Category Archives: News

Nautic Partners Announces Strategic Investment from Blackstone GP Stakes

Blackstone

PROVIDENCE, R.I. and NEW YORK — Nautic Partners LLC (“Nautic”), a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on investments in the healthcare, industrials, and services sectors, and Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today jointly announced a new partnership in which funds managed by Blackstone GP Stakes acquired a minority ownership interest in Nautic. Blackstone GP Stakes specializes in value-added, long-term investments in the management companies of leading private equity firms.

On behalf of Nautic, Managing Directors Scott Hilinski, Chris Crosby, Chris Corey, and Chris Pierce said, “Our partnerships form the core of Nautic, including our internal firm talent, limited partners, portfolio company executive teams, and industry relationships. We are thrilled now to add a partnership with Blackstone as a minority investor. We are excited about the opportunity ahead of us and believe that this relationship will be a valuable resource as we at Nautic continue to work on behalf of all of our constituents to drive investment performance. Blackstone is a highly regarded leader in the private equity market, and brings a deep platform of resources and operational tools that we will look to draw upon as we continue to invest in our firm and execute on our playbook of driving value creation in partnership with our portfolio company management teams.”

Mustafa M. Siddiqui, Head of Blackstone GP Stakes, said, “We have been impressed with the Nautic team’s combination of deep sector expertise and dedication to collaborating with strong management teams. This approach has allowed them to deliver outstanding investment results over a long period of time and build an enviable reputation among their peers. The firm is well-positioned for the future and we are delighted to be their partners on this journey.”

Ward Young, Managing Director at Blackstone, added, “Nautic’s strong leadership team, track record, and differentiated investment playbook align with our focus on investing in best-in-class private equity firms. We look forward to leveraging Blackstone’s extensive resources to help Nautic continue to grow and evolve while benefiting all of its stakeholders.”

Nautic recently closed on the firm’s tenth private equity fund at a hard cap of $3.0 billion with strong support from both existing and new institutional investors. Nautic closed its previous fund, Nautic Partners IX, in 2019 with $1.5 billion of committed limited partner capital.

Evercore served as financial advisor to Nautic. Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to Nautic and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as legal counsel to Blackstone.

About Nautic
Nautic is a middle-market private equity firm that focuses on three industries: healthcare, industrials, and services. Nautic has completed over 145 platform transactions throughout its 35-plus year history. Nautic’s strategy is to partner with management teams to accelerate the growth trajectory of its portfolio companies via add-on acquisitions, targeted operating initiatives, and increased management team depth. Nautic generally makes equity investments of $50 million up to $400 million or more in a single investment. For more information, please visit www.nautic.com.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative investment firm. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $731 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

Contact
Paula Chirhart
paula.chirhart@blackstone.com
+1 347-463-5453

Categories: News

Future growth for Operational Solutions following £8 million BGF investment

BGF

BGF has announced an £8 million investment in Operational Solutions Ltd (OSL), a leading counter drone technologies business based in Reading.

OSL actively supports major international airports, national infrastructure projects and defence markets with solutions to the growing challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS” or “drones”) in airspaces around the world.

The company’s proprietary intelligent software platform, FACETM, integrates and fuses real-time data from different sensors to detect, track, identify and manage drones and other objects within a single operating picture. The company has contracts with Heathrow and Gatwick airports and provides support to the UK Ministry of Defence. It has recently signed a global cooperation agreement with Thales, the global aerospace, air traffic management and defence systems company, to provide combined solutions into a range of markets.

It is predicted that as many as 76,000 drones will be in use across the UK by 2030 by private, commercial and government users in new applications and varied settings. This rapid growth will increase demand for drone detection and counter-drone capabilities to manage the airspace around key locations safely and effectively.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Reading, OSL currently employs around 70 people throughout the UK. Following BGF’s investment, the company plans to expand its recruitment programme, with new roles spread across R&D, engineering and business development.

Operational Solutions Ltd CEO Mark Legh-Smith says: “This significant investment in our business is set to fast-track OSL’s growth ambitions. As well as creating new possibilities for our customers and providing job creation, we are looking forward to the strategic input and guidance from BGF’s Reading-based team.

“Our competitive edge is in being agile and adapting more rapidly than other operators in our sector to the ever-evolving challenges and opportunities that are presented by drones. We chose BGF because they can support us with invaluable insight and expertise to strengthen and accelerate our expansion across other markets, in the UK and internationally.”

Liam Pursall, investor at BGF, said: “We are extremely excited to be working with the OSL team. Their market-leading technology, combined with a highly knowledgeable and experienced management team, offers significant growth potential in this fast-moving market. The inevitable and well-documented rise in the use of drones in the coming years will necessitate a clearly defined counter-drone and drone management proposition. Building on its first mover advantage, OSL is well positioned to help shape the counter drone landscape in the UK and beyond, and we look forward to supporting the business as it builds on the impressive growth trajectory achieved to date.”

Advisers to the deal include:

• BGF: Herrington Carmichael acted as legal adviser, and Wilson Partners provided financial due diligence
• OSL: Lincoln International acted as exclusive corporate finance adviser, Field Seymour Parkes served as legal adviser, and KPMG provided financial due diligence support

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Kinnevik invests USD 23 million in Vay – a leading teledrive mobility company

Kinnevik

Kinnevik AB (publ) (“Kinnevik”) today announced that it has invested USD 23m in Vay, a leading teledrive mobility company.

The global urban personal mobility sector is a USD 4.9tn market, which has seen and will continue to experience, tectonic shifts in response to changes in consumer preferences and technology advances. Amongst the most revolutionary of these shifts is the development of driverless transportation, supporting the transition to a low carbon economy by utilising vehicles and public roads more efficiently, and avoiding traffic congestion.

Current approaches to driverless transportation are mostly focused on autonomous driving. However, despite billions of dollars invested by governments, technology companies and car manufacturers, a growing numbers of experts are warning that truly ubiquitous, foolproof autonomous driving is far in the future and may in fact never be achievable, due to the technological, economic, regulatory and ethical challenges.

Vay has taken a different approach to driverless mobility, starting with a proprietary teledriving platform that allows drivers in a central teledriving hub to remotely drive connected cars on the public roads. Autonomous features can be integrated gradually, as they become technically and commercially viable. This offers an immediately commercialisable, and safe, path to autonomous driving.

With a USD 23m investment Kinnevik is leading Vay’s USD 95m funding round together with Coatue and Eurazeo, joining a number of existing investors such as Atomico, Creandum and La Famiglia, as well as Kinnevik’s lead shareholder Cristina Stenbeck.

Vay will use the funding to launch its first commercial service in Hamburg, Germany in 2022, and to triple the size of its team. With a strong focus on growing its engineering team and capabilities, Vay will further develop its teledrive services as well as autonomous driving technology.

Natalie Tydeman, Senior Investment Director at Kinnevik, commented: “Driverless transportation is potentially the biggest and most positive change in mobility in our generation. Thomas, Fabrizio, Bogdan, and the rest of the Vay team are pioneers in this industry, combining a visionary and pragmatic approach, with a strong mission to increase the safety and sustainability of transportation. Kinnevik is excited to partner with Vay and we look forward to joining the ride.”

Thomas von der Ohe, Co-founder and CEO at Vay, commented: “We are very excited to have Kinnevik onboard as investors as we accelerate our efforts to become a global mobility company. We have had a very positive impression of the whole Kinnevik team during the months we have gotten to know them and especially appreciate their authentic commitment to building sustainable businesses and investing for the long term.”

For further information, visit www.kinnevik.com or contact:

Torun Litzén, Director Investor Relations
Phone +46 (0)70 762 00 50
Email press@kinnevik.com

Kinnevik’s ambition is to be Europe’s leading listed growth investor, and we back the best digital companies for a reimagined everyday and to deliver significant returns. We understand complex and fast-changing consumer behaviours, and have a strong and expanding portfolio in healthtech, consumer services, foodtech and fintech. As a long-term investor, we strongly believe that investing in sustainable business models and diverse teams will bring the greatest returns for shareholders. We back our companies at every stage of their journey and invest in Europe, with a focus on the Nordics, and in the US. Kinnevik was founded in 1936 by the Stenbeck, Klingspor and von Horn families. Kinnevik’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s list for large cap companies under the ticker codes KINV A and KINV B.

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Mathem to merge with Axfood’s Mat.se and enter into long-term supply agreement with Dagab

Kinnevik

Kinnevik AB (publ) (“Kinnevik”) today announced that Mathem has agreed to merge with Mat.se, Axfood’s online grocer business, and to enter into a long-term strategic supply agreement with Axfood’s purchasing and logistics company Dagab. Kinnevik will own 31 percent of Mathem after the transaction and remains the company’s largest owner.

The combination of Mathem with Mat.se, together with the partnership with Axfood, will create synergies, increase scale, and enable the combined company to further improve its customer proposition in the direct-to-home online grocery market. Axfood will own approximately 17 percent of Mathem and as part of the partnership Axfood’s purchasing and logistics company, Dagab, will enter into a seven-year delivery and collaboration agreement with Mathem, covering purchasing, product range and logistics. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Georgi Ganev, CEO of Kinnevik commented: “We welcome Axfood as a partner and owner in Mathem. Axfood’s leading market position and passion for good and sustainable food will help strengthen Mathem’s customer offering, and we look forward to support the company on their continued growth journey together with our new partner.”

Klas Balkow, CEO of Axfood commented: “Together with Mathem we now create a stronger and better pure online offering for Mathem’s and Mat.se’s customers. The long-term supply agreement between Dagab and Mathem strengthens that offering even further. We look forward to further develop the merged Mathem and Mat.se company together with Kinnevik and the other owners.”

In the all-stock merger, Mat.se and Mathem are valued in proportion to their respective revenues during the last twelve months as at 30 September 2021.

For further information, visit www.kinnevik.com or contact:

Torun Litzén, Director Investor Relations
Phone +46 (0)70 762 00 50
Email press@kinnevik.com

Kinnevik’s ambition is to be Europe’s leading listed growth investor, and we back the best digital companies for a reimagined everyday and to deliver significant returns. We understand complex and fast-changing consumer behaviours, and have a strong and expanding portfolio in healthtech, consumer services, foodtech and fintech. As a long-term investor, we strongly believe that investing in sustainable business models and diverse teams will bring the greatest returns for shareholders. We back our companies at every stage of their journey and invest in Europe, with a focus on the Nordics, and in the US. Kinnevik was founded in 1936 by the Stenbeck, Klingspor and von Horn families. Kinnevik’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s list for large cap companies under the ticker codes KINV A and KINV B.

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EURAZEO leads a majority investment in BEEKMAN 1802, a high growth clean beauty brand

Eurazeo, a leading global investment group, today announced it is acquiring a controlling stake in Beekman 1802, a high growth clean beauty brand offering a line of premium skincare and body care products that leverage microbiome science and harness the benefits of goat milk. Eurazeo is investing $62 million out of a total of $92 million to acquire a majority stake alongside co-investors Cohesive Capital Partners and the Cherng Family Trust. The investment marks Eurazeo’s Brands team continued momentum as a value added partner to North American and European consumer brands, with over $600 million invested since 2017.
Founded in 2009 by Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell in Sharon Springs, New York, Beekman has grown into a successful omnichannel brand with a diverse array of beauty wellness products. Beekman’s commitment to sustainability, kindness, authenticity, and community, is a key differentiator in today’s $9 billion global prestige skincare market.

Eurazeo’s investment will support the continued expansion of Beekman 1802 across multiple channels, categories, and geographies, leveraging and further enhancing the brand’s storytelling capabilities and products. As part of Eurazeo’s investment, Marc Rey, former CEO of Shiseido Americas, will join the Company’s Board of Directors as Chairman, alongside Adrianne Shapira, Managing Director, and George Birman, Principal at Eurazeo.
Adrianne Shapira, Managing Director, Brands, said:
“Brent, Josh and the entire Beekman team have created a truly special brand that resonates with today’s beauty consumers seeking aspirational yet accessible products that are clean and effective. With kindness at its core, Beekman is also spreading beauty from within. We are thrilled to partner with Beekman to propel their next chapter of growth, leveraging our deep industry expertise to help them reach consumers on a global scale in the years ahead.”

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Beekman 1802 co-founders, added:
“When we started Beekman 1802 over a decade ago, we were focused on helping our community; over the years we have been fortunate to grow that community near and far through our unique products that are kind to sensitive skin and our use of Kindness as a framework for wellness and well-being. Today we couldn’t be more excited to embark on Beekman’s next journey together with Eurazeo, a partner with strong brand building expertise that will help us grow our community of neighbors and spread kindness globally.”

Marc Rey, Incoming Chairman of Beekman 1802, said:
“The beauty industry continues to be marked by tremendous innovation and growth as consumers seek products and brands that are both effective and clean. Beekman’s powerful combination of being a truly authentic brand with excellent products and strong leadership is a winning one, and I look forward to supporting its growth by leveraging my global experience developing and leading iconic beauty brands.”

ABOUT BEEKMAN 1802
• Beekman 1802 was born when founders, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge, moved to the historic Beekman 1802 farm in rural Sharon Springs, NY. There they found a tightknit community and 100 goats looking for a home. Next thing you know, they became the world’s biggest goat milk-based skincare company, earning the right to call themselves the first and only certified microbiome-friendly brand at Ulta stores for the moisturizing, exfoliation, and nourishing properties of the goat milk found in their products across the board. With their Clinically Kind® approach to skincare that’s clinically tested, scientifically proven, and made for sensitive skin, they have long proven, There’s Beauty in Kindness™.
• For more information, visit Beekman1802.com and @Beekman1802 on social media.

ABOUT EURAZEO
• Eurazeo is a leading global investment company, with a diversified portfolio of €27 billion in assets under management, including nearly €19.2 billion from third parties, invested in 450 companies. With its considerable private equity, venture capital, private debt as well as real estate and infrastructure asset expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its nearly 300 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term.
• Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Berlin, Milan and Madrid.
• Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.
• ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA

EURAZEO CONTACT
Virginie Christnacht
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS vchristnacht@eurazeo.com
+33 (0)1 44 15 76 44
Pierre Bernardin
HEAD OF INVESTOR RELATIONS pbernardin@eurazeo.com
+33 (0)1 44 15 16 76
PRESS CONTACT
Julia Fisher
EDELMAN Julia.Fisher@edelman.com
+1 646 301 2968

 

Categories: News

LaLiga and CVC Fund VIII sign agreement to set Project Boost LaLiga in motion

CVC Capital Partners

Collaboration becomes effective after LaLiga General Assembly ratifies agreement with large majority

LaLiga and CVC Fund VIII have today signed a strategic agreement setting in motion Boost LaLiga (“LaLiga Impulso”), the project to boost the global growth of LaLiga and its clubs.

The signing on Sunday follows ratification with a large majority of Boost LaLiga by the LaLiga General Assembly on Friday with 37 of 42 clubs voting in favour.

The agreement between LaLiga and CVC Fund VIII will see the league and clubs receive a total of €1.994 billion which will be used for technology, innovation, internationalisation, and sporting growth initiatives.

The pioneering agreement between LaLiga and CVC Fund VIII sets a precedent for other European leagues and the wider sports and entertainment industry, a sector full of passion, excitement, and dynamism, but in constant flux and in need of adapting to new growth opportunities. LaLiga aspires to be a global leader with the best content, digital presence, and strong data collection and analysis allowing for direct interaction with fans through all available channels and with a particular focus on younger and international audiences.

Boost LaLiga will allow LaLiga and its clubs to adapt to the modern day demands of the sector with the backing of CVC, a partner with extensive experience. The agreement has been signed with LaLiga valued at a historic €24.25 billion by leading independent experts Rothschild & Co and Duff & Phelps. LaLiga was advised by Uría Menéndez, KPMG, and Bibium Capital, while CVC was advised by Latham & Watkins, Two Circles, and Oliver & Ohlbaum.

LaLiga President Javier Tebas said: “This agreement is a historic milestone not just for LaLiga but also for football and sport in general. LaLiga and its clubs now have the best partner possible to successfully pre-empt and navigate changes on the horizon and I believe that we are setting a precedent for other leagues in Europe and around the world to follow.”

Nick Clarry, Managing Partner and Head of Sports, Media & Entertainment at CVC, said: “We are truly grateful for the trust that LaLiga and its clubs have placed in us. LaLiga is the top sports competition in Spain and one of the leading competitions in the world. We are excited to help in this new phase for the long-term benefit of fans, players and the competition.”

The injection of nearly €2 billion commits participating clubs to allocating up to 70% of the funds to investments linked to infrastructure, international development, brand and product development, talent acquisition, communication strategy, innovation and technology, and a content development plan for digital platforms and social media. Up to 15% can be used to sign players, with the remaining 15% for reducing debt.

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Audax Private Equity Completes the Sale of MNX Global Logistics to Quad-C Management

Audax Group

Audax Private Equity (“Audax”) today announced that it has completed the sale of MNX Global Logistics (“MNX” or the “Company”), an industry leader in time-critical logistics and managed transportation services, to Quad-C Management (“Quad-C”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

MNX, headquartered in Long Beach, California, with offices in Singapore, Amsterdam, and Melbourne, is an industry leader in time-critical logistics and managed transportation services serving the biopharmaceutical, life sciences, high tech, medical device, aviation, entertainment, government, and financial industries. MNX’s same-day services support the distribution of surgical kits, lifesaving medical treatments, and critical service-parts, and help rescue grounded aircraft through its Aircraft-On-Ground precision logistics services. MNX serves a diverse base of over 1,500 global clients in 190 countries and territories through its Next Flight Out (“NFO”), Air Charter, Expedited Ground, Forward Stocking, and Managed Transportation solutions.

Since Audax’ investment in 2018, MNX has undergone a period of rapid growth and transformation, including expanding its global footprint and solidifying its presence in healthcare and aviation end-markets. The acquisitions of both the Express Division of Network Global Logistics and Global First supported MNX’s global growth plan and commitment to continuously increase the capabilities that its customers demand.

David Wong, Managing Director at Audax, stated, “We are proud of all that has been accomplished during our partnership with MNX. John and the entire management team have done an extraordinary job of driving improvements and building a leading time critical logistics provider through organic growth, acquisitions, operations, and commercial synergies. We wish the best to MNX as it begins its next chapter.”

“Over the past three and a half years, Audax has proven to be an incredible partner,” said John Labrie, President and CEO of MNX. “Audax was instrumental in our customer growth and innovation in solution offerings, supporting our team in its mission to be a world leader in time-critical transportation services. We thank David and the Audax team for their support in helping us continue to deliver dependable, customized solutions, and we look forward to what the future holds for MNX.”

Jefferies and J.P. Morgan served as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Audax and the Company.

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Ardian acquires 13,200 sqm office building in Méndez Álvaro, Madrid, Spain

Ardian

The building is located in one of Madrid’s highest growth potential area in the office sector. It has approx. 13,200 m² distributed across 15 floors, in addition to 225 parking spaces.

The deal represents Ardian Real Estate’s second acquisition in Spain, and fits perfectly with the Group’s strategic focus: the purchase of well-located buildings with strong potential for repositioning through active management.

Ardian, one of the world’s leading private equity firms, has closed its second real estate investment in Spain, with the purchase of an office building in Madrid’s Méndez Álvaro area from BNP Paribas Group. Méndez Álvaro is a consolidated residential, commercial and office area within the M-30, with excellent connections to the airport, Atocha and Méndez Álvaro stations. It is also home to the headquarters of several multinationals in Spain, including Amazon, Repsol, Mahou and JustEat. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

The building, built in 1993, has a surface area of approximately 13,200 m², distributed over 15 floors, and 225 parking spaces.
Ardian’s local team will work on a comprehensive asset refurbishment programme with the aim of repositioning it into a building that meets the highest international standards of comfort, wellbeing, sustainability and efficiency, meeting the needs and demands of current and future tenants.

The acquisition of this building is in line with Ardian Real Estate’s strategy, based on value creation through active asset management, with the aim of improving facilities, asset performance and, ultimately, developing their full potential.
The transaction, Ardian Real Estate’s second in Spain, follows the one announced last July, when the firm acquired a 10,000 m² building located near AZCA, Madrid’s historic financial centre.

“The acquisition of this building reinforces our commitment to Spain. It represents a unique opportunity to acquire a highly visible asset within the M-30, in a location with strong fundamental and potential, and with the opportunity to actively reposition the property into a building of the future. Edmund Eggins, Head of Spain for Ardian Real Estate

“The Ardian Real Estate team in Spain has been working these last months analyzing many opportunities, and today we can say that we have closed a great deal together with BNP Paribas. For us, Spain, and in particular Madrid and Barcelona, continues to be a very interesting market, and we expect to continue to grow our portfolio in the coming months.” Rodolfo Petrosino, Head of Southern Europe for Ardian Real Estate

BNP Paribas Real Estate is the entity responsible for the BNP Paribas Group’s real estate assets in Spain. The group planned this transaction following the relocation of three of its business lines to a 13,700 m² building in Madrid Rio. Borja Ortega, CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate, said: “This transaction demonstrates the interest that the Madrid office market continues to generate for major national and international players. The structuring of the transaction through an orderly process has allowed us to successfully complete the process on schedule”.

Ardian Real Estate currently has a team of 34 professionals and a portfolio of over 2 billion and more than 300,000 sqm in Paris, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and now Madrid. With its first fund, the team completed the largest real estate fundraising in history, with more than €700 million raised. This confirmed continued investor support for Ardian and a direct reflection of the attractiveness of the asset class.

PARTIES TO THE TRANSACTION

  • Ardian

    • Advisors : EY Abogados and Savills Aguirre Newman

  • BNP Paribas

    • Advisors: BNP Paribas Real Estate, Pérez Llorca and Gleeds

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$120 billion managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base. Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world. Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 780 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of more than 1,200 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

www.ardian.com

Media Contacts

ARDIAN – Headland

ardian@headlandconsultancy.com Tel.: +44 7818 594991

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AE Industrial’s Cross-Fire & Security Acquires NISCO, a Provider of Fire Alarm and Life Safety Solutions Across the Northeastern United States

Ae Industrial Partners

AE Industrial’s Cross-Fire & Security Acquires NISCO, a Provider of Fire Alarm and Life Safety Solutions Across the Northeastern United States

AE Industrial Completes Second Add-on to its Fire and Life Safety Services Platform

Brooklyn, NY, December 2, 2021 – Cross-Fire & Security Co., Inc., (“Cross-Fire”), a full-service life safety company specializing in the design, engineering, installation, maintenance, monitoring and servicing of state-of-the-art fire and life safety systems, announced today it has acquired NISCO, Inc. which is comprised of Northeast Integrated Systems and Northeast Fire Systems, Inc (collectively “NISCO” or “the Company”), a provider of fire alarm and life safety solutions across the Northeastern United States. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

NISCO marks the second add-on acquisition completed by Cross-Fire, a fire and life safety services platform established by AE Industrial Partners. Cross-Fire announced the addition of Alarm & Suppression, Inc. (“A&S”) on November 30, 2021, and is actively seeking additional acquisitions to expand its capabilities and geographic footprint.

Founded in 1982 by James Yantosca, Sr. and Sheryl Yantosca, NISCO has grown to become a leader in critical fire alarm and life safety solutions for commercial customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, serving the education, commercial, office, healthcare and pharmaceutical end markets. Through Northeast Integrated Systems, the Company provides project management and on-site support services to engineers, contractors, and end-user project managers. Among the services provided by Northeast Fire Systems are fire alarm detection system installation, testing, maintenance and upgrades; sprinkler system testing and maintenance; life safety testing, integration and consulting; and central station monitoring services. With offices in Malden and Worcester, MA, NISCO is a Premier authorized engineered systems distributor of Honeywell’s Notifier products and was previously named a Notifier U.S. Distributor of the Year. NISCO will continue to be led by its President James Yantosca, Jr.

“We are fortunate to have identified another strong player in fire and life safety services that creates significant scale for Cross-Fire in the Northeast,” said Peter Schumacher, Partner at AEI. “NISCO has an outstanding reputation for customer service, which is supported by one of the most knowledgeable technical teams in the industry. We’re confident that the addition of NISCO to Cross-Fire will benefit both customers and employees alike.”

Cross-Fire has partnered with key industry executives on this platform investment, including Kelly Romano, Chair of the Board, and Ed Cettina, Board Member. Ms. Romano, an AEI Operating Partner, has deep sector experience in fire & security and commercial building industries, including over 30 years in executive roles at United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Mr. Cettina most recently was the Global COO of the Construction Management business of AECOM, and previously worked for 24 years in senior roles at Tishman Construction.

“We have known the Yantosca family for more than 20 years and we’re excited to finally work together to deliver the best solutions in the industry,” said Brendan Doorly and Kevin Maguire, co-founders of Cross-Fire. “Coming on the heels of our acquisition of A&S last month, we are making strong progress in our mission to become a preeminent fire and life safety company offering a full suite of services.”

“We look forward to partnering with Brendan and Kevin, two industry leaders whom our team has respected and known for many years,” said James Yantosca, Jr. “With the backing of Cross-Fire and AE Industrial, NISCO will be better positioned to take advantage of the significant new opportunities in the industry.”

“From my decades at Honeywell, I know first-hand that achieving Notifier Distributor of the Year is an impressive accomplishment, and I’m thrilled to be working alongside a top-tier team with a stellar reputation,” said Robert V. Rex, Senior Vice President of Growth & Strategy, at Cross-Fire.

About NISCO
Founded in 1982 and based in Malden and Worcester, MA, NISCO is a leader in critical fire alarm and life safety solutions for commercial customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, serving the education, commercial office, healthcare and pharmaceutical end markets. For more information, visit www.northeastintegratedsystems.com and www.northeastfiresystems.com.

About Cross-Fire & Security Co.
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, Cross-Fire & Security Co. is a full-service life safety company specializing in the design, engineering, installation, maintenance, monitoring and servicing of state-of-the-art fire and life safety systems. Its dedicated team of highly skilled and certified project managers and technicians manage all aspects of a project, from the design phase through final inspection, using state-of-the-art solutions and technology. For more information and to see a sample list of Cross-Fire’s projects, please visit www.cfsnyc.com.

About AE Industrial Partners
AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specializing in Aerospace, Defense & Government Services, Space, Power & Utility Services, and Specialty Industrial markets. AE Industrial Partners invests in market-leading companies that can benefit from our deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and relationships throughout our target markets. AE Industrial Partners is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and the ILPA Diversity in Action initiative. Learn more at Learn more at www.aeroequity.com.

# # #

Contact

Lambert & Co.
Jennifer Hurson
(845) 507-0571
jhurson@lambert.com

Or

Caroline Luz
203-656-2829
cluz@lambert.com

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Reveall raises €1.5 million from Fortino Capital and Dutch Founders Fund to expand its team and implement their ambitious roadmap.

Fortino Capital

14th December 2021 – Reveall, the Amsterdam-based platform that helps teams make customer research and feedback data actionable, raises a €1.5 million pre-seed round. Fortino Capital led the round with additional investment from Dutch Founders Fund.

Reveall was launched in July 2021 by Ferdinand Goetzen and Marcel Hagedoorn to help companies bridge the gap between customer data and decision making. The platform serves as a single source of truth about the customer for companies like WeTransfer, Signify and PostNL.

Reveall will use the investment to expand its team and implement an ambitious product roadmap that intends to help product and UX teams make the most of their customer insights.

The Reveall founding team will also be completed with the addition of Dwayne Pascal, who has over 15 years of experience leading tech teams and strategy at companies like Vodafone, Amazon and Skyscanner, and will be joining the company as CTO.

About Reveall

Reveall is a software platform that helps teams make their customer research and feedback data actionable.Founded in Amsterdam in 2021, Reveall serves a number of industry-leading businesses, including WeTransfer, Signify and PostNL. To make your customer data actionable, create an account at Reveall.co.

 

About Fortino Capital

Fortino Capital Partners is a European investment firm specializing in B2B software and based in Antwerp and Amsterdam. Through a growth capital fund and two early stage venture capital funds, Fortino Capital partners with exceptional entrepreneurs in North Western Europe. The investment portfolio includes MobileXpense, Efficy CRM, Teamleader, Salonkee, SimplyDelivery, iObeya, Zaion, Oqton, among others (www.fortinocapital.com).

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