Category Archives: News

Sivantos and Widex successfully complete merger: new company to operate as WS Audiology

eqt

  • Global top three contender with revenues of EUR 1.7 billion and a comprehensive sales and distribution platform in more than 125 markets
  • Jørgen Jensen, until now CEO of Widex, appointed CEO; Wolfgang Ollig, Sivantos’ current CFO, appointed CFO of WS Audiology
  • Thomas Ebeling, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sivantos, appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of WS Audiology; Jan Tøpholm, Chairman of Widex A/S, appointed Deputy Chairman
  • Ignacio Martinez, to date CEO of Sivantos, will join the Board of Directors

Lynge/Denmark and Singapore – March 1, 2019: EQT funds, owners of Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (“Sivantos”), and the Tøpholm and Westermann families, owners of Widex A/S (“Widex”), today announced the successful completion of the business combination between Sivantos and Widex. The newly created company will operate under the name WS Audiology and be headquartered in Lynge, Denmark and Singapore.

The successful merger between two leading hearing aid companies has created a strong player with combined revenues of more than EUR 1.7 billion, over 10,000 employees and one of the strongest R&D teams in the industry. WS Audiology is driven by a passion to improve the quality of life for more than 700 million people with hearing needs. Together, the two pioneers have a combined experience of more than 170 years and will redefine the competitive landscape in the more than 125 countries they are present in.

WS Audiology will be led by a highly experienced management team with a balanced representation from both Sivantos and Widex. Jørgen Jensen, until now CEO of Widex, will head the new company as Chief Executive Officer. Before joining Widex in 2013, he spent 15 years at Nilfisk-Advance, the last eight of which as President and CEO. He previously worked for McKinsey.

Wolfgang Ollig, Sivantos’ current CFO, will continue in the same position at the new company. Prior to joining Sivantos in 2016, he held the role of CFO at Hella, one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers, for 10 years. Like Jørgen Jensen, he started his career at McKinsey.

Thomas Ebeling, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sivantos, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of WS Audiology. Jan Tøpholm, up to now Chairman of Widex, will take on the role as Deputy Chairman. Ignacio Martinez, to date CEO of Sivantos, will join the Board of Directors, and Henrik Bender, until now CFO of Widex, will lead the integration process.

“Today marks the beginning of a great new journey. Two pioneers joining forces with one clear ambition: to expand access to hearing aids and care to serve the millions of people with hearing needs across the world. This merger gives WS Audiology the scale and innovation capabilities to deliver on this goal. We are setting out to excel with best-in-class products and accelerate our shared growth across all our brands. The future holds great opportunities and together, as one team, we will be able to seize the momentum we have gained,” said Jørgen Jensen, CEO of WS Audiology.

“Both Widex and Sivantos have been at the forefront of innovation in the industry. Together, WS Audiology has abundant resources to create excellent products and further accelerate innovation with creative, high-tech and easy-to-use products and services, broadening the choice for hearing aid users,” said Thomas Ebeling, Chairman of the Board of Directors of WS Audiology.

“As WS Audiology takes shape today, we are one big step closer to becoming the clear innovation leader, developing the best possible hearing aids to improve the life of those with hearing needs. We are united by our proud heritage, our long history as ‘first movers’, and our insatiable curiosity that drives our innovation and technology,” said Jan Tøpholm, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of WS Audiology.

WS Audiology will offer a diverse portfolio of technologically advanced hearing aid products and services. With its brands Signia, Widex, Rexton, Audio Service and others, WS Audiology addresses the needs of the millions of people with hearing requirements.

Going forward, WS Audiology will accelerate its growth, strengthen its market penetration and enhance efficiencies to enable additional investments in R&D and the supply chain. This will allow the company to expand access to hearing healthcare via its dedicated salesforce, increasing the quality of life for millions of people and allowing them to experience the world of sound to the fullest.

This press release is translated into multiple languages for information purposes. In case of a discrepancy, the English version shall prevail.

Contacts

  • Andrew Arnold (Corporate Communications): + 45 25 65 75 47
  • Gert van Santen (Corporate Communications): +49 152 028 743 20
  • EQT (Press office): press@eqtpartners.com | +46 8 506 55 334

About WS Audiology
WS Audiology was formed in 2019 through the combination of Singapore-headquartered Sivantos with Lynge/Denmark-based Widex. Today, the business employs more than 10,000 people worldwide, is active in more than 125 markets and has revenues of more than EUR 1.7 billion annually. WS Audiology offers a diverse portfolio of technologically advanced hearing aid products and services across its brands Signia, Widex, Rexton, Audio Service and others. WS Audiology is owned by the Tøpholm and Westermann families and funds under the management of global investment firm EQT as well as the Strüngmann family.

More info: www.wsaudiology.com

About EQT
EQT is a leading investment firm with more than EUR 50 billion in raised capital across 28 funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to

achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

Categories: News

Tags:

The Carlyle Group Acquires Stake in SBI Life

Carlyle

Mumbai – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG), today announced it has acquired a 9% stake in SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd. (SBI Life, NSE: SBILIFE), a private life insurance company in India. SBI Life is the life insurance subsidiary of the State Bank of India (SBI, NSE: SBIN). Carlyle’s equity for this investment came from CA Emerald Investments, an affiliated entity of Carlyle Asia Partners V, Carlyle’s flagship US$6.55 billion fund focused on buyout and strategic investments across a range of sectors in Asia Pacific.

Following this transaction, BNP Paribas Cardif and CA Emerald Investments now own 12.8% and 9.0% of the company, respectively, while SBI remains the majority shareholder with a 62.1% stake in the company.

Dinesh Kumar Khara, Managing Director, Global Banking & Subsidiaries, SBI, said, “We are pleased with the tremendous strides made by SBI Life in establishing its position in the life insurance industry and appreciate the support given by BNP Paribas Cardif in this journey. We are also thrilled to welcome Carlyle, with whom we have an existing relationship through SBI Card, and look forward to its support to SBI Life in bolstering its franchise in the country.”

Sanjeev Nautiyal, Managing Director and CEO of SBI Life, said, “We are delighted to have Carlyle, a highly-regarded long-term investor, as a shareholder of the company. Carlyle’s trust in the company will further strengthen our resolve to enhance our leadership position in India’s life insurance industry through a single-minded focus on quality customer experience.”

Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of the Carlyle Asia Buyout advisory team, said, “The life insurance industry in India has strong growth potential thanks to favorable demographics and an increasing focus on financial savings. SBI is the most trusted brand in financial services, with an unparalleled nationwide branch network and a commitment to providing convenient access to quality financial services to every Indian. SBI Life, led by a strong management team, is helping deliver this promise in the life insurance space and is well-positioned to further benefit from industry trends. We are excited about the company’s growth prospects and proud to have this opportunity to support the journey.”

“I thank SBI for the quality of our partnership over the last 18 years in building together SBI Life, a strong life insurance franchise. We continue to be highly optimistic about the company’s future,” said Renaud Dumora, CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif.

Carlyle has invested in the financial services industry in Asia Pacific for 20 years, deploying more than US$4 billion of equity in more than 15 private equity investments as of December 31, 2018. In India, Carlyle’s recent investments in financial services include PNB Housing Finance Limited and SBI Card.

***

 

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $216 billion of assets under management, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs 1,625 people in 31 offices across six continents.

Web: www.carlyle.com
Videos: www.youtube.com/onecarlyle
Tweets: www.twitter.com/onecarlyle
Podcasts: www.carlyle.com/about-carlyle/market-commentary

 

About BNP Paribas Cardif

World leader for creditor insurance1, BNP Paribas Cardif plays an essential role in the lives of insured customers, providing them with savings and protection solutions that let them realize their goals while protecting themselves from unforeseen events. As a committed enterprise, BNP Paribas Cardif strives to have a positive impact on society and make insurance accessible to the largest possible number of people. In a world shaped by the emergence of new uses and lifestyles, the company, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, has a unique business model anchored in partnerships. It co-creates solutions with almost 500 partners distributors in a variety of sectors (banks and financial institutions, automotive companies, retailers, telecommunications companies, energy companies, Independent Financial Advisors and brokers…) who then market the products to their customers. BNP Paribas Cardif is a recognized global specialist in personal insurance, serving 100 million clients in 35 countries with strong positions in three regions – Europe, Asia and Latin America. BNP Paribas Cardif also plays a major role in providing financing for the economy. With over 10,000 employees worldwide2, BNP Paribas Cardif had gross written premiums of €29.7 billion in 2017.

Follow the latest news about BNP Paribas Cardif 

@bnpp_cardif

 

Media Contacts:

The Carlyle Group
Tammy Li
Phone: +852 2878 5236
Email: tammy.li@carlyle.com

Adfactors
Manibalan Manoharan
Phone: +91 22 6757 4275
Email: manibalan.manoharan@adfactorspr.com

Categories: News

Tags:

Segulah IV L.P. divests CCS Healthcare

Segula

On March 1, 2019, Segulah IV L.P. and minority shareholders signed an agreement to divest 100% of CCS Healthcare Holding AB to KiiltoClean Group. KiiltoClean Group is a part of Kiilto, a family-owned Finnish company that develops, manufactures and markets chemical industry solutions and operates in four business areas: construction, industrial bonding and hygiene solutions, professional cleanliness and hygiene and consumer products. The transaction was simultaneously carried through.

CCS Healthcare provides hygiene and safety products to the professional business-to-business markets and holds the leading position within hand hygiene and surface disinfection products in the Nordic region. Additionally, the Company holds a strong position within portable eyewash products in Denmark and Germany.

CCS Healthcare was acquired by Segulah IV in May 2011. During Segulah IV’s ownership, CCS Healthcare has completed four add-on acquisitions, mainly within the hygiene product segment. In March 2016, CCS Healthcare divested its pharma portfolio and Clinomyn brand to Trimb Healthcare. The Consumer Skincare business unit was divested through two separate transactions in January 2019. The skincare brand portfolio was acquired by Trimb Healthcare and the factory and contract manufacturing activities in Sweden were acquired by Svenska Krämfabriken. Pro forma for the Consumer Skincare divestment, CCS Healthcare generated revenues of ca. MSEK 440 in 2018.

“CCS Healthcare has in recent years significantly transformed its operations and showed good profitable growth. Following the successful divestment of the Consumer Skincare business unit, the industrial merit of combining CCS Healthcare with Kiilto is evident, creating a Nordic powerhouse positioned for future growth”, says Dario Aganovic, CEO of CCS Healthcare.

”We are very pleased with how CCS Healthcare has performed over the past years under the leadership of the current management team. We are convinced that Kiilto as a new owner will be able to further develop CCS Healthcare’s strong position across key Nordic and European markets”, says Sebastian Ehrnrooth, Chairman of Segulah Advisor AB.

 

 

For further information please contact:

Dario Aganovic, CEO, CCS Healthcare, +46 72 555 11 01

Sebastian Ehrnrooth, Chairman, Segulah Advisor AB, +46 73 360 42 05

Johan Möllerström, Director, Segulah Advisor AB, +46 72 543 79 11

Categories: News

Tags:

KnowBe4 to Receive Significant Investment from KKR

KKR

Leading Security Awareness Training Platform Valued at More than $800 Million
 

TAMPA BAY, Fla., March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to receive a sizable minority investment from leading global investment firm KKR, with participation from Ten Eleven Ventures.  The investment, which values the company at over $800 million, comes off the back of an exceptional 2018 for KnowBe4, which reached $120 million of bookings and revenue growth of 110 percent.

“KKR is an important strategic partner for KnowBe4 as we continue to grow worldwide and bring new-school security awareness training to new markets,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “We have had 23 straight quarters of explosive growth and there is no slowing down. All organizations need to invest in the human side of their security defenses and there is no better way to build their capabilities than to continually train and test them on the constantly evolving threats that they will be exposed to.”

According to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report, phishing and pretexting represent 98 percent of social incidents and 93 percent of breaches. KnowBe4 helps organizations reduce their risk of an attack by educating users to recognize, report and avoid threats. KnowBe4’s market-leading approach to security awareness training and simulated phishing tests is designed to help employees make smarter security decisions. By building a ‘human firewall’ of users, KnowBe4 customers have an added line of defense on top of security technologies that cannot protect organizations by themselves. KnowBe4 continually produces fresh content, combined with simulated phishing tests, to continually educate users about threats such as phishing, malware and social engineering. KnowBe4’s platform is used by more than 23,000 organizations across a variety of industries, including highly regulated fields such as finance, healthcare, energy, government and insurance.

“We’ve seen global spending on cyber security solutions grow to $48 billion, yet despite this investment, breaches, and the severity of these breaches, continue to be on the rise – over 90 percent of which involve inadvertent human error. We believe employees represent an organization’s first and last line of defense. That is exactly why we are so excited to be investing in KnowBe4, the leading cyber security solution that goes beyond the infrastructure and prioritizes empowering employees to make smarter security decisions,” said Stephen Shanley, Director at KKR.

“We are thrilled to be working with a world-class management team who has consistently over-delivered and with the company’s existing investors, Elephant and Goldman Sachs, who have done a great job positioning the business for scale,” added Patrick Devine, Principal at KKR.

KKR will be making its investment through its Next Generation Technology Fund, which focuses on investments in software, security, Internet, digital media, and information services. KnowBe4 expects to use the funds to strengthen the company’s international expansion and to further invest in adding to their suite of highly innovative security training modules.

“Cyber security training that helps every employee do his or her part to defend against attacks, especially as related to preventing the sophisticated spear phishing attacks we’re currently seeing, is more critical than ever. For the multitude of companies grappling with how to educate their workforce on how to best identify and protect against persistent threats, KnowBe4 offers an effective solution that results in dramatic risk reduction and ROI,” said Mark Hatfield, Founder and General Partner at Ten Eleven Ventures.

About KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest integrated security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 23,000 organizations worldwide. Founded by data and IT security expert Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness of ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to security awareness training. Kevin Mitnick, internationally recognized computer security expert and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design KnowBe4’s training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations worldwide trust KnowBe4 to mobilize their employees as their last line of defense.

Number 96 on the 2018 Inc. 500 list, #34 on 2018 Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 and #2 in Cybersecurity Ventures Cybersecurity 500. KnowBe4 is headquartered in Tampa Bay, Florida with European offices in England, the Netherlands, Germany and offices in South Africa and Singapore.

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKRCo.

About Ten Eleven Ventures
Ten Eleven Ventures is the original venture capital firm focused solely on investing in digital security. The firm invests globally and benefits from its full investment spectrum view of digital security from seed to growth (via its Joint Investment Alliance with KKR Technology Group.) Since its founding in 2015, Ten Eleven Ventures has raised nearly $500m and invested in over fifteen leading cybersecurity companies including Cylance, DarkTrace, Optiv, Ping Identity, Twistlock, and Verodin. For more information, visit http://www.1011vc.com.

Contacts

For KnowBe4:
Sarah Hawley
(480) 292 4640
sarah@mockingbirdcomms.com

For KKR:
Kristi Huller or Cara Major
(212) 750 8300
media@kkr.com

For Ten Eleven Ventures:
Megan Dubofsky
mdubofsky@1011vc.com

 

Categories: News

Tags:

CDPQ to invest over INR 1800 crores (approximately US$250 million) in Edelweiss NBFC

Cdpq

  • CDPQ enters into an agreement to invest into ECL Finance, the NBFC arm of Edelweiss
  • CDPQ will partner in the long-term strategy to build a strong credit portfolio, with an increasing focus on the retail segment.
Edelweiss Group announced today, that CDPQ Private Equity Asia Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”), one of North America’s largest pension fund managers, has signed an agreement to invest over INR 1800 crores (approximately US$250 million) in Edelweiss Financial Services’ non-banking financial company (NBFC) arm, ECL Finance Ltd. (“ECL Finance”). The planned investment by CDPQ would contribute towards establishing a large and diversified credit platform in India. This proposed investment will close after customary regulatory approvals.Edelweiss Group has built a significant competitive position across businesses including the Credit segment. With a credit book of around INR 30,000 crores (approximately US$4.2 billion) (Q3FY19) that is spread across wholesale and retail finance segments, the business has both robust size and scalability. The agreement with CDPQ will enable ECL Finance to capitalize on opportunities in the credit market and confirm the capability of the Group to capture opportunities in the NBFC space.  It provides thrust to the business for technology and digital investments. This investment also ensures that ECL Finance has the requisite resources to maintain strong organic growth, as well as take advantage of any market consolidation opportunities.

Speaking on the development, Rashesh Shah, Chairman and CEO of Edelweiss Group said, “Credit penetration in India will be the key to advancing India’s economic gains, driven by the long-term trends in democratisation of credit, rising household incomes and increased consumption. I expect this partnership to deliver tremendous value towards deepening the market and we are encouraged by this investment by CDPQ to partner with us on this journey”.

Michael Sabia, President and Chief Executive Officer at Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, stated, “We are glad to strengthen and expand our partnership with Edelweiss Group, with whom we share a common mindset and who has one of the most innovative credit investing platforms in India. This new investment capitalizes on solid growth in the financing demand from SMEs and residential sectors, both of which being key drivers in sustaining India’s future growth”.

The CDPQ partnership with the Edelweiss Group began in 2016 with a significant investment in Edelweiss ARC, India’s largest Asset Reconstruction Company.

Deepak Mittal, CEO of ECL Finance added, “Credit has been our strength and we are well positioned to capitalize on the India opportunity.  At this stage of our expansion, we are excited to join hands with CDPQ to fuel our retail lending business across India. Our competitive edge will come from investments in the direct technology platform and next generation data analytics as we scale across SME, affordable housing, agri-loans and rural finance”.

Edelweiss has built a diversified credit book credit catering to corporate and retail customers. This business has been a significant growth engine for the Group, driven by rapid scale up in retail credit book in the last few years.  With an aim to be closer to customers, the business has now expanded to over 180 locations across the country with plans afoot to double this number in the near future. A string of innovative products and services are also lined up for launch in the latter half of the year. This investment and the deep focus on expanding credit to deserving and underserved markets will propel growth in this business for Edelweiss.

ABOUT EDELWEISS GROUP

The Edelweiss Group is one of India’s leading diversified financial services company providing a broad range of financial products and services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, institutions and individuals. Edelweiss’s products and services span multiple asset classes and consumer segments across domestic and global geographies. Its businesses are broadly divided into Credit Business (Wholesale & Retail Mortgages, SME and Business Loans, Agri and Rural Finance, Structured Collateralised Credit and Distressed Credit), Franchise & Advisory Business (Wealth Management, Asset Management and Capital Markets) and Insurance (life and general insurance). Edelweiss has an asset base of ~INR 55,800 cr, as of 31st December, 2018. The Group had a revenue of INR 8,623 cr and PAT of INR 890 cr for FY18. The group’s research driven approach and proven history of innovation has enabled it to foster strong relationships across all client segments. The group has sizeable presence in large retail segment through its businesses such as Life Insurance, Housing Finance, Mutual Fund and Retail Financial Markets. Together with strong network of Sub-Brokers and Authorized Persons, Edelweiss group has presence across all major cities in India.

ABOUT CAISSE DE DÉPÔT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2018, it held CA$309.5 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

Categories: News

Tags:

Axcel sells Conscia to Nordic Capital

Axcel

After a successful ownership period of close to four years, Axcel has signed an agreement to sell Conscia, one of the leading northern European providers of secure IT infrastructure solutions, to Nordic Capital Fund IX (Nordic Capital).

Conscia is one of the leading providers of secure IT infrastructure solutions in northern Europe, with local offices in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, where it builds, services and secures some of Europe’s most complex IT infrastructures. During Axcel’s ownership, Conscia has developed from a challenger in the Danish market to a market-leading player in Europe through significant organic growth and five successful bolt-on acquisitions.

Conscia has just completed the acquisition of NIL in Slovenia, which further strengthens the company’s position within managed IT security and network services and as the most competent provider of IT infrastructure solutions centred around Cisco in Europe. NIL is widely recognised in the industry for its extensive technical expertise.

“I’m very proud that Nordic Capital recognises our strong market position, which is the result of a well-executed strategy and an enormous effort from all the employees at Conscia. We’ve very much enjoyed our partnership with Axcel, which has been an integral part of driving our development. We’re now looking forward to the continued success of Conscia in partnership with Nordic Capital,” says Claus Thorsgaard, Conscia’s CEO.

Christian Bamberger Bro, who was responsible for the investment at Axcel, is very pleased with both the transaction and what the company has achieved.

“The management team and the entire organisation have done a fantastic job over the last four years in terms of successfully accelerating the development of Conscia,” says Christian Bamberger Bro. “As owners, we’re very proud to have been part of this journey and to see Conscia continue its success under the ownership of Nordic Capital. We wish them all the best in the years to come.”

Nordic Capital is delighted with the transaction.

“Nordic Capital is excited to partner with Conscia’s management team as the business continues its transformation into a true European champion. With the newly signed acquisition of NIL in Slovenia, Conscia has added a Security Operation Centre, which in combination with the strong Conscia culture and quality of people offer a great starting point to become a leading European provider of complex and secure network infrastructures with an increasing focus on managed services,” says Fredrik Näslund, Partner at the Advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds.

Conscia is the eighth company to be sold by Axcel’s fourth fund, launched in 2010. The transaction is expected to be completed within two months.

About Conscia
Conscia is a leading European provider of secure, reliable IT infrastructure solutions, with revenue of DKK ~2.0bn. Conscia strives to be the best partner for customers’ mission-critical IT infrastructure throughout the entire life cycle, and supports this through extensive insight gathered in a unique customer platform, CNS, which is the basis for industry-leading customer experience and satisfaction. At the same time, Conscia has the ambition to be the most attractive and admired place to work for talented IT infrastructure specialists with extensive technical expertise. The current Network of Knowledge is 500+ employees spread across five countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Slovenia). For further information, please visit www.conscia.com. 

About Axcel
Founded in 1994 by a group of Denmark’s largest financial and industrial institutions, Axcel is a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies and has a broad base of both Danish and international investors. Axcel has raised five funds with total committed capital of more than EUR 1.8 billion to date. These funds have made 52 platform investments, more than 90 major add-on investments and 41 exits. Axcel currently owns eleven companies with combined annual revenue of around EUR 1.2 billion and some 6,000 employees.

Further information:

Axcel
Partner Christian Bamberger Bro
Tel.: +45 3336 6987
E-mail: cbb@axcel.dk

Managing Partner Christian Schmidt-Jacobsen
Tel.: +45 2178 3697
E-mail: csj@axcel.dk

Contact Axcel in Copenhagen or Stockholm.

Categories: News

Tags:

Nordic Capital builds on its strong track record within technology with the acquisition of Conscia, a leading provider of complex security and networking solutions

Nordic Capital

MARCH 01 2019

Nordic Capital builds on its strong track record within technology with the acquisition of Conscia, a leading provider of complex security and networking solutions Image

  • Conscia will continue its fast-growing expansion in Europe with the support of Nordic Capital as a new owner
  • Nordic Capital will invest to further strengthen Conscia’s market leading position and service offerings

Nordic Capital Fund IX (“Nordic Capital”) today announced the signing of the acquisition of Conscia, one of the leading security and networking infrastructure specialists in Northern Europe. In close partnership with the management team, Nordic Capital will support Conscia’s continued expansion and invest to further strengthen the Conscia’s market leading position and service offering.

Founded in Brøndby, Denmark in 2003, Conscia is one of the leading players in the Northern European IT infrastructure space within complex infrastructure solutions and managed services. Conscia builds and services some of Europe’s most complex IT security and networking infrastructures, and notably is recognised as one of the strongest integrators of Cisco solutions. Customers include some of the largest organisations within financial services, healthcare, and public sector organisations. Conscia has offices in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

Since inception, Conscia has grown rapidly through targeted acquisitions, double digit organic growth, and successful strategy execution. The company has projected revenues of approx. DKK 2.0 bn (EUR 270 mn) for 2019 and over 500 employees. Conscia has received several partnership awards over the years, to include Cisco North Customer Experience Partner of the Year 2018. Conscia has today more than 200 technical consultants. In addition, it has developed a unique asset management software solution called Conscia Network Services (CNS).

“Nordic Capital is one of the most prominent and experienced investors in the Nordic Tech sector with a long and proven track record of growing businesses. They are therefore the perfect partner to support Conscia’s continued international expansion strategy, which will be anchored around our deep technical expertise, a unique customer platform, ‘CNS’, and our ‘customers first’ approach. We look forward to take our ambitions to the next level,” says Claus Thorsgaard CEO, Conscia Holding.

“Nordic Capital is excited to partner with Conscia’s management team as the business continues its transformation into a true European champion. With the newly signed acquisition of NIL in Slovenia, Conscia has added a Security Operation Centre, which in combination with the strong Conscia culture and quality of people offer a great starting point to become a leading European provider of complex and secure network infrastructures with an increasing focus on managed services,” says Fredrik Näslund, Partner at the Advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds.

This acquisition is the eighth investment by Nordic Capital’s latest fund, Nordic Capital Fund IX with EUR 4.3 billion in committed capital, and builds on Nordic Capital’s recognised expertise and outstanding track record in the Tech sector. Nordic Capital has made eleven Technology and Payment platform investments and more than 40 add-ons since 2001.

Conscia is being acquired from Axcel, and management. The management team will re-invest, continuing as minority owners together with Nordic Capital as majority owner.

The parties have agreed to not disclose any financial details. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

 

Media contacts:

Nordic Capital

Katarina Janerud, Communications Manager
Advisor to the Nordic Capital Funds
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

Conscia

Dorthe Dahlin Irvold, Director of Communication
Tel: +45 2042 9611
e-mail: di@conscia.dk

 

About Conscia:

Conscia is a leading European provider of secure, reliable IT infrastructure based on solutions from Cisco supplemented with other category vendors with DKK ~2.0B in revenue. Conscia strive to be the best partner for customers mission critical IT infrastructure throughout the entire lifecycle. And supports this through deep insight gathered in a unique customer platform, ‘CNS’, which is the basis for industry-leading customer experience and satisfaction. At the same time Conscia has the ambition to be the most attractive and admired place to work for talented IT infrastructure specialists with deep technical expertise. The current Network of Knowledge is 500+ employees spread across 5 countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, and Slovenia). For further information about Conscia, please visit www.conscia.com

 

About Nordic Capital

Nordic Capital is a leading private equity investor in the Nordic region with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a proven track record. Core sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, Industrial Goods & Services and Consumer & Retail, and key regions are the Nordics, Northern Europe, and globally for Healthcare. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 13 billion in over 100 investments. The most recent fund is Nordic Capital Fund IX with EUR 4.3 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. The Nordic Capital Funds and vehicles are based in Jersey and are advised by advisory entities, which are based in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany and the UK. For further information about Nordic Capital, please visit www.nordiccapital.com

Categories: News

Tags:

DIF and Aberdeen Standard Investments to acquire UNITANK

DIF

Schiphol, 28 February 2019 – SL Capital Infrastructure II (“ASI”) and DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I (“DIF”) are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement to acquire 100% of UNITANK from the family owners, with ASI and DIF each acquiring a 50% stake.

UNITANK is a market leading independent and neutral infrastructure and services provider storing liquid oil products, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company owns and operates five terminals in Germany and one terminal in Belgium, all in key strategic locations. The terminals handle diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and heating oil and have a total storage capacity of c. 1.1 million cubic meters. Servicing both strategic stockholding agencies with product storage as well as commercial clients with product throughput provides UNITANK with a stable and resilient business model.

The acquisition provides DIF and ASI with a strong and differentiated platform in the German liquid bulk storage and throughput market. Its flexible business model, high-quality and state-of-the-art asset base, and operational excellence positions the company well for the future. The consortium will continue to back the company’s long-term and successful strategy for the business.

The transaction is conditional on European Commission merger clearance.

Jan Westedt – Owner
“Our family has run UNITANK over two generations with a strategy emphasising close and trusted partnerships with our clients and employees, which were key elements of our success story.
We are glad that DIF and ASI together with the management team will continue to pursue a long-term investment strategy centred around our philosophy and corporate culture.”

Dominic Helmsley – Head of Economic Infrastructure at Aberdeen Standard Investments
“We consider UNITANK to be a highly successful provider of storage capacity for strategic stockholding agencies and a key strategic partner for oil majors. We value the company’s historic growth and see significant future upside. Together with our partner DIF we look forward to working closely with UNITANK management in supporting the business and exploring further business opportunities.”

Willem Jansonius – Partner and Head of Core Infrastructure at DIF
“We firmly believe in the strategy as set by the current shareholder and management team. We are impressed with the commercial re-positioning of the business and its importance in providing essential services in its clients’ supply chains. We appreciate the well-invested asset base and the resulting high standards of operational excellence, which are essential to UNITANK’s current and future positioning.”

About DIF
DIF is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with €5.6 billion of assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, North America and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure V targets equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, regulated assets and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows.
  • DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I targets equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the energy, transportation and telecom sectors with mid-term contracted income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows.

DIF has a team of over 115 professionals, based in eight offices located in Schiphol (the Netherlands), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Sydney and Toronto.
Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu

About ASI
Aberdeen Standard Investments has over €4 billion of assets under management across direct economic and concession infrastructure. The Economic infrastructure funds’ primary objective is to achieve long term, consistent returns by investing in brownfield core/core+ infrastructure assets in Europe. The fund’s aim is to construct a balanced portfolio of high quality European infrastructure opportunities focussing on small to mid-market opportunities across the utilities, transport and energy sectors.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is a leading global asset manager dedicated to creating long-term value for our clients, and is a brand of the investment businesses of Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments. With over 1,000 investment professionals we manage €630 billion (30/06/18) of assets worldwide. We have clients in 80 countries supported by 46 relationship offices. This ensures we are close to our clients and the markets in which they invest. We are high-conviction; long-term investors who believe teamwork and collaboration are the key to delivering repeatable, superior investment performance. We are resolute in our commitment to active asset management.

Standard Life Aberdeen plc is headquartered in Scotland. It has around 1.2 million shareholders and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Standard Life Aberdeen group was formed by the merger of Standard Life plc and Aberdeen Asset Management PLC on 14 August 2017.

Categories: News

Tags:

Finnish cyber security company Arctic Security closes a funding round with prominent Finnish investors to accelerate growth

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Arctic Security is proud to announce a follow-on investment to the company’s series A round by notable private entrepreneurs and investors Mikko Kodisoja, Ilkka Paananen and Georg Ehrnrooth. The new investors’ expertise in global growth companies strengthens Arctic Security’s investor base which also includes original investor CapMan Growth. The additional funds will be used to accelerate the company’s international growth in the cyber security market.

Arctic Security, established in 2017, had a very successful first year of operation, launching Arctic Hub and Arctic Node products and achieving over Euro 2,000,000 of international sales. The company’s products harmonize and categorize cyber threat information from over 100 threat intelligence feeds and then match these indicators to the actual owners of the impacted assets. This automated and intelligent correlation of the threats creates actionable data which can be used by organizations both to protect themselves in real time and to reduce future risk. Together Arctic Hub and Node deliver unparalleled scalability in integrated cyber defense from individual enterprises to multinational corporations.

“Enterprises are struggling with cyber threats and need automated solutions to integrate actionable cyber threat intelligence into their defenses. This investment will help us to bring our proven products available to a wider enterprise audience worldwide” says David Chartier CEO of Arctic Security.

About Arctic Security                                                

Arctic Security is a company based in Oulu, Finland with offices in Helsinki, San Francisco and Singapore. The company’s devoted team is composed of international experts with extensive knowledge and experience in working in the cyber threat intelligence industry. The organization is led by CEO David Chartier, a long-term cyber security professional and the former CEO of Codenomicon.

Categories: News

Tags:

CapMan Buyout has sold shares in Harvia Plc

CapMan Buyout X Fund A L.P and CapMan Buyout X Fund B Ky (together the “funds managed by CapMan”) have sold part of their shares in Harvia Plc (”Harvia” or the ”Company”) in an accelerated book-building to a limited number of institutional investors (the ”Share Sale”). The funds managed by CapMan sold a total of 12.3 per cent of the shares and votes in the Company. The subscription price in the Share Sale was set at EUR 6.00 per share and the gross sales proceeds amounted to approximately EUR 13.8 million. After the Share Sale, the funds managed by CapMan own 12.3 per cent of the shares in the Company.

In connection with the Share Sale, the funds managed by CapMan have entered into a lock-up undertaking, under which they have, subject to certain exceptions, agreed not to sell any shares in Harvia for a period ending May 7, 2019.

Pia Kåll, Managing Partner of CapMan Buyout, comments: “CapMan has supported Harvia through a number of important milestones and will continue with a 12.3 per cent stake. Following our investment in 2014, together with the management we developed and implemented a new growth strategy for the company, as a result of which Harvia is one of the leading sauna and spa companies in the world. This is an excellent basis for both current and new owners to continue from.”

Danske Bank A/S, Finland Branch acted as the Sole Lead Manager in the Share Sale.

Further information:
Pia Kåll, Managing Partner, CapMan Buyout, +358 207 207 555

Disclaimer
Danske Bank acted exclusively for the funds managed by CapMan and no one else and it will not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this release) as their respective client in relation to the Share Sale. Danske Bank will not be responsible to anyone other than the funds managed by CapMan for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients and will not give advice in relation to the Share Sale or any transaction or arrangement referred to herein. Danske Bank assumes no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or verification of the information set forth in this release and, accordingly, disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all liability which they may otherwise be found to have in respect of this release. Nothing contained in this release is, or shall be relied upon as, a promise or representation as to the past or the future.

The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore or South Africa or any other country where such publication or distribution would be unlawful. This release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in any country. The securities mentioned herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder.

About CapMan
CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation. We offer a wide selection of investment products and services. As one of the Nordic private equity pioneers, we have developed hundreds of companies and real estate assets and created substantial value in these businesses and assets over the past 30 years. CapMan employs today approximately 120 private equity professionals and has over €3 billion in assets under management. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover Private Equity, Real Estate and Infra. We also have a growing service business that currently includes procurement services, fundraising advisory and fund management services. www.capman.com

 

Categories: News

Tags: