Category Archives: News

KKR and Altavair Close Sale and Leaseback of Four Airbus A350-900 Aircraft with Singapore Airlines

KKR

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Altavair L.P., a leader in commercial aviation finance, announced today the closing of a sale and leaseback with Singapore Airlines (SIA) of four Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The acquisition was funded by funds and accounts managed by KKR, with Altavair acting as servicer on the assets.

“We were honored to be selected by Singapore Airlines to participate in these transactions,” said Steve Rimmer, CEO of Altavair. “Singapore Airlines is continually recognized as one of the top international carriers and we are extremely pleased to be continuing our relationship with them with this new agreement.”

“This transaction with Singapore Airlines is another exciting milestone as we continue to deepen our trusted relationships with leading carriers around the world,” said Dan Pietrzak and Brandon Freiman, Partners at KKR. “These four modern aircraft operated by a world-class airline are a great addition to Altavair’s portfolio.”

About KKR

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

About Altavair L.P.

Altavair L.P. is an asset manager focusing on the acquisition of new and used commercial aircraft for leasing to domestic and international passenger airlines and cargo operators. Since its inception in 2003, Altavair has completed over $9 billion in commercial aircraft lease transactions with over 60 airline customers in 28 countries representing over 200 individual Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Altavair maintains offices in Seattle, London, Dublin and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.altavair.com.

Timothy O’Hara
+1 425-369-8062
timothy.ohara@altavair.com

Source: KKR and Altavair

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KKR Expands Industrial Real Estate Footprint in Tampa with New Acquisition

KKR

May 3, 2021

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the acquisition of a 178,400 square foot industrial property in Tampa, Florida.

The asset is located in a highly infill location in East Tampa, approximately fifteen minutes from Tampa’s vibrant downtown, and was newly built in 2020 with state-of-the-art physical features including 32’ clear height. The property was 100% leased at acquisition to three tenants.

The acquisition expands KKR’s industrial real estate footprint in the greater Tampa market to 1.4 million square feet.

“We are long term believers in Florida’s continued growth story,” said Roger Morales, KKR Partner and Head of Commercial Real Estate Acquisitions in the Americas. “The demographic growth in Tampa in particular has been impressive and we are delighted to add this well located, high quality asset to our portfolio.”

KKR is making the investment through its Americas opportunistic equity real estate strategy. Across its funds, KKR owns nearly 34 million square feet of industrial property in strategic locations across major metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Since launching a dedicated real estate platform in 2011, KKR has grown its real estate assets under management to approximately $28 billion across the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific as of December 31, 2020 (pro forma to include Global Atlantic’s assets following KKR’s acquisition of Global Atlantic on February 1, 2021). KKR’s global real estate team consists of approximately 100 dedicated investment professionals, spanning both the equity and credit business, across 11 offices and eight countries.

About KKR

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

Media:
Cara Major or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

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KKR Acquires Natural Pet Food Group

May 2, 2021

Investment to support Company’s growth in New Zealand and worldwide

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Natural Pet Food Group (the “Company”), a New Zealand-based premium pet food company, and KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the completion of KKR’s acquisition of Natural Pet Food Group. The investment will be used to support the Company’s international growth and advance its mission to supply safe, sustainably sourced high-meat pet food from New Zealand to more customers and their pets worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210502005040/en/

Neil Hinton, CEO of Natural Pet Food Group said, “My team is excited about the opportunities and connections that KKR can provide. Our business is about providing pet owners with the very best in natural, high-meat nutrition for the four-legged members of their families. KKR has an impeccable pedigree in our sector which will help us grow, develop new products and take our brands to new customers and new markets, all over the world.”

“It’s a great result not only for our company but also our supply partners, farmers and seafood suppliers from all over New Zealand and our manufacturing partners in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. We also recognize our outgoing shareholders, in particular Pioneer Capital, for their contribution over the years, which laid the foundation for this next exciting phase. This is another fantastic ‘paddock to plate’ New Zealand story that builds on our quality nutrition, safety and ethical credentials and the strong partnerships that underpin our business. KKR’s investment marks the next phase of our evolution and their support is a strong endorsement of the outlook for our business,” added Mr Hinton.

Pet owners around the world are increasingly seeking the highest-quality, low carbohydrate diets for their pets to improve their long-term health and wellness. Natural Pet Food Group brands provide pet owners with a variety of nutritious, 100% New Zealand made pet food produced from high-quality, locally sourced wholefood ingredients.

Michael Robson, Managing Director of KKR Capstone and joining member of Natural Pet Food Group’s Board of Directors, said, “Natural Pet Food Group is a pioneer in New Zealand’s sustainable pet food industry, with a strongly defined mission and set of values. We could not be more excited to work with Neil and his talented team to support the Company’s operations by leveraging KKR’s experience, network, and expertise to strengthen Natural Pet Food Group’s leadership in key markets and create opportunities in new ones. This investment also reflects KKR’s commitment to supporting fast-growing companies in New Zealand that are seeking opportunities to expand into new sectors, verticals, and markets.”

KKR will fund its investment from KKR Asian Fund IV. Additional details of the transaction are not disclosed.

About Natural Pet Food Group

Natural Pet Food is committed to providing premium, nutritious high-meat pet food through its market-leading dog and cat food brands: K9 Natural, Feline Natural, and Meat Mates. Developed by an in-house nutritional team, the Company’s pet food is produced from ethically sourced ingredients such as grass-fed and free-range meat, cage-free chicken, and sustainable seafood. Natural Pet Food Group was launched in 2006 and today serves customers globally in markets including New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, US and Canada.

About KKR

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

Media:
Natural Pet Food Group
Louisa Doig
+64 21 912 384
ldoig@naturalpetfoodgroup.com

KKR Asia Pacific
Anita Davis
+852 3602 7335
Anita.Davis@kkr.com

KKR Americas
Cara Major or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
+1 212-750-8300
Media@kkr.com

Citadel Magnus (for KKR in Australia & New Zealand)
James Strong
+61 2 8234 0100
jstrong@citadelmagnus.com

Source: KKR

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KKR to Sell The Bountiful Company to Nestlé for $5.75 Billion

KKR

April 30, 2021

Transaction completes transformation of The Bountiful Company into a Leading Global Nutrition Platform 

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that Nestlé has agreed to acquire The Bountiful Company, a pure play branded leader in global nutrition, for $5.75 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nestlé will acquire The Bountiful Company’s vitamin and supplement brands, Nature’s Bounty®, Puritan’s Pride®, Solgar® and Osteo Bi-Flex®, which will be integrated into Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) to create a global leader in vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements.

“Today’s announcement recognizes the transformation of The Bountiful Company over the past 3+ years, as well as the collective value and capabilities of the organization. I am incredibly grateful to the 4,500 colleagues around the globe who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point,” said Paul Sturman, President and CEO, The Bountiful Company. “As a leader in global nutrition, we take seriously our responsibility and role in consumers’ health and wellness. We’re incredibly proud of the trusted brands we’ve built with the support of KKR and our other stakeholders.”

“Paul and the entire The Bountiful Company team have built a global portfolio of brands that are positioned for sustained growth, with a great culture of innovation, accountability and pace of change,” said Nate Taylor, Partner and Co-Head of Americas Private Equity at KKR. “We know that The Bountiful Company will add value to Nestlé and continue to enhance the health of the millions of consumers who use their products each and every day.”

“Since KKR’s investment, The Bountiful Company has transformed into a leading, fast growth, pure-play nutrition platform through significant investments in talent, brand building, R&D, eCommerce, and manufacturing capabilities,” added Felix Gernburd, Managing Director at KKR. “We’re immensely appreciative of everything Paul and the management team have done to build a unique company that is dedicated to bringing wellness to its communities and creating value for all of its stakeholders.”

KKR, primarily through its Americas XII Fund, acquired a majority interest in The Bountiful Company from The Carlyle Group in 2017. Carlyle Partners V and Carlyle Europe Partners III funds retained a minority stake in the company and are participating in the sale alongside KKR.

“We’re pleased to have partnered with the management team and KKR in this chapter of The Bountiful Company’s growth and are excited to see the business continue its journey with Nestlé,” said Jay Sammons, Head of Carlyle’s Global Consumer, Media and Retail team.

The Bountiful Company’s sports and active nutrition brands, Pure Protein®, Body Fortress® and MET-Rx®, as well as UK-based personal care brand, Dr.Organic®, and the Canadian over-the-counter (OTC) business, VitaHealth OTC, are not included in the sale.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Evercore is acting as lead financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as legal advisor to KKR. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and JP Morgan Securities LLC also served as financial advisors to KKR.

About The Bountiful Company
The Bountiful Company is a pure play branded leader in global nutrition, living at the intersection of science and nature. As a manufacturer, marketer and seller of vitamins, minerals, herbal and other specialty supplements, and active nutrition products, we are focused on enhancing the health and wellness of people’s lives. The Bountiful Company’s portfolio of trusted brands includes Nature’s Bounty®, Solgar®, Pure Protein®, Osteo Bi-Flex®, Puritan’s Pride®, Sundown®, Body Fortress®, MET-Rx®, Ester-C® and Dr.Organic®. For more information, visit Bountifulcompany.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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

About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $260 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2021, 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. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,800 people in 29 offices across five continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow The Carlyle Group on Twitter @OneCarlyle.

The Bountiful Company
Nicole Hayes
+1 631-200-2650
nhayes@bountifulcompany.com

KKR
Cara Major or Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
+1 212-750-8300
media@kkr.com

The Carlyle Group
Brittany Berliner
+1 212-813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

Source: KKR

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Alpine Acquires Outdoor Recreation Software Leader Aspira

Alpine

SAN FRANCISCO & DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alpine Investors (“Alpine”), a people-driven private equity firm committed to building enduring software and services companies, announced today it has acquired Aspira (the “Company”), a market-leading software provider for the outdoor recreation industry, from Vista Equity Partners. Alpine’s partnership will accelerate organic growth across Aspira’s business lines and provide capital for strategic acquisitions.

Headquartered in Dallas with eight offices worldwide, Aspira’s mission is to cultivate a connected world through shared outdoor experiences. It employs over one thousand team members and provides a comprehensive suite of software used to manage all aspects of outdoor recreation access, including reservation, registration, licensing, and day use entry for public agencies and private entities. Aspira’s enterprise solutions enable its clients to manage multiple mission-critical activities using one centralized platform. Through ReserveAmerica.com—a leading booking site for public and privately-owned campground reservations—Aspira directly connects consumers with outdoor recreation experiences.

Fraser Cameron will join Aspira as CEO, leveraging his deep experience leading passion community companies through rapid growth. Most recently serving as CEO of SmartPak Equine, Cameron brings a substantial history of operational, financial, and consumer subscription experience, including eight years leading the team at Velcro Companies in the roles of CEO and CFO. Further expanding the Aspira management team, Marlena Slowik and Graham Ballbach will assist in leading the Company during its next phase. Former CEO Mark Trivette and former President Seth Rosenberg will maintain leadership roles within the Company.

Cameron, Ballbach, and Slowik all join Aspira through Alpine’s CEO program which brings supplemental leadership to its portfolio companies.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a culturally-aligned and experienced leader in Fraser Cameron to the Aspira team,” said Trivette. “The Alpine team brings a wealth of knowledge and resources that will serve Aspira’s customers and team members exceptionally well throughout this next chapter of growth,” added Rosenberg.

“I am excited to work alongside the talented Aspira team to build upon the great work Mark and Seth have done in leading the business. Our first objective is to listen to our team and customers as we implement growth initiatives throughout all lines of business—including significant investments in technology, marketing, and customer support,” said Cameron.

“We’ve seen a surge of Americans seeking to explore the outdoors, especially over the past 12–18 months, and believe such growth will continue. Aspira has certainly benefitted from these market tailwinds, and we are delighted to partner with this dynamic Company—a true leader in an industry that brings so much joy to people by leveraging technology to connect them with nature,” said Billy Maguy, partner at Alpine. “We are committed to investing not just in the growth of the business, but also in the hardworking people who make it thrive.”

LionTree Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Vista in the transaction, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as its legal counsel. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal counsel to Alpine.

About Aspira

Aspira provides connected experiences for the outdoor recreation industry. Its comprehensive suite of reservation and licensing technology and service solutions support federal, state, provincial, privately-owned, and local government parks, campgrounds, and conservation agencies, conveniently connecting them with outdoor adventure seekers from around the world. Aspira is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with eight offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.AspiraConnect.com.

About Alpine Investors

Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm that is committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine specializes in investments in middle-market companies in the software and services industries. Its PeopleFirst strategy includes a CEO-in-Residence program which allows Alpine to bring proven leadership to situations where additional or new management is needed post-transaction. Alpine is currently investing out of its $1 billion seventh fund. For more information, visit http://www.alpineinvestors.com.

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Projective Group, specialising in delivering (digital) change trajectories, partners up with Gimv for its further European expansion

GIMV

29/04/2021 – 07:30 | Portfolio

Gimv acquires a minority stake in Projective Group, consisting of Projective, a consulting firm specialising in operational, regulatory and digital change trajectories in financial services; and Exellys, a technology talent incubator that recruits, trains and matches young talent with its customers’ technology needs. The current partners and shareholders of the Projective Group will remain on board and retain the majority of the shares. Projective Group wants to accelerate its European expansion, with a particular focus on buy-and-build. With Gimv, Projective Group brings in a long-term partner with a strong investment capacity.

Financial institutions are constantly changing in response to continuously evolving regulation and technological innovation. To pro-actively respond to these evolutions, they need external partners with the requisite expertise to assist them with the necessary change. One of the top priorities in responding to this change is securing an inflow of scarce young digital talent, with the skills to meet the needs of end customers and to compete with new fintech companies.

With Projective and Exellys (Mechelen, Belgium – www.exellys.com), Projective Group (Brussels, Belgium – projectivegroup.com) is perfectly placed to advise on these challenges. Over the past 15 years, Projective has established its place in the financial services sector for implementing transformation journeys on the interface of business and technology. Projective has more than 150 experienced specialists with strong industry and domain expertise, and a customer-centric approach. With this successful model, Projective has grown steadily in recent years, in its Belgian home market and from offices in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Exellys in turn helps companies attract and retain highly trained talent in IT and engineering functions across all sectors. With its innovative talent incubator model, Exellys has grown strongly in Belgium since its inception in 2014. In 2020, it opened its first international office in the Netherlands.

The Covid crisis has increased request for support in major (digital) change processes, coupled with an intensive focus on finding and training increasingly scarce new talent needed to maintain growth. Projective Group cannot grow fast enough internally to meet customer demand, so the team is looking for acquisitions to increase its European footprint. It is currently examining takeover candidates in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and France, with a focus on payment traffic, data, agile and life insurance.

Projective Group has high ambitions. Together with Gimv, it wants to accelerate its international growth and broaden its fields of expertise through a combination of internal growth and buy-and-build. Projective Group has a clear goal: a turnover of 100 million euros by end of 2023 with a Europe-wide team of 800 employees (c.45 million euros and 350 employees today).

Stefan Dierckx, founder and CEO of Projective Group: “Projective Group has reached a level where further international expansion through acquisitions can turbo-charge our group’s growth. With its 40 years of experience, Gimv is the perfect partner to embark on this new adventure. Gimv specializes in supporting companies that demonstrate innovative strength, entrepreneurship and ambitious growth plans. They help build those plans in order to accelerate expansion. And that is exactly what we at Projective Group want to achieve.”

Ruben Monballieu, Partner Sustainable Cities team Gimv adds: “Projective Group is a reference in the realisation of (digital) transformation processes, in a strongly-growing B2B service market. We look forward to working with Stefan Dierckx and his team to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory and actively engage in buy-and-build.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. No further financial details on this transaction are being published.

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Ardian Real Estate acquires Frankfurt office building, “Westendcarree”, from Publity

Ardian

Frankfurt am Main, 28 April 2021 – Ardian, a world leading private investment house, has signed an agreement with publity AG for the acquisition of the office building “WestendCarree” (at Grueneburgweg 14, 16-18 and Im Trutz 55) in Frankfurt am Main. The acquisition marks Ardian Real Estate’s sixth investment in Germany. The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.

Built in 1989, the office complex was last renovated in 2010 and spreads across five to eight stories, with around 31,000 square meters of rental space available. The property is situated in Frankfurt’s prestigious Westend district within proximity to a host of shops, restaurants and parks. The property is located downtown and well connected via four commuter rail and underground stations – with both the Alte Oper and the financial district within a short walking distance.

The building complex, is fully air-conditioned and grouped around green interior courtyards. It offers 300 parking spaces and the modular design enables all widely used office space utilization metrics. The occupancy rate currently stands at 86 percent, and a large share of the rental agreements are up for renewal over the next few years. Ardian Real Estate intends to undertake extensive upgrading measures, to achieve sustainability certification, redesign common areas, signage system and outdoor facilities.

Bernd Haggenmüller, Senior Managing Director Real Estate at Ardian and responsible for the real estate investment in Germany, said: “Investments in office space across the top seven cities in Germany remain very attractive. It seems clear that a turning point in the take-up rate for office space is emerging in Frankfurt. Now, market forecasts predict that by the end of the year this figure will have grown by over 30%, compared to last year’s figure. We can see a further increase in demand on the market as tenants no longer want to delay their decisions, and growing numbers of companies have redefined their future workplace concepts.”

He added: “We are pleased to adapt the amenities of the WestendCarree to offer state-of-the-art office space configurations and working conditions.. Our work will continue to focus on taking into account current ESG criteria and requirements resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. In view of this initial situation and outlook, we are very pleased with the acquisition of WestendCarree as a very attractive property in a market with a very tight supply.”

Photo-CP-Real-Estate-Frankfurt
©publity AG

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$110bn 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 700 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION

The transaction was advised by buyers Herbert Smith Freehills (legal), taxes (taxes), x. Project (technology) and CBRE (market). The seller’s legal adviser was White & Case. TwainTowers mediated the transaction.

PRESS CONTACT

CHARLES BARKER CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

ardian@charlesbarker.de  

Peter Steiner

+49 69 79409027

Jan P. Sefrin

+49 69 79409026

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Eurazeo invests in Messagebird, the world’s leading global omnichannel communication platform

Eurazeo

and its partners are pleased to announce a $200 million minority investment into MessageBird, the world’s leading global omnichannel communication platform.
Eurazeo through its Growth expertise co-leads the company’s Series C round extension together with Tiger Global and alongside funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Owl Rock and all existing investors including Atomico and Accel. The extended $1 billion round represents Europe’s largest ever Series C, and the second largest on either side of the Atlantic.

On the back of the funding, MessageBird today announces it has entered into definitive documentation to acquire US-based SparkPost, the largest, first and only predictive email intelligence platform. The deal values SparkPost at $600 million and is expected to close in Q2 following receipt of customary regulatory approvals. The acquisition represents another important step for MessageBird in building a global omnichannel platform.
Beyond financing the strategic acquisition of SparkPost, this fundraising will enable the company to continue its geographical expansion, specifically in fast growth emerging markets. Moreover, the company plans to accelerate its investments into its software suite to help business customers increase productivity and improve customer experience.

MessageBird was founded in 2011 in the Netherlands with the ambition to transform the way businesses interact with their customers to adapt to new means of communication. The company offers a global cloud-based communication platform enabling frictionless business-to-consumer communication across 20 channels including Live-chat, Video, Voice, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google Business Messages, WeChat, Line, or Telegram.
On top of its connectivity APIs, the company has built software solutions, “Inbox” and “Flow Builder”. The former enables customer support agents to manage all customer interactions in a single, omnichannel thread, while Flow Builder allows business users to automate their communication workflows without a single line of code.

Post acquisition, the combined company will serve more than 25,000 customers, from SMBs to large enterprises, including blue chip accounts such as Disney, Facebook, Glovo, Heineken, Hugo Boss, JP Morgan, Lufthansa Airlines, PayPal, SAP and Uber, with 700 employees and have a revenue run-rate of over $500 million.

Yann du Rusquec, Partner,
« We are very proud to back MessageBird and actively contribute to one of the most exciting success stories ever started by a European company. The acquisition of SparkPost, which position MessageBird as the world’s leading omnichannel communication platform-as-a-service, is a fantastic example of how our Growth Equity strategy helps tech companies expand their horizons, consolidate their positions and realise their full potential. Our mission is to help Europe nurture tech giants. No doubt MessageBird will be one of those.»

ABOUT EURAZEO
Eurazeo is a leading global investment group, with a diversified portfolio of €21.8 billion in Assets Under Management, including €15.0 billion from third parties, invested in 450 companies. With its considerable private equity, private debt and real assets expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its nearly 300 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term.
Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Berlin and Madrid.
Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.
ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA

EURAZEO CONTACTS

Virginie Christnacht

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS vchristnacht@eurazeo.com
+33 (0)1 44 15 76 44

Pierre Bernardin
HEAD OF INVESTOR RELATIONS pbernardin@eurazeo.com
+33 (0)1 44 15 16 76

PRESS CONTACT
DAVID STURKEN
MAITLAND/AMO dsturken@maitland.co.uk+44 (0)7990 595 913

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DIF Capital Partners and PERENfra announce North American water infrastructure partnership

DIF

DIF Infrastructure Fund VI, managed by DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) and PERENfra LLC (“PERENfra”) are pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement to develop and acquire water infrastructure opportunities in North America. The partnership will focus on all areas of water for municipal and industrial uses, targeting large scale investments towards development of a significant portfolio of over USD $1.5 billion.

PERENfra is led by an experienced management team with a strong network in the water sector and has several investment opportunities already in process. DIF’s complementary expertise in development and infrastructure investment as well as access to capital through its DIF Infrastructure Fund VI will help accelerate growth of the portfolio. The partnership’s investment strategy focuses on both acquisitions of operational projects and late-stage development projects targeting water efficiency and reliability while providing positive social and environmental impacts.

Jeff Nelson, Founder and CEO of PERENfra said “We are proud and excited to partner with DIF to provide essential water infrastructure in North America and beyond. There is a transition coming in water infrastructure, and as the needs for water continue to become more complex, we have built an industry leading team with the right partners to provide safe, sustainable, efficient solutions for the long-term.”

“Significant capital is required for necessary upgrades in water infrastructure systems across North America. DIF is pleased to be partnering with the experienced specialist team at PERENfra in pursuit of critical investments in essential water infrastructure.” said Marko Kremer, Head of DIF North America.

DIF was advised by Allen & Overy (legal). PERENfra was advised by Davis Graham & Stubbs (legal) and Mount Vernon Partners (transactional).

 

About DIF Capital Partners:

DIF Capital Partners is a global independent investment fund management company with approximately €8.5 billion of funds under management. Through nine investment funds, DIF Capital Partners invests in high-quality infrastructure assets that generate long-term and stable cash flows, including water, transportation, renewable energy, regulated utilities, and other infrastructure projects in North America, Europe, South America and Australia.

https://www.dif.eu/

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

 

About PERENfra:

PERENfra is a United States based infrastructure company focused on operational and development opportunities in the water sector across various geographies. PERENfra takes a long-term approach to owning and operating essential assets and our team has a reputation of providing efficiency and certainty for our clients and partners. PERENfra currently owns and operates assets providing municipal water supply and environmental conservation.

https://www.perenfra.com/

 

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EQT Infrastructure to sell Segra Commercial Services Business

  • EQT Infrastructure to sell Segra’s Commercial Services Business, a leading fiber-based provider of bandwidth services to commercial enterprise and wholesale carrier customers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the U.S., to Cox Communications
  • EQT Infrastructure to retain Segra’s residential and SMB business, where EQT Infrastructure has strengthened its commitment to support the business’ next phase of growth
  • Segra was created by EQT Infrastructure through the combination of three geographically contiguous businesses into a super-regional fiber infrastructure provider with an enhanced product portfolio and improved service capabilities
  • During EQT Infrastructure’s ownership, Segra experienced substantial growth and margin expansion through its investment in both new and existing markets, strategic add-on acquisitions and other operational initiatives

EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT Infrastructure III fund (“EQT Infrastructure”) has agreed to sell Segra’s Commercial Services Business to Cox Communications (“Cox”). EQT Infrastructure will retain Segra’s residential and SMB business, which operates under the Lumos Networks and NorthState brands.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Segra employs more than 1,200 people and provides broadband data services across a 26,000-mile fiber network to a variety of customers including wireless carriers, healthcare providers, local government agencies, financial institutions, education institutions, and residential customers. Ongoing digitalization and outsourcing trends are driving demand for broadband services, particularly in rapidly growing US metro markets such as the ones Segra serves. Together with the management team, EQT supported Segra in its organic and inorganic growth strategies and integration success to develop into the leading super regional fiber company it is today.

At the same time, EQT and the management team scaled Segra’s residential and SMB business by building out fiber to existing and new customers as well as through strategic add-on acquisitions.    Following the transaction, EQT plans to significantly accelerate the build-out of fiber-to-the-premise (“FTTP”) throughout the region, bringing high speed fiber bandwidth for the first time to a large number of markets, many of which to date, have been disadvantaged by no or low availability of quality high speed broadband connectivity.

“We are pleased to have found a good long-term home for Segra’s Commercial Services Business with Cox. Segra has transformed into an integrated, leading provider of broadband services to a variety of enterprise and carrier customers, and we are proud of the achievements we have accomplished alongside management. We thank Tim, the management team and employees, and the advisors in the EQT Network for their vision and guidance,” said Jan Vesely, Partner and Investment Advisor at EQT. “Furthermore, we are excited to retain the residential business and to accelerate the buildout of fiber to residential and SMB customers, bringing fiber to many underserved markets.”

Timothy Biltz, CEO of Segra, said, “EQT has been a great partner throughout Segra’s transformational journey, and we thank them for their guidance and support for nearly four years. Going forward, we are excited to work with Cox and look forward to leveraging their resources, capabilities and strategic insights to meet growing customer demand and accelerate long-term growth.”

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and is expected to close later in 2021.

Bank Street Group LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as financial advisors and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal advisor to Segra.

Contact
US inquiries: Stephanie Greengarten, +1 646 687 6810, stephanie.greengarten@eqtpartners.com
International inquiries: EQT Press Office, +46 8 506 55 334, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with more than EUR 67 billion in assets under management across 26 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas with total sales of approximately EUR 29 billion and more than 175,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
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About Segra
Segra is one of the largest independent fiber infrastructure bandwidth companies in the Eastern U.S. It owns and operates an advanced fiber infrastructure network throughout nine Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states. Segra provides Ethernet, MPLS, dark fiber, advanced data center services, IP and managed services, voice and cloud solutions, all backed by its industry-leading service and reliability. Customers include carriers, enterprises, governments, higher education and healthcare organizations. For more information about Segra’s technology and commitment to customer care, visit www.segra.com.

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