IK Partners raises €2.0 billion for fourth Small Cap fund

IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK” or “the Firm”), a leading European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that it has closed its fourth Small Cap fund, the IK Small Cap IV Fund (“IK SC IV” or “the Fund”), at its hard cap with commitments of €2.0 billion. The Fund’s predecessor, IK Small Cap III, raised €1.2 billion in 2021.

IK SC IV was oversubscribed at its hard cap in less than six months after its launch, having attracted significant interest from a high-quality institutional investor base across EMEA (71%), North America (18%) and Asia (11%). 80% of the capital raised is from existing investors across the IK Platform, reflecting continued investor confidence and support.

The Fund has already made one investment and will continue to employ the same investment strategy focused on growing business across IK’s core sectors of Business Services, Healthcare, Consumer and Industrials, supporting companies with enterprise values between €80 million and €200 million. Like its predecessor, IK SC IV also includes a dedicated pool of Development Capital (€600 million) which will focus on investing in smaller companies valued between €20 million and €80 million.

IK launched its Small Cap strategy in 2015 and has since invested in 56 transactions across four funds. Collectively, the funds have thus far realised a total of over €2.1 billion in proceeds, representing 128% of invested capital. This translates into a money multiple of 3.1x on the 25 investments exited.

The closing of the IK Small Cap IV Fund follows a period of record deal activity for IK, which saw it invest in 21 new companies and exit 11 since the start of 2024. During this period, the Firm also held closes on funds totalling in excess of €6 billion in commitments, including €505 million raised for the IK Strategic Opportunities I Fund — its first continuation fund — in April 2024 and more recently, the €3.3 billion close of the IK X Fund, IK’s 10th Mid Cap fund, in April 2025.

Christopher Masek, CEO of IK Partners, said: “We are pleased to announce the close of our fourth Small Cap fund, building on IK’s long-standing expertise in the lower mid-market. Investor appetite for this strategy continues to grow, reflecting the strength of our local sourcing model and the compelling opportunities in this segment. With record activity in 2024 and robust performance in the first half of 2025, we arewell positioned to continue supporting ambitious businesses and creating long-term value across our portfolio.”

Kristian Kemppinen, Managing Partner and Head of Small Cap Strategy, commented: “A decade after we launched our first Small Cap Fund, we continue to benefit from positive market dynamics at the lower end of the mid-market. IK’s multi-strategy offering has allowed us to remain resilient in the face of an ever-evolving landscape, with the positioning of our Small Cap strategy offering us more choice and opportunity than ever. Building on our long-established track record, we look forward to deploying IK SC IV at a disciplined pace.”

Mads Ryum Larsen, Managing Partner and Head of Investor Relations, said: “We offer our sincere thanks to each of our investors — existing and new — for continuing to place their trust in IK by contributing to the successful close of yet another Small Cap fund, the largest we’ve raised to date. Following on from the successful close of our biggest flagship fund earlier this year, we are reassured of their support and belief in the success of our investment approach. We remain grateful for their continued confidence and backing.”

For further questions, please contact:

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

H/Advisors Maitland
Finlay Donaldson
Phone: +44 (0) 7341 788 066
finlay.donaldson@h-advisors.global

About 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

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Ardian to support future growth strategy of international home care provider Dovida

Ardian

Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm, acquires a majority stake in Horizon Home Care Group AG, a Swiss-based international provider of non-medical home care services operating under the name Dovida (“Dovida”). An agreement to this effect was signed. Ardian is acquiring the shares from the previous majority shareholder and company founder Paul Fritz, asset manager Unigestion, and Swiss family office Verium. Paul Fritz will continue to lead the firm as CEO and, along with Verium, will reinvest significantly in Dovida as part of the transaction. Dovida’s management will also hold a stake in the company. Further details and financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2007, Dovida employs approximately 12,000 individuals who provide home care services to those in need, enabling its clients to continue living in their own homes as long as possible and in accordance with their preferences. Dovida offers a wide range of non-medical services, including companion care, home help, basic care, overnight assistance, dementia care, as well as support for palliative situations and caregiving relatives. Dovida’s services not only enhance the quality of life for clients but also contribute significantly to society by alleviating pressure on inpatient care facilities, which are experiencing capacity constraints in many regions.

In addition to its domestic operations in Switzerland, the Rheinfelden-based company maintains a significant presence in Ireland, Australia, and the Netherlands, where it operates over 70 local branches. Dovida is recognized as a leading provider within its sector in numerous markets. This achievement is largely attributed to the company’s strong reputation for delivering high-quality care, as reflected by outstanding satisfaction ratings from both clients and employees. Central to this success is Dovida’s excellent management team, unwavering commitment to service quality, and well-established internal processes developed within a founder-managed company. Over nearly two decades since its inception, Dovida has built on this basis to realize successful international expansion, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. With Ardians’ support, the company plans to continue and accelerate this growth trajectory and further internationalize its operations. Throughout this process, Dovida remains committed to maintaining an uncompromising high standard of care as its core promise to its clients.
“Partnering with Ardian is an honour and a testament to our successful track record. The quality standards provided by Dovida are increasingly setting the benchmark in our industry. With the expertise of Ardian in developing and internationalising companies, we are now opening up completely new opportunities to tap into new markets, improve people’s quality of life in those markets and take the strain off their families and the local healthcare system.” Paul Fritz, Company Founder and CEO, Dovida
“Dovida provides solutions tailored to the demands of an aging society. The company recognizes both the growing need and the importance of enabling individuals who require assistance to remain in their familiar environments for as long as possible, while supporting their independence. Dovida’s excellent reputation is a key contributor to its ongoing success. We appreciate the trust which founder Paul Fritz has placed in Ardian as a future partner, and we look forward to working together with him and the global management team.” Yannic Metzger, Managing Director, Expansion, Ardian

Participants

  • Ardian

    • Ardian: Yannic Metzger, Dirk Wittneben, Nicolas Münzer, Janine Paustian, Bastian Spleiter
    • Financial / Tax: Deloitte
    • Commercial: LEK
    • Legal (Corporate / Financing / Structuring): Niederer Kraft Frey
    • ESG: AXA Climate
    • Insurance: Marsh
    • M&A Advisory: Lincoln International

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment firm, managing or advising $180bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,850 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 20 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.

At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

ABOUT DOVIDA

Dovida provides person-centred home care which is carefully designed to support, empower and uplift individuals, and enhance their quality of life. Dovida’s global footprint spans six countries (Australia, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland) delivering nine million hours of care each year. With a global presence and a local touch, Dovida delivers care that’s personal, empowering, and impactful.

Press contact

Ardian

Charles Barker

ardian@charlesbarker.de+49 69 79409026

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AARO Joins Forces with Aico & Mercur to Form Unified and Complete Financial Corporate Performance SaaS Platform; Michael Teixeira Named Group CEO

AKKR Logo

Accel-KKR, a global technology-focused investment firm, today announced the successful closing of AARO, a leading provider of Corporate Performance Management (CPM) solutions, and bringing together AARO with financial software providers, Aico and Mercur. This marks a significant milestone in the formation of a unified company focused on delivering the most comprehensive, unified SaaS platform for finance and performance management in EMEA for the Office of the CFO.

To lead this newly formed group, Accel-KKR has appointed Michael Teixeira as Group Chief Executive Officer. Michael brings extensive leadership experience in scaling high-growth technology companies and will guide the strategic vision and growth of the combined entity.

A Transformative Merger for Financial Leadership

The combined entity of AARO together with Aico and Mercur cements its category leadership in EMEA, bringing together deep expertise across the financial close, planning and reporting spectrum:

  • Aico: Automates and streamlines financial close processes.
  • Mercur: Powers xP&A, budgeting, forecasting, business intelligence and financial analytics.
  • AARO: Provides enterprise-grade consolidation and group reporting solutions.

Together, they create a powerful unified SaaS platform for finance and performance management that empowers finance and executive leaders with automation, compliance and actionable insights, supporting faster decision-making, enhanced governance and enterprise-wide visibility.

“This is more than a corporate merger; it’s a strategic unification. By bringing together AARO, Aico and Mercur, we’re creating a unified, integrated cloud solution that supports CFOs across the entire value chain; from Record to Report through Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Analysis and from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting”, said Michael Teixeira, Group CEO​.

Market Reach and Customer Impact

Operating across the Nordics, UK, Ireland, BENELUX, DACH and Middle East & Africa, the combined company now powers finance operations for thousands of mid-market and enterprise customers with deep regional support and expertise.

Key benefits to customers will include:

  • A unified SaaS platform for the office of the CFO: A seamless cloud platform that supports the entire finance function across Record to Report which includes Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Reporting, from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting.
  • Increased accuracy and efficiency: AI-powered automation reduces manual effort, minimises risk and improves data integrity across financial close, consolidation and reporting.
  • Unified user experience: An integrated platform that reduces system complexity and improves ease of use for finance teams.
  • Ongoing innovation: Enhanced capabilities driven by the combined expertise of global product and engineering teams focused on solving challenges for the Office of the CFO.
  • Future-ready scalability: A robust, modular solution that grows with the organisation’s needs, whether expanding across entities, geographies or compliance regimes.
  • Configurability: SaaS software that is highly adaptable to enterprise clients’ complex environments, thereby removing the barrier to integrate with core systems, improving efficiency and reducing data silos.

Strategic Backing and Regional Scale

The merger follows Accel-KKR’s investment in Aico and Mercur, and now the acquisition of AARO, reinforcing the firm’s long-term commitment to building a category-leading financial cloud software suite.

“This is more than a corporate merger; it’s a strategic unification. By bringing together AARO, Aico and Mercur, we’re creating a unified, integrated cloud solution that supports CFOs across the entire value chain; from Record to Report through Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Analysis and from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting”, said Maurice Hernandez, Group CEO​.

About AARO

AARO provides Corporate Performance Management (CPM) software for group accounting, consolidation and financial reporting. Used by multinational companies, it supports IFRS and local GAAP standards. Finance teams rely on AARO to streamline complex reporting processes with precision and efficiency. The company was founded in 1989 and has employees in Sweden, Latvia, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, UK, and Finland. Learn more at www.aaro.com

About Aico Group

Aico is a financial close automation platform for mid-sized and enterprise companies. It enables faster, more accurate month-end reporting while ensuring compliance. Founded in 2019 in Finland, Aico serves leading European companies from offices in Finland, Germany, the UK and Latvia. Learn more at www.aico.ai

About Mercur Solutions

Mercur Solutions provides Corporate Performance Management (CPM) software for budgeting, planning, forecasting and reporting. Its cloud-based platform, Mercur Business Control, empowers organisations with automation and insights. Headquartered in Sweden with a UK office, Mercur has supported financial leaders for 50 years. Learn more at www.mercur.com

About Accel-KKR

Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with $23 billion in capital commitments. It partners with software and tech-enabled businesses to drive growth and value. Based in Menlo Park, with global offices, Accel-KKR invests across buyouts, minority stakes, carve-outs, and credit. Learn more at www.accel-kkr.com

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Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. Partners with nyce.logic to set new WMS standard

Stg Partners

Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. has selected nyce.logic as its new warehouse management system (WMS) provider, marking a strategic move to modernize and future-proof its logistics operations. The nyce.logic WMS will be implemented at Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.’s distribution center for dental products in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The project is set to launch in September 2025, with a go-live planned for April 2026.

Kuraray Noritake comments:

“After a thorough review, it was clear that nyce.logic was the ideal fit. The system is user-friendly and flexible enough to support our logistics independently. Right now, our first step is implementing nyce.logic WMS in Europe. When that proves successful, we aim to extend the solution to our logistics operations in America.”

Ronald Bakker, Client Executive at nyce.logic, comments:

“Partnering with Kuraray Noritake marks a major milestone for nyce.logic as we grow our footprint across the Benelux region and Europe. Our shared values of innovation and continuous improvement make this collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we are confident in setting a new standard for warehouse management in the indu

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Gimv reinvests in the Bugaboo-Joolz combination after companies joining forces to accelerate growth in the worldwide stroller market

GIMV

Gimv is reinvesting in the Bugaboo–Joolz combination following the companies’ recent decision to join forces. The partnership aims to accelerate international growth and innovation in the highly fragmented global stroller market. Gimv will hold a minority stake alongside majority shareholder Mubadala Capital, Bain Capital, and management.

Both Joolz and Bugaboo are pioneers in the market for high-quality baby strollers and innovative juvenile consumer durables with leading performances in quality, sustainability and design. Founded by Dutch entrepreneurs, both companies have excelled at realizing international growth with Bugaboo being one of the leading brands, while Joolz has quickly scaled and holds a strong position in Europe and other international markets. Their combined portfolios will span everything from award-winning strollers to innovative parenting accessories, providing a unique platform for accelerated international growth in the highly fragmented stroller market.

Gimv originally invested in Joolz (www.joolz.com) in 2016, alongside founding partner Emile Kuenen and his business partner Stan Vermeulen, to support its further geographical expansion in Europe and beyond. Since then, Joolz has developed into a truly recognized high-quality stroller brand. The Joolz brand believes in helping parents, so they are best prepared for raising their children, by designing smart solutions to support them during the crazy ride called parenthood. Joolz is committed to beautiful design, comfort, ease of use and solutions that minimize impact on the environment. Today Joolz sells high-quality strollers in more than 60 countries with well-established presence across Europe, APAC and the United States.

Bugaboo (www.bugaboo.com) designs award-winning strollers and parenting solutions, helping families to create endless moments of fun and discovery every step of the way. After kickstarting a stroller revolution 25 years ago, Bugaboo continues to innovate across its range of products including strollers, car seats, travel cots and accessories. Bugaboo is B Corp certified having demonstrated the high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, set by B Lab™. Every product is designed to meet the highest standards of comfort, durability and ease of use, so parents and children can enjoy endless moments of discovery, no matter where their adventures take them. Mubadala Capital has been the majority shareholder of Bugaboo since it bought the company in October 2024 from Bain Capital, which still holds a minority share.

The brands Bugaboo and Joolz will continue to operate separately in the market, as both will further benefit from existing and new market opportunities in the global stroller market. The combined company will have a total of 1,200 employees, with its headquarters located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Patrick Franken and Jelle Assink, Partner and Principal at Gimv Consumer, declare: “At Gimv Consumer, we are very pleased to reinvest in the recently announced partnership between Bugaboo and Joolz. We firmly believe in the strength of these two exceptional and highly complementary brands. Together, Bugaboo and Joolz will form a unique platform in the juvenile category, enabling both companies to accelerate their growth and fully realize their potential. We look forward to supporting management on their journey, driving growth and innovation in the fragmented global stroller market.”

Antoun Ghanem and Kelly Yu, Partner and Principal at Mubadala Capital, declare: “We are proud to continue supporting Bugaboo and to welcome Joolz into the Mubadala Capital family. Welcoming Joolz marks an important milestone in Bugaboo’s evolution into a true house of brands. Both Bugaboo and Joolz are deeply rooted in design, quality, and purpose—and together, they create a strong foundation for long-term category leadership. We’re proud to support Bugaboo’s ambition to build a multi-brand platform that delivers innovative, meaningful products for parents around the world.”

Adriaan Thierry, CEO Bugaboo, declares: “This partnership is a powerful milestone in our journey. With their re-investment I appreciate the trust Gimv and the Joolz founders place in the future of Bugaboo Group.Bugaboo and Joolz not only share a common heritage, but also strong values and an ambition to redefine mobility for modern parents. By bringing together two iconic brands, we will strengthen our innovation pipeline, broaden our reach, and continue to deliver meaningful, design-forward products that support families around the world”

At the occasion of the closing of the acquisition of Joolz by Bugaboo, Gimv seized the opportunity to reinvest part of its proceeds from the Joolz exit in the new and unique Bugaboo-Joolz combination. Joolz founder Emile Kuenen and his business partner Stan Vermeulen will together with Gimv also reinvest part of their proceeds. The parties have agreed not to disclose further financial details of the transaction.

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Waystar to Acquire Iodine Software, Accelerating the AI-Powered Transformation of Healthcare Payments

Advent
  • Extends Waystar’s AI leadership into clinical intelligence software, unlocking greater value for clients and shareholders
  • Highly recurring subscription-based business projected to be accretive to Waystar’s financial profile
  • Expected to expand Waystar’s total addressable market by more than 15%
  • Conference call to be held Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. ET

LEHI, Utah, LOUISVILLE, Ky., and AUSTIN, Tex., July 23, 2025 – Waystar (Nasdaq: WAY), a provider of leading healthcare payment software, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Iodine Software (“Iodine”) from shareholders led by Advent International, a leading global private equity investor, for a total enterprise value of $1.25 billion. The proposed transaction is expected to accelerate Waystar’s ability to transform healthcare payments through its leading cloud-based software platform, empowering more than one million providers with advanced AI capabilities to prevent denials, reduce manual work, and improve financial performance.

Building on Waystar’s track record of successful M&A execution and synergy realization, Waystar expects the acquisition of Iodine to be immediately accretive to gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin, and accretive to revenue growth and non-GAAP net income per diluted share in 2027.

Iodine is trusted by many of the nation’s premier health systems for its AI-powered clinical intelligence software. Up to 60 million claims are denied each year due to administrative errors in the critical stage between care delivery and submission, costing providers billions in lost revenue. This highlights the essential role of accurate clinical documentation and coding in preventing revenue leakage and underpayments.

Together, Waystar and Iodine will be better positioned to help decrease the estimated $440 billion in annual administrative costs* burdening providers. Waystar brings a decade-long track record of applying AI pervasively across its software platform to simplify healthcare payments. Iodine extends that leadership into clinical intelligence software, leveraging proprietary AI models trained on one of the industry’s largest clinical datasets, representing more than a third of all U.S. inpatient discharges.

“Our mission is to simplify healthcare payments by eradicating unnecessary denied claims, automating manual work, and increasing transparency for providers and patients,” said Matt Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer of Waystar. “We are committed to transforming healthcare through harnessing the power of AI to tackle the most critical challenges in healthcare payments. Welcoming Iodine’s talented team and clinical intelligence platform to Waystar is a terrific next step in achieving our mission.”

“We are proud to have built a market-leading AI software company in partnership with Advent, Bain Capital Ventures, and Silversmith Capital Partners, and are thrilled to join Waystar, an organization that shares our deep commitment to modernizing the revenue cycle for providers,” said William Chan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Iodine Software. “From day one, our focus has been helping hospitals and health systems capture the full value of care through transformational AI. As part of Waystar, we are excited to accelerate that mission and amplify the value delivered to healthcare providers.”

“Our success has been driven by strong partnerships, continuous innovation, and meaningful outcomes,” added Mike Kadyan, Co-Founder and Chairman of Iodine Software. “We look forward to delivering even greater outcomes for providers as part of Waystar’s market-leading platform.”

“It has been a privilege to partner alongside the Iodine team as they have built a category-defining AI-powered revenue cycle platform consistently delivering exceptional ROI to its clients,” said Lauren Young and Carmine Petrone, Managing Directors at Advent. “We are excited to build on that foundation together with Waystar to drive even greater impact across healthcare, empowering organizations to optimize their financial performance.”

Strategic and Financial Benefits

  • Unlocks transformational outcomes across the revenue cycle: Waystar expects to unlock new automation throughout its platform, leveraging Iodine’s industry-leading AI capabilities in clinical documentation integrity, utilization management, and prebill revenue leakage identification to further streamline cumbersome tasks for providers. The addition of these solutions is expected to expand Waystar’s total addressable market by more than 15%.
  • Accelerates AI innovation with clinical intelligence: Integrating Iodine’s unique clinical data assets with Waystar’s expansive data network is expected to enhance the impact and reach of Waystar AltitudeAI™. Waystar expects to create opportunities that quickly expand GenAI applications in prior authorizations, claims management and processing, denial prevention, and appeals. Iodine’s proprietary clinical AI engine, IodineIQ, continuously trains on millions of patient encounters and billions of clinical data points to deliver relevant insights.
  • Deepens relationships with premier health systems: Iodine brings strong adoption and credibility among leading hospitals and health systems. Iodine’s footprint is expected to expand Waystar’s scale and deepen relationships with premier providers. The combined company is expected to serve 17 of the 20 U.S. News Best Hospitals.
  • Strengthens Waystar’s financial profile: Waystar will benefit from Iodine’s fully subscription-based revenue model as well as significant cross-sell potential to both companies’ client bases. In addition, Waystar has identified more than $15 million in run-rate cost synergies, to be realized within the first 18-24 months following closing.

Transaction Details
The transaction will be funded with a 50/50 mix of cash and stock consideration. Upon closing of the transaction, current Waystar shareholders will own approximately 92% of the combined company on a fully diluted, pro forma basis and Iodine equity holders will own approximately 8%. Advent, Iodine’s largest shareholder, is expected to only receive Waystar shares in connection with the transaction and will agree to be locked up for 18 months after closing.

Following the transaction, Waystar expects to maintain a strong balance sheet with an estimated adjusted net leverage ratio at transaction close of approximately 3.5x.

The transaction is anticipated to close by year-end 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and applicable regulatory approvals.

Preliminary Second Quarter 2025 Results
Waystar expects second quarter 2025 revenue to be approximately $271 million, representing approximately 15% year-over-year growth.

The foregoing estimates are preliminary and unaudited and based on management’s initial analysis of operations for the quarter. Waystar looks forward to sharing additional information regarding the company’s second quarter 2025 results as previously scheduled on July 30, 2025.

Advisors
Barclays is serving as exclusive financial advisor, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal advisor to Waystar.

J.P. Morgan Securities is serving as exclusive financial advisor, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Queen Saenz + Schultz PLLC are serving as legal advisors to Iodine.

Conference Call
Waystar will discuss the transaction on a conference call today, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (800) 715-9871 from the United States and Canada or (646) 307-1963 internationally and using conference code 8810133. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on Waystar’s investor relations website at investors.waystar.com/news-events/events. Following the call, an audio replay will be archived on the site.

*CAQH Index Report 2024

About Waystar

Waystar’s mission-critical software is purpose-built to simplify healthcare payments so providers can prioritize patient care and optimize their financial performance. Waystar serves approximately 30,000 clients, representing over 1 million distinct providers, including 16 of 20 institutions on the U.S. News Best Hospitals list. Waystar’s enterprise-grade platform annually processes over 6 billion healthcare payment transactions, including over $1.8 trillion in annual gross claims and spanning approximately 50% of U.S. patients. Waystar strives to transform healthcare payments so providers can focus on what matters most: their patients and communities. Discover the way forward at waystar.com.

About Iodine Software

Iodine Software is the leader in AI-powered clinical intelligence, built to eliminate revenue leakage, lower administrative burden, and ensure accurate reimbursement. Trusted by more than 1,000 hospitals and health systems, Iodine delivers real-time insight and automation across the mid-revenue cycle: connecting clinical documentation, utilization management, and prebill workflows from admission through claim submission. For over a decade, health systems have trusted Iodine to apply the right AI – from machine learning, deep learning, large language models, GenAI, to Agentic AI – to the right use case, consistently delivering reliable, high-impact financial results.

At the core of the platform is IodineIQ, our proprietary Clinical Reasoning Knowledge Engine, featuring a robust clinical condition library and a dataset of millions of patient encounters and billions of clinical data points. IodineIQ mirrors clinical reasoning to surface opportunities, predict outcomes, and guide decisions; ensuring the patient’s clinical picture is fully and accurately reflected in status, documentation, and final codes. Discover more at www.iodinesoftware.com.

About Advent

Advent is a leading global private equity investor committed to working in partnership with management teams, entrepreneurs, and founders to help transform businesses. With 16 offices across five continents, we oversee more than USD $94 billion in assets under management** and have made over 430 investments across 44 countries.

Since our founding in 1984, we have developed specialist market expertise across our five core sectors: business & financial services, consumer, healthcare, industrial, and technology. This approach is bolstered by our deep sub-sector knowledge, which informs every aspect of our investment strategy, from sourcing opportunities to working in partnership with management to execute value creation plans. We bring hands-on operational expertise to enhance and accelerate businesses.

As one of the largest privately-owned partnerships, our 660+ colleagues leverage the full ecosystem of Advent’s global resources, including our Portfolio Support Group, insights provided by industry expert Operating Partners and Operations Advisors, as well as bespoke tools to support and guide our portfolio companies as they seek to achieve their strategic goals.

To learn more, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

**Assets under management (AUM) as of March 31, 2025. AUM includes assets attributable to Advent advisory clients as well as employee and third-party co-investment vehicles.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, statements regarding Waystar’s expectations relating to future operating results and financial position, including full year 2025, and future periods; anticipated future investments; our industry, business strategy, goals, and deployment of artificial intelligence in our solutions, our market position, offerings, future operations, margins, and profitability. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “will,” “seek,” “foreseeable,” “outlook,” the negative version of these words or similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements in this press release, including any discussion of our guidance for full fiscal year 2025.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties, assumptions, or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Our expectations, beliefs, and projections are expressed in good faith, and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that management’s expectations, beliefs, and projections will result or be achieved. The following factors are among those that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements: our operation in a highly competitive industry; our ability to retain our existing clients and attract new clients; our ability to successfully execute on our business strategies in order to grow; our ability to accurately assess the risks related to acquisitions and successfully integrate acquired businesses (including our proposed acquisition of Iodine); our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; the growth and success of our clients and overall healthcare transaction volumes; consolidation in the healthcare industry; our selling cycle of variable length to secure new client agreements; our implementation cycle that is dependent on our clients’ timing and resources; our dependence on our senior management team and certain key employees, and our ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees; the accuracy of the estimates and assumptions we use to determine the size of our total addressable market; our ability to develop and market new solutions, or enhance our existing solutions, to respond to technological changes, or evolving industry standards; the interoperability, connectivity, and integration of our solutions with our clients’ and their vendors’ networks and infrastructures; the performance and reliability of internet, mobile, and other infrastructure; the consequences if we cannot obtain, process, use, disclose, or distribute the highly regulated data we require to provide our solutions; our reliance on certain third-party vendors and providers; any errors or malfunctions in our products and solutions; failure by our clients to obtain proper permissions or provide us with accurate and appropriate information; the potential for embezzlement, identity theft, or other similar illegal behavior by our employees or vendors, and a failure of our employees or vendors to observe quality standards or adhere to environmental, social, and governance standards; our compliance with the applicable rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association and the applicable requirements of card networks; increases in card network fees and other changes to fee arrangements; the effect of payer and provider conduct which we cannot control; privacy concerns and security breaches or incidents relating to our platform; the complex and evolving laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to use or license data and integrate third-party technologies; our use of “open source” software; legal proceedings initiated by third parties alleging that we are infringing or otherwise violating their intellectual property rights; claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties; the heavily regulated industry in which we conduct business; the uncertain and evolving healthcare regulatory and political framework; health care laws and data privacy and security laws and regulations governing our processing of personal information; reduced revenues in response to changes to the healthcare regulatory landscape; legal, regulatory, and other proceedings that could result in adverse outcomes; consumer protection laws and regulations; contractual obligations requiring compliance with certain provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering laws and regulations; existing laws that regulate our ability to engage in certain marketing activities; our full compliance with website accessibility standards; any changes in our tax rates, the adoption of new tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities; limitations on our ability to use our net operating losses to offset future taxable income ; losses due to asset impairment charges; restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our credit facilities; interest rate fluctuations; unavailability of additional capital on acceptable terms or at all; the impact of general macroeconomic conditions; our history of net losses and our ability to achieve or maintain profitability; actions of certain of our significant investors, who may have different interests than the interests of other holders of our securities; and each of the other factors discussed under the heading of “Risk Factors” in the Company’s 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 18, 2025, and in other reports filed with the SEC, all of which are available on the Investor Relations page of our website at investors.waystar.com.

Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.

Waystar Media Contact

Kristin Lee
kristin.lee@waystar.com

Daniel Yunger / Nick Capuano / Mark Fallati
Kekst CNC
kekst-waystar@kekstcnc.com

Waystar Investor Contact

investors@waystar.com

Iodine Software Media Contact

Michelle White
mjwhite@iodinesoftware.com

Isabella Morreale
SolComms
isabella@solcomms.com

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KX Announces New Chapter of Growth with Strategic Acquisition by TA Associates

TA associates

New York & London — KX, a global leader in real-time, time-series and AI-driven analytics, today proudly announces a new chapter of growth and innovation through a strategic acquisition by TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm. Under the agreement, TA has acquired a majority stake in FD Technologies, KX’s parent company, with existing shareholders retaining a minority interest.

After six years as a division of FD Technologies plc, KX will return to private ownership—a significant milestone in the company’s 30-year evolution. With TA’s backing, KX is poised to accelerate its momentum as the platform of choice for industries where real-time performance and AI-driven insight are mission-critical.

KX is purpose-built for the AI era, powering time-sensitive, data-intensive systems across capital markets, aerospace & defense, and high-tech manufacturing. Its platform enables organizations to process and analyze massive volumes of time-series and sensor data in real time, delivering trusted insights that drive automation, predictive modeling, and the foundation for vertical agentic AI systems that operate with context, precision and autonomy.

“Our customers require platforms that do more than store and query data—they need systems that fuel their AI initiatives, power automation, and unlock real-time value from complex environments,” said Ashok Reddy, CEO of KX. “KX is uniquely positioned to serve this demand across the world’s most dynamic industries. With TA’s partnership, we have the freedom and focus to go further, faster—investing deeply in our products, our team, and the outcomes we deliver for customers. This is also a platform for expansion, and together with TA, we intend to build a market leader in every vertical we serve.”

The acquisition enables KX to operate with greater agility and long-term focus, doubling down on its commitment to customers and innovation. It empowers KX to:

  • Accelerate innovation in real-time, AI-driven analytics to support mission-critical decisions
  • Expand platform capabilities to power vertical AI use cases
  • Invest in scalable infrastructure and top-tier technical talent
  • Deliver enduring value across industries by solving complex, high-impact problems

“With the acquisition now complete, we’re thrilled to officially begin our partnership with KX,” said Hythem El-Nazer, Co-Managing Partner of TA. “Having spent decades investing in and scaling enterprise software companies, we’ve seen how category-defining platforms can shape the future of technology. KX, trusted by some of the world’s most sophisticated organizations, stands out for its ability to process time-series and sensor data at speed and scale. As industries increasingly adopt AI-native, streaming-first architectures, we believe KX is well positioned to lead that evolution. We’re proud to partner with the entire KX team as they continue to advance the platform for the next generation of innovation.”

About KX
KX software powers real-time, time-series, and AI-driven analytics across capital markets, aerospace & defense, and high-tech manufacturing. Built for speed, precision, and scale, the KX platform enables organizations to extract actionable insights from streaming, sensor, and historical data to support critical use cases from predictive maintenance and operational automation to real-time simulation and vertical agentic AI. Trusted globally for its proven performance and reliability, KX delivers the data infrastructure enterprises need to thrive in an AI-driven world. www.KX.com

Medartis acquires remaining 53% stake in KeriMedical

medartis logo

Basel, 17 July 2025: Following FDA approval of the KeriMedical TOUCH prosthesis on 10 July, the Medartis Group has decided to acquire the remaining 53% of the privately held company in accordance with the existing agreement. The transaction values the remaining shares at CHF 99 million in cash, with potential additional earn-out payments.

The partnership, which began in December 2020, provides Medartis access to an innovative hand portfolio whilst enhancing the company’s technological expertise in joint replacement and expanding its surgeon network. Medartis has steadily increased its ownership and now acquires full ownership of the Geneva-headquartered company with its two production facilities in France. The Group acts as distribution partner for KeriMedical in Germany, Austria, the UK, and, most recently, Australia, and has doubled its revenue every year during this period. Globally, KeriMedical has delivered average annual growth of nearly 30% over the past three years, achieving total sales of CHF 31 million in 2024. The transaction will immediately contribute positively to Medartis’ sales growth and core EBITDA margin. Closing is expected in August 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, the remaining shares are valued at CHF 99 million in cash in addition to some milestone payments extending through 2027.

To maximise market potential, KeriMedical will continue operating as a distinct brand within the Medartis Group, maintaining dedicated teams for development, marketing, surgeon education, and manufacturing. Both co-founders, Dougal Bendjaballah and Bernard Prandi, will remain on the Board of KeriMedical and continue their full commitment and active involvement following the acquisition. Their entrepreneurial drive, clinical expertise and innovative vision have been fundamental to KeriMedical’s success. Medartis is pleased that they will continue to contribute their experience as the company expands into new markets and develops additional clinical solutions.

“This acquisition is a logical step in our five-year partnership, expanding our capabilities in our core hand & wrist indication. KeriMedical’s distinctive products have contributed to our strong performance in Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom, where we hold the exclusive distribution rights. They are the perfect addition to our comprehensive hand portfolio”, stated Matthias Schupp, CEO of Medartis, while also recognising the importance of preserving the expertise and entrepreneurial approach that has driven KeriMedical’s success, and which remains central to Medartis future development.

Dougal Bendjaballah and Bernard Prandi, co-founders of KeriMedical, commented: “We are pleased to reach this agreement with Medartis. Since founding the company, we have focused on creating innovative solutions for hand surgery based on scientific excellence and close collaboration with surgeons. In Medartis, we have found a partner whose approach to innovation, quality and medical education aligns perfectly with our vision. Our products still have plenty of potential in Europe, and entering the US and Australian markets will keep us on a strong growth path.”

In preparation for the controlled US market launch of the TOUCH thumb prosthesis in early 2026, the company has established a comprehensive surgeon training programme, designated reference centres, and selected key opinion leaders. The flagship TOUCH product, a CMC-1 prosthesis for thumb rhizarthrosis treatment, has established a strong market presence in EMEA over the past decade. The prosthesis features comprehensive clinical data support[1] and differentiates itself through dual mobility technology and various cup designs and materials, enhancing longevity and addressing requirements of patients with metal sensitivities.

The TOUCH prosthesis addresses a significant clinical need in hand surgery. The CMC-1 joint represents one of the hand joints most frequently affected by osteoarthritis, with radiographic evidence present in 20-30% of individuals over 40 years of age, increasing substantially with advancing age [2,3]. Between 2-16% of patients progress to symptomatic osteoarthritis [2,4], causing noticeable clinical symptoms that affect the patient’s daily life.

Medartis will publish its financial results for H1 2025 on 19 August 2025, and will provide further details on the market launch plan and the potential of KeriMedical at that time.

1 https://www.kerimedical.com/en/portail-kerimedical-en/home-professional/touch-scientific-publications-2/
2 Haugen IK, Englund M, Aliabadi P, et al. Prevalence, incidence and progression of hand osteoarthritis in the general population: the Framingham Osteoarthritis Study Ann Rheum Dis. 2011;70(9):1581-1586. doi:10.1136/ard.2011.150078
3 Wilder FV, Barrett JP, Farina EJ. Joint-specific prevalence of osteoarthritis of the hand. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006;14(9):953-957,
4 Zhang Y, Niu J, Kelly-Hayes M, Chaisson CE, Aliabadi P, Felson DT. Prevalence of symptomatic hand osteoarthritis and its impact on functional status among the elderly: The Framingham Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2002;156(11):1021-1027. doi:10.1093/aje/kwf141

Contact

Medartis Corporate Communications
Fabian Hildbrand, Head of Corporate Communications, investor.relations@medartis.com
Andreas Richter, Corporate Communications Manager, corporate.communication@medartis.com
+41 61 633 37 36 / +41 61 633 37 34

About Medartis
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Medartis is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of medical devices for surgical fixation of bone fractures for upper and lower extremities as well as for the craniomaxillofacial region. Medartis employs approx. 1,200 individuals across its 13 locations, with products offered in over 50 countries globally. Medartis is committed to providing surgeons and operating theatre personnel with the most innovative titanium implants and instruments as well as best-in-class service. For more information, please visit www.medartis.com.

About KeriMedical
Founded in 2016, KeriMedical specialises in developing and marketing a comprehensive range of implants exclusively for hand & wrist surgery. The KeriMedical team possesses extensive experience in orthopaedic surgery with expertise across all operational areas: design, manufacturing, quality, marketing and product promotion. KeriMedical collaborates with a panel of surgeons who have recognised expertise in France and internationally. These specialists share their clinical and medical knowledge to support the development and validation of new solutions. The company is headquartered in Geneva, employs approx. 150 employees and its products are available in 30 countries. For further information, please visit www.kerimedical.com.

Disclaimer
This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Medartis Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements and assessments, or intentions concerning the company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance, or achievements of the company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place reliance on these statements, particularly in connection with any contract or investment decision. The company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, assessments, or intentions. Furthermore, neither the company nor any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, counsel or advisers nor any other person makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein or of the views given or implied, and accordingly no reliance should be placed thereon.

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AARO Joins Forces with Aico & Mercur to Form Unified and Complete Financial Corporate Performance SaaS Platform; Michael Teixeira Named Group CEO

AKKR Logo

Accel-KKR, a global technology-focused investment firm, today announced the successful closing of AARO, a leading provider of Corporate Performance Management (CPM) solutions, and bringing together AARO with financial software providers, Aico and Mercur. This marks a significant milestone in the formation of a unified company focused on delivering the most comprehensive, unified SaaS platform for finance and performance management in EMEA for the Office of the CFO.

To lead this newly formed group, Accel-KKR has appointed Michael Teixeira as Group Chief Executive Officer. Michael brings extensive leadership experience in scaling high-growth technology companies and will guide the strategic vision and growth of the combined entity.

A Transformative Merger for Financial Leadership

The combined entity of AARO together with Aico and Mercur cements its category leadership in EMEA, bringing together deep expertise across the financial close, planning and reporting spectrum:

  • Aico: Automates and streamlines financial close processes.
  • Mercur: Powers xP&A, budgeting, forecasting, business intelligence and financial analytics.
  • AARO: Provides enterprise-grade consolidation and group reporting solutions.

Together, they create a powerful unified SaaS platform for finance and performance management that empowers finance and executive leaders with automation, compliance and actionable insights, supporting faster decision-making, enhanced governance and enterprise-wide visibility.

“This is more than a corporate merger; it’s a strategic unification. By bringing together AARO, Aico and Mercur, we’re creating a unified, integrated cloud solution that supports CFOs across the entire value chain; from Record to Report through Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Analysis and from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting”, said Michael Teixeira, Group CEO​.

Market Reach and Customer Impact

Operating across the Nordics, UK, Ireland, BENELUX, DACH and Middle East & Africa, the combined company now powers finance operations for thousands of mid-market and enterprise customers with deep regional support and expertise.

Key benefits to customers will include:

  • A unified SaaS platform for the office of the CFO: A seamless cloud platform that supports the entire finance function across Record to Report which includes Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Reporting, from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting.
  • Increased accuracy and efficiency: AI-powered automation reduces manual effort, minimises risk and improves data integrity across financial close, consolidation and reporting.
  • Unified user experience: An integrated platform that reduces system complexity and improves ease of use for finance teams.
  • Ongoing innovation: Enhanced capabilities driven by the combined expertise of global product and engineering teams focused on solving challenges for the Office of the CFO.
  • Future-ready scalability: A robust, modular solution that grows with the organisation’s needs, whether expanding across entities, geographies or compliance regimes.
  • Configurability: SaaS software that is highly adaptable to enterprise clients’ complex environments, thereby removing the barrier to integrate with core systems, improving efficiency and reducing data silos.

Strategic Backing and Regional Scale

The merger follows Accel-KKR’s investment in Aico and Mercur, and now the acquisition of AARO, reinforcing the firm’s long-term commitment to building a category-leading financial cloud software suite.

“This is more than a corporate merger; it’s a strategic unification. By bringing together AARO, Aico and Mercur, we’re creating a unified, integrated cloud solution that supports CFOs across the entire value chain; from Record to Report through Consolidation and Reporting to XP&A, Budgeting, Forecasting and Analysis and from local transaction-close to consolidated group-level reporting”, said Maurice Hernandez, Group CEO​.

About AARO

AARO provides Corporate Performance Management (CPM) software for group accounting, consolidation and financial reporting. Used by multinational companies, it supports IFRS and local GAAP standards. Finance teams rely on AARO to streamline complex reporting processes with precision and efficiency. The company was founded in 1989 and has employees in Sweden, Latvia, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, UK, and Finland. Learn more at www.aaro.com

About Aico Group

Aico is a financial close automation platform for mid-sized and enterprise companies. It enables faster, more accurate month-end reporting while ensuring compliance. Founded in 2019 in Finland, Aico serves leading European companies from offices in Finland, Germany, the UK and Latvia. Learn more at www.aico.ai

About Mercur Solutions

Mercur Solutions provides Corporate Performance Management (CPM) software for budgeting, planning, forecasting and reporting. Its cloud-based platform, Mercur Business Control, empowers organisations with automation and insights. Headquartered in Sweden with a UK office, Mercur has supported financial leaders for 50 years. Learn more at www.mercur.com

About Accel-KKR

Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with $23 billion in capital commitments. It partners with software and tech-enabled businesses to drive growth and value. Based in Menlo Park, with global offices, Accel-KKR invests across buyouts, minority stakes, carve-outs, and credit. Learn more at www.accel-kkr.com

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3i-backed EC Waste acquires ARB waste services in Puerto Rico

3I

EC Waste 6

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that EC Waste, the leading vertically integrated provider of solid-waste services in Puerto Rico, has acquired ARB Inc. (“Andrés Reyes Burgos” or “ARB”), a specialised local provider of bespoke waste collection and environmental-management services.

The transaction marks a significant milestone for EC Waste as it continues to build scale and strengthen its capabilities in Puerto Rico. ARB enhances EC Waste’s technical capabilities, expands its geographic footprint and supports the acceleration of its digitalisation and sustainability agenda.

The acquisition expands EC Waste’s offering by integrating ARB’s operations across residential, commercial, and industrial non-hazardous solid waste services. The combined business will expand geographic coverage in traditionally underserved areas in Puerto Rico using real- time monitoring, intelligent-routing systems and web and mobile applications to enhance customer service.

Furthermore, operations will benefit from EC Waste’s comprehensive disposal network, providing Small and Medium Enterprises with more economical waste-management solutions while enhancing environmental compliance and improving public health in Puerto Rico.

Rob Collins, Managing Partner and Head of North American Infrastructure, 3i, commented:

“We are very pleased to continue to invest in the environmental-services sector in Puerto Rico. We believe this acquisition will continue EC Waste’s excellent performance in serving both businesses on the island and the public.”

Mark Johnson, CEO, EC Waste, commented:

“This integration strengthens our operational capacity, expands our coverage and allows EC Waste the opportunity to offer more efficient and technological services to all of Puerto Rico. Our commitment to the island, to innovation and to environmental stewardship remains at the heart of our strategy.”

Siria Reyes, CEO of ARB, commented:

“We have found in EC Waste an ally with vision. Together, we can scale our solutions and impact more communities, faster.”

This is the third acquisition for EC Waste since 3i’s investment in 2021, following the acquisitions of Ecosystems (2023) and AA Waste (2022). The company’s acquisition history is consistent with its strategy to provide superior, environmentally sustainable services to its customers as Puerto Rico’s largest owner and operator of US EPA-permitted, waste-disposal sites.

With 3i’s support, EC Waste has achieved meaningful growth across its residential, commercial, and industrial segments. The company has also expanded its infrastructure, adding a fifth landfill through acquisition and increasing its number of transfer stations from two to four. EC Waste is investing in fleet modernisation to drive operational efficiency and is advancing its sustainability initiatives, including expanded recycling programmes and renewable natural gas collection. 3i remains committed to backing the company’s long-term growth and continues to see further consolidation opportunities.

 

-Ends-

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For further information, contact:

Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries

Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiriesTel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com

Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

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