Category Archives: News

Nordic Capital-backed Sunrise Medical completes strategic acquisition of Ride Designs

Nordic Capital

Sunrise Medical, a world leader in advanced assistive mobility solutions, is pleased to announce its strategic acquisition of Ride Designs, a renowned industry leader in premium custom seating systems for wheelchair riders. This acquisition marks a significant expansion of Sunrise Medical’s custom seating offerings, clinical expertise, and service capabilities, perfectly complementing the extensive range of manual and powered mobility products Sunrise Medical already offers.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Denver, USA, Ride Designs has built its reputation as an industry leader in designing and delivering highly specialised seating systems for wheelchair riders.

In recent years, Ride Designs has also been successfully developing, implementing, and optimizing the advanced 3D printing technologies for mass production of such highly customised products.

The company has thrived by adhering to a set of core principles backed by the in-depth expertise of its founders Tom Hetzel and Joe Bieganek, and the heritage from the prosthetics and orthotics industry, which include direct rider engagement through the Aspen Seating Clinic. In addition, the portfolio of Ride Designs benefits from evidence-based product and technology development supported by broad collaborations and research with reputable institutions and universities. This ensures that the company’s leading-edge innovations are always well integrated with user centric approach and science backed data.

The unique market reach of Ride Designs, through extensive clinical education and certification of skilled complex rehabilitation technology clinicians and providers, also demonstrates a steadfast commitment to clinically differentiated solutions that are optimized to personalized customer care.

Thomas Babacan, President and CEO of Sunrise Medical, said: “We’re very excited to welcome Ride Designs into the Sunrise Medical family. We firmly believe that this acquisition has high strategic importance and offers mutual benefits for both parties. By joining forces with Ride Designs, Sunrise adds a high-end custom seating offering to our Seating and Positioning product portfolio, similar to RGK for the manual wheelchairs range and Magic for the power wheelchairs range.”

“The acquisition not only addresses and significantly expands the broad spectrum of seating and positioning requirements for wheelchair riders worldwide, but also brings valuable clinical expertise and advanced 3D printing technologies and competences into the Group. Together with Ride’s seasoned management team and highly skilled workforce, Sunrise Medical now has an even stronger product range, clinical expertise, and operational competences to offer the best suited seating solutions to all wheelchair riders. This optimises their mobility in terms of clinical functionality, comfort, posture, and skin integrity,” Babacan added.

Tom Hetzel, CEO and Co-Founder of Ride Designs, said: “We’re thrilled to become part of the Sunrise Medical group. Ride Designs has always been dedicated to helping wheelchair riders achieve the best possible fit to enhance their quality of life. This aligns seamlessly with Sunrise Medical’s mission of improving people’s lives. Ride Designs and the Aspen Seating Clinic have long been pioneers in specialised seating development. We’re especially proud of our latest 3D printing technology manufacturing capabilities.”

He added: “We’re very passionate to bring our advanced, clinically differentiated solutions to as many riders as possible. The strengths of the two companies complement each other very well. Sunrise Medical’s existing comprehensive mobility offering, global sales networks, business resources, and infrastructure will significantly accelerate Ride’s global outreach and expansion. We’re committed to providing uncompromising solutions to address skin and postural challenges, and we believe that Sunrise Medical is our strongest partner in achieving our mission.”

Ride Designs adds to Sunrise Medical’s strong track record in M&A which is a key pillar in its business strategy. Recent successful strategic acquisitions in 2022 include The Helping Hand Company, a UK-based company specializing in pressure management and pediatric products, and Budapest-headquartered NOW Technologies, a technological research and development company focusing on digital and software innovations of wheelchair control systems.

In 2020, Sunrise Medical also acquired James Leckey Design, along with its subsidiaries Firefly Friends and Vida Global, a global leader in specialized pediatric therapeutic devices, as well as Oracing, a Spanish designer and manufacturer of innovative made-to-measure sports wheelchairs and power assist products. With the Ride Designs acquisition, Sunrise Medical and Ride Designs aim to revolutionise the world of custom seating and further empower wheelchair riders to live their lives to the fullest.

For more information, please contact:
Carol Liu
Senior VP Corporate Development & Strategic Marketing, Sunrise Medical
e-mail: carol.liu@sunmed.com

About Sunrise Medical
Committed to improving people’s lives, Sunrise Medical is a world leader in design, manufacturing and distribution of innovative, high-quality assistive mobility products and services. Distributed in 130+ countries under its own 17 proprietary brands, the key products include manual and power wheelchairs, power assist products, motorised scooters, seating & positioning systems, and daily living aids. Operating in 23 countries, Sunrise Medical is headquartered in Malsch, Germany, and employs 2,600+ associates worldwide. To find out more, please visit www.sunrisemedical.com

About Ride Designs
Sharing in that commitment to improving people’s lives, Ride is committed to creating wheelchair seating systems that help protect skin, enhance mobility, improve function, and optimize posture. Ride Designs hosts the Aspen Seating Clinic at our Denver, Colorado headquarters where world class athletes and Paralympians, as well as the most discerning of wheelchair riders, come for seating solutions. With its beginnings in 1998, Ride Designs has expanded its presence across North America and beyond.

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Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Portfolio Company Technical Safety Services Acquires Controlled Evironment Management

Levine Leichtman

Technical Safety Services (“TSS” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (“LLCP”), announced that it has acquired Controlled Environment Management, LLC (“CEM”). Based in Gilbert, Arizona, CEM is a provider of controlled environment testing, validation, certification, and calibration services required in high-performance, regulated pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare settings.

TSS is a leading provider of testing, inspection, certification, and calibration (“TICC”) services to customers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, and other life sciences end markets. TSS provides on-site technical services mandated to occur at regular intervals to ensure all clients remain in compliance with regulatory standards. The Company’s services are performed across the lifecycle of a customer facility and ensure the compliant operation of controlled environments such as clean rooms, bio-safety cabinets, medical gas systems, high-purity water systems, laboratory equipment, and more. TSS was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in La Jolla, California.

Marc Boreham, President and CEO of TSS, commented, “We are delighted to welcome CEM to the TSS platform. The CEM team brings significant expertise and dedication to high-quality service, which will further enhance TSS’s support for our valued clients across key strategic capabilities and geographies.”

Matthew Rich, Partner at LLCP, stated, “We are pleased to demonstrate our continued support for the TSS team in this acquisition, which further expands the Company’s geographic presence within the Southwest. We look forward to the continued execution of TSS’s growth and value creation plan through additional strategic M&A and associated growth initiatives.”

The acquisition of CEM is TSS’s seventh since being acquired by LLCP in 2022.

TSS is a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners VI, L.P.

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Karnell Group AB (publ) acquires K-Vagnen

Karnell

Karnell Group AB (publ) (“Karnell”) has today completed the acquisition of Vagnsteknik i Karlshamn AB (“K-Vagnen” or the “Company”). K-Vagnen develops and manufactures trailers for landscaping and had sales of approximately SEK 82 million during the last financial year with good profitability. The Company’s current owners continue to work in the Company and remain as partners. The intention is to continue to develop the business in Karlshamn, where the Company is based, and grow K-Vagnen together with existing and new customers.

K-Vagnen is a leading manufacturer of trailers and equipment for landscaping. The company’s products are sold under its own brand and include, among other things, leaf suction trailers, irrigation trailers, weed control equipment with hot water, dump trailers and other trailers. The company’s end customers are mainly in the landscaping sector, both service companies but also municipalities, cemeteries, golf courses, real estate companies and others, which have their own service organization. The dump trailers are also sold to customers in agriculture and construction. K-Vagnen conducts its business with product development, design and manufacturing in Karlshamn in properties owned by the Company, which are included in the acquisition. K-Vagnen was founded in 1986 and has a well-known brand in the industry with a leading position in its niche. The Company is known for its Swedish-made smart and high-quality products and its focus on high customer satisfaction. The majority of the sales are in Sweden. K-Vagnen will be part of Karnell’s business area Product Companies.

“We are pleased to welcome K-Vagnen, with Jörgen Olsson and Fredrik Due at the forefront, to our group and look forward to working together to continue to grow and develop the Company. We are impressed by K-Vagnen’s growth journey and the effort that Jörgen and Fredrik have made to take the Company to its current position. There is great potential to continue to grow the Company together with new and existing customers both in Sweden and abroad. The green trend in the industry is very strong with growing demand for fossil-free solutions, which also contribute to lower noise levels. K-Vagnen is at the forefront in this regard and already offers electrical products across the entire product range.”, says Petter Moldenius, CEO of Karnell.

“We look forward to working together with Karnell and taking K-Vagnen to the next level together. We get a strong strategic partner who can support us in the continued development of the business and help us take the next step. We continue to have great ambitions for K-Vagnen and see many opportunities to continue to grow, both in Sweden and abroad”, says Jörgen Olsson, CEO of K-Vagnen.

Karnell acquires 90.1% of the shares with an option to acquire the remaining shares in the Company after the annual report for 2026 has been approved. The sellers also invest a total of SEK 5 million of the purchase price in newly issued shares in Karnell Group AB (publ).

Stockholm, September 29, 2023

For further information, please contact:

Petter Moldenius, CEO Karnell Group AB (publ) +46 8 545 891 00

Or visit our website: www.karnell.se

Karnell Group AB (publ) is a long-term and active owner of small and medium-sized industrial technology companies. Karnell has a perpetual ownership horizon and thus provides entrepreneurs and family-owned companies with a responsible and long-term partner that continues to develop their businesses in a decentralized ownership model where decisions are made locally in the group companies, and thus closest to the end customer. Karnell currently owns 10 companies in Sweden and Finland and intends to list the group on the stock exchange.

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CellFE secures $22 million in Series A financing

M Ventures

CellFE secures $22 million in Series A financing to advance microfluidics-based cellular engineering platform

Financing led by M Ventures, with participation from GreatPoint Ventures, Riverine Ventures and existing investors Cota Capital, Dynamk Capital, Elm Street Ventures, Embark Ventures, EGB Capital and Khosla Ventures.

ALAMEDA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — CellFE Inc., www.cellfebiotech.com, a life sciences tools company developing a microfluidics-based cell engineering platform dedicated to transforming the development and manufacturing of advanced cell therapies, today announced the completion of a $22 million Series A financing led by M Ventures, with participation from Great Point Ventures and Riverine Ventures as well as existing investors Cota Capital, Dynamk Capital, Elm Street Ventures, Embark Ventures, EGB Capital, and Khosla Ventures.

The continued clinical and commercial success of advanced biologic therapeutics, such as engineered cell and gene therapies, is driving substantial growth opportunities in this emerging segment of life sciences. Therapy developers are forging partnerships with technology providers, such as CellFE, to advance innovative solutions, with the aim to benefit patients seeking better therapeutic options. CellFE’s innovative, non-viral, microfluidic cell engineering platform, Infinity MTx™ system, performs complex genetic cell editing through streamlined, advanced workflows. The platform ensures gentle cell treatment, rapid cell recovery, and superior yield of healthy cells, enabling unparalleled scalability and significant time and cost efficiencies in development and manufacturing. CellFE empowers therapy developers to accelerate the ongoing evolution of advanced cell therapies across a spectrum of therapeutic areas, unlocking a groundbreaking shift towards true decentralized and point-of-care manufacturing in the cell therapy sector. The launch of the Infinity MTx system at the recent ASGCT 2023 Annual Meeting elicited broad interest from top innovative cell therapy developers globally.

With our clear path to help redefine cell therapy manufacturing, we are excited to have the backing of such esteemed investors who recognize the potential of our technology and the strength of our team

Alla Zamarayeva, CEO of CellFE

“Our vision of advancing the platform to a decentralized and point of care application will expand access to cell therapies for millions of patients.” “While viral cell engineering methods have been dominating the industry to date, high costs, limited editing capabilities, regulatory hurdles, and safety concerns are driving a shift to non-viral methods. CellFE presents a unique technology platform addressing key industry pain points across viral, but also other non-viral methods,” said Christian Uhrich, Principal at M Ventures. “Offering efficient, flexible, and consistent payload delivery, superior cell health, user-friendly workflows, and process scalability from development to manufacturing, we believe the company offers a compelling value proposition for the increasing number of therapy developers seeking novel solutions. We are delighted to join the company that Alla and the CellFE team have built at this exciting time and to support the company’s future development, growth, and overall vision.”

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Eurazeo completes its investment in BMS GROUP

Eurazeo

Eurazeo, through its Mid-large buyout team1, has completed its £355M investment in BMS Group and acquired c.34% of its share capital. Eurazeo and its affiliates joined BMS alongside its existing shareholders British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), Preservation Capital Partners (PCP) and BMS’ management and employees. Eurazeo and BCI together are majority shareholders with co-control of the Company for its next phase of growth.

Established in 1980, BMS is a leading independent (re)insurance broker delivering comprehensive, customised solutions in the field of wholesale, reinsurance and retail insurance as well as capital markets advisory services. Headquartered in London, BMS benefits from a strong reputation for placement of large and complex risks and operates across 16 countries with 33 offices around the world (US, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Europe, Asia and Middle East).

Eurazeo, BCI and PCP will support Nick Cook, Group CEO of BMS, and the rest of the BMS senior management team to pursue its proven growth strategy. The investment from Eurazeo and other shareholders is expected to enable BMS to further expand its global foothold both organically and through an active M&A strategy. Since the announcement of Eurazeo’s investment on December 23rd 2022, BMS has completed 10 acquisitions and continued its strong growth trajectory.

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£8.3mn series B investment round for TravelLocal

Gresham House

Gresham House Ventures participates in £8.3mn series B fundraising round for existing portfolio business TravelLocal, a global tailor-made holidays platform, alongside Puma Private Equity and Active Partners, helping to accelerate the company’s international growth. 

TravelLocal is a global brand and receives bookings from clients worldwide, as a managed marketplace. It is growing rapidly, as travellers demand genuinely authentic, more sustainable holidays and prioritise spending on experiences, annual bookings are over USD 50mn and are growing over 100% year on year. The new additional funding will support the company’s international growth, including investment in its managed marketplace platform and further brand marketing (including broadcasting its latest TV advert “Global Travel, Local Experts”).

TravelLocal’s innovative model is revolutionising tailor-made holidays, by connecting its customers directly with handpicked, trusted local travel experts based in their destination – who know their country better than anyone. This combines the benefits of human advice from vetted local experts, the convenience of being able to book online and full consumer financial protection (through ABTA and ATOL in the UK). Since the business was founded in 2016, TravelLocal has helped more than 70,000 customers create the perfect trip.

The TravelLocal platform enables bookings with over 500 individual local travel experts around the world, who create truly personalised itineraries directly with and for the client. They work in 271 curated partner companies and are the ‘hidden stars’ of the legacy travel industry, to whom clients now have direct access by booking with TravelLocal. They have extensive experience of advising international clients. Many travellers care deeply about making their holidays more responsible and sustainable, and TravelLocal’s approach helps to fulfil this, by enabling direct access. By dealing directly with experts in locally incorporated companies, who know and care passionately about their communities and ecosystems, more client spend remains in the local economy of the destination.

This Series B funding round follows the highly successful merger in July 2021 of TravelLocal (UK) and Trip.me (Germany), both now fully integrated under the TravelLocal brand. TravelLocal has offices in Bristol and Berlin with colleagues also working remotely across the world. This follow-on is Gresham House Venture’s third investment in the company, with Active Partners, following the Series A and the merger in 2021.

Tom Makey, Investment Director at Gresham House Ventures said:

“This marks another important milestone for the talented TravelLocal team. The business performed strongly through the pandemic thanks to its innovative, agile approach, and it has continued this success ever since, adapting to the evolving dynamics of the travel sector and the demand from customers for a more authentic and responsible experience. We look forward to supporting the business in its next phase of growth.”

Tom Stapleton, CEO at TravelLocal said:

“TravelLocal has performed very strongly again coming out of the pandemic as people travel extensively – and increasingly with a strong desire to do so in a more sustainable, meaningful way, that supports local people and economies. Our unique business model enables everyone to do just that. This funding round reflects the excellent growth opportunity we now have, and the first class team we have built to tackle it.”

 

Media enquiries

KL Communications

gh@kl-communications.com

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North acquires Ensure International Insurance Broker (West)

Polaris

NORTH, which is Denmark’s first independent consulting firm in the fields of commercial insurance, corporate pensions, financial procurement, and mortgage credit, has today acquired Ensure International Insurance Broker (West). They offer impartial and expert-based advice, as well as selection and evaluation of insurance providers for businesses in Jutland and Funen in the western parts of Denmark. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

“Ensure International Insurance Broker (West) is a well-regarded and well-managed company with deep advisory expertise and long-standing customer relationships. I am pleased that they are now joining the NORTH community, allowing us to strengthen our market position in Jutland and Funen. We have been considering enhancing our presence in western Denmark for some time, as we already have a dozen employees residing in the Aarhus area, and we can now consolidate our efforts by joining forces in a mutual office space,” says Group CEO Lars Gundorph of NORTH

Please see the following press release:
Danish

English

For more information, please contact:

Polaris
Rune Lillie Gornitzka, Partner
Phone: +45 2462 1464
Mail: rg@polarisequity.dk

Thorsten Spurr Madsen, Director
Phone: +45 3165 2395
Mail: tma@polarisequity.dk

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Virgin Pulse and HealthComp Announce Intent to Merge to Create Comprehensive Employer Health Platform

New Mountain Capital

Joining forces to improve health outcomes, lower costs, and empower members through a next generation health technology and data platform

New Mountain Capital, Marlin Equity Partners, Blackstone and Morgan Health to back combined entity, the industry’s first Health Platform-as-a-Service

Providence, RI, and Fresno, CA, September 27, 2023 – Virgin Pulse, a leading global digital-first health, wellbeing, and navigation company, today announced its intent to merge with HealthComp, a next generation benefits and analytics platform. The merger will create a technology and data powered health platform-as-a-service organization poised to tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges. The combined entity will aim to improve health outcomes and lower costs for members and employers by empowering better information and decision making. By using an advanced technology and data platform that leverages AI, the combined organization will deploy innovative and flexible health plan designs that drive improved member health outcomes, engagement, and awareness across the most important aspects of a person’s healthcare journey.

As the healthcare industry evolves, the desire for an integrated experience in the employer- sponsored benefits ecosystem has grown exponentially. This combination will create a set of assets that will integrate plan design, plan management, payment integrity, health navigation, preventative care, and digital therapeutics through the Homebase for Health user-centric platform. Together, the combined entity expects these assets will create a better experience and lower costs for members and employers, while providing expanded opportunities for insurers and brokers to continue to partner with the combined entity.

“This combination with HealthComp creates a new category in the health space that will change the way employers address the two-fold challenge of reducing costs and improving member outcomes. Our two companies have a shared mission to improve individual outcomes by engaging users early and often, and making health and wellbeing more accessible, affordable, and personal for all,” said Chris Michalak, Virgin Pulse CEO. “Together, we are addressing a problem that has plagued the industry for years – a misaligned, complex benefit structure that results in unmet needs and escalating costs. We are eliminating waste, friction, and preventable risks by putting members and their needs at the center of the ecosystem.”

“Self-insured employers pay for almost half of the nation’s healthcare expenditures and now require more innovative and affordable solutions,” said Chad Harris, HealthComp CEO. “With concierge-level service, rich analytics, and expert medical cost management, HealthComp ensures that employers can make informed benefits decisions that align with the needs of their employees and businesses. Powered by Virgin Pulse’s daily wellbeing engagement and data- driven personalization, this transaction creates an end-to-end platform that will radically lower costs and improve member outcomes.”

“The combination of Virgin Pulse and HealthComp creates the first national Value-Based Care platform company focused on Employee Health & Outcomes. We are excited to work with Morgan Health, Blackstone, and Marlin, to bring innovation at scale to this market,” said Matt Holt, President, Private Equity and Managing Director at New Mountain Capital.

“We have been working to build an innovation platform company in the employer space for more than five years. This transaction represents a significant milestone by forming a leading platform-as-a-service company focused on delivering better outcomes and greater affordability,” added Kyle Peterson, Managing Director at New Mountain Capital.

“The employer-employee health landscape is ripe for change and the mission of the combined HealthComp and Virgin Pulse is aligned with Morgan Health’s mission to improve the quality, equity and affordability of employer-sponsored health care,” said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health.

Upon closing of the transaction, Chris Michalak will serve as CEO of the combined entity, where he will continue building upon the Homebase for Health vision and expanding the value proposition for clients and the market at large. The combined entity will serve more than 20 million members and address costs for more than 1,000 self-insured employers. HealthComp’s powerful analytics will also benefit Virgin Pulse’s health plan and health system clients by providing closed-loop data on health outcomes and the true ROI of investing in member experience and wellbeing programs.

The merger is expected to close in Q4 2023, subject to regulatory approvals and satisfaction of all closing conditions under the definitive agreement. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. HealthComp is backed by New Mountain Capital and Virgin Pulse is backed by Marlin Equity Partners. New Mountain Capital will be the majority owner of the combined entity. Blackstone Credit has committed to support the deal with strategic financing.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor to HealthComp. HealthComp’s legal counsel was Ropes & Gray LLP. Evercore acted as financial advisor to Virgin Pulse, with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and McDermott Will & Emery LLP serving as legal advisors.

About Virgin Pulse

Virgin Pulse is a leading digital-first health, wellbeing, and navigation company that empowers organizations across the globe to activate populations, improve health outcomes, and reduce spend in an era of accelerating cost and complexity. Virgin Pulse’s Homebase for Health® connects data, people, and technology to deliver high tech, human touch experiences that engage and reward individual journeys. Virgin Pulse impacts over 100 million people across 190 countries by helping Fortune 500, national health plans, and many other organizations change lives – and businesses – for good. For more tips and insights, connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About HealthComp

HealthComp, a New Mountain Capital company, has a customized and responsive approach to health benefits administration. We advocate for our members to get the best possible care suited for their unique needs. Our next generation benefits and analytics platform brings together concierge-level service, best-in-class operations, powerful analytics, and expert medical cost management. HealthComp integrates seamlessly with any benefits ecosystem to drive a personalized experience that delivers higher clinical outcomes at lower costs.

HealthComp has offices in California, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. For more information, visit https://healthcomp.com.

About New Mountain Capital

New Mountain Capital is a New York-based investment firm that emphasizes business building and growth, rather than debt, as it pursues long-term capital appreciation. The firm currently manages private equity, credit and net lease investment strategies with over $45 billion in assets under management. New Mountain seeks out what it believes to be the highest quality growth leaders in carefully selected industry sectors and then works intensively with management to build the value of these companies. For more information on New Mountain Capital, please visit https://www.newmountaincapital.com.

About Marlin Equity Partners

Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with approximately $9 billion of capital commitments. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company’s outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 200 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.

About Morgan Health

Morgan Health is a JPMorgan Chase business unit focused on improving employer-sponsored health care. Through its investments and the advancement of accountable care, Morgan Health is working to improve the quality, equity and affordability of employer-sponsored health care for JPMorgan Chase employees, their families and the U.S. health system. The business is led by Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health, reporting to Peter Scher, Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Morgan Health is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Visit www.morganhealth.com.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $1 trillion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

 

Media Contacts

Virgin Pulse

Julie Sculley

julie.sculley@virginpulse.com

HealthComp

HealthComp Marketing Team

healthcompmarketing@healthcomp.com

New Mountain Capital

Dana Gorman / Matthew Butler

H/Advisors Abernathy

dana.gorman@h-advisors.global / matthew.butler@h-advisors.global

Marlin Equity Partners

Peter Spasov

pspasov@marlinequity.com

Gasthalter & Co.

marlinequity@gasthalter.com

Morgan Health

Anne Pace

anne.pace@chase.com

Blackstone

Matthew Anderson / Kate Holderness

matthew.anderson@blackstone.com / kate.holderness@blackstone.com

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Quilvest Capital Partners Real Estate and Dromeus Capital Group to invest over €100 million in sustainable Greek logistics program expansion

Quilvest

27 September 2023 – Quilvest Capital Partners (“Quilvest”), a leading global private
investment firm and Dromeus Capital Group (“Dromeus”), an alternative investment manager
focused on Greek commercial real estate, are pleased to announce the launch of a joint
venture (the “Joint Venture”) to invest over €100 million in the acquisition and development of
industrial and logistics properties across Greece, with a strong emphasis on sustainable
assets.

The Joint Venture is focused on developing modern logistics assets that adhere to the highest
ESG standards, which include using sustainable construction materials and installing
photovoltaic panels to generate discounted renewable energy, as well as EV charging points
to power electric vehicles.

Building upon the success of a pilot investment completed in 2022, the Joint Venture is
currently in the process of advancing its inaugural project – a 42,000 sqm LEED Gold-certified
warehouse situated in Elefsina, West Attica. As the main logistics hub of Athens, West Attica
offers convenient access to the Attica ring road, the main motorways, the Port of Piraeus, and
the broader Athens metropolitan area. Furthermore, plans to expand the site by an additional
30,000 sqm are on the horizon, planned in the next two years.

The Athens logistics market has been showing strong growth fundamentals, fuelled by
Greece’s economic recovery, the rise of e-commerce in the country, and the increasing
importance of the Port of Piraeus as a gateway to Europe for global trade. The lack of modern
stock able to fulfil tenants’ demands has led to very low vacancies for prime warehouses and
significant rental level appreciation, a trend set to continue.

As the majority shareholder and financial partner, Quilvest has a distinguished track record of
partnering with local investors and managers globally to capitalise on investment opportunities
in sectors with strong fundamentals and growth potential. In the logistics/industrial sector,
Quilvest has acquired c. 700k sqm of real estate since 2015 and has demonstrated a
successful experience in aggregating and exiting portfolios in Europe and the US.
Michael Kandarakis, Partner and Co-Head of Real Estate at Quilvest, commented: “We are
delighted to introduce Herod, Greece’s first sustainability-focused logistics platform of
significant scale. It is a natural extension of a 10-year record of investing in the industrial and
logistics sector in Europe and the US. Our goal is to support Greece’s growing economic and
trading activity by developing storage space that adheres to the highest efficiency and ESG
standards. We are thrilled by our collaboration with the talented team at Dromeus.”

Achilles Risvas, CEO and Founder of Dromeus Capital Group, said: “We are very excited to
formally launch our logistics platform, Herod. The surging demand for modern, Grade-A
logistics warehouses coupled with the lack of existing supply underpins our investment thesis.
With Quilvest’s extensive expertise and resources, we have a powerful ally in our mission to
redefine the Greek logistics landscape.”
ENDS

About Quilvest Capital Partners:
Quilvest Capital Partners is a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on the midmarket. It operates four investment strategies: Real Estate, Funds & Co-Investments, Direct
Private Equity and Private Debt.
As one of the earliest pioneers in the alternative investment industry, Quilvest takes pride in
its rich and extensive history, with decades of experience deploying capital across multiple
business cycles and environments. The firm is trusted to manage over $7bn AUM for a
prestigious base of global investors, including leading pension plans, sovereign wealth funds,
insurance companies, and family offices. Quilvest’s heritage dates back more than a century
to 1917, when it began managing the wealth of the company’s founding shareholder, the
Bemberg family, which it continues to do to this day.
With six offices worldwide, the team is focused on identifying the global trends and themes
underpinning each investment strategy. In real estate, where the firm invests across Europe
and the US, the focus is on inefficient “niches within niches” in the lower mid-market value add
space, where risk is mispriced and competition scarcer. Since its inception in 2012, the team
has acquired $1.2bn of real estate across 30 transactions.
Quilvest overlays this thematic approach with an extensive global network of highly valued
relationships, enabling the team to identify and invest in the best opportunities for investors
and partners.

Quilvest Capital Partners is committed to the highest standards of excellence offering best-inclass infrastructure and the professionalism of a global investment firm, while retaining the
deeply personal, entrepreneurial, nimble approach rooted in its origins.
For more information, visit www.quilvestcapitalpartners.com

About Dromeus:
Dromeus Capital Group is an alternative investment management firm with a thematic, valueoriented investment philosophy. Established in 2008, the firm concentrates on a select
number of high-conviction thematic ideas with asymmetrical risk-reward characteristics.
These themes encompass a broad spectrum, including distressed investments, real estate,
digital infrastructure, and geographic-specific or sector-specific strategies.
In 2017, Dromeus ventured into the real estate investment sector, guided by its belief that
Greece’s improving macroeconomic conditions and several sector-specific dynamics provided
an opportune environment for targeted commercial real estate investments. Employing a
thematic investment strategy, Dromeus strategically allocated resources to Greek real estate
assets, spanning various risk levels, with a particular focus on opportunities within the office
and logistics sectors. Presently, Dromeus operates a robust local investment platform,
employing a team of 21 dedicated real estate professionals based in Athens. The company
owns and manages a diverse portfolio comprising 27 commercial real estate assets, with a
Gross Asset Value surpassing €0.5 billion.

For more information, please visit www.dromeuscapital.com.
Media contacts:
Greenbrook
Tashi Lassalle / Sofia Newitt
+44 (0) 20 7952 2000
QuilvestCapital@greenbrookadvisory.com

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Azurity Pharmaceuticals acquires KKR-backed Slayback Pharma

KKR

WOBURN, MA – Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Azurity”) is pleased to announce the closing of its acquisition of Slayback Pharma LLC (“Slayback”) today from existing investors including KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Everstone Capital. Slayback is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Azurity.

The acquisition brings together companies with complementary strengths, enhancing Azurity’s ability to realize its purpose of Serving Overlooked Patients. The combined development portfolios are expected to yield a significant number of new medicine launches over the coming years.

Azurity leverages its integrated capabilities and vast partner network to continually expand its broad commercial product portfolio and robust pipeline. The company’s patient-centric approach is evident in its diverse array of products catering to various medical needs, including cardiovascular, central nervous system, endocrinological, gastrointestinal, anti-infectives and oncology. Many of Azurity’s medicines are dose-form innovations for patients with needs that are not met by other commercially available therapies.

“I am delighted to announce this combination and the increased potential it brings to do more for overlooked patients,” said Richard Blackburn, CEO of Azurity. “The complementary expertise of the two companies in developing innovative dose forms will result in a strong pipeline of new medicines to meet the needs of patients. We will bring the commercial expertise of Azurity to Slayback’s pipeline and look forward to introducing an even wider range of dose-forms and formulations to meet a broader set of patient needs.”

“The combination of Slayback and Azurity is a union of highly complementary capabilities: Azurity’s innovative commercial acumen and Slayback’s exceptional R&D platform. I am proud of Slayback’s team, our track record of developing complex products with unmatched speed at scale, and the rich history we have built together. I am delighted to join forces with Azurity to help forge a combined entity that is truly one of a kind” added Ajay Singh, Founder and CEO of Slayback.

“We are pleased to add Slayback’s complementary product pipeline and robust R&D capabilities to Azurity. The acquisition of Slayback accelerates Azurity’s strategic growth plan and enhances our ability to launch multiple innovative new drug products into the market every year to serve overlooked patients,” said Jeff Edwards, Partner at QHP Capital, the majority owner of Azurity.

“We have enjoyed working closely with Ajay and Slayback’s impressive management team to scale and support the platform as a leading provider of complex pharmaceuticals,” said Ali Satvat, Partner and Global Head of Health Care Strategic Growth at KKR. “Together we have established an extensive pipeline that Azurity will further build upon, helping to increase accessibility to health care for patients.”

Greenhill & Co. served as financial advisor and White & Case served as legal advisor to Azurity.  Leerink Partners served as lead financial advisor and Raymond James as co-advisor to Slayback while Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Slayback.

About Azurity Pharmaceuticals:

Azurity is a privately-held pharmaceutical company specializing in providing innovative, high-quality medicines that serve overlooked patients. Azurity supplies a large number of products to treat a wide range of medical conditions. These include cardiovascular, central nervous system, endocrine, gastro-intestinal, anti-infective and oncology medicines. Many of Azurity’s medicines are dose-form innovations for patients with needs that are not met by other available products. Azurity’s medicines have benefited millions of people. For more information, please visit www.azurity.com.

About QHP Capital:

QHP Capital is an investor in technology and services companies in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. QHP traces its heritage back to Quintiles (now IQVIA) and NovaQuest Capital Management. QHP has built an investment platform to provide strategic capital and industry expertise in partnership with strong management teams. The investment team consists of seasoned investment and operational professionals with significant investment experience and deep life science and healthcare expertise. QHP benefits from an extensive network of industry experts and relationships that assist in identifying, analyzing, and growing QHP’s portfolio companies. QHP also manages the NovaQuest Private Equity funds. For more information, please visit www.qhpcapital.com.

Contacts:

For Azurity Pharmaceuticals
Ronald L. Scarboro
rscarboro@azurity.com


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