Category Archives: News

CVC Asia Fund IV announces investment in RKE

RKE is a leading toll road operator in China

CVC Capital Partners (“CVC”) is pleased to announce that CVC Asia Fund IV has entered into binding agreements to invest the USD equivalent of HKD 2,000,000,000 (subject to adjustment) of new capital for 25% in RKE International Holdings Limited (“RKE”). RKE is a subsidiary of RKI, a Hong Kong listed property development and infrastructure conglomerate.

RKE is a leading toll road operator in China with a portfolio of five expressways spanning 340km and strategically located in important economic corridors across four provinces.

William Zen, Chairman of RKE, said: “Today is an important milestone in the further development of RKE. CVC Capital Partners is a leading global private equity firm with an outstanding regional network and track record, and we are confident that this partnership will help us further our expansion opportunities in China and across South East Asia.”

Kevin Xu, Managing Director at CVC, added: “RKE is a leading toll road operator with a strong portfolio and good growth prospects. We have great admiration for the chairman William Zen and his vision to grow the company further. We are very excited about the opportunity to work with him to take RKE to the next level”.

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Genstar Capital Announces Completion of Drilling Info Holdings, Inc. Acquisition

SAN FRANCISCO, August 2, 2018 – Genstar Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on investments in targeted segments of the software, industrial technology, healthcare, and financial services industries, today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Drilling Info Holdings, Inc.  Insight Venture Partners will retain a significant minority stake.

About Drillinginfo

Drillinginfo delivers business-critical insights to the energy, power, and commodities markets. Its state-of-the-art SaaS platform offers sophisticated technology, powerful analytics, and industry-leading data. Drillinginfo’s solutions deliver value across upstream, midstream and downstream markets, empowering exploration and production (E&P), oilfield services, midstream, utilities, trading and risk, and capital markets companies to be more collaborative, efficient, and competitive. Drillinginfo delivers actionable intelligence over mobile, web, and desktop to analyze and reduce risk, conduct competitive benchmarking, and uncover market insights. Drillinginfo serves over 3,500 companies globally from its Austin, Texas, headquarters and has more than 675 employees. For more information visit drillinginfo.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 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 $10 billion of assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the software, industrial technology, healthcare, and financial services industries.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES

Contact: Chris Tofalli
Chris Tofalli Public Relations
914-834-4334

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Genstar Capital Announces the Acquisition of BBB Industries

Genstar to Partner with Management to Drive Growth and Expand New Product Technologies, Further Enhancing BBB Industries’ Leading Role as a Supplier in the Automotive Aftermarket

SAN FRANCISCO, August 2, 2018 – Genstar Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on investments in targeted segments of the industrial technology, healthcare, financial services, and software industries, today announced the acquisition of BBB Industries, LLC, an industry leader in the automotive aftermarket.

BBB supplies non-discretionary replacement parts in the North American automotive aftermarket, primarily focused on the do-it-for-me (“DIFM”) light vehicle aftermarket and serves vehicle owners, professional technicians and franchised dealers.  BBB Industries has a broad product offering, including starters, alternators, hydraulic steering, brake calipers, electric power assisted steering (“EPAS”) and turbochargers.  Its 30,000+ SKUs are sold through warehouse distributors, retail outlets, and OEM service organizations.  Founded in 1987, the company is based in Daphne, AL.

Rob Rutledge, Managing Director, said, “BBB is an industry leader in the automotive aftermarket with a strong reputation for quality and manufacturing expertise.  We believe we can partner with management to expand the product offerings for BBB’s customers through investments in new technologies, capacity expansions, and acquisitions in BBB’s current and adjacent markets.  Genstar’s ability to move quickly and to provide growth capital will help to further enhance BBB’s market presence and build on its strong relationships with new and existing customers.”

Duncan Gillis, CEO of BBB Industries, said, “Because our products are mission critical to the operation of a vehicle, our key focus is to provide customers with quality, availability, breadth of SKUs, and service.  With Genstar’s expertise and history of successfully building companies like ours, we look forward to transforming our company and taking BBB Industries to the next level while continuing to provide our customers with the highest quality products.  We very much look forward to this new partnership.”

Genstar was advised by UBS Investment Bank and Latham & Watkins LLP in connection with the transaction.

About BBB Industries

BBB Industries, LLC is an industry leader in the remanufacturing of starters, alternators, hydraulic and air disc brake calipers, both hydraulic and electronic power steering products and turbochargers for the OEM, personal and commercial vehicle aftermarket industries. BBB takes pride in producing the highest quality products in the industry with exacting standards that apply to customer service, the manufacturing process, product installation and to the performance on the vehicle. Automated test fixtures test every unit manufactured by BBB to meet or exceed OE specifications. Founded in 1987, BBB Industries, LLC is a private company headquartered in Daphne, Alabama. Please see www.bbbind.com for more information.

About Genstar Capital

Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for more than 25 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 $10 billion in assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the industrial technology, healthcare, financial services and software industries.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES

Genstar Capital
Chris Tofalli Public Relations
Chris Tofalli
914-834-4334
chris@tofallipr.com

BBB Industries, LLC
Gerard Yanuzzi
Vice President of Marketing, BBB Industries, LLC
251-438-2737
gyanuzzi@bbbind.com

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Onex Completes Investment in PowerSchool –

Onex

Toronto, August 1, 2018 – Onex Corporation (“Onex”) (TSX: ONEX) today announced it has
completed an investment in PowerSchool Group LLC (“PowerSchool”), the leading education
technology platform for K-12 schools. Vista Equity Partners is an equal equity partner with
Onex. Onex’ investment was made by Onex Partners IV, its $5.7 billion fund.

About Onex
Onex is one of the oldest and most successful private equity firms. Through its Onex Partners
and ONCAP private equity funds, Onex acquires and builds high-quality businesses in
partnership with talented management teams. At Onex Credit, Onex manages and invests in
leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligations and other credit securities. Onex has more than
$32 billion of assets under management, including $6.7 billion of Onex proprietary capital, in
private equity and credit securities. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and
London, Onex and the team are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.
Onex’ businesses have assets of $49 billion, generate annual revenues of $31 billion and employ
approximately 207,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the stock symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at
www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s
current expectations and are subject to known and unknown uncertainties and risks, which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking
statements contained herein should material facts change due to new information, future events
or otherwise.

For further information:
Emilie Blouin
Director, Investor Relations
Tel: 416.362.7711

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Cinven enters exclusive discussions to acquire AXA Life Europe

Cinven

The transaction creates Irish and cross-border consolidation platform

International private equity firm, Cinven, today announces that the Sixth Cinven Fund has entered into exclusive discussions to acquire AXA Life Europe (‘ALE’), a leading European life insurance company, for a consideration of €925 million.

ALE primarily manages guaranteed, unit-linked life insurance products (known as ‘Variable Annuities’) for its customer base across Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. ALE manages c.248,000 policies, c.€8 billion of assets and has c.€5 billion of reserves of which c.70% is related to German policies. It has been closed to new business since 2017. Furthermore, ALE is a reinsurer of AXA’s Japanese variable annuity portfolio.

ALE is headquartered in Dublin (Ireland), one of the largest cross-border life assurance centres in Europe and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Building on Cinven’s expertise in the European life insurance sector, Cinven’s Financial Services team believes that ALE represents an attractive investment opportunity with significant value creation potential due to:

  • A fragmented market: the European Variable Annuity and life insurance market remains fragmented and represents a compelling consolidation opportunity for ALE, particularly in Ireland and the Isle of Man. Cinven’s strategy for ALE builds on the strategies being executed by its Financial Services team in Germany, through its investment in Viridium, and in Italy, through its investment in Eurovita;
  • M&A opportunities: a number of European insurers are planning to dispose of their existing guaranteed back-book portfolios which have become strategically non-core to them, creating an attractive M&A pipeline in the Irish life insurance market as well as the opportunity for ALE to become a consolidator of Variable Annuity back-book portfolios in Europe;
  • The scope for operational improvements: as a non-core disposal from the AXA Group, given the primary nature of the transaction, there is also scope to optimise ALE’s operations;
  • Asset management optimisation: ALE’s asset management and hedging strategies will be further optimised while maintaining strong Solvency II ratios following the carve-out; and
  • Industry-leading management team: Cinven will be partnering with the incumbent, industry-leading management team led by CEO, Eoin Lynam.

Furthermore, customers will benefit from enhanced risk management and underlying asset quality.

This transaction represents the 12th investment by the Sixth Cinven Fund and follows the Sixth Cinven Fund’s agreement to acquire Viridium Group and to provide it with equity funding to acquire Generali Leben, creating a leading German life insurance business with c.5 million policies and c.€55 billion of assets under management.

Caspar Berendsen, Partner at Cinven, commented:

“Over time we have managed to build a strong relationship with ALE and its management team and believe the opportunity for ALE is compelling. Cinven’s acquisition of ALE is a ‘repeat play’ of the consolidation platforms we have created though Guardian Financial Services in the UK, Eurovita in Italy, and Viridium in Germany. Cinven’s investment strategy in this case focuses on the consolidation of closed life funds with Variable Annuity offerings, primarily across Ireland and the Isle of Man. We have ambitious plans for this business and look forward to working alongside Eoin and his team to create value over the coming years.”

Andrea Bertolini, Principal at Cinven, added:

“Cinven continues to make investments in the closed life fund segment, bringing operational and financial excellence to this niche area. Cinven has fast become the leading private equity investor in this segment through investments in the UK, Germany and Italy. We will work in close partnership with the excellent management team to ensure no service interruptions for policy holders and in addition, identify value-accretive potential acquisition targets, creating benefits for all stakeholders of the businesses.”

Eoin Lynam, CEO of ALE, said:

“We have followed Cinven’s investments across various geographies in the European life insurance markets and it’s clear that they have a fantastic grasp of the opportunities available to ALE. We are closely aligned in terms of the future strategy for the business and share a collective vision of the value creation plan, alongside ensuring that all stakeholders benefit from retaining a robust financial base and further enhanced asset and risk management strategies.”

Completion of this transaction is subject to customary conditions, including completion by AXA of the informing of and consultation with the relevant works councils, as well as regulatory approvals by the Central Bank of Ireland and customary anti-trust approvals. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 or early 2019.

Advisors to the transaction included: JP Morgan, financial advice; Milliman, actuarial and hedging; Deloitte, finance, operational and information technology due diligence; Deloitte, tax; Clifford Chance, legal (transaction and other); A&L Goodbody, legal (regulatory); Marsh, insurance.

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The Carlyle Group completes acquisition of Tessara

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Carlyle

The Carlyle Group completes acquisition of Tessara, a South African manufacturer of fresh produce preservation solutions

Cape Town, South Africa, 1 August 2018 – Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Tessara, a manufacturer of preservation technologies for use in the marketing and export of fresh produce.

The transaction closed on 31 July 2018 and funding for this investment came from Carlyle Sub-Saharan Africa Fund. Financial terms are not disclosed.

Founded in 1985, Tessara is a well-established business with a strong brand and a growing global market position in Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)-based sheets for use in the preservation of fresh produce. Its flagship product is Uvasys, a SO2-based sheet, primarily used to protect table grapes against Botrytis infection, which is responsible for almost 50% of all post-harvest agricultural loss. Uvasys also enhances transportation, export and storage of grapes. Tessara has rapidly grown its business both in South Africa and internationally with exports now representing more than 65% of annual sales.

Tessara employs more than 150 people and has manufacturing facilities in Cape Town, South Africa. The company operates through a network of 15 distributors and it has built strong relationships with both suppliers and customers.

Bruce Steen, Principal in Carlyle’s Sub-Saharan Africa Fund, said: “Tessara is a great business with exciting growth prospects. Led by an experienced, talented management team, Tessara has built an impressive reputation for its core product whilst investing in R&D and the opportunity that exists to expand the product pipeline and broaden the application of SO2 sheets. We look forward to partnering with Tessara at this exciting time, supporting their continued growth and innovation and fueling expansion into new products and markets, especially China and USA.”

Craig Cloete, CEO of Tessara, said: “We are delighted to partner with Carlyle as we embark on a new chapter of development. We believe Carlyle’s global network, scale and experience, supporting international growth, will help us boost our sales and expand into new markets.”

Carlyle was advised on the transaction by Webber Wentzel and Ernst & Young.

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About Tessara

Tessara is the global market leader in the supply of laminated SO2 generator sheets to protect table grapes from post-harvest decay and prevent Botrytis infection during transportation and storage.

The company was founded in South Africa in 1985 and today it employs over 150 people.

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager with $201 billion of assets under management across 324 investment vehicles as of March 31, 2018. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,575 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 Carlyle Sub-Sahara Africa Fund (SSA)

Established in 2012 the Carlyle Sub-Saharan Africa Fund and its affiliates, with $698 million of committed capital, have invested over $450 million to date across a variety of industries, including energy, financial services, TMT, retail, logistics and mining services, and across a variety of geographies, including South Africa, Gabon, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The SSA fund makes buyout and growth capital investments in private and public companies from offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria.

Media Contact:

Katarina Sallerfors
Katarina.sallerfors@carlyle.com
+44 (0)20 7894 3554

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AIG and The Carlyle Group Announce Strategic Partnership with DSA Re

Carlyle

  • Carlyle to acquire 19.9% of DSA Re from AIG and enter into a strategic asset management relationship with DSA Re
  • Carlyle and AIG will partner to position DSA Re as a platform to provide solutions for insurance liabilities globally

NEW YORK, August 1, 2018 – American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) and The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) announced today a strategic partnership to build DSA Re into a standalone provider of reinsurance, claims handling, and run-off management solutions for long-dated, complex risks to the global insurance industry.

DSA Re currently reinsures $36 billion of AIG’s Legacy Life and Annuity and General Insurance liabilities. DSA Re’s diversified risk portfolio, strong claims operation, and efficient administration capabilities provide the foundation for a platform that can be scaled over time. Utilizing Carlyle’s expertise in separating and standing up companies, AIG and Carlyle plan to build DSA Re into a platform that complements DSA Re’s financial strength with its strategically differentiated capabilities.

As part of the transaction, Carlyle will acquire a 19.9% stake in DSA Re and enter into a strategic asset management relationship whereby DSA Re and AIG will, in aggregate, allocate $6 billion of assets into various Carlyle managed strategies across corporate private equity, real assets, and private credit.

Brian Duperreault, AIG’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “AIG launched DSA Re to help us efficiently manage our legacy liabilities, honor our policy obligations and maximize financial flexibility. This partnership with Carlyle meets these objectives while allowing AIG to free up capital and participate in the build-out and growth of the business. We look forward to working closely with Carlyle to position DSA Re for long-term success.”

Kewsong Lee, Carlyle’s Co-Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This strategic partnership extends Carlyle’s investment capabilities into the $15 trillion global insurance industry. Carlyle is excited to deliver our global investment platform across a variety of asset classes to DSA Re, and will work to generate attractive returns for the DSA Re portfolio for many years to come. We have a terrific partner in AIG, and will work closely together to help DSA Re become independent and positioned for growth over time.”

James Bracken, Chief Executive Officer of AIG Legacy and DSA Re, added, “DSA Re’s experienced team, capabilities, diversified risk portfolio and strong capital position, along with Carlyle’s investment expertise and success in building strong franchises, provide a foundation to build a competitive provider of tailored run-off solutions.”

Brian Schreiber, Managing Director and Co-Head of Carlyle Global Financial Services Partners, further noted, “We see tremendous opportunities for Carlyle and DSA Re as insurers look to improve investment yields and drive higher returns on capital. Our partnership will help DSA Re effectively serve this growing market by offering reinsurance solutions to the insurance industry globally across all lines of business.”

The transaction is expected to close in approximately 60 days, subject to required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

AIG established DSA Re in February 2018 as a Bermuda-based, composite reinsurer of its Legacy insurance portfolio, consolidating its non-core insurance lines under a specialized team with expertise in run-off, while continuing to ensure it meets its obligations to policyholders.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC was the financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP was the legal advisor to AIG for this minority interest equity sale.

Citi was the financial advisor and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP was the legal advisor to The Carlyle Group.

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About AIG
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager with $201 billion of assets under management across 324 investment vehicles as of March 31, 2018. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,575 people in 31 offices across six continents. www.carlyle.com

AIG Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only AIG’s belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside AIG’s control. It is possible that actual results will differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated in these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those in the forward-looking statements are discussed throughout AIG’s periodic filings with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Carlyle Forward-Looking Statement

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to Carlyle’s future expectations and other non-historical statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements including, but not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in Carlyle’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC, as such factors may be updated from time to time in Carlyle’s periodic filings. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in Carlyle’s filings with the SEC. Carlyle undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.  This release does not constitute an offer for any Carlyle fund.

Contacts:

AIG
Investors: Liz Werner; +1-212-770-7074; elizabeth.werner@aig.com
Media: Daniel O’Donnell; +1-212-770-3141; daniel.odonnell@aig.com

The Carlyle Group
Investors: Daniel Harris; +1-212-813-4527; daniel.harris@carlyle.com
Media: Jordan DeJarnette; +1-202-729-5025; jordan.dejarnette@carlyle.com

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ARDIAN agrees sale of its minority stake in Encevo S.A.

Ardian

Luxembourg, July 31st, 2018 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, today announces that it has agreed to sell its minority stake in Encevo S.A., a leading utility company, to China Southern Power Grid International (HK) (“CSGI HK”), wholly owned by China Southern Power Grid (“CSG”), a state-owned power grid company in China that engages in power transmission, distribution and supply business.
Encevo, which is based in Luxembourg, operates in several different energy business fields through its two subsidiaries, Creos and Enovos Luxembourg. Creos manages electricity and gas grids while Enovos Luxembourg is responsible for the sale of energy to a diversified portfolio of clients in Luxembourg and Germany. The company also holds interests in energy production assets, most notably in the renewable energy sector (wind, biogas, solar and hydro).
In July 2012, Ardian, alongside co-investors, acquired a minority stake in Encevo (formerly Enovos International) from Arcelor Mittal. It then subsequently acquired a further stake in 2015 from E.on and RWE.
Since Ardian’s investment, it has worked alongside the public shareholders of the company to help Encevo adapt its strategy and organization to reflect the new shape of European energy markets. A new strategic plan has been implemented, which included a €1bn investment program. In embracing the transition of energy markets, Encevo has increased investments in renewables and energy services, particularly in Luxembourg and Germany. Looking ahead, Encevo is interested in industrial partnerships, such as with CSG, which is based in Guangzhou.
Mathias Burghardt, member of the Executive Committee of Ardian and Head of Infrastructure, said: “Ardian developed a close partnership with the State of Luxembourg at an important moment for Encevo group. The two partners successfully developed a new vision for Encevo, which places the group at the forefront of Europe’s new energy landscape.”
Benoît Gaillochet, Managing Director Ardian Infrastructure, added: “We thank the management and the employees of Encevo as well as the Luxembourg shareholders for this fruitful collaboration. We truly believe that CSG will be an excellent industrial partner for Encevo as it looks to realize its growth ambitions.”
Hua Yang, president of CSGI HK, said: “We are delighted that we have entered into an agreement to acquire a minority stake in Encevo. CSG is a long-term industrial investor in Europe. We look forward to establishing cooperative relationships with Encevo management and Luxembourg shareholders, and we are committed to support Encevo’s development towards its strategic goals, as well as the development of its energy services for customers.”

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$71bn 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 500 employees working from fourteen 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). It manages funds on behalf of around 700 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
Ardian on Twitter @Ardian
www.ardian.com

ABOUT CSG

CSG is a global leading utility company. In China, CSG engages in the investment, construction and operation of power networks in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan provinces. Outside China, CSG holds investments in the energy sector in Chile, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos. CSG is promoting green and coordinated development of power grid and ensures harmony between the power grid and the environment.
www.eng.csg.cn

INVOLVED PARTIES

ARDIAN
M&A sell side: Natixis
Legal: Arendt & Medernach
Accounting & Tax: EY
Markets: BCG
Regulation: NERA
Technical: E-BridgeCSGI
M&A sell side: JP Morgan, Deloitte
Legal: Clifford Chance
Accounting & Tax: Deloitte
Markets and Regulation: Roland Berger
Technical: Pöyry

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN
Headland
TOM JAMES
Tel: +44 207 3675 240
tjames@headlandconsultancy.co.uk

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3i-backed Ponroy continues its buy and build strategy with acquisition of Densmore

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that Ponroy Santé Group (“Ponroy”), a leading European company in the natural consumer healthcare industry in which 3i invested in January 2017 together with co-investor Cathay Capital, is acquiring Densmore, a natural food supplement laboratory mainly specialising in ophthalmic solutions to treat eye diseases.

Densmore was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Monaco. Its main brand, Suveal Duo, is a medically-proven supplement designed to fight age-related macular degeneration (“AMD”), a noncurable chronic disease affecting patients’ vision. Densmore has a 17% market share in this category and its products are regarded as being amongst the most innovative in the market. In addition to Suveal Duo, Densmore offers a range of complementary products for conditions such as glaucoma (Memoptic), inflammation and dry eyes. Its products are prescribed to patients directly by ophthalmologists. Densmore has enjoyed 17% p.a. organic sales growth since 2007 and is expected to generate close to €13m of sales in 2018. Its acquisition adds a new product line to Ponroy’s offering in the pharmacy channel and will also enhance Ponroy’s female care offering through other products including gynaecological food supplements. The CEO of Densmore, Philippe Caron, will join Ponroy and continue to lead the business.

This is the second acquisition made by Ponroy with the support of 3i. In September 2017, it acquired Ersa (Aragan and Synactifs brands), a designer and distributor of premium pharmaceutical food supplements, which strengthened its presence in the pharmacy channel and in the probiotic segment. Thanks to these acquisitions, Ponroy is now the third largest player in the French food supplement pharmacy channel, and aims to replicate its successful business model in other major geographies offering significant growth potential.

Philippe Charrier, President and CEO of Ponroy, commented:

“Densmore is an innovative and fast growing company, and a great fit for Ponroy. Its natural products are backed by strong medical studies, reinforcing Ponroy’s own medical credibility. We look forward to working with Philippe Caron and his team.”

Nicolas Brodetsky, Vice President of Ponroy and Group Head of Pharmacy, added:

“Phillippe Caron is an entrepreneur and we share the same values. Beyond the already strong products, Densmore has a rich pipeline of innovation complementary to ours that Ponroy can bring to market not only in France but also through our international network of partners and subsidiaries.”

Rémi Carnimolla, Partner and Managing Director, 3i France, and Guillaume Basquin, Director, 3i France commented:

“This is an important strategic acquisition for Ponroy and fully in line with 3i’s buy-and-build strategy of helping its portfolio companies to expand. Densmore is an R&D-oriented business with an exciting innovation pipeline and has demonstrated strong financial performance over the last 10 years.” 

For further information, contact:
3i Group plc

Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries		 Tel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com
Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiries		 Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

 

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KPN Ventures leads investment in cyber security startup ZecOps

Kpn Ventures

ROTTERDAM, July 31, 2018 – Dutch corporate investment fund KPN Ventures announced today it has participated as lead investor in the $3.5m seed round of ZecOps, a cyber security startup based in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, focusing on automated threat analysis.

ZecOps seed round is supplemented by an investment from Evolution Equity Partners, a fund that specializes in cybersecurity, Plug and Play Silicon Valley, WISE Ventures, Array Ventures, and respected angel investors.

ZecOps was started in July 2017 by Zuk Avraham together with his wife & co-founder, Taly Slachevsky. ZecOps is Avraham’s second entrepreneurial journey. He founded his first company, Zimperium, in 2010, where he currently serves as its Chairman of the Board. Zimperium is the leading mobile threat defense solution on the market.

ZecOps products gained high traction during its first year, while still in stealth-mode, with well-known customers from the technology, finance and telecom segments. ZecOps is working with law enforcement agencies, banks, critical infrastructure, tech, payment solutions and telcos to solve major pain points in cyber security.

“Through KPN’s cooperation with Zimperium, We have got to know Zuk as a clear thought leader in cyber security” said Herman Kienhuis, EVP and Managing Director at KPN Ventures.“With ZecOps, he is taking on a new challenge: automating security breach analysis; we see great potential in enabling more companies to learn from attacks, generate new threat intelligence and substantially improve their security.”

Michal Pechoucek, Partner at Evolution Equity Partners, adds: “Increased efficiencies gained from automation in security operations is an important area in cybersecurity where Zecops have developed cutting edge technology. We believe the attributes of the Zecops technology are unique and provide the company with a cutting-edge advantage in the global marketplace. We welcome Zecops and its team of seasoned cybersecurity professionals to our portfolio.”

“We are extremely excited to welcome ZecOps into our family.  Out of the hundreds of cybersecurity startups we analyzed this year, ZecOps stood out as one of the most exciting,” says George Damouny, Partner at Plug and Play Ventures. “With their strong team and expertise in the cybersecurity space, we have high expectations for ZecOps as they continue to revolutionize the Security Operations market.”

Following this seed round investment, ZecOps will launch its products for general availability to help organizations hunt down attackers’ mistakes effectively.

“We were surprised with the overwhelming demand for our products. It can be exceedingly difficult to innovate in a crowded market like the cyber security space – but we were able to do it effectively. Consequently, the reactions from CISOs around the globe made our efforts worthwhile,” said Mr. Avraham. “In the last year, we detected multiple APTs for a variety of businesses, a rare achievement especially for a one year old company”.

About ZecOps, Inc.
ZecOps is a stealth mode cybersecurity automation company headquartered in San Francisco, California with R&D based in Tel Aviv, Israel. ZecOps learns from attackers’ mistakes with the goal of discovering the course of action and objectives of entire campaign, burn the threat actors exploits & persistence mechanisms and increase the attacker’s campaign costs for targeting a ZecOps protected company. To contact ZecOps, visit https://www.zecops.com. For press inquiries: mail ZecOps PR at media@zecops.com

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