Category Archives: News

AURELIUS Equity Opportunities to seek segment change

Aurelius Capital
  • Segment change from qualified Open Market (m:access) to general Open Market intended
  • Considerable savings of time and money for the company
  • Rights of shareholders linked to their shares will be preserved

Grünwald, January 16, 2023 – The Board of Directors of the general partner of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) will seek a segment change. The company assumes that its shares will be traded in the general Open Market at a stock exchange after a transition period. The current inclusion in the qualified Open Market (m:access segment of the Munich Stock Exchange) will end. The decision was reached after carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the quotation of the shares.

AURELIUS Equity Opportunities has undergone a substantial transformation in the last 15 years, developing from a turnaround investor focused on Germany to a member of the pan-European AURELIUS Group specializing in private equity, private debt, and real estate.

Already since 2013, there has been no need for the company to make use of the funding possibilities afforded by the quotation of the shares in the qualified Open Market to raise equity capital. At the same time, the financial and regulatory effort entailed by the quotation of the shares in this segment, which in some cases also creates disadvantages for the company’s day-to-day business, has risen considerably in the last few years. The intended segment change was decided after a careful assessment of the corresponding advantages and disadvantages, on the basis of which it was determined that a quotation of the shares in the qualified Open Market is no longer necessary.

Therefore, the Board of Directors resolved today to file an application to revoke the quotation of the shares of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA in the m:access segment and to revoke the inclusion in the Open Market of the Munich Stock Exchange. AURELIUS Equity Opportunities further assumes that its shares will be traded in the general Open Market at another stock exchange in the future as well.

The rights of existing shareholders linked to their shares will be preserved after this segment change. The exact timing of the discontinuation of trading will depend on the corresponding decision to be made by the Munich Stock Exchange. The transition period could last for up to one year or possibly longer.

Categories: News

Tags:

HQ Group has reached an agreement with investment company NPM Capital.

NPM Capital
HQ Group, market leader in the development, production, cleaning and reuse of innovative and high-quality packaging solutions for the high-tech industry, has reached an agreement with investment company NPM Capital to welcome them as new majority shareholder. This transaction enables HQ Group to secure a long-term shareholder base, as well as support for HQ Group’s expansion strategy and international growth. NPM Capital is looking forward to the future collaboration with the current management team. HQ Group is based in Eindhoven and has worldwide activities and production locations, including state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities in Europe, America and Asia. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approval (ACM).

Read the latest Capital Magazine issue

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay up to date with the most relevant developments from NPM Capital and our portfolio companies.

Subscribe

Contact

Breitnerstraat 1
1077 BL Amsterdam (NL)

Poortakkerstraat 93
9051 Gent (BE)

T: +31205705555
E: info@npm-capital.com

Categories: News

Tags:

Montagu agrees to sell Maincare

Montagu

Montagu, a leading European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to sell Maincare, a provider of software for French public hospitals and health authorities, to Docaposte, the digital arm of La Poste, the French postal service.

Maincare provides an end-to-end hospital information system offering in France, where it is a leader in electronic patient records as well as hospital administration, interoperability, and telemedicine solutions. Through its integrated software suite, it assists public hospitals, payers, and insurers to implement successful digital strategies for the benefit of patients.

Since Montagu acquired Maincare in 2018, it has worked with the business to respond to the rapidly changing needs of policymakers and hospitals, in particular in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Significant investments in R&D led to the development of new-generation electronic patient records as well as the modernisation of Maincare’s technology ensuring that products are interoperable, SaaS-ready, and at the forefront of innovation in terms of cyber-security.

Under Montagu’s ownership, Maincare’s historically acquired business lines were combined from an organisational and technology standpoint, introducing a shared vision and strategy to the business and driving efficiencies. Led by a strong and unified management team, the changes helped to establish a customer-centric culture which put the needs of medical personnel and patients at the centre of the organisation.

Montagu Partner Guillaume Jabalot said, “Maincare is a great example of Montagu’s strategy of partnering with leading companies offering critical products and services. We are proud of the success Maincare has achieved and we are certain that the company will continue to thrive under the ownership of Docaposte. We especially would like to thank the management team and all Maincare’s employees for their hard work and dedication and we wish them all the best on their future journey.”

Maincare is a great example of Montagu’s strategy of partnering with leading companies offering critical products and services.

Guillaume Jabalot, Partner, Montagu

François-Xavier Floren, CEO of Maincare, commented: “The partnership with Docaposte will allow us to address one of the major challenges of our market – the importance of offering customers long-term support with a trusted partner present in software, hosting and services. Over the last two years, with the support of Montagu, we successfully carried out a transformation plan aimed at improving one of the persistent challenges of the French hospital system by “Giving time back to the Caregivers”. The management team and all Maincare’s employees are confident that the partnership with Docaposte will bring further significant value to our clients and to the market.”

Over the last two years, with the support of Montagu, we successfully carried out a transformation plan aimed at improving one of the persistent challenges of the French hospital system by “Giving time back to the Caregivers”.

François-Xavier Floren, CEO, Maincare

The transaction remains subject to the approval of the French competition authority.

Categories: News

Tags:

Ratos company Speed Group wins the Stora Hållbarhetspriset sustainability award

Ratos

Speed Group named winner of the Stora Hållbarhetspriset award for 2022. The prize is awarded by Borås Näringsliv (the Borås local business association), the University of Borås, the City of Borås and Sparbanken Sjuhärad through its owner foundation.

Speed won the prize, with the following citation: “With a clear focus on the environment that is central to the customer dialogue, and with the largest rooftop photovoltaic system in the Nordics, this year’s winner is growing quickly. The 2022 Stora Hållbarhetspriset recipient has a goal of becoming carbon neutral by no later than 2025. Suppliers for this year’s prize-winner must meet requirements for more sustainable materials, energy solutions, transportation and work clothes. Through initiatives both large and small, the winner makes a difference and demonstrates that ecological, social and financial responsibility can go hand in hand. The winner of this year’s prize intends to support innovations related to the environment and contribute to a more inclusive local community where children and young people have a fair chance. Based on its long-term and goal-oriented sustainability agenda, the jury awards the Stora Hållbarhetspriset to Speed Group.

“Sustainability is a prerequisite for remaining an attractive employer and continuing to provide an attractive customer offering. Speed Group has integrated sustainability into its core operations in an exemplary manner. Speed Group is honoured to receive this award,” says Christian Johansson Gebauer, Chairman of the Board of Speed Group and President, Business Area Construction & Services, Ratos.

“It’s incredibly exciting to win a prestigious award like the Stora Hållbarhetspriset and validation that our focus on sustainability is making a difference. Sustainability permeates everything we do and it’s gratifying to see that employees in every department share this mindset. This distinction is a source of pride for Speed Group and will spur everyone to continue this important work,” says Jesper Andersson, CEO of Speed Group.

About the Stora Hållbarhetspriset sustainability award
The Stora Hållbarhetspriset was established in 2021 by Borås Näringsliv, the University of Borås, the City of Borås and Sparbanken Sjuhärad through its owner foundation to inspire and encourage sustainable development that generates growth.

About Speed Group
Speed offers sustainable, flexible and innovative solutions to complex logistics and staffing challenges. Sustainability permeates the entire business, and the aim is to be carbon neutral by 2025. Speed has its head office in Borås, Sweden, and logistics centres in Borås, Gothenburg and Stockholm covering a combined total of more than 220,000 square metres. The company has sales of just over SEK 1.2 billion and approximately 1,500 employees.

For further information, please contact:
Josefine Uppling, VP Communication, Ratos, +46 76 114 54 21

About Ratos
Ratos is a business group consisting of 16 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer and Industry. In total 2021, the companies have approximately SEK 30 billion in net sales. Our business concept is to own and develop companies that are or can become market leaders. We have a distinct corporate culture and strategy – everything we do is based on our core values: Simplicity, Speed in execution and It’s All About People. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas.

Categories: News

Tags:

Waterland acquires underground infrastructure specialist Van Vulpen

Mentha

Van Vulpen, a specialist in underground infrastructure, has found a new owner in Waterland Private Equity. The majority interest of Mentha and the management’s shareholding will be fully transferred to Waterland, with the current management reinvesting.

Van Vulpen is one of the top contractors in the Netherlands focusing on underground infrastructure, particularly in regard to electricity, gas and water. The Gorinchem-based company specializes in horizontal directional drilling, which enables it to lay pipelines and cables underground over large distances with minimal impact on the environment. Van Vulpen is highly regarded for the quality it delivers, its process-based approach and its leading position in the field of sustainability. This is underlined by the duration of its partnerships and its healthy contract portfolio. In 2019, Mentha took a majority stake in the company to further professionalize its operations and facilitate growth. Waterland is now taking up the challenge of further shaping this successful process.

Growth and professionalization
Mentha has spent the last few years making Van Vulpen stronger as a company, and less dependent on a few key figures within the organization, while nurturing the knowledge and experience that was available. For example, internally developed software was converted to a low-code platform so that the knowledge of external experts can also be used for its maintenance and further development.

Ralph Peeters has been in the role of general manager for a year now. He has built on the strong foundation that was already in place when he arrived. Under Mentha’s care, sales have grown by more than 40 percent since the end of 2019.

Ralph Peeters, general director of Van Vulpen, comments: “When I took office at the beginning of 2022, I joined a dynamic company with plenty of promise for the future. Talented employees, long-term relationships with clients and partners, and the quality of the work provided ensure a healthy starting position for further growth. We are grateful to my predecessor and to Mentha for this development and look forward to continuing this growth trajectory together with Waterland.”

Gijs Botman, partner at Mentha, adds: “Van Vulpen and Mentha share a similar drive: collaboration, quality and focus on effective digitization and processes. In 2019 we were impressed by what Van Vulpen had achieved so far and saw growth potential, which we were able to realize in a short time together with its strong team. The collaboration is now coming to an end, but we are convinced that Van Vulpen is in good hands with Waterland to ensure further growth.”

Categories: News

Altor above 10% of the share capital in FLSmidth A/S

We hereby announce that we, Altor Fund Manager AB (“Altor”), on January 19th 2023 have increased our holding of shares in FLSmidth A/S (“FLSmidth”) to 10.5% of the issued and outstanding share capital and voting rights of FLSmidth. The rationale behind Altor’s acquisition of shares is further explained in the press release posted in the morning of January 19th 2023.

Altor controls, through Altor Fund (No.1) AB and Altor Fund V (No. 2) AB, the subsidiary, NewCo December 2022 AS (“NewCo”), who is the direct holder of shares in FLSmidth.

For more information, please contact:

Tor Krusell, Head of Communications, tor.krusell@altor.com, +46 705 43 87 47

Categories: News

3i-backed WilsonHCG acquires Personify

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that WilsonHCG, an award-winning, global leader in talent solutions, has acquired Personify, a leading provider of recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”) services to specialised end markets including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and healthcare. The total purchase price was not disclosed, but as part of the transaction, 3i will invest c.$7m of additional capital alongside a significant reinvestment from Personify’s management.

Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Personify offers a turnkey talent solution that spans the entire talent acquisition life cycle, including services such as labour market analysis, candidate marketing, sourcing, interviewing, assessments, overall candidate management, and onboarding. The company focuses on higher-end, more specialised roles, often for hard-to-fill or high-demand positions in its core end markets.

Personify is a leader in its core markets and well regarded for its service quality, partnership mentality with clients and its flexible delivery model. Personify has consistently grown at rates that are above the broader RPO industry, and forecasts continued strong growth over the next few years, capitalising on many of the same favourable tailwinds that have benefitted WilsonHCG, including increasing adoption of outsourced talent acquisition solutions.

The acquisition provides WilsonHCG with further exposure to the attractive life sciences and healthcare markets, which represent key growth markets for both companies. Personify also provides additional capabilities to better serve existing customers and to expand the types of services that WilsonHCG can offer in the market. WilsonHCG’s global presence (with resources in 65 countries) and breadth of talent solutions will allow Personify to better serve its existing customers, including internationally, which is a key differentiator in today’s competitive talent environment.

Today’s acquisition is the third for WilsonHCG since 3i’s investment in February 2021 and follows the acquisition of Claro Analytics, a labour market intelligence platform, in February 2022, and Tracking Talent, an RPO headquartered in South Africa, in October 2022.

Ryan Carfley, President and CEO, Personify, said: “We are very pleased to be joining WilsonHCG. I have known John Wilson for many years, and there is a great cultural fit between our organisations. The partnership will enable us to scale our presence in our end markets and deliver globally for our existing clients.”

John Wilson, CEO, WilsonHCG, said: “Personify operates in attractive, growing areas in the RPO industry and its highly specialised capabilities will be an asset to WilsonHCG. We look forward to welcoming Personify and working closely with Ryan Carfley and his team to support Personify’s growth ambitions, especially as it pertains to delivering solutions internationally.”

Rahul Lulla, Partner, 3i, said: “WilsonHCG and Personify have strong alignment with complementary business models and customer-first mentalities. We look forward to supporting the teams as they continue to deliver great results for their existing customers and win new accounts.”

Categories: News

AE Industrial Partners Adds Longtime Aviation and Manufacturing Leader Dev Rudra as Vice President, Portfolio Strategy and Optimization Group

Ae Industrial Partners

BOCA RATON, FL— January 11, 2023 – AE Industrial Partners, LP (“AEI” or the “Firm”), a U.S-based private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power and utility services, and specialty industrial markets, announced today that Dev Rudra, an aviation and manufacturing executive with decades of expertise, has joined the firm as a Vice President in AEI’s Portfolio Strategy and Optimization Group. In this role, Mr. Rudra will be working closely with the Firm’s operating partners to improve operational performance across the Firm’s portfolio companies. His appointment is effective immediately.

“We’re pleased to welcome Dev to our Portfolio Strategy and Optimization Group. His extensive operations experience in aviation and manufacturing will be instrumental in driving value across our portfolio, and will also boost the Firm’s commitment to instituting ESG best practices within our companies,” said Mike Greene, Managing Partner of AEI.

As a global leader with over 25 years of experience in aircraft systems, aircraft engine maintenance and manufacturing businesses in the U.S., Singapore and Taiwan, Mr. Rudra has led multiple operational turnarounds, lean transformations, start-ups, consolidations and expansions over his career. Before joining AEI, Mr. Rudra was Managing Director of GE Aviation’s Singapore engine part repair and manufacturing operation. Previously he served in various roles at United Technologies, most recently as Director of Worldwide Repair Strategic Operations. He started his aviation career with Pratt & Whitney, where he developed his expertise in lean manufacturing and supply chain operations. Mr. Rudra holds a BE from Delhi University, and an MSE and MBA from the University of Michigan.

“AEI’s differentiated focus and experience in its target markets has enabled the firm to build a strong, strategic portfolio of innovative companies in aviation, aerospace and defense,” said Mr. Rudra. “I look forward to working closely with the management teams atour portfolio companiesto help optimize business performance, while also positioning them to be ESG innovators in their respective industries.”

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 www.aeroequity.com.

# # #

Media Contacts: 

Lambert

Jennifer Hurson

jhurson@lambert.com

845.507.0571

Or

Beth Wiegard

bwiegard@lambert.com

616.258.5777

Categories: News

Tags:

KKR Commits to Invest an Additional $1.15 Billion in Aircraft Leasing with Altavair

KKR

NEW YORK & SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Altavair L.P., a leader in commercial aviation finance, today announced that KKR is making an additional $1.15 billion commitment to expand its global portfolio of leased commercial aircraft in partnership with Altavair. The investment will come from KKR’s credit and infrastructure funds.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230111005843/en/

KKR has deployed and committed $1.7 billion of capital into aircraft deals since forming a partnership with Altavair and acquiring an interest in the company in 2018. KKR, in partnership with Altavair, has acquired more than 90 commercial and freighter aircraft through a variety of transactions, including lessor trades, airline direct used and new delivery sale leasebacks, structured transactions and passenger-to-freight conversions and has successfully leased more than 75% of the portfolio to tier-one airlines and operators around the world.

“We are thrilled to deepen our footprint in aircraft leasing through this new commitment, which underscores the conviction that we have in this space and our confidence in Altavair as a partner,” said Dan Pietrzak, KKR Partner and Co-Head of Private Credit. “We look forward to growing our portfolio further to support the fleet needs of airlines and operators around the world.”

“Airlines are increasingly seeking greater liquidity and fleet flexibility, which is creating significant opportunities for high quality leasing teams with deep access to private capital,” said Brandon Freiman, KKR Partner and Head of North American Infrastructure. “We are proud to serve this growing need in partnership with Altavair.”

“Aircraft leasing continues to be a dynamic and growing market that offers compelling and differentiated opportunities for experienced investors,” said Steve Rimmer, CEO of Altavair. “The portfolio that we’ve created over the past several years further evidences the power of combining KKR’s quality capital and capabilities with Altavair’s deep technical and aircraft investing expertise and innovation. We greatly appreciate KKR’s ongoing trust in our platform and look forward to building further on this success in the years to come.”

KKR has invested approximately $8.3 billion of capital in the aviation sector since 2015. Investments include Altavair, AV AirFinance, Atlantic Aviation, KKR DVB Aviation Capital, K2 Aviation, Wheels Up, Global Jet Capital and Jet Edge, among others.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About Altavair L.P.

Altavair L.P. is an asset manager focusing on the acquisition of new and used commercial aircraft for leasing to domestic and international passenger airlines and cargo operators. Since its inception in 2003, Altavair has completed over $10 billion in commercial aircraft lease transactions with over 60 airline customers in 28 countries representing over 200 individual Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Altavair maintains offices in Seattle, London, Dublin and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.altavair.com.

 

Media:
KKR
Julia Kosygina or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

Altavair
Timothy O’Hara
425-369-8062
timothy.ohara@altavair.com

Source: KKR

Categories: News

Tags:

Mentha invests in Amsterdam Data Collective to support international growth strategy

Mentha

Mentha enters into a partnership with Amsterdam Data Collective (ADC). The integrated data science consultancy is among the fastest growing companies in the Netherlands and will accelerate their international growth ambitions starting with the merger with DAMVAD Analytics.

Since 2017, the team at Amsterdam Data Collective have helped organisations become more data-driven, particularly within the financial, healthcare, and public sectors. ADC has since grown to more than 80 employees by focusing on sector specialisation and refining a collective company culture of people who share a common goal of making a positive impact with data science. The FD Gazellen Awards 2022 marked the success of ADC’s collective culture, ranking the company among the top 20 fastest growing companies in the Netherlands for two years in a row. Next to that, ADC received multiple Great Place to Work certifications based on employee surveys.

ADC’s international expansion strategy started in 2022 with the opening of an office in Copenhagen. As part of the partnership with Mentha, ADC is now able to accelerate its expansion plans in the Nordics by merging with DAMVAD Analytics, a data science consultancy based in Denmark and Sweden. The DAMVAD Analytics team consists of around 30 consultants and has a strong presence in pharmaceuticals, financial services, the public sector, and philanthropy.

“Following the opening of the Amsterdam Data Collective office in Copenhagen, the investment by Mentha provides ADC with the opportunity to accelerate growth in the Nordics and merge with DAMVAD Analytics. We look forward to take the next steps in our international growth story with Mentha and believe the added diversity and expertise of the enlarged ADC team will lead us to create better solutions with more impact”, says Rik van der Woerdt, Co-Founder and CEO of Amsterdam Data Collective.

With a team of more than 110 experts in data strategy, data engineering, data science and data visualisation, ADC is able to offer a complete Data-Driven Organisation proposition to the market. ADC aspires to become a leading data science agency on a European scale and, as part of the collective company culture, the broader employee base will be shareholders alongside Mentha in this growth journey.

Dirk Vriend, Investment Director at Mentha: “We value ADC for its collective culture and their drive to use data science to make a positive impact. Together with the enterprising team, we expect to continue ADC’s strong growth track by attracting and retaining talent, developing innovative integrated data science solutions and accelerating expansion through an international buy-and-build strategy.”

About Mentha

Headquartered in Amsterdam and founded in 2006, Mentha is an independent private equity firm active at the lower end of the mid-market. Mentha invests in established, mid-sized and profitable companies with clear opportunities for growth along multiple avenues, such as organic growth, expansion in new markets or through buy-and-build. The entrepreneurial team is a strong collective of investment professionals, with solid financial and operational business experience. Mentha likes to team up with entrepreneurs and enterprising management teams to jointly realise ambitious growth plans. With its companies, Mentha seeks an active approach that is based on true entrepreneurship, growth acceleration and transformation, and is spurred by the human factor and sustainability.

About Amsterdam Data Collective Amsterdam Data Collective (ADC) is an integrated data science agency. The European consultancy helps organisations become data driven through data strategy, data engineering, data science, and data visualisation. ADC perceives data as part of a bigger whole that includes people, management, cultures, processes, and technology to make data work for organisations. ADC believes their collective culture is the key to success, because people thrive in a well-connected group. For more information: https://amsterdamdatacollective.com

Categories: News

Tags: