Category Archives: News

EQT Credit completes unitranche financing to support Mayfair Equity Partners’ acquisition of atHome Group

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EQT Credit, through its Direct Lending investment strategy, is pleased to provide committed senior debt facilities to support Mayfair Equity Partners (“Mayfair”), a buyout and growth capital investor providing capital to dynamic businesses in the TMT and Consumer sectors, in its acquisition of a majority stake in atHome Group (“atHome” or the “Company”). Oakley Capital (“Oakley”) will retain a minority stake in the Company.

atHome is a leading online classifieds platform in Luxembourg, with the number one position in its core property classifieds market, as well as a growing presence across the automotive and mortgage broking verticals.

Vivian Ngan, Director at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, commented: “We were particularly attracted by atHome’s strong competitive position and impressive track record of growth achieved by its first-rate management team. We would like to thank our sector experts who, as senior executives in the classifieds sector, provided key support and insight to the deal team throughout the due diligence process.”

Andrew Cleland-Bogle, Partner at EQT Partners’ Credit team, Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, added: “atHome is a well-established player with strong brand awareness in the Luxembourg classifieds market. This transaction represents another example of the Credit platform’s ability to provide long-term capital as a committed partner to sponsors and management teams as they continue to grow their businesses. The Credit platform is delighted to be backing Mayfair, Oakley and the management team on this deal and look forward to supporting them in their continued development of the Company.”

Contact
Andrew Cleland-Bogle, Partner at EQT Partners, +44 20 7430 5510
EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 21 billion and approximately 127,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on Twitter and LinkedIn

About EQT Credit
EQT Credit invests through three complementary strategies: Senior Debt, Direct Lending, and Special Situations. Since inception, EQT Credit has raised over EUR 7 billion of capital and invested in over 160 companies. EQT Credit’s Direct Lending strategy seeks to provide flexible, long-term debt solutions to support European businesses, across a wide range of sectors. These businesses include privately-owned companies seeking growth capital as well as those that are the subject of private equity-led acquisitions or refinancings.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com/business-segments/credit/strategies/

About Mayfair Equity Partners
Mayfair Equity Partners is a buyout and growth capital investor providing capital to dynamic businesses in the TMT and Consumer sectors. Its primary focus is on building strong partnerships with exceptional management teams. Mayfair is an investor in OVO Energy, a high-growth tech-enabled challenger brand in the energy space, YO!, a multi-brand multi-channel sushi platform with operations across the UK, Canada and the US, SuperAwesome, a global high-growth digital marketing business whose technology platform enables brands and agencies to deliver kid-safe digital advertising to under-thirteen audiences and Pixomondo, the VFX house behind the Emmy-winning HBO series Game of Thrones and the Oscar-winning 2011 film Hugo, as well as seven other promising growth businesses.

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EQT Credit completes financing to support growth of Dukes Education

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EQT Credit, through its Direct Lending investment strategy, is pleased to announce that it has provided incremental committed credit facilities to support the continued growth of Dukes Education Group (“Dukes” or the “Company”).

Founded in 2015 by Aatif Hassan, Dukes is a leading UK-based provider of private premium nurseries, K-12 schools, colleges and summer schools, as well as university consultancy services.

Andrew Cleland-Bogle, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Credit, commented: “Dukes comprises a portfolio of schools with outstanding quality and strong academic results. We have been impressed by the high calibre of Aatif and his management team, as well as the track record of growth achieved during our continued partnership. This transaction marks one of several made by the Credit platform in the education sector and is another example of the platform’s ongoing ability to provide long-term support to founder-led companies as they expand.”

Aatif Hassan, Founder and Chairman of Dukes, commented: “EQT Credit’s support has been unwavering. We are pleased to have them as a committed long-term partner as we continue to grow our family of best in class schools and educators.”

Contact
Andrew Cleland-Bogle, Partner at EQT Partners, +44 20 7430 5510
EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 41 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 21 billion and approximately 127,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com

About EQT Credit
EQT Credit invests through three complementary strategies: Senior Debt, Direct Lending, and Special Situations. Since inception, EQT Credit has raised over EUR 7 billion of capital and invested in over 160 companies. EQT Credit’s Direct Lending strategy seeks to provide flexible, long-term debt solutions to support European businesses, across a wide range of sectors. These businesses include privately-owned companies seeking growth capital as well as those that are the subject of private equity-led acquisitions or refinancings.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com/business-segments/credit/strategies/

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Oakley Capital agrees sale of atHome to Mayfair Equity Partners

Oakley

Oakley Capital (“Oakley”) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to sell a majority stake in atHome Group (“atHome”), a leading online classifieds and mortgage broking business in Luxembourg, to Mayfair Equity Partners, a U.K. based buyout and growth capital investor. Following the transaction, Oakley Fund III will retain a minority stake in the business.

Fund III originally invested in atHome in 2017, as part of the acquisition of a portfolio of classifieds businesses, which comprised Casa.it in Italy and atHome.lu in Luxembourg. Under Oakley’s ownership, atHome has successfully consolidated its leading market position in its core property classifieds market, whilst expanding into mortgage broking and automotive classifieds through strategic bolt-on acquisitions. Over the three years of Oakley’s investment, atHome has increased EBITDA by over 80% and its websites are among the most visited in Luxembourg.

Following the transaction, Fund III will retain its stake in Casa, which continues to benefit from the growth in the Italian online property classifieds sector, as well as a minority stake in atHome. The partnership with Mayfair and the existing management team will allow Fund III to participate in the future growth of atHome as it continues to expand on its market leading offering to consumers and customers, and deliver growth across its core property, mortgage and automotive verticals.

Macquarie Capital acted as atHome’s financial advisor in connection with this transaction.

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Bain & Company, along with CVC, finalise terms of investment in EcoVadis

New collaboration enables further integration of sustainability, fair labor practices and ethics into enterprise supply chains and business commerce

Bain & Company today announced it has made a minority investment in EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings for global supply chains. The collaboration will accelerate and deepen both companies’ offerings for improving the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of their collective clients.

Focused on creating “the highest levels of value” for its clients, Bain & Company notes a comprehensive emphasis on economic, social and environmental value in its aims. This indicates a growing acknowledgement across the firm and the global industries it serves —including private equity, consumer products, energy, finance, and technology—that the purpose of business must go beyond the singular focus of maximizing shareholder value.

Bain & Company will integrate EcoVadis’ sustainability ratings into its approaches to corporate strategy, supply chain and procurement. They will also seek to develop a focused approach around specific offerings for financial investors across fund strategy, diligence and post-acquisition.

Bain & Company’s investment, coupled with EcoVadis’ recently secured c.$200m investment from CVC Growth Fund II, will enable EcoVadis to scale growth and maximize its impact on  enterprise supply chains, embedding sustainability into business decision-making and corporate performance.

“Recognizing that social and environmental challenges are growing, timelines for addressing them are contracting, and companies are moving quickly to adapt, Bain & Company is committed to our mission of creating value – economic, social, and environmental – for our clients,” said Jenny Davis-Peccoud, co-head of Bain & Company’s global Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Practice.

Practice co-leader Jean Charles Van den Branden, commented, “Joining forces with EcoVadis, which has a strong presence and reputation, as well as access in the ESG space, directly supports our strategy and enables us to create a highly differentiated offering across our various practice areas.”

“Bain & Company’s investment represents another substantial milestone for EcoVadis. The investment is a strong testament to the value and business-critical role that sustainability plays in today’s market,” said Pierre-Francois Thaler, co-CEO and co-founder of EcoVadis. “We continue to see executives from all over the world share bold plans for sustainability and ESG transformation. Collaborating with Bain & Company and CVC equips us to reach, enable and impact more organizations and communities globally.”

“Environmental, social and governance issues are critical to business success, economic growth and societal improvement, and we are looking forward to working closely with two partners who rightly place these factors at the core of their business strategies,” said Aaron Dupuis, partner, CVC Growth Partners. “This collaboration with Bain & Company coupled with our recent investment is a real game changer for EcoVadis, and we are excited to back this new partnership with the full weight of the CVC network.”

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Gimv to enter partnership with Köberl Group to achieve further growth in the facility management and technical building services sector

GIMV

20/02/2020 – 17:50 | Portfolio

Gimv acquires a majority stake in Munich-based Köberl Group, including Fink Gebäudetechnik GmbH & Co. KG and GEMA Gebäudemanagement GmbH & Co. KG. The aim of the partnership is to sustainably further the group’s long-term growth together with the current managing owners, who will remain in their current roles. The focus will be on strengthening its own inhouse services, expanding regionally and driving digitalisation efforts. With Gimv, the Köberl Group will now also be able to reinforce its market position through external growth.

GEMA Gebäudemanagement GmbH & Co. KG together with SGM Süddeutsche Gebäudemanagement GmbH is an innovative and agile specialist, who acts as a one-stop-shop for technical, infrastructural and commercial facility management, in particular for residential and commercial buildings. The unique selling proposition of GEMA Gebäudemanagement is the adaptability and synchronisation of its own processes with the process landscape of clients, specifically tailored to each client’s business needs. This allows for optimal, value-enhancing fulfilment of its contractual obligations. In addition, customers can track all relevant processes and events along the building lifecycle online and in real-time. Fink Gebäudetechnik GmbH & Co. KG is one of Munich’s most renowned providers of technical building services for heating, ventilation and sanitary systems. In addition to a focus on building renovations and conversions, Fink Gebäudetechnik also acts as a technical general contractor. The Köberl Group has long-standing experience in its markets, profound technical competence as well as a strong network of regional and local suppliers and customers.

In recent years, Fink Gebäudetechnik has received several awards for its apprenticeship and training programs, for example the “Erasmus-Grasser-Preis” by the city of Munich, the “Bayerns Best 50” award by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and the “Deichmann-Förderpreis für Integration” at both state and federal level. For its social engagement the company received a Bavarian family entrepreneurs award in 2016. GEMA Gebäudemanagement also received the “Bayerns Best 50” award in 2019. The group will continue to focus on personnel expansion and human resources, including apprenticeship and training programs as well as cooperation with universities.

In addition to expanding into new regional markets, the Köberl Group also plans to strengthen its own inhouse services, drive digitalisation efforts and expand its services portfolio. The aim is to strengthen its position as a full-service provider based on customer-specific concepts in facility management as well as its position in building technical services with a broader but continuing high-quality offering. This will also benefit both employees and customers of the group.

Managing owners Armin and Karl Köberl decided to bring Gimv on board as a financially strong and long-term oriented partner. The investment of Gimv supports the group’s future development, which now also includes acquisitions, long-term personnel growth, but also its potential to optimally meet future requirements of the market. Armin and Karl Köberl will retain a significant minority share and will remain with the group in their current roles as managing owners.

Armin and Karl Köberl, managing owners of Köberl Group, comment: “Our decision to partner with Gimv was very deliberate, because this partnership also allows us to ideally realise our considerations for the group’s future. We are happy to have found an experienced investment firm, which perfectly matches our goals – an orientation towards long-term growth, introducing new services, ensuring quality and creating jobs – without imposing the strict investment holding periods of typical private equity funds. With our continuing mid-market approach, we will continue to meet the demands of our customers in an agile, structured and process-oriented manner. Therefore we will significantly contribute to enhancing the value of the properties managed by us.”

Maja Markovic, responsible for Gimv’s Sustainable Cities platform in the DACH region, adds: “GEMA and Fink have an excellent reputation and position in the growing market for facility management and technical building services. Köberl Group will benefit from increasing requirements regarding building technologies, energy efficiency, cost effectiveness and saving of resources. These themes perfectly fit with our investment thesis on growing sustainability, most notably in the infrastructure, environment and logistics sectors. We are looking forward to our partnership and cooperation with Armin and Karl Köberl to implement the group’s strategic goals.”

This new investment will become part of Gimv’s Sustainable Cities platform, which, in additional to more general B2B services, focuses on sustainability across various sectors. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by competition authorities. No further financial details of the transaction are being published.

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ARDIAN REAL ESTATE ACQUIRES OFFICE BUILDING IN MILAN

Ardian

The transaction was conducted through a multi-compartment SICAF managed by Prelios SGR

Milan, February 17, 2020 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, has acquired a 7,000 sq.m building in Piazza Fidia 1, Milan, from Generali Real Estate S.p.A. SGR. The acquisition marks Ardian Real Estate’s third investment in Milan, and eighth in Italy.

Built in 1968, the free-standing office building in Milan’s dynamic Isola district is strategically located half-way between Porta Nuova and Scalo Farini, a disused railway yard due to be fully redeveloped as part of a wider redevelopment plan for the area.

The refurbishment plan for the building will involve a complete refurbishment in line with the highest international standards for energy performance, sustainability and architecture.

The purchase is Ardian’s second acquisition through the SICAF, an independently managed fixed-capital real estate multi-compartment investment company managed by Prelios SGR, in which Ardian is the sole investor. The SICAF previously acquired an office building in Via Roncaglia 12/14 in a central area in south-west Milan, from Sator Immobiliare SGR.

As an investor in AIFs managed by Prelios SGR, Ardian Real Estate has invested approximately €500 million to date in properties in Milan and Rome mainly intended as office buildings.

Rodolfo Petrosino, Senior Managing Director for Ardian Real Estate’s operations in Southern Europe, said: “This deal perfectly highlights our strategy of investing in the best core plus-value added opportunities in the Italian market, where we can create value through our important partnership with Prelios. The redevelopment plan, to be launched shortly, will transform the area, and will enable us to attract high-quality tenants for this building.”

Alessandro Busci, Head of Fund Management at Prelios SGR, added: “We are proud of our partnership with Ardian Real Estate, which has been strengthened through this new acquisition. In a competitive market, achieving returns that match investors’ risk appetites depends increasingly on the fund manager’s ability to maximize the value of the assets under management. So, we are delighted that Ardian Real Estate, and our investors, see Prelios SGR as an effective partner that can help them achieve their objectives. The building will be redeveloped and repositioned so that we can make the most of its potential value.”

The transaction was completed with Chiomenti advising on legal and tax Gattai, Minoli, Agostinelli, Partners as administrative advisors, General Planning as architectural advisors and Agire who carried out the technical and environmental due diligence.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn 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 640 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 around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

www.ardian.com

ABOUT PRELIOS SGR

PRELIOS SGR is the Prelios Group’s fund manager. One of Italy’s largest real estate and securities SGRs, which in 2018 obtained authorization from the Italian financial authorities to expand its operations into debt funds, it promotes and manages AIFs (investment funds and SICAFs) and separate accounts, and provides advisory services to assist leading national and international investors in drawing up and implementing effective investment and management strategies for real estate or real-estate-backed securities across Italy. At December 2019, Prelios SGR had assets under management for approximately 5.9 billion Euro through 36 funds, including two umbrella funds, two SICAFs and three separate accounts.
Prelios SGR is a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment network, which works for the integration into investment practices of the six responsible investment principles incorporating environmental, social and corporate governance issues.

Follow Prelios on Twitter @Prelios and Linkedin

www.prelios.com

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
VIKTOR TSVETANOV
Tel: +44 207 3435 7469
VTsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.co.uk
Prelios Group Press Office
+39 02 6281.4176/4826 – pressoffice@prelios.com
Image Building
Tel. +39 02 89 011 300
prelios@imagebuilding.it
Tel: +390289011300

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Shippeo raises €20 million to provide real-time visibility into the global supply chain

Ngp Logo

Shippeo, the leading supply chain visibility provider in Europe, announces the closing of a €20 million Series B round co-lead by NGP Capital and ETF Partners with participation from Bpifrance Digital Ventures and Partech.

Shippeo provides predictive and real-time visibility into goods delivery. The AI-based platform aggregates data from hundreds of sources in real-time to calculate the estimated time of delivery arrival with 98% accuracy. Since its creation in 2014, Shippeo has successfully scaled its operations and is now servicing more than 50 large customers, such as Schneider Electric, Carrefour, Eckes-Granini and Leroy Merlin, across 40 countries. The team has grown tenfold and Shippeo now employs 80 people in seven different offices across Europe.

Over the last year, Shippeo has increased its turnover by 300%, positioning itself as one of the fastest-growing start-ups in Europe.

The Series B round of €20 million in new equity is co-lead by NGP Capital and ETF Partners with participation from Bpifrance Digital Ventures. Partech, who participated in the Series A round, also took part in this new funding, reaffirming its trust in Shippeo and its long-term support to the management team

Pierre Khoury – CEO and Lucien Besse – COO of Shippeo, said:

“Welcoming top-tier investors is a great source of pride for Shippeo. Their international reach and strong experience in the mobility sector will be a major asset when implementing our ambitious strategy to become the global leader of a $6 billion market. By revolutionizing supply chain visibility, Shippeo aims to unlock value for shippers and carriers, and in the long run, reinvent freight transport.”

Bo Ilsoe, Partner of NGP Capital, stated: “Working with great entrepreneurs is our core mission at NGP Capital and we are honoured to join Pierre, Lucien and the talented Shippeo team in their continued journey. The supply chain industry is ripe for increased digitization and we look forward to adding-value to the company through our global model and network.”

Remy de Tonnac, Partner at ETF Partners, said: “Shippeo created an outstanding platform to help Shippers embrace the efficiency of « Industry 4.0 » with superb customer experience. Going forward, Shippeo’s platform will also help the transportation industry to have much better visibility on its environmental impact and thus will drive significant improvements here for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Shippeo will use the Series B funding:

  • To further strengthen its market-leading position in Europe by multiplying the customer base times five while maintaining very high customer satisfaction,
  • To expand the team by 150 new recruits in data science, IT, sales and operations,
  • To triple its R&D investment in AI and automatization to achieve increased operational excellence and increased customer visibility into the supply chain.

The supply chain industry remains fragmented and underserved from a technology standpoint. With more than 600.000 road freight companies in Europe alone, digitization offers a tremendous opportunity for industry disruption and Shippeo is leading the way in decreasing fragmentation and increasing real-time visibility into freight delivery.

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Pension Insurance Corporation Group completes £750 million capital raise

New capital supports the continued development and growth of PIC in the pension risk transfer market

Pension Insurance Corporation Group Limited, ultimate parent company of Pension Insurance Corporation plc, the specialist insurer of defined benefit pension schemes, today announces the completion of the previously announced capital raise. PICG’s existing shareholders will invest £750 million of new capital to support the continued development and growth of PIC in the pension risk transfer market.

Reinet Fund S.C.A., F.I.S., a specialised investment fund incorporated in Luxembourg, and the group’s largest shareholder, will invest £437.8 million and have a 46.4% stake in the group. Luxinva, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, will invest £171.6 million and have an 18% shareholding. CVC Strategic Opportunities I will invest £130.6 million and have a 17% shareholding. 60% of the total funds invested will be available to PICG immediately, with the remaining 40% callable upon request before 26 January 2021.

Tracy Blackwell, Chief Executive Officer of PIC, said: “The money we have just raised from our long-term, supportive shareholders will allow us to help increased numbers of defined benefit pension scheme trustees move their risks to a specialist insurer, guaranteeing their members’ benefits for life. The company is financially strong, has a reputation for excellent customer service, and is operating in a huge growth market. This significant investment by our existing shareholders is a vote of confidence in our growth plans.”

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Funds advised by Apax Partners to acquire Cadence Education from Funds advised by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Investment to support continued growth of a leader in early childhood education

Scottsdale, AZ and New York, NY, February 12, 2020: Funds advised by Apax Partners (the “Apax Funds”) today announced they have reached an agreement to acquire Cadence Education, a leading provider of early childhood education in North America, from investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (“MSCP”). The transaction is expected to complete in March 2020. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Cadence Education serves families and students in more than 225 private preschools through a network of over 40 brands, including the company’s flagship Cadence Academy brand. The company’s schools serve children aged six weeks to 12 years. With more than 27 years in business, Cadence Education schools offer a proprietary curriculum developed by experts to give students the skills and confidence necessary to excel in their next phase of education.

The investment from the Apax Funds will support Cadence Education to continue its impressive growth trajectory, including strategic acquisitions and the expansion of core operational capabilities.

Dave Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cadence Education, said: “We are very excited about our new partnership with Apax, which will help drive our continued growth and bring our mission of providing an exceptional education in a fun and nurturing environment to even more children. MSCP has been a great partner to the business, and we thank them for their support.”

Nick Hartman, Partner at Apax Partners, said: “We look forward to working with Dave and the Cadence Education team to continue to execute the strategy that has established the company as a leader in the early childhood education space. Cadence Education’s focus on children and parents delivers industry-leading customer satisfaction which, in combination with a highly-skilled team, positions the company for continued growth.”

David Thompson, Executive Director of MSCP, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Cadence Education to strengthen its educational offering and deepen its position as a leading provider of early childhood education in the US. Cadence Education is deeply committed to its mission of providing high quality education and care to families, and we have appreciated the opportunity to work with Dave Goldberg and the entire Cadence team during this exciting growth period.”

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP served as legal advisor, and William Blair and Lazard Middle Market served as financial advisors to MSCP. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to Apax Partners.

About Cadence Education

Cadence Education is one of the premier early childhood educators in the United States, operating more than 225 private preschools across the country. With more than 27 years in business, Cadence has developed an unparalleled expertise in preparing students to thrive in the next step of their childhood. Cadence Education provides parents with peace of mind by giving children an exceptional education every fun-filled day in a place as nurturing as home. For additional information about Cadence, please visit www.cadence-education.com.

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.$50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare, and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

About Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, is a leading middle-market private equity platform that has invested capital in a broad spectrum of industries for over three decades. Morgan Stanley Capital Partners focuses on privately negotiated equity and equity-related investments primarily in North America and seeks to create value in portfolio companies primarily in a series of subsectors in the business services, consumer, healthcare, industrials, and education markets with an emphasis on driving significant organic and acquisition growth through an operationally focused approach. For further information about Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, please visit: www.morganstanley.com/im/capitalpartners.

Media Contacts

For Apax Partners

Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | andrew.kenny@apax.com

USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst CNC | +1 212-521-4854 | apax@kekstcnc.com

UK Media: Matthew Goodman / James Madsen, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com

Notes to Editors 

London-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.com) and Paris-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.fr) had a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

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EQT opens office in Sydney — further strengthens Asia-Pacific footprint

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  • EQT opens office in Sydney to support accelerated efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, with specific focus on Australia and New Zealand
  • The Sydney office will be led by Ken Wong, Managing Director and Head of EQT Australia & New Zealand, who has been leading coverage efforts from Singapore and will return home to Sydney as part of the office opening
  • EQT currently holds investments in Australian cloud and managed service provider, Nexon Asia Pacific, and has entered into a Scheme Implementation Agreement to acquire 100% of Metlifecare, one of the largest owners and operators of integrated retirement and aged care villages in New Zealand

Sydney, Australia: EQT today announced the opening of an office in Sydney, Australia. The office will be led by Ken Wong, Managing Director and Head of EQT Australia & New Zealand, who was previously based in EQT’s Singapore office and will return home to Sydney as part of the office opening. In alignment with EQT’s local-with-locals approach, the team will seek to find thematic investment opportunities with the support from EQT’s global platform and extensive network.

Ken Wong, Managing Director and Head of EQT Australia & New Zealand commented: “The opening of the Sydney office is a testimony to EQT’s commitment to investing in the region. Australia and New Zealand has an abundance of investment opportunities in EQT’s core sectors, and we have already started to see that EQT’s differentiated approach to active, responsible and growth focused ownership resonate with management teams, founders and corporates.”

Thomas von Koch, Deputy Managing Partner and Chairperson of Asia-Pacific at EQT, commented: “EQT is excited to expand into Australia and New Zealand, markets in which EQT’s Nordic values and unique governance model are well received. EQT has previously had positive experiences from investing in Australia and are encouraged by the recent traction we’re getting in market. We believe that Australia and New Zealand are some of the most interesting markets in the Asia-Pacific region and one where EQT can make a positive impact on portfolio companies as well as local communities. Putting EQT’s flag on the ground in Sydney is part of our global expansion strategy and ambition to establish a local presence across the regions EQT invests in. With a local team in Sydney, EQT is well-positioned to stay close to both its portfolio companies and to capture new investment opportunities in the region.”

EQT made its first investment in Australia in 2014 following EQT Mid Market’s acquisition of I-MED Radiology Network, a leading diagnostic imaging service provider. During EQT’s ownership period, I-MED achieved strong organic growth, established multiple new clinics, entered into new hospital contracts, successfully completed a number of value accretive add-on acquisitions and made significant investments into equipment, new technology and people. The business was divested in 2018.

In July 2019, EQT Mid Market Asia III announced its investment in Nexon Asia Pacific, a cloud and managed service provider who helps clients run more efficiently, create better user experiences and explore bigger opportunities. They are a trusted technology partner for mid-market businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

In December 2019, EQT Infrastructure IV entered into a Scheme Implementation Agreement to acquire 100% of Metlifecare shares by way of a scheme of arrangement. Metlifecare is a leading New Zealand owner and operator of integrated retirement and aged care villages, providing rewarding lifestyles and outstanding care to more than 5,600 New Zealanders. Established in 1984, the business has a portfolio of 25 villages in areas with strong local economies, supportive demographics and high median house prices, located predominantly in New Zealand’s upper North Island.

Contact
Ken Wong, Managing Director and Head of Australia & New Zealand, +61 2 9052 4852
Roger Newby, Domestique Consulting, roger@domestiqueconsulting.com.au, +61 401 278 906
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

Sydney office address:
EQT Partners Australia Pty Ltd
Level 48, 264 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with a 25-year track-record of consistent investment performance across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. With strong values and a distinct corporate culture, EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to generate attractive returns to the fund investors.

EQT’s talent base and network allow it to pursue a unique value creation approach and thematic investment strategy, with the aim of future-proofing the companies which EQT invests in, creating superior returns and making a positive impact with everything EQT does.

EQT has more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital since inception, currently around EUR 41 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds within three business segments – Private Capital, Real Assets and Credit. EQT is a thought leader within the private markets industry with deep expertise in responsible and long-term ownership, corporate governance, operational excellence, digitalization and sustainability. EQT has offices in 16 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and North America with more than 700 employees.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com

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