, and maintains a disciplined, flexible approach as market conditions, pricing, and liquidity evolve. Within that framework, Fund III is focused primarily on value-add opportunities in demand-driven, supply-constrained, and often hard-to-access sectors where active ownership and operational improvement can drive accelerated performance. Core areas of focus include urban infill industrial, open-air retail, leisure and hospitality, medical outpatient buildings, for-rent townhomes, senior housing, marinas and storage facilities, and digital real estate assets.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our limited partners and their conviction in our strategy and growing platform, which has delivered strong performance through one of the most challenging real estate cycles in decades,” said Ryan Cotton, Partner and Head of Bain Capital Real Estate. “Our thematic focus, underpinned by rigorous analysis and collaboration across Bain Capital’s platform, combined with disciplined selectivity and active management, positions us well to invest successfully across cycles. Looking ahead, we believe we are competitively advantaged to capitalize on long-term secular trends driven by changes in how people live, work, and spend, and we remain committed to building enduring partnerships with investors and operators who share our long-term view.”

The Bain Capital Real Estate team has built a differentiated sourcing edge, including the ability to originate opportunities off market by leveraging Bain Capital’s platform advantages, thematic insights, and experience executing complex transactions. Further, the team has strengthened its capabilities through the recent establishment of real estate-dedicated Asset Management, Debt Capital Markets, and Investor Relations functions. Notable recent investments include the acquisition of a leading private golf club platform in partnership with Bain Capital Private Equity; the acquisition of a portfolio of 10 open-air retail centers across Florida and South Carolina, most of which are anchored by Publixthe acquisition of an industrial portfolio primarily located in Northern New Jerseythe acquisition of Boathouse Marine Center, a dry-stack marina in Pompano Beach, Florida; and the acquisition of an approximately 122,000 square-foot medical outpatient facility in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

About Bain Capital Real Estate
Bain Capital Real Estate pursues investments in often difficult-to-access sectors underpinned by enduring secular trends that drive long-term demand growth for real estate assets and services. The Bain Capital Real Estate team has invested and committed over $10.7 billion of equity across multiple sectors as of September 30, 2025. Bain Capital Real Estate focuses on assets where the team applies its deep industry expertise to accelerate impact and drive operational improvements. Bain Capital Real Estate’s strategy aligns with the value-added investment approach that Bain Capital pioneered and leverages the firm’s global platform and significant experience across asset classes to further bolster its insights and sourcing capabilities. Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms, with approximately $215 billion of assets under management. For more information, visit https://www.baincapitalrealestate.com.

 

Categories: News

Tags: