Category Archives: News

My Jewellery Partners with Freshstream to Drive International Expansion

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Freshstream today announces that it has agreed to enter into a strategic partnership agreement in the leading Dutch jewellery and lifestyle brand, My Jewellery, and will partner with CEO and founder Sharon Hilgers and CFO/CTO Vilmar Bliekendaal to accelerate the international growth of the business.

My Jewellery was founded by Sharon in the summer of 2011, driven by her passion for jewellery and design. Since its inception the has swiftly ascended to prominence, offering a diverse array of on-trend products becoming the largest affordable jewellery brand in the Benelux. Today the company’s omnichannel offering attracts a loyal customer base and the business employs over 800 people with over 40 stores in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France.

The investment forms part of Freshstream’s core strategy of partnering with entrepreneurs and families to fast-track growth. Following the transaction, Sharon and Vilmar will continue to lead the company. The board will be bolstered with Glen Senk as Chairman and Jenny de Vries as non-executive director. Glen was previously the CEO of global lifestyle brand URBN Outfitters and a non-executive at jewellery companies David Yurman and Kendra Scott. Jenny will become a non-executive Board member, next to her current role as CFO of Dutch home and body products company Rituals, which has >13,000 employees and over 1,300 stores in >100 countries.

In collaboration with Freshstream, My Jewellery is set to expedite its expansion into Germany, France, and emerging target markets across Europe, while reinforcing its established presence in the Benelux region.

My Jewellery will be the 9th investment in Freshstream’s first independent fund, which closed in 2023 having raised €762 million. The business joins other high growth, originally entrepreneur led businesses in the portfolio including MCR, Bella Figura Music, G2V Group, Detertech and Nafinco, which is now a minority holding following the sale of Freshstream’s majority stake to Waterland in September 2024.

“This investment represents more than financial backing; it’s a validation of our vision and recognition of the entire My Jewellery team who made this journey possible.”

Paul Tutein Nolthenius, Director at Freshstream, said:

“My Jewellery is a standout brand with exceptional potential, led by Sharon and Vilmar’s entrepreneurial vision and drive. We are hugely impressed by their energy and the remarkable growth they’ve already achieved. Their exciting expansion plans align perfectly with our investment strategy, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to accelerate this next phase of growth.”

Sharon Hilgers, CEO of My Jewellery, commented:

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built from the ground up—transforming our passion for jewellery into a brand that truly connects with its customers and builds a highly engaged community who embrace the celebration of life. This investment represents more than financial backing; it’s a validation of our vision and recognition of the entire My Jewellery team who made this journey possible. I’m excited to partner with Freshstream as we accelerate our expansion into new markets and enter this exciting next chapter of growth.”

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Carlyle and Citi to Collaborate on Asset-Backed Finance Opportunities in Fintech Specialty Lending

Carlyle

NEW YORK, NY – June 12, 2025 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) and Citi today announced they will collaborate on asset-backed financing opportunities in the rapidly evolving fintech specialty lending space.

Carlyle and Citi have formalized a framework to exchange market intelligence and explore co-investment and financing opportunities. Their mutual strength as global leaders in asset-backed finance will be enhanced by the investment expertise and network of Citi’s Spread Products Investment in Technologies (SPRINT) team – a prominent venture equity investor in fintech specialty lenders.

“Our collaboration with Citi brings together two best-in-class platforms to unlock growth in one of the most dynamic areas of private credit,” said Akhil Bansal, Head of Asset-Backed Finance at Carlyle. “Demand for scalable and tailored asset-backed financing solutions from fintech lenders has increased as they mature and seek efficient ways to fund their growth. By combining our deep credit and structuring expertise with Citi’s leading presence in the fintech investment landscape, we’re well-positioned to capture emerging opportunities and support the next generation of financial technology leaders.”

“The strategic connectivity of our SPRINT team to our asset-backed finance business enables us to seamlessly share expertise and fulfil the financing needs of tomorrow’s fintech leaders across the entire capital structure,” said Lee Smallwood, Head of Markets Innovation & Investments.

“This collaboration leverages the best of both our firms. Through the scale of our franchise, we are uniquely positioned to unlock opportunities by bringing the dynamism of innovative tech platforms to an established global leader such as Carlyle,” said Rajiv Amlani, Head of Private Markets Coverage at Citi.

Carlyle Asset-Backed Finance (“Carlyle ABF”) is a group within Carlyle’s Global Credit platform focused on private fixed income and asset-backed investments. The highly experienced team leverages the knowledge, sourcing, structuring, and breadth of the entire Carlyle investment platform to deliver tailored asset-focused financing solutions to businesses, specialty finance companies, banks, asset managers, and other originators and owners of diversified pools of assets. Carlyle ABF has deployed approximately $8 billion since 2021 and has approximately $9 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $453 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About Citi

Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in more than 180 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | X: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi

Media Contacts

 

Carlyle

Kristen Ashton

(212) 813-4763

Kristen.ashton@carlyle.com

 

Citi

Rekha Jogia-Soni

(212) 793-0710

Rekha.JogiaSoni@citi.com

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CapMan Real Estate signs major office lease agreement in Oslo

Capman

CapMan Nordic Real Estate III fund has signed a landmark 17,600 sqm lease agreement with a 15-year maturity with Visma, securing the entire office premises at Sørkedalsveien 6 in Oslo. The asset will undergo a full-scale renovation with a strong focus on sustainability, with completion expected in late 2027.

CapMan acquired the 18-storey landmark office building, originally built in 2001, in late 2022, anticipating the departure of the previous tenant. Over the past 18 months, the project has undergone a comprehensive design phase to reposition the iconic building as a high-quality, full-service, and sustainable* office destination. Once completed, the property will serve as Visma’s new global headquarters.

Visma is a leading provider of mission-critical business software, including solutions for accounting, payroll, invoicing and tax. As of 2024, Visma reported revenues of €2.8 billion with over 16,000 employees globally.

The renovation work will be guided by an ambitious sustainability strategy, aiming to transform the property into a benchmark for sustainable* office refurbishments. Key upgrades include the expansion of the ground floor to create a more welcoming and accessible environment for tenants and visitors, a new facade, upgraded technical systems, and unique tenant spaces. The building’s energy classification will be significantly improved—from EPC E to EPC A—and the project is targeting a BREEAM-NOR Excellent certification. Construction is already underway, with Insenti serving as the project management advisor.

“We are truly honoured to partner with Visma on this landmark project. Securing the lease agreement ahead of construction start for the entire building marks a significant milestone. It reflects both the strength of our project vision and the enduring appeal of Majorstuen as a premier office location,” says Andreas Wang, Investment Director at CapMan Real Estate.

“This lease agreement is a testament to the flight to quality and the continued demand for sustainable, modern office space in prime locations,” said Magnus Berglund, Head of Sweden & Norway at CapMan Real Estate.

*The project aligns with the EU Taxonomy’s technical screening criteria for substantial contribution to climate change mitigation through the renovation of existing buildings (7.2). Upon completion, it will also meet the criteria for substantial contribution to climate change mitigation through the acquisition and ownership of buildings (7.7).

For more information, please contact:

Magnus Berglund, Head of Sweden and Norway, CapMan Real Estate, magnus.berglund@capman.com

About CapMan

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation and €6.4 billion in assets under management. As one of the private equity pioneers in the Nordics we have developed hundreds of companies and assets creating significant value for over three decades. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors by enabling change across our portfolio companies. An example of this is greenhouse gas reduction targets that we have set under the Science Based Targets initiative in line with the 1.5°C scenario and our commitment to net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover real estate and infrastructure assets, natural capital and minority and majority investments in portfolio companies. We also provide wealth management solutions. Altogether, CapMan employs around 200 professionals in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Luxembourg. We are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001. www.capman.com

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Almaviva Signs Agreement to Acquire TIVIT from the Apax Funds to Accelerate Its Digital Expansion in Latin America

Apax
  • The transaction between Almaviva and the Apax Funds will unite two technology leaders in the digital transformation of major companies in Brazil and worldwide.

Almaviva, a leading Italian provider of digital solutions and technological transformation, has taken another bold step in its global trajectory by entering into a definitive agreement to acquire TIVIT, one of Brazil’s largest technology companies with a strong presence across Latin America, from funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”).

This union, will create a powerhouse with the ability to accelerate innovation, expand the reach of digital solutions, and drive the growth of companies across multiple sectors in one of the world’s most promising regions. Together, Almaviva and TIVIT will combine complementary technologies and offerings to continue supporting the success of their clients.

TIVIT was acquired by the Apax Funds in 2010. Since then, with the strategy of expanding its presence in new markets, the company carried out several acquisitions, including Synapsis, a leading IT services firm in Latin America, and XMS, a cloud implementation specialist across Latin America. In 2016 and 2022, as part of its strategy to focus on digital solutions, TIVIT spun out two businesses units, Neobpo and Takoda. Following this repositioning, the company strengthened its board and attracted strategic talent in the areas of digital transformation, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, and SAP.

“TIVIT has a solid track record and serves the largest companies in the country. It is recognized for its technical expertise and deep knowledge of local markets. By integrating TIVIT into our ecosystem, we take a significant step forward in consolidating Almaviva as a global leader in digital transformation, with revenue exceeding 12 billion reais.” said Marco Tripi, shareholder and CEO of Almaviva.

Operating in 10 Latin American countries, TIVIT is distinguished by its robust portfolio of cloud solutions, cybersecurity management, digital platforms, and managed services. With Almaviva’s strategic support, the company is now poised to further scale its operations and expand the global impact of its solutions.

“We are entering a new chapter. Almaviva’s arrival opens the door to even greater opportunities for growth and innovation. We are truly excited about what we will build together.” said Paulo Freitas, CEO of TIVIT.

Sectors such as financial services, transportation, manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, and government will directly benefit from the complementarity of the two companies’ portfolios and their new joint delivery capabilities — combining local and international expertise with global scale.

“We are very proud to have been part of TIVIT’s journey, supporting its mission to empower the largest companies in Latin America through technology. Over this period, the Apax Funds have been an active and strategic owner, partnering with management in the spin-off of divisions and in the acquisitions of key businesses to drive growth. It has been a privilege to work with Luiz Mattar, the founder of TIVIT, Paulo Freitas and other members of the leadership team to help TIVIT scale and evolve in this dynamic sector. We expect this new chapter with Almaviva will create a range of opportunities for continued growth.” said Jason Wright, Partner at Apax.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Once completed, it will mark the beginning of a new phase of joint growth between Almaviva and TIVIT, bringing direct benefits to their clients, partners, and teams.

J.P. Morgan acted as the financial advisor to Apax, and Mattos Filho and Skadden acted as legal advisors to Apax and TIVIT in the transaction. Benetti & Giammarino Advogados and L.O. Baptista Advogados acted as the legal advisors to Almaviva.

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Foundation Software Acquires Vendrix, Inc.

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Strongsville, OH—Foundation Software, LLC, the nation’s leading provider of construction software and services, today announced its acquisition of Vendrix, Inc, a construction financial management platform offering corporate cards, expense management, AP automation and bill pay solutions.

Since its founding in 1985, Foundation Software has curated a product portfolio designed to ease the daily administrative tasks of commercial contractors across the United States. Beginning with their flagship accounting program, FOUNDATION®, the list of in-suite solutions has grown to include payroll, takeoff & estimating, field time tracking, safety management, project management, HR management and labor & resource allocation.

With the addition of Vendrix’s expense management and AP capabilities, Foundation Software now offers digital tools that cover nearly every stage of a construction project — giving contractors complete control throughout the project’s lifecycle.

“We’re constantly looking for technology to make our clients’ lives easier — whether through in-house software development or acquisitions —so when we started conversations with Vendrix and saw how well their business values and software operations fit into our platform, it just made sense,” said Mike Ode, CEO of Foundation Software. “Vendrix is construction-focused like us, and they handle an important part of the financial process that our users have been asking for. It has been our goal to build a comprehensive digital solution to cover the full lifecycle of a construction project and this acquisition helps us achieve just that. I can’t wait to see all the ways our clients benefit from this addition.”

The co-founders of Vendrix, David Stewart and Joe Turner, are also looking forward to the impact this acquisition will have on the industry: “We founded Vendrix with the vision of transforming back-office financial workflows for construction teams — bringing simplicity and efficiency to a historically complex and tedious process. Joining forces with Foundation Software is a natural next step. Their deep roots in construction, strong client relationships and comprehensive suite of tools make them an ideal partner to help advance our vision.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reed Smith served as legal advisors to Vendrix and Massumi + Consoli LLP served as legal advisor to Foundation Software.

Foundation Software, LLC

Foundation Software delivers job cost accounting, estimating and takeoff, project management, mobile applications, and payroll services, to help contractors run the business side of construction. For information, call (800) 246-0800 visit www.foundationsoft.com or email info@foundationsoft.com.

Read the release on the Foundation Software website here.

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Equistone fully realises investment in KWC Group with the sale of KWC Professional to DELABIE

Equistone

Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s most established mid-market private equity investors, today announces the full realisation of its investment in KWC Group (“KWC”) through the sale of KWC Professional to France-headquartered DELABIE Group, a fourth-generation family-owned European leader in tapware and sanitary equipment for public and commercial buildings. The transaction creates a leading pan-European industrial group with a significant additional footprint in the Middle East.

Headquartered in Unterkulm, Switzerland, KWC Professional serves (semi-)public institutions such as airports, shopping centres, schools, sports and leisure facilities, hospitals and security facilities. The company operates across multiple countries and regions, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the UK, Finland and the Middle East, and currently employs around 400 people.

Equistone Partners Europe acquired a majority stake in KWC Group (then Franke Group’s Water Systems division) in April 2021, in a carve-out transaction that brought together its Home, Professional and Medical business units, as well as Nokite, a well-established Chinese original equipment/design manufacturer (OEM) of stainless-steel faucets. Since then, Equistone has worked closely with the management team to execute a strategic realignment focused on fostering the strengths of each business division. As part of this strategy, in 2024, the company successfully sold its medical division to the Swedish Alumbra Group, its home division to Paini and its OEM division back to former owner, Franke Group. The sale of KWC Professional to DELABIE Group now marks the full realisation of Equistone’s investment in KWC.

Following the carve-out from the Franke Group, Equistone supported the rebranding of Franke Water Systems to KWC Group, with its business units renamed KWC Home, KWC Professional and KWC Medical. Nokite retained its original name, having always operated as an independently branded unit within the group. During the investment period, Equistone supported the acquisition of UK-based Newcastle Joinery Ltd, strengthening KWC Professional’s position in the specialised market for sanitary solutions in security and custodial facilities. The firm also drove a wide-ranging value creation program and operational improvements, including implementing a state-of-the-art public cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, which reduced costs, enhanced global process consistency and laid the foundation for future innovations.

David Zahnd, Partner at Equistone, said: “We are proud to have supported KWC Group over the past four years. In that time, the business has undergone an important strategic realignment, which leaves it in an exceptionally strong position. In DELABIE, KWC Professional has found the right long-term partner, and we wish the team continued success going forward.”

Roman E. Hegglin, Partner at Equistone, added: “When we invested in KWC Group in 2021, we recognised the significant potential within the business. Through strategic divestments and a clear focus on expanding the professional division, we’ve unlocked this potential, and the business is now primed for sustained future growth.”

The agreed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

The Equistone deal team consists of Stefan Maser, David Zahnd and Roman E. Hegglin. Equistone was advised on this transaction by Enqcor (M&A), Bär & Karrer (Legal & Tax) and Deloitte (Financial Due Diligence).

DELABIE Group was advised on this transaction by Natixis Partners (M&A & Financing), McDermott Will & Emery (Legal), 8Advisory (Financial & Operational Due Diligence), Arsène Taxand (Tax) and ERM (Environment).

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Proxima Fusion raises €130M Series A to build world’s first stellarator-based fusion power plant in the 2030s

Balderton

Europe’s fastest-growing fusion company unlocks funding to advance commercial fusion technology and secure energy resilience for the continent.

Proxima Fusion, Europe’s fastest-growing fusion energy company, today announced the close of its €130 million ($150 million) Series A financing — the largest private fusion investment round in Europe. The Series A financing was co-led by Cherry Ventures and Balderton Capital, with participation from several other strategic investors.

This brings Proxima Fusion’s total funding to more than €185 million ($200 million) in private and public capital, accelerating its mission to build the world’s first commercial fusion power plant based on a stellarator design.

Fusion has become a real, strategic opportunity to shift global energy dependence from natural resources to technological leadership. Proxima is perfectly positioned to harness that momentum by uniting a spectacular engineering and manufacturing team with world-leading research institutions, accelerating the path toward bringing the first European fusion power plant online in the next decade.

Francesco SciortinoCEO and co-founder, Proxima Fusion

Proxima was founded in April 2023 as a spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), with which it continues to work closely in a public-private partnership to lead Europe into a new era of clean energy. The EU, as well as national governments including Germany, UK, France and Italy, increasingly recognise fusion as a generational technology essential for energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and carbon-neutral economic growth.

By building on Europe’s long-standing public fusion investment and industrial supply chains, Proxima Fusion is laying the groundwork for a new high-tech energy industry—one that transforms the continent from a leader in fusion research to a global powerhouse in fusion deployment.

Proxima is taking a simulation-driven approach to engineering that leverages advanced computing and high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technology to build on the groundbreaking results of the IPP’s Wendelstein 7-X stellarator experiment.

Just earlier this year, together with the IPP, KIT and other partners, Proxima unveiled Stellaris. As the first peer-reviewed stellarator concept to integrate physics, engineering, and maintenance considerations from the outset, Stellaris has been widely recognized as a major breakthrough for the fusion industry, advancing the case for quasi-isodynamic (QI) stellarators as the most promising pathway to a commercial fusion power plant.

Stellarators aren’t just the most technologically viable approach to fusion energy—they’re the power plants of the future, capable of leading Europe into a new era of clean energy. Proxima has firmly secured its position as the leading European contender in the global race to commercial fusion. We are thrilled to partner with Proxima’s game-changing team of engineers, alongside Europe’s top manufacturers, to build a company that will be transformational for Europe.

Daniel WaterhousePartner, Balderton

With this new funding, the company will complete its Stellarator Model Coil (SMC) in 2027, a major hardware demonstration that will de-risk high-temperature superconductor (HTS) technology for stellarators and stimulate European HTS innovation. Proxima will also finalize a site for Alpha, its demonstration stellarator, for which it is in talks with several European governments already. Alpha is scheduled to begin operations in 2031, and is the key step to demonstrating Q>1 (net energy gain) and moving towards a first-of-a-kind fusion power plant. The company will continue to grow its 80+-strong team across three offices: at the headquarters in Munich, at the Paul Scherrer Institute near Zurich (Switzerland), and at the Culham fusion campus near Oxford (UK).

Fusion energy is entering a new era—moving from lab-based science to industrial-scale engineering. This investment validates our approach and gives us the resources to deliver hardware that is essential to make clean fusion power a reality.

Dr Francesco SciortinoCEO & co-founder, Proxima Fusion

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PlayMetrics and Stack Sports Combine to Create Leader in Sports Software

Merger unites two industry innovators to meet customers’ evolving preferences and ushers in a new era for sports technology

RALEIGH, N.C., & DALLAS, JUNE 11, 2025—PlayMetrics, a leading provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, and Stack Sports, a global technology leader for the sports industry, today announced their merger, creating a best-in-class platform in the sports management technology ecosystem. This strategic combination unites two highly complementary and trusted brands, augmenting PlayMetrics’ modern technology platform with the scale, reach, and capabilities of Stack Sports to better serve the evolving needs of sports organizations worldwide. Michael Doernberg, CEO of PlayMetrics, will lead the combined organization as CEO, and Jeff Young, CEO of Stack Sports, will transition to a strategic role as advisor to the board of directors.

Genstar Capital, a leading private equity firm, supported the combination and will be the majority owner of the combined company. As part of the transaction, Genstar acquired PlayMetrics from Blue Star Innovation Partners (“BSIP”), which had been the company’s lead investor since 2023.

PlayMetrics helps customers streamline and modernize every facet of their operations, serving over 2,700 youth sports organizations across a variety of sports. Following a successful expansion beyond its flagship club operating system into governing bodies, leagues, and tournaments – including the acquisition of Crossbar in 2023 – PlayMetrics has experienced unprecedented levels of growth and customer retention over the last few years. Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry.

“Sports organizations are increasingly seeking a single, cohesive platform to manage their daily operations and complex business needs,” said Mr. Doernberg. “PlayMetrics has been transformational in delivering a one-stop solution for members, coaches, directors, and administrators. By joining forces with Stack Sports, we further enhance our ability to serve our customers with innovative, reliable, and intuitive software.”

“This merger marks an exciting new chapter for the sports technology industry,” said Mr. Young. “We have long admired the PlayMetrics brand, and by combining our strengths, we will accelerate the speed at which new products are released, customer service is delivered, and industry relationships are forged.”

“The combination of PlayMetrics and Stack Sports creates one of the largest sports technology platforms delivering comprehensive, market-leading solutions to clubs, leagues, tournaments, state associations, and governing bodies,” said Eli Weiss, Managing Partner of Genstar. “We are thrilled to support this transformative combination.”

“We are incredibly proud of what the PlayMetrics team has accomplished under Mike’s visionary leadership,” said Dan Wechsler, CEO of BSIP. “Together, we transformed PlayMetrics from a promising software platform into a market leader in sports management technology, delivering significant value for our investors and customers. Mike and his team’s dedication to innovation and customer success were key drivers, and we wish them all the best as they embark on their next chapter.”

Ropes & Gray acted as legal counsel and Lazard acted as financial advisor to Genstar. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal counsel and William Blair acted as financial advisor to BSIP.

About PlayMetrics

PlayMetrics, the most user-friendly and intuitive Operating System in youth sports, is purpose-built to simplify the unique complexities of running a club, league, tournament, or governing body. Trusted by forward-thinking leaders across a variety of sports, PlayMetrics empowers directors, coaches, administrators, and player families to modernize their daily operations with unified financial, operational, coaching, and communication tools. Learn more at https://home.playmetrics.com/.

About Stack Sports

Stack Sports provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations, including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars, rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations.

Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit https://stacksports.com/.

About Genstar Capital

Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high-quality companies for over 30 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar currently has approximately $50 billion of assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the financial services, software, healthcare, and industrials industries.

About Blue Star Innovation Partners

Blue Star Innovation Partners is a Dallas, Texas based growth equity firm built by founders, for founders. Our team brings decades of experience scaling software, payments, and fintech businesses, giving us a unique advantage on the challenges and opportunities that founders face. We’re currently investing out of our third fund, leveraging our proven track record to help management teams accelerate growth and build category leaders. Learn more at https://www.bsipgp.com/.

Contacts

For Genstar, PlayMetrics, or Stack Sports:
FGS Global
GenstarCapital@fgsglobal.com

For Blue Star Innovation Partners:
Info@bluestarinnovationpartners.com

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ABN AMRO announces EUR 10m commitment to Keen Venture Partners’ European Defence and Security Tech Fund

Keen
  • This investment is ABN AMRO’s first investment in a dedicated European defence fund
  • The Fund targets early-stage companies across the EU, focusing on information superiority, cyber defence, space, autonomy and robotics among others
  • This investment aligns with the ABN AMRO’s strategy to strengthen European security and defence amid geopolitical challenges

In light of increased international tension and conflicts, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and recent pressure on the Atlantic alliance, Europe has been forced to reassess its military defence strategy and expenditure. ABN AMRO has stepped up its support to the security and defence industry in 2025, widening the scope of defence and security projects eligible for banking products, while closely keeping track of emerging defence technologies.
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Keen’s European Defence and Security Tech Fund, with a focus on early-stage companies within the defence and security technology sector, aims to support companies that are provide ‘dual use’ solutions in areas such as information superiority, cyber defence, robotics, AI, autonomous systems and space technologies such as securing satellite communications, satellite image analysis, and defence of space assets. The fund’s investments will be pan-European, with exposure to the United Kingdom, Turkey and Norway.

Dan Dorner, ABN AMRO’s Chief Commercial Officer Corporate Banking said: “ABN AMRO today announces a pioneering effort to enhance the availability of capital for defence-focused ventures in Europe, with a €10 million commitment to Keen’s European Defence and Security Tech Fund. Our commitment aligns with ABN AMRO’s Corporate Banking support to the European defence industry.”

Alexander Ribbink and Giuseppe Lacerenza, Partners at Keen Venture Partners: ‘The team at Keen has a long commitment to and investments in defence and defence technology. The opportunity to add the power of tech entrepreneurs with the full support of venture capital to the European defence ecosystem is huge. A stronger and safer Europe needs the resourcefulness and grit that only entrepreneurs can bring. We are proud to be at the forefront of this trend, and to be supported by ABN AMRO’.

More information:

Keen Venture Partners is a radically human venture capital firm based in Amsterdam and London. Keen backs exceptional teams and fast-growing European tech companies from seed to Series B. Keen has built strong expertise in defence and deep tech, supported by an advisory board of European military leaders, industry veterans, and policymakers. The firm invests through a thesis-driven approach, formulating investment ideas based on fundamental trends in specific areas of technology. When getting to know founders, Keen shares its network of operators, experience, and capabilities even before investing. The portfolio consists of 30+ startups and scaleups across Europe. You can find more information at: www.keenventurepartners.com.

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ABN AMRO Corporate Investments offers ABN AMRO clients an opportunity to help accelerate the transition to a resilient and sustainable society through a comprehensive array of capital products. These include amongst others fund investments & co-investments, direct investments through the Sustainable Impact Fund (one of the largest private impact funds in the Netherlands), hybrid debt and sub-ordinated debt.

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EQT Life Sciences Co-Leads USD 135 Million Series B Financing in SpliceBio

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Neuron Signal Transfer original 1172027

  • inancing was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Sanofi Ventures, with participation from Roche Venture Fund, as well as all existing investors
  • Proceeds will support the Phase 1/2 clinical development of lead program SB-007 in Stargardt disease, a genetic eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss and blindness
  • Funding will also advance a broader pipeline of genetic medicines targeting indications in ophthalmology, neurology, and other therapeutic areas

EQT Life Sciences is pleased to announce that the LSP 7 fund has invested in SpliceBio. The Spanish biotech company is developing novel therapies for genetic diseases – including ophthalmology, neurology, and other therapeutic areas – by leveraging an innovative intein platform. The platform allows large genes to be split into smaller pieces, delivered separately, and then reassembled to create full-length proteins needed to treat diseases.

The USD 135 million Series B financing round will help fund the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SpliceBio’s lead gene therapy candidate, SB-007, which is being developed to treat Stargardt disease. The round was co-led by EQT Life Sciences and Sanofi Ventures, with participation from new investor Roche Venture Fund, as well as all existing investors: New Enterprise Associates, UCB Ventures, Ysios Capital, Gilde Healthcare, Novartis Venture Fund, and Asabys Partners.

Stargardt disease, which leads to progressive vision loss and blindness, is the most commonly inherited condition causing degeneration in the macula, affecting 1 in 8,000-10,000 people. Currently, there are no approved treatments available for Stargardt disease. The disease is caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene, which result in a dysfunctional ABCA4 protein. SpliceBio’s SB-007 uses an innovative Protein Splicing technology, based on a family of proprietary engineered proteins called inteins, originally developed at Princeton University. The approach overcomes the challenge of the ABCA4 gene that is too big for traditional gene therapy delivery methods, thereby enabling the production of a healthy ABCA4 protein directly in the retina. 

This approach has the potential to benefit the entire addressable patient pool, regardless of which of the more than 1,200 known mutations responsible for causing Stargardt disease patients carry. Crucially, the difficulty of delivering large genes is also a common barrier in treating many other genetic disorders, highlighting the broad potential and versatility of SpliceBio’s technology beyond Stargardt disease.

“This financing marks a pivotal milestone for SpliceBio as we advance the clinical development of SB-007 for Stargardt disease and continue to expand our pipeline across ophthalmology, neurology, and beyond,” said Miquel Vila-Perelló, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of SpliceBio. “The support from such high-quality investors underscores the strength of our programs and our unique Protein Splicing platform and its potential to unlock gene therapies for diseases that remain untreatable today. We are building a company positioned to lead the next wave of genetic medicines.”

Daniela Begolo, Managing Director at EQT Life Sciences who will join the SpliceBio Board of Directors, commented: “We are proud to support SpliceBio, a pioneer among the next generation of genetic medicine companies. Its Protein Splicing platform offers a novel solution to deliver large genes, one of the field’s most pressing challenges, and exemplifies our commitment to backing science that transforms patients’ lives.”

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EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

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About EQT Life Sciences
EQT Life Sciences was formed in 2022 following an integration of LSP, a leading European life sciences and healthcare venture capital firm, into the EQT platform. As LSP, the firm raised over EUR 3.0 billion (USD 3.5 billion) and supported the growth of more than 150 companies since it started to invest over 30 years ago. With a dedicated team of highly experienced investment professionals, coming from backgrounds in medicine, science, business, and finance, EQT Life Sciences backs the smartest inventors who have ideas that could truly make a difference for patients.

More information: https://eqtgroup.com/private-capital/eqt-life-sciences

About SpliceBio 
SpliceBio is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company pioneering Protein Splicing to address diseases caused by mutations in large genes. The Company’s lead program, SB-007, targets the root cause of Stargardt disease, a genetic eye disease that causes blindness in children and adults. SpliceBio’s pipeline comprises additional gene therapy programs across therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology and neurology. SpliceBio’s platform is based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University after more than 20 years of pioneering intein, Protein Splicing, and protein engineering research. For additional information, please visit www.splice.bio

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