GBL acquires a majority stake in Sanoptis, a European leader in ophthalmology clinics, to accelerate the company’s growth in partnership with its management and doctors

GBL

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (“GBL”) has signed definitive agreements to acquire a majority stake in Sanoptis,
a leading network of ophthalmology clinics across Germany and Switzerland, from Telemos Capital (“Telemos”). GBL
is committing up to EUR 750 million in equity for this transaction. As part of the transaction, the incumbent
management will increase its stake in the company by way of a substantial reinvestment. GBL and management plan
to continue together the impressive growth story of Sanoptis, both in existing markets as well as in new, attractive
European geographies.

Founded in 2018, Sanoptis has rapidly grown to become the second largest European ophthalmology services provider
with over 250 facilities, serving both publicly and privately insured patients. For GBL and management, the ambition
will be to continue Sanoptis’ growth organically and through acquisitions. The company will remain focused on
adhering to the highest quality standards while delivering essential medical services of the highest grade to the
German and Swiss population in partnership with local regulators and payors. Further growth will increase the depth
and breadth of these high-quality services.
Sanoptis has a unique business model; it targets active partnerships with leading surgeons who remain shareholders
in their clinics after joining the Sanoptis group. Within its network, Sanoptis drives growth by: (i) sharing medical and
other best practices while preserving the doctors’ autonomy and (ii) implementing cutting-edge medical innovations
while investing in top-notch equipment. GBL strongly believes in this partnership model and envisions to further
grow Sanoptis along the same strategy.

This transaction marks GBL’s second consecutive private investment in the healthcare sector in 2022. Healthcare is one
of GBL’s four focus investment sectors, along with consumer experience, technology and sustainability. The Sanoptis
transaction also corresponds to GBL’s ambition to increase the representation of controlled private and alternative
assets within its portfolio. The group’s long-term objective is that private and alternative investments account for
approximately 40% of its portfolio (versus 25% as of end 2021).
Ian Gallienne, CEO of GBL, commented: “As a private asset in the highly-attractive healthcare sector, Sanoptis is an excellent
fit with our investment strategy. Together with management, we look forward to further solidifying Sanoptis’ leadership positions
in its core markets as well as expanding into other European countries.”
Michal Chalaczkiewicz, GBL Investment Partner, added: “Sanoptis is at the forefront of the ophthalmology field, which is
supported by long-term, resilient growth, underpinned by secular trends. We believe Sanoptis’ unique partnership model with
doctors is its most important asset, which will support the continuation of its impressive growth trajectory.”
Jens Riedl, GBL Investment Partner responsible for the DACH region, stated: “After our acquisition of Canyon,
the fast-growing direct-to-consumer manufacturer and seller of premium bicycles, Sanoptis is our second private investment in
DACH, where we have the opportunity to team up with an exceptional team of entrepreneurs.”
For Volker Wendel, Founder and CEO of Sanoptis: “We are excited to continue our success story with a strong and
sustainable partner who fully supports our doctor-oriented culture and entrepreneurial strategy. Continuing business in the same
way as we did in the last four years, we see a lot of potential for future growth in DACH and other European countries. That’s
why management remains fully committed and will substantially increase its stake in the company.”
GBL has been advised by Goldman Sachs, Bain & Company, EY and Kirkland & Ellis.

Delivering meaningful growth
Privileged and regulated information – April 20, 2022 // Page 2 / 2 // For more information: www.gbl.be
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022.
For more information, please contact:
Xavier Likin Alison Donohoe
Chief Financial Officer Head of Investor Relations
Tel: +32 2 289 17 72 Tel: +32 2 289 17 64
xlikin@gbl.be adonohoe@gbl.be

About Sanoptis
Sanoptis is a leading German and Swiss ophthalmology services provider with approximately EUR 300 million of
revenue in 2021. Founded in 2018 by CEO Volker Wendel and CDO Carsten Horn, Sanoptis has rapidly grown to
become a leading European ophthalmology services provider, with over 250 facilities across Germany and
Switzerland, serving both publicly and privately insured patients. The company offers both conservative
ophthalmology consultations and surgical treatments including cataract surgeries, intravitreal operative medicine
injections (IVOM), laser eye surgeries and retina surgeries. Sanoptis performs over 1.3 million consultations and
170,000 surgical procedures annually, while adhering to the highest standards of healthcare through its leading
doctor base and thorough quality management.

About Telemos Capital
Telemos comprises a team of highly experienced investment professionals that combine the best of private equity
and permanent capital. Founded in 2017, Telemos identifies and supports exceptional management teams in
consumer goods, healthcare services, and business services to help them realise their long-term objectives. As a
flexible and nimble investor, Telemos’ distinct structure and expertise make it a leading, new generation European
private equity firm, looking to identify and unlock attractive opportunities for growth and value creation.

About Groupe Bruxelles Lambert
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (“GBL”) is an established investment holding company, with over sixty years of stock
exchange listing, a net asset value of EUR 22.5 billion and a market capitalization of EUR 15.3 billion at the end of
December 2021. GBL is a leading investor in Europe, focused on long-term value creation and relying on a stable and
supportive family shareholder base. GBL is both a responsible company and investor and perceives ESG factors as
being inextricably linked to value creation.
GBL strives to maintain a diversified high-quality portfolio of listed and private assets as well as alternative
investments (through Sienna Investment Managers, the group’s alternative investment platform), composed of
international companies that are leaders in their sectors, to which it can contribute to value creation by being an
active, supportive and professional investor.
GBL is focused on delivering meaningful growth by providing attractive returns to its shareholders through a
combination of growth in its net asset value, a sustainable dividend and share buybacks.
GBL is listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange (Ticker: GBLB BB; ISIN code: BE0003797140) and is included
in the BEL20 index

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Apollo Funds Acquire Tony’s Fresh Market, a Leading Chicago-Based Specialty Grocer

Known for High-Quality, Fresh and Affordable Foods, Tony’s Proudly Operates in Traditionally Underserved Communities Across Chicagoland

NEW YORK and CHICAGO, April 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that funds managed by its affiliates (the “Apollo Funds”) have acquired Tony’s Fresh Market (“Tony’s”), a leading Chicago-based grocery retailer. Established in 1979, Tony’s is a unique specialty grocer that offers high-quality, affordable groceries with an inclusive assortment aimed at the diverse communities it serves. A large selection of fresh produce, extensive multicultural offerings and a wide range of prepared foods gives Tony’s a differentiated position in the market.

Today, Tony’s operates 18 stores across the Chicago metropolitan area with several more store locations currently in development. Tony’s plays an important role in the local economy and community, sourcing products from over 400 vendors and providing affordable, high-quality food to thousands of families. The business has been family-owned and operated since its founding more than 40 years ago, and the founding family will partner with Apollo, both in management roles and as shareholders going forward.

Frank Ingraffia, the CEO of Tony’s and a member of the founding family, said, “My family has been feeding our communities for generations and are incredibly excited to partner with Apollo to build upon that legacy of fresh and healthy food, at an affordable price and delivered with respect to the many cultures of our customers.”

“Tony’s is a market leader that’s built an incredible reputation in Chicago, known for its high-quality foods and differentiated offering that includes international food options and commitment to customer service,” said Apollo Partner Andrew Jhawar. “Having spent more than 20 years leading Apollo’s private equity investments in grocery and retail, I firmly believe the business is poised for strong organic growth, and together we see additional opportunities to support Tony’s through go-to-market execution, customer loyalty programs, e-commerce and more. Tony, Frank and the broader team have built an incredible business and we look forward to leveraging our extensive expertise to support their continued success.”

Joanna Reiss, Apollo Partner and Co-Lead of Impact Investing, said “We are focused on tackling the persistent challenge of access to healthy and affordable food, particularly in underserved communities. With our investment in Tony’s, we are proud to support a high-performing company that is increasing access to quality, affordable groceries in a broad swath of neighborhoods as well as donating to local food banks to fight hunger. We hope to further strengthen and scale Tony’s, and by doing so achieve strong financial performance alongside even greater impact.”

Across its platform, Apollo has an extensive and successful track record investing in grocery companies, including leading franchises such as The Fresh Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Smart & Final, Albertsons and more, through both past and present fund investments.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal counsel to the Apollo Funds. Stout Capital, LLC acted as financial advisor and McDermott Will & Emery LLP acted as legal counsel to Tony’s Fresh Market.

About Apollo
Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. We seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from Investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid and opportunistic. Through our investment activity across our fully integrated platform, we serve the retirement income and financial return needs of our clients, and we offer innovative capital solutions to businesses. Our patient, creative, knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2021, Apollo had approximately $498 billion assets under management. To learn more, visit www.apollo.com.

Contacts

For Investors:

Noah Gunn
Global Head of Investor Relations
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0540
IR@apollo.com

For Media:

Joanna Rose
Global Head of Corporate Communications
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0491
Communications@apollo.com

 


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Source: Apollo Global Management, Inc.

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Blanchon, a leading European player in protective and decoration coatings and paints for the home improvement market, accelerates its international growth with the acquisition of RIGO in the Netherlands

IK Partners

Lyon, April 20th 2022. Blanchon Group announces the acquisition of Rigo Verffabriek and Rigo Verfcentrum, a Dutch family-owned business (“the Company”, “the Group” or “RIGO”), specialising in the design and manufacturing of finishing products for wood and paints for heritage buildings, dedicated to professional customers.

This acquisition is part of the Blanchon Group strategy to accelerate its international growth and become a European leader in protection, maintenance, renovation and decoration of indoor and outdoor wood surfaces and vinyl flooring. With very strong product brands, including Skylt, Step, Royl, Toplin and Skyn combined with significant sales growth over the last decade, RIGO has become the market leader in the wooden floor segment in the Netherlands. The Company operates from Ijmuiden, Netherlands and this site will be added to the well-established European subsidiaries of Blanchon, to accelerate the group international business growth.

Leveraging on the complementary combination of the Blanchon and RIGO product lines and strong brands awareness, as well as on their respective client portfolios, this acquisition allows Blanchon Group to become the wooden floor market leader in The Netherlands for professionals. Further to the acquisition of Ciranova in June 2021, the Blanchon Group is fully established as the market leader in the Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg area, representing the largest region, next to France.

RIGO’s previous owners and top management will remain fully involved in the company and takes over the overall responsibility for the Benelux region, and have invested into the Blanchon group alongside with current shareholders.

Guillaume Clément, President and CEO of the Blanchon Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the talented RIGO team to Blanchon Group. The acquisition of RIGO is a perfect match. RIGO has family roots like Blanchon and a deep entrepreneurial spirit forged by three generations since 1938. RIGO’s product quality and brand reputation, combined with its strong expertise in flooring and furniture, are key success factors. Furthermore, RIGO has invested substantially in developing a sustainable product offering, which includes the iconic Toplin product range. We are now in a position to offer the largest wood care product offering, both for indoor and outdoor applications, under three complementary and highly recognised brands: RIGO, Blanchon and Ciranova. All products will be locally available in the Netherlands with the ambition to fully support our Dutch professional customers’ business growth.”

Toon Van Westerhoven, Co-owner of RIGO, said: “We are very pleased to join Blanchon Group as we share the same DNA and values. It is for this reason that myself and my brother, Machiel Van Westerhoven, decided to sell our shares to Blanchon. We have succeeded in building a strong brand in the Netherlands to date and it is now time to build a stronger company. By joining Blanchon Group, we can benefit from the combined knowledge, techniques and assets.”

Michael Van Westerhoven, Co-Owner of RIGO, added: “The acquisition will allow RIGO to expand into new market segments and countries while leveraging the Blanchon Group organisation and indeed, it will further strengthen RIGO’s position in the Benelux region. This is a great journey to embark on and a promising new chapter for our company.”

Contact Details:
Blanchon Group: Alexia Fleury – afleury@blanchon.com,
Rigo Verffabriek: Toon Van Westerhoven – toon@rigoverffabriek.nl

About Blanchon

Founded in 1832, Blanchon is a specialist in protective and decoration coatings for wood and vinyl substrates for indoor and outdoor applications. The group services more than 8000 customers globally with its brand ‘Syntilor’ – dedicated to DIY, ‘Blanchon’ and ‘Ciranova’ and ‘Carver’ – for professionals, and ‘Blanchon Industrie’ and ‘Ciranova Industrial Finishes’ – for flooring manufacturers. The group is recognized for its high quality and sustainable product offerings, and its local technical expertise to support customers. Blanchon group was first to launch in 2020 a complete wood care Bio-based product offering for professional and end-consumers. It operates through 7 subsidies in France, Belgium, Italy, Poland, UK, USA and China and employs approximatively 400 people. For more information, visit www.groupeblanchon.com

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About RIGO Verffabriek

The Rigo Verffabriek Group is specialised in the development and production of finishing products for parquet, furniture and wood for more than 80 years, with a focus on professional segment in the Netherlands. It is a family company, run by the third generation Machiel Van Westerhoven and Toon Van Westerhoven, together with their partners Amanda and Henriette. The Group consists of a production and distribution company in the Netherlands, located in Ijmuiden, NL. It employs ~55 people, all based in the Netherlands. Rigo’s values and culture are characterised by product quality, and innovation, and sustainable growth and strong customer relationships with high service level to craftsmen. ‘Alles voor het meesterwerk’ (‘All for the masterpiece) is the company moto. For more information, visit www.rigoverffabriek.nl

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Antin acquires SNRG, a UK developer and operator of smart grids

Antin

Acquisition represents the first investment in its NextGen strategy

Antin Infrastructure Partners (“Antin”, Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN: FR0014005AL0) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in SNRG, an owner-operator of fully integrated smart grid systems for both residential and industrial & commercial customers.

The acquisition is the first made by Antin as part of its NextGen strategy announced last year. SNRG provides an innovative solution to decarbonise buildings whilst delivering significant savings to its customers. Building emissions contribute c.20% of total UK CO2 emissions due to a historic reliance on fossil fuels, including gas, to provide heat to buildings. For the UK to meet its Net Zero 2050 targets it will need to reduce those emissions by 40% by 2030.

SNRG offers customers a ‘one-stop-shop’ for smart grid solutions comprising grid connections, distribution networks, solar PV panels, batteries, heat pumps and community EV charging. This integrated approach – design, fund, build & operate – combined with SNRG’s optimisation technology will maximise upfront and ongoing cost savings and carbon emissions reduction for customers.

SNRG was formed in 2018 with backing from Centrica, a leading energy services and solutions provider, and Centrica will retain a stake in the Company. SNRG has a high-quality management team that has significant experience in scaling up businesses within the energy and technology space. SNRG has established strong relationships within the developer community as well as expertise in delivering software and infrastructure solutions.

Shane Hussain, SNRG CEO stated: “As the all-electric, zero-carbon transition gathers pace in the domestic and non-domestic building sectors, customers are seeking next generation infrastructure solutions. Antin’s investment in SNRG along with Centrica’s continuing involvement will allow us to scale rapidly and meet the demand that is being driven by policy and society. We look forward to delivering low and zero carbon buildings throughout the UK.”

Anand Jagannathan, Antin NextGen Senior Partner commented: “With its first project implemented and a proven concept looking to be rolled out, we felt SNRG was the right company to launch our NextGen strategy with, as it focuses on value-added investing in sustainable, scalable and connected assets. We are excited at the opportunity to support SNRG in achieving the next phase of its growth, through the build-out of a significant, identified pipeline of projects procured through its relationships with major developers.”

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in April of 2022.

White and Case and Gowling WLG acted as legal advisors to Antin. Osborne Clarke acted as legal advisors to SNRG and Freeths LLP acted as legal advisor to Centrica.

 

About SNRG

SNRG is a developer, installer and operator of smart grid networks in the UK. The Company was formed in 2018 with backing from Centrica with a mission to provide decarbonisation solutions to homes as well as industrial and commercial customers. The Company’s innovative solution delivers savings to customers on their energy bills in addition to decarbonising their energy consumption. SNRG today has an initial live project in Corby, UK which has been successfully demonstrating the business model of delivering savings to residents whilst also providing low-carbon energy.

About Antin Infrastructure Partners

Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure. With over €22.7 billion in assets under management across its Flagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments in the energy and environment, telecom, transport and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Singapore and Luxembourg, Antin employs over 165 professionals dedicated to growing, improving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering long-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its partners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN: FR0014005AL0).

 

Media Contacts

Antin Infrastructure Partners

Nicolle Graugnard, Communication Director

Email: nicolle.graugnard@antin-ip.com

 

Ludmilla Binet, Head of Shareholder Relations

Email: shareholderrelations@antin-ip.com

 

Brunswick

Email: antinip@brunswickgroup.com

Tristan Roquet Montegon +33 (0) 6 37 00 52 57

Gabriel Jabès +33 (0) 6 40 87 08 14

Categories: News

Beamy raises US$9 million to govern the explosion of Saas in companies

Beamy, a European pioneer in SaaS management for large companies, has raised more than 9 million dollars in Series A funding. This funding round was led by the ISAI, Aglaé Venturesand Evolem funds, as well as business angels Nicolas Hernandez (360 Learning) and Erwan Keraudy (CybelAngel). The solution has already attracted notable customers including LVMH, Decathlon, Orange, Engie and BNP Paribas to provide a framework for governing the decentralisation and implementation of their SaaS tools across their businesses.


Becoming aware of the explosion of SaaS in business is vital.

Beamy, a scale-up featured in “Future 40” of STATION F, offers companies a unique solution that can detect and control the explosion of SaaS applications used in a decentralised way. The platform thus helps CIOs and other IT leaders to control this parallel IT/digitalisation and strengthen their employees’ technological autonomy while preserving corporate governance.

The days of cumbersome and complex software suites being solely implemented and managed by IT departments are over. For years, SaaS has been exploding uncontrollably in large companies, creating underground digitalization.

In companies with more than 1,000 employees, there are on average several hundred different SaaS solutions in use, representing several million dollars in annual costs. According to a recent study by KPMG, the SaaS budget of companies is set to increase by 90% in the next 10 years, covering several thousand different solutions. A new IT paradigm is emerging.

However, this massive adoption of SaaS is largely outside of the IT department’s control, which leads to a considerable underestimation of the real volume of SaaS applications already used by the business lines. Consequently, these companies become highly vulnerable to the risks of cyber attacks: each uncontrolled SaaS application represents a potential security breach. Finally, SaaS budgets, representing an ever-increasing share of corporate IT, are largely under-optimized. Many SaaS solutions cover the same uses and are thus redundant, while others are underused or even completely unused.

“In general, when we meet a CIO of a large company, they estimate that their organization uses 30 to 40 SaaS tools. However, when we begin working together, our technology detects several hundred active SaaS solutions, often revealing more than 75% of shadow IT,” explains Beamy CEO and co-founder Andréa Jacquemin.

The need to build a framework of technological autonomy for all professionals

There is a change in the way large enterprises procure, implement, use and manage SaaS software applications. It’s more than just an IT phenomenon – the explosion of SaaS has introduced a real change in business organisation:

“The top down vision of IT is over. We are witnessing a true decentralization of technological ownership and empowerment of business units, which are selecting and implementing their own solution,” explains Andrea Jacquemin.

Accepting this trend means allowing employees who consider technology to be vital to the completion of their activities, to be engaged and become the primary actors in their IT landscapes.

“The decentralisation framework must be compatible with the technological autonomy granted. This is a story of balance. If we put too many constraints on employees’ ability to choose their applications and implement lengthy processes, they will still use the applications but won’t go through the proper channels with IT in the implementation,” explained Andrea Jacquemin. “Without a solid structure of decentralisation, the risks will be considerably increased and the budgets won’t be optimised. In any situation, you have to find the proper balance in terms of autonomy that works for your workforce, but keeping the status quo on this subject is the worst solution.”

For this, Beamy has developed powerful scoring algorithms capable of detecting all of the SaaS applications actually implemented in the company. Beamy is then able to follow the evolution of each application over time, provide employees with a catalog of all applications implemented in the company, define an autonomy matrix according to the potential risks of future applications, and navigate an app store of more than 50,000 applications on the market.

Beamy thus guarantees a global approach to SaaS governance necessary to support large companies in the long term to structure their IT decentralisation and establishing synergy between all stakeholders (CEOs, CIOs/other IT leaders, and business teams).

Beamy wants to accelerate its international expansion

With an impressive end to 2021, this fundraising will allow the company to accelerate its international development (Beamy already being present in France and the United Kingdom on the international market), to create global leadership, and to strengthen customer relations by supporting them in their long-term governance efforts. “We are convinced that SaaS issues are major issues for large companies, whether French or international. With this fundraising from major investors including Agaé Ventures and Isai, both of whom are recognized for offering cutting edge expertise in the tech sector, we are setting out to conquer the international market,” explains Andrea Jacquemin.

To do this, Beamy plans to focus its investments on two major areas: recruitment, with plans to hire 40 more team members in the next twelve months, and product development, with the strengthening of detection technology and decentralisation workflows to further streamline collaboration between IT and business lines in the implementation and management of new SaaS solutions.

“As investors, we are familiar with the SaaS model and the benefits that users and business departments can derive from it. For large companies, mastering this deployment, which is often in the ‘shadows’, represents a real challenge,” said Jean-David Chambordeon, CEO of ISAI. “The vision of Beamy’s founders to identify, rationalize, unify, and allow the security of this B2B SaaS stack within organizations quickly convinced us. The excellent customer feedback we have been able to collect shows that Beamy is in the process of becoming the reference platform in this field.”

“Beamy provides an exhaustive view of SaaS tools and provides a governance platform with a real return on investment,” said Léa Verdillon of Aglaé Ventures. “The great feedback we’ve heard from customers convinced us that Andréa and Edouard formed the right team to develop Beamy. The international ambition that drives them is in perfect harmony with the fast-growing market, particularly in the United States, which is one of our areas of investment.”


Press contact
beamy@lagencerp.com
Lucille Lavigne – 06 98 62 07 92
Mélina Dahmane – 06 58 94 47 82

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American Campus Communities Announces $13 Billion Transaction with Blackstone Funds

Blackstone

ustin, Texas and New York – April 19, 2022 – American Campus Communities, Inc. (NYSE: ACC) (“ACC” or the “Company”), the largest developer, owner and manager of high-quality student housing communities in the United States, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Blackstone Core+ perpetual capital vehicles, primarily comprised of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“BREIT”), alongside Blackstone Property Partners (“BPP”), will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of ACC for $65.47 per fully diluted share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $12.8 billion, including the assumption of debt.

The purchase price represents a premium of 22 percent to the 90-calendar day volume-weighted average share price ending April 18, 2022, a premium of 30 percent over the closing stock price of February 16, 2022, the date immediately prior to the Company disclosing receipt of an indication of willingness to offer to acquire the Company, and a 14 percent premium to yesterday’s closing price.

ACC’s portfolio comprises 166 owned properties in 71 leading university markets including Arizona State University, The University of Texas at Austin, Florida State University, and the University of California – Berkeley, among many others. The majority of ACC’s properties are high-quality, purpose-built student housing assets located within walking distance of their respective university campuses, with approximately 24 percent of ACC’s communities located on campus.

“Through our IPO, eighteen years ago, we began our pioneering quest to transform the student housing sector into a mainstream, institutional asset class within the commercial real estate sector,” said Bill Bayless, American Campus Communities Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer. “We have certainly accomplished that mission and are proud and excited to have our best-in-class company join Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. This announcement represents the culmination of the passion and dedicated service of the ACC team to our student residents and university partners, while creating significant value for our shareholders.”

Bayless continued, “This transaction delivers compelling, immediate, and certain value to our shareholders while positioning ACC to further expand our competitive advantage as we continue in our quest to lead the student housing industry to new heights. Blackstone’s expertise, resources and consistent access to capital will allow us to rapidly leverage our platform and core competencies to entrepreneurially grow our core business and to pursue additional innovative opportunities. Moving forward together, the combined synergies of our organizations will enable us to better serve our current and future residents and university partners.”

Jacob Werner, Co-Head of Americas Acquisitions for Blackstone Real Estate, said, “American Campus Communities has a best-in-class portfolio and platform, built on longstanding relationships with some of the most distinguished and fastest growing universities in the country. Our perpetual capital will enable ACC to invest in its existing assets and create much-needed new housing in university markets. We’re excited to work with the ACC team to deliver communities where students love living.”

The transaction has been unanimously approved by ACC’s Board of Directors and the independent Special Committee of ACC’s Board and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, subject to approval by ACC’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions.

As a condition to the transaction, ACC has agreed to suspend payment of its quarterly dividend, effective immediately.

As a result of today’s announcement, ACC does not expect to host a conference call and webcast to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

Advisors
BofA Securities is serving as ACC’s lead financial advisor. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. is also acting as a financial advisor. Dentons US LLP is serving as the Company’s legal counsel.

Wells Fargo Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and TSB Capital Advisors are serving as Blackstone’s financial advisors, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is acting as Blackstone’s legal counsel.

About American Campus Communities
American Campus Communities, Inc. is the largest owner, manager and developer of high-quality student housing communities in the United States. The company is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) with expertise in the design, finance, development, construction management and operational management of student housing properties. As of December 31, 2021, American Campus Communities owned 166 student housing properties containing approximately 111,900 beds. Including its owned and third-party managed properties, ACC’s total managed portfolio consisted of 203 properties with approximately 140,900 beds. Visit www.americancampus.com.

About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has US $279 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is the largest owner of commercial real estate globally, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, residential, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ business invests in substantially stabilized real estate assets globally, through both institutional strategies and strategies tailored for income-focused individual investors including Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a U.S. non-listed REIT, and Blackstone’s European yield-oriented strategy. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).

Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, ACC will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a proxy statement on Schedule 14A. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, ACC will mail the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF ACC ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION THAT ACC FILES WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement, the preliminary proxy statement and any other documents filed by ACC with the SEC (when available) may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at ACC’s website at www.americancampus.com or by writing to American Campus Communities, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 12700 Hill Country Boulevard, Suite T-200, Austin, TX 78738.

Participants in the Solicitation
ACC and its directors and certain of its executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ACC’s stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information about ACC’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of ACC securities is set forth in ACC’s proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on March 17, 2021 and subsequent documents filed with the SEC.

Additional information regarding the identity of participants in the solicitation of proxies, and a description of their direct or indirect interests in the proposed transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the proxy statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
Some of the statements contained in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.

The forward-looking statements contained in this release reflect ACC’s and BREIT’s current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of ACC and/or BREIT, that may cause actual results and future events to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, which risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to complete the proposed transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated timeline, or at all, including risks and uncertainties related to securing the necessary shareholder approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions to consummate the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the proposed transaction; risks that the proposed transaction disrupts ACC’s current plans and operations or diverts the attention of ACC’s management or employees from ongoing business operations; the risk of potential difficulties with ACC’s ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with suppliers and other third parties as a result of the proposed transaction; the failure to realize the expected benefits of the proposed transaction; the proposed transaction may involve unexpected costs and/or unknown or inestimable liabilities; the risk that ACC’s business may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the proposed transaction; the risk that shareholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction may affect the timing or occurrence of the proposed transaction or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; effects relating to the announcement of the transaction or any further announcements or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of ACC’s common stock.

While forward-looking statements reflect ACC’s and/or BREIT’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. ACC and BREIT disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause ACC’s future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in ACC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in the other periodic reports ACC files with the SEC. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause BREIT’s future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in BREIT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and prospectus, and in the other periodic reports BREIT files with the SEC.

Contacts

ACC Investor Contact:
Ryan Dennison (512) 732-1000
Senior Vice President Capital Markets & Investor Relations
American Campus Communities, Inc.

ACC Media Contact:
Andrew Siegel
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 355-4449

Blackstone Media Contact:
Jeffrey Kauth
(212) 583-5395

Categories: News

GBL makes its first sizeable investment in the healthcare sector with the acquisition of Affidea, the leading provider of medical diagnostic services in Europe

GBL

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (“GBL”) has signed definitive agreements to acquire a majority stake in Affidea,
the leading provider of healthcare diagnostic services in Europe, from B-FLEXION. GBL will invest up to
EUR 1.0 billion of equity into the transaction. Affidea’s majority shareholder B-FLEXION will fully exit its stake, and
management will re-invest alongside GBL. This investment in a defensive sector provides both resilience and
portfolio diversification.

Founded in 1991, Affidea is the leading European diagnostic imaging player, with 320 centers operating across
15 countries. Affidea has expanded its offering across the value chain, providing an integrated pathway in advanced
diagnostics, outpatient and cancer care services with an outstanding quality and value of care.
Providing accurate diagnostics is paramount for delivering appropriate treatment. GBL will support Affidea in the
development of high-quality medical services in the interest of all of its stakeholders – patients, doctors and
regulators. Together with management, GBL plans to further strengthen Affidea’s leading platform in its core
markets as well as accelerate M&A into new, attractive and fragmented European markets.
This transaction marks GBL’s first sizeable private investment in the healthcare sector. GBL has expressed its strong
interest in this space, given its resilience to economic cycles and long-term underlying growth trends.
The acquisition also corresponds to GBL’s ambition to increase the share of private assets within its portfolio. The
group’s long-term objective is for private and alternative assets to account for approximately 40% of its portfolio.
They represented 25% of the portfolio as of the end of 2021.
Ian Gallienne, CEO of GBL, commented: “Following recent investments in Webhelp, Canyon and Voodoo, Affidea is a
continuation of GBL’s strategy to increase its exposure to majority-owned private companies operating in growing markets and
underpinned by attractive secular trends. Together with Affidea’s management, we look forward to contributing to this
company’s success.”

Michal Chalaczkiewicz, Investment Partner at GBL, added: “Affidea provides GBL exposure to highly-attractive healthcare
verticals and geographies. We are delighted to become the custodian of the business in its next stage of development. In
partnership with management, we will strive to accelerate organic growth, M&A and digital health programs.”
Giuseppe Recchi, CEO of Affidea, commented: “I’m grateful to B-FLEXION for their investment and support to the
company since the start of their ownership in 2014 and since my appointment as CEO in 2018. We have built a world-class
organization, almost doubling the size of the business in the last 4 years, paving the way for new avenues of growth. I am pleased
to have GBL as our partner, given their deep understanding of our business and long-term investment horizon.”
Stefan Meister, Vice-Chairman of B-FLEXION, further added: “It has been a privilege to work with Giuseppe and the whole
Affidea team, and we are proud to have contributed to the company’s incredible success over nearly ten years of ownership. The
GBL team have impressed us with their track record of supporting high-quality companies. We are delighted to transition Affidea
to GBL for the next phase of the company’s growth.”
GBL has been advised by Citi, Bain & Company, EY and Kirkland & Ellis.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022.

For more information, please contact:
Xavier Likin Alison Donohoe
Chief Financial Officer Head of Investor Relations
Tel: +32 2 289 17 72 Tel: +32 2 289 17 64
xlikin@gbl.be adonohoe@gbl.be

About Affidea
Affidea Group is the largest European provider of advanced diagnostic imaging, outpatient and cancer care services.
Founded in 1991, the company operates today 320 centres across 15 countries, providing high quality medical
services to over ten million patients every year. Affidea has a track record in successfully adding and integrating
more than 90 centres in the last three years. Due to its track record for patient safety, the company became the most
awarded diagnostic imaging provider in Europe by the European Society of Radiology – over 50% of all the centres
awarded on the Eurosafe Wall of Stars belong to Affidea.

About B-FLEXION
B-FLEXION is a private, entrepreneurial investment firm that partners with sophisticated capital to meet the shared
goal of delivering exceptional value over the generations, while also contributing positively to society. Chaired by
Ernesto Bertarelli and with offices across Europe and the United States, B-FLEXION seeds, acquires and builds asset
management investment partnerships, principally in the fields of Private Equity, Venture Capital, Infrastructure,
Technology, Real Estate, Hedge Funds, Public and Private Credit, and Public Securities. As well as these
partnerships, B-FLEXION makes principal investments in operating businesses in transformative industries with a
focus on Healthcare, Planet and Technology.

About Groupe Bruxelles Lambert
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (“GBL”) is an established investment holding company, with over sixty years of stock
exchange listing, a net asset value of EUR 22.5 billion and a market capitalization of EUR 15.3 billion as at the end of
December 2021. GBL is a leading investor in Europe, focused on long-term value creation and relying on a stable and
supportive family shareholder base. GBL is both a responsible company and investor and perceives ESG factors as
being inextricably linked to value creation.
GBL strives to maintain a diversified high-quality portfolio of listed and private assets as well as alternative
investments (through Sienna Investment Managers, the group’s alternative investment platform), composed of
international companies that are leaders in their respective sectors, to which it can contribute to value creation by
being an active, supportive and professional investor.
GBL is focused on delivering meaningful growth by providing attractive returns to its shareholders through a
combination of growth in its net asset value, a sustainable dividend and share buybacks.
GBL is listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange (Ticker: GBLB BB; ISIN code: BE0003797140) and is included
in the BEL20 index.

 

Categories: News

Ampersand Capital Partners Invests in Syft Technologies, Leading SIFT-MS Solutions Provider

Wellesley, MA, 18 April, 2022 – Ampersand Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in growth equity investments in the life sciences and healthcare sectors, today announced a minority investment in Syft Technologies Limited, a world leading provider of Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) solutions. Ampersand’s investment will allow Syft to accelerate their progress in the semiconductor market and develop the next scalable opportunity in life sciences.

Canterbury, New Zealand-based Syft develops SIFT-MS, a form of direct mass spectrometry that analyses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air with typical detection limits at parts-per-trillion level (by volume; pptv). Realtime, quantitative analysis is achieved by applying precisely controlled soft chemical ionization and eliminating sample preparation, pre-concentration and chromatography. Syft’s SIFT-MS instrumentation is industry-proven, providing non-technical operators with laboratory-grade chemical analysis presented in a format that they can understand and act on.

Alex Fala, CEO of Syft, comments “We are excited to partner with Ampersand and benefit from the firm’s expertise and networks as we continue to build on Syft’s momentum and develop our next scalable opportunity in life sciences.”

David Patteson, Partner at Ampersand, shared “Syft has a remarkable technology and product platform, with notable traction in semiconductor and adjacent segments. Their life science market pull, applications, and commercial expertise, combined with Ampersand’s investments, should allow for meaningful penetration and adoption rates. We are thrilled to partner with their executive team, board, and shareholders to help realize the full potential.”

As part of the investment, Syft will also welcome David Patteson to the Board. David leads Ampersand’s Portfolio Acceleration team, and currently serves as Chairman of US headquartered Alliance Pharma. He has over 30 years of experience in Board and CEO roles, scaling businesses built on mass spectrometry, and other analytical instrumentation technologies.



About Syft Technologies Limited

Syft is a world leading provider of Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) solutions. Revolutionizing the trace analysis world, Syft’s instruments enable the rapid, targeted and comprehensive analysis of compounds in air to a parts-per-trillion level. Syft’s technology is used in industries including semiconductor, energy, life sciences, environmental, consumer products, laboratory and research, security and air quality monitoring. Based in Christchurch, Syft trades on New Zealand’s Unlisted Securities Exchange (USX: SYF). Further information is available at syft.com.

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $2 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector.  With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm’s core healthcare sectors.  Additional information about Ampersand is available at ampersandcapital.com.

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CVC Fund VIII to acquire the Neolith Group, the global leader in sintered stone surfaces

The company is pioneer in the creation of sintered stone and a global leader with business in over 100 countries

CVC Capital Partners VIII, a global private equity platform, has agreed to invest in the Neolith Group, the global leader in the sintered stone industry, that has been controlled by Investindustrial and its founders, the Esteve Family, until now.

Neolith, pioneer in the creation of sintered stone and a global leader with business in over 100 countries, leads the ongoing process of transformation in the stone surfaces industry with innovative and sustainable solutions that combine design and functionality for a wide range of applications; from kitchens, bathrooms and designer furniture to building façades and coverings for the most cutting-edge architecture projects.

Neolith’s strong organic growth and profitability in recent years alongside a unique market position were key factors in the acquisition. Jose Luis Ramón, CEO of Neolith Group said: “It is a privilege to welcome CVC into the great Neolith project and its arrival will no doubt represent a new turning point in the group’s history, accelerating our ambitious strategic objectives. Its extensive experience and global presence will be a great help to us in developing our enormous potential”. He went on to add: “We are grateful for the confidence and constant support of Investindustrial and the Esteve Family in making Neolith a unique platform that has enabled us to consistently expand the business with a firm commitment based on innovation, branding, sustainability and a straightforward approach based on open collaboration.”

Javier de Jaime, Managing Partner at CVC, said: “We are thrilled to have materialised this investment in Neolith so we can continue leading this industry together and undertake the next stage of the investment, which will allow the company to continue accelerating its international expansion and multiply its growth behind the unique value proposition and position it enjoys in the market. CVC funds invest in companies with outstanding track records that are leaders in their respective industries. Neolith symbolises what we look for in any investment: a growing global market, a unique business model and a multi-disciplinary team that is highly skilled, motivated and international. Our vision is to multiply value in the long term and help the company to unleash its full potential, behind sustainable growth, by committing to technology, research and development of advanced materials, design and branding.”

In turn and on behalf of the current investors, Andrea C. Bonomi, the Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Board of Investindustrial, which became a majority shareholder in 2019, said: “We identified the sintered stone sector as the fastest growing niche within high-end design surfaces solutions, due to its strong technical and sustainable features. Within the sector, Neolith is a global leader based on a strong culture of quality and R&D built by the founding Esteve family, and carried on by the excellent management team in place.”

Categories: News

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Adams Street Partners Closes Second Private Credit Program with More Than $3 Billion of Capital

Adams Street

Private Credit II Program exceeds target fundraise with strong global demand, increasing total Private Credit strategy assets to $7.6 billion

CHICAGO, IL – April 14, 2022 – Adams Street Partners, LLC, a private markets investment management firm with more than $51 billion of assets under management, announced today it has successfully completed fundraising for its second Private Credit program (PC II), closing the oversubscribed program with more than $2.1 billion of committed capital and over $3.0 billion, including leverage.

Adams Street’s PC II saw high demand globally, surpassing its original target of $1.5 billion. A number of pension plans, insurance companies and family offices new to Adams Street invested in the program, in addition to strong representation from existing investors. The close of PC II raises the total Private Credit strategy assets to $7.6 billion, including leverage, since Adams Street launched the inaugural Private Credit strategy in 2016.

Adams Street’s Private Credit Team is a lead lender to middle market sponsor-backed transactions. Underlying investments within PC II currently have a loan-to-value ratio of less than 40% and an average debt multiple within 5X.

“We are extremely pleased with the investor support for our second Private Credit program,” said Bill Sacher, Partner and Head of Private Credit. “The strong demand for Adams Street’s Private Credit offering shows the value of the asset class and the appetite in this market for investments that target high-yields while also prioritizing stable returns. Our team looks forward to continuing to work with our longstanding sponsor relationships.”

“The strength of our Private Credit strategy reflects Adams Street’s strong relationships with LPs and private equity sponsors,” said Jeff Diehl, Managing Partner and Head of Investments. “Adams Street’s extensive relationships with buyout general partners helps open the door to exemplary deal flow and diligence insights. Having a seat at that table provides our Private Credit strategy investment vehicles with real value. The Private Credit platform has exceeded our expectations and we look forward to continued growth of this strategy.”


About Adams Street Partners

Adams Street Partners is a global private markets investment manager with investments in more than 30 countries across five continents. The firm is 100% employee-owned and has over $51 billion in assets under management. Adams Street strives to generate actionable investment insights across market cycles by drawing on 50 years of private markets experience, proprietary intelligence, and trusted relationships. Adams Street has offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Chicago, London, Menlo Park, Munich, New York, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. Visit www.adamsstreetpartners.com

Media Inquiries:
Rich Myers / Rachel Goun
Profile Advisors
+1 347 343 2999
adamsstreet@profileadvisors.com

Categories: News