Kinnevik supports TravelPerk’s funding round and acquisition of spend management platform

Kinnevik
Kinnevik AB (publ) (“Kinnevik”) today announced it has participated with a USD 37m investment in TravelPerk’s recent USD 200m funding round. TravelPerk also announced the acquisition of Yokoy, a leading spend management solution, to accelerate its vision of an integrated travel and expense management platform.

TravelPerk, a leading SaaS business travel platform, today announced it has raised USD 200m in a funding round led by new investor Atomico alongside EQT Growth with participation from existing investors including Kinnevik and General Catalyst.

The funding will be used to further accelerate growth – with continued expansion into the US market alongside significant investments into technology and AI to deliver the leading travel and expense management platform for SMB and mid-market companies in the US and Europe.

The acquisition of Yokoy, a leading expense management offering for mid-market clients, will enable TravelPerk clients to benefit from a deeper and unified solution to manage travel and expenses under one umbrella.

Akhil Chainwala, Senior Investment Director at Kinnevik and Board member of TravelPerk commented: “We have invested in TravelPerk on eleven different occasions over the last six years. Our belief in the team has been validated by their consistent execution, underpinned by a culture that emphasizes autonomy and performance. We remain early in a secular shift from unmanaged to managed travel solutions, and look forward to continuing to support TravelPerk as they broaden their ambitions to accelerate in the US and in expense management.”

Kinnevik first invested in TravelPerk, now one of its five core companies, in October 2018. The company has since emerged as a stand-out homegrown European software leader. It has achieved a combination of growth and profitability at scale – with annualised booking volumes of over USD 2.5bn, annualised revenue of over USD 200m, growth of over 50 percent per annum in the last two years and reaching EBITDA break-even at the end of 2024. After the funding round and acquisition of Yokoy, Kinnevik remains the company’s largest shareholder.

The funding round values TravelPerk at USD 2.7bn post-money. On a per-share USD basis, this valuation is approximately 40 percent above the valuation underpinning Kinnevik’s net asset value as of 30 September 2024. During the fourth quarter of 2024, and prior to the above events, Kinnevik has also acquired USD 7.5m in secondary shares. The impact of the above events on Kinnevik’s net asset value will be determined through Kinnevik’s established valuation process within which the funding round’s valuation is one of several reference points, and will be announced in connection with the financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024 on Tuesday 4 February 2025.

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EQT co-leads TravelPerk’s USD 200 million Series E

eqt

  • TravelPerk is an all-in-one SaaS business travel platform that aims to give travelers the freedom they want whilst providing companies with the control they need

  • EQT Growth co-leads the round, which values TravelPerk at USD 2.7 billion, alongside Atomico; round also joined by new investors Noteus Partners and Sequoia Capital, as well existing investors like General Catalyst, Kinnevik, Softbank Vision Fund, and Blackstone

  • Alongside the financing, TravelPerk announces that it has acquired Yokoy, a leading spend management platform, to create an integrated Travel and Expense Management platform

EQT is pleased to announce that EQT Growth, which aims to support fast-growing technology companies as they continue to scale, has co-led a USD 200 million Series E in TravelPerk. The investment is also led by Atomico, with participation from Noteus Partners and Sequoia Capital, as well as existing investors, including Kinnevik, General Catalyst, Softbank Vision Fund, and Blackstone. The oversubscribed round brings TravelPerk’s valuation to USD 2.7 billion.

As companies face greater economic pressures and more complicated regulatory environments, they are increasingly looking for fully integrated solutions that bring travel and expenses together into one automated platform. TravelPerk’s end-to-end experience simplifies business travel management, streamlining processes and helping companies better control costs. With the acquisition of Yokoy, a leading spend management platform, and through integrations with expense management partners, TravelPerk is well positioned to provide small & medium businesses in Europe and the US highly localized solutions that suit individual needs, while preserving freedom of choice and flexibility.

Founded in 2015 and today headquartered in Barcelona, TravelPerk has recorded 50 percent annual growth over the last two years and reached EBITDA break-even at the end of 2024. The new funding will be used to further accelerate growth, with continued expansion into the US market alongside significant investments into product, technology and AI.

Carolina Brochado, Partner at EQT Growth, who will join the TravelPerk Board, said: “TravelPerk is a clear digital-native leader in the multi-hundred-billion corporate travel market. Most small and mid-market businesses remain unmanaged and underserved in this space. Having followed the TravelPerk team for years, we’ve been consistently impressed by their focus, tenacity, and ambition in disrupting the industry. Their proprietary use of AI is among the best we’ve seen, enabling faster, smarter service for their customers. With the Yokoy acquisition, their product evolves into a true end-to-end T&E solution, further powered by AI.”

“Until now, customers had to make hard trade-offs: an integrated platform or separate, best-in-class travel and expense solutions. A platform delivering a great end-user experience or one focused on the experience for Finance,” commented TravelPerk President and Chief Operating Officer, JC Taunay-Bucalo. “Customers don’t have to compromise anymore. Now, they can have a leading travel management product built on the world’s largest inventory, combined with an expense management product that works for their business.”

Avi Meir, TravelPerk CEO and Co-Founder, added: “Our focus has never been stronger as we expand across core markets, accelerate growth in the US, and now work to become the number one travel and expense management platform. Our partnership with Yokoy has already been a great success, and we are excited to take it to the next level by welcoming Phil, Devis, and the rest of the team to TravelPerk. We share a common vision for the role of AI reshaping the future of travel and expense management, and the innovation coming out of Yokoy’s AI labs in Zurich is seriously impressive.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 269 billion in total assets under management (EUR 136 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedInYouTube and Instagram

About TravelPerk
TravelPerk is a hyper-growth SaaS business travel platform and a pioneer in the future of travel for work. Its all-in-one platform gives travelers the freedom they want whilst providing companies with the control they need. The result saves time, money, and hassle for everyone.

TravelPerk has industry-leading travel inventory alongside powerful management features, 24/7 customer support, state-of-the-art technology, and consumer-grade design, which enable companies and organizations worldwide like Red Bull, GetYourGuide, and Aesop, to get the most out of their travel.

Backed by world-class investors like General Catalyst, Kinnevik, Softbank, and Blackstone, TravelPerk is reinventing travel for work with an end-to-end solution that works.

Visit www.travelperk.com for more information.

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EQT Life Sciences leads USD 97 million Series B in Atalanta Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing treatments for epilepsy and Huntington’s disease

  • Atalanta Therapeutics is pioneering RNA interference (RNAi) for the treatment of neurological diseases, having developed a proprietary platform that, for the first time enables RNAi to be deployed as a therapeutic approach throughout the brain and spinal cord

  • The USD 97 million Series B financing will support Phase 1 clinical trials of the company’s investigational RNAi therapies for KCNT1-related epilepsy and Huntington’s disease

  • EQT Life Sciences is leading the round investing from its LSP Dementia Fund, which is co-led by Sanofi Ventures with further participation from RiverVest Venture Partners, abrdn, Inc., Mirae Asset Financial Group and F-Prime Capital

EQT is pleased to announce that EQT Life Sciences has led a USD 97 million Series B funding round in Atalanta Therapeutics (“Atalanta” or “the Company”). Atalanta, a biotechnology company based in Boston, USA, is at the forefront of using RNA interference (RNAi) to treat neurological diseases.

RNA is a molecule that carries genetic instructions from DNA, guiding cells in protein production and serving as a blueprint for cellular processes. RNAi is a method of altering these instructions, allowing the targeting of diseases at the molecular level by potentially silencing harmful genes. Atalanta has developed a proprietary RNAi platform called di-siRNA, which, for the first time, enables RNAi to be deployed as a therapeutic approach throughout the brain and spinal cord. With this new funding, Atalanta aims to advance its investigational RNAi therapies for KCNT1-related epilepsy and Huntington’s disease to Phase 1 clinical trials.

Alicia Secor, M.B.A., Atalanta’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re excited by the support we’ve received from this strong group of investors, led by EQT Life Sciences. This Series B will support a path to the clinic for two programs for serious neurological diseases that today lack disease-modifying therapies: KCNT1-related epilepsy and Huntington’s disease. We’re diligently progressing these medicines toward IND submissions next year so that we can start our Phase 1 trials and reach patients who are waiting.”

“Atalanta’s di-siRNA technology has shown promising ability to durably and evenly silence disease-promoting genes throughout previously inaccessible regions of the brain and spinal cord — opening a wide range of treatment possibilities for devastating neurological diseases,” said Arno de Wilde, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Managing Director at EQT Life Sciences. “EQT is proud to lead this investment in Atalanta’s future as part of such a high-quality investor syndicate, and we look forward to partnering with Alicia and Atalanta’s leadership to support their continued success.”

Alongside EQT Life Sciences, the financing was co-led by Sanofi Ventures, with participation from other new investors RiverVest Venture Partners, abrdn, Inc., Mirae Asset Financial Group and existing investor F-Prime Capital. The Series B financing brings Atalanta’s total capital generated to date from financings and partnerships with Genentech and Biogen to USD 240 million.

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT Life Sciences
EQT Life Sciences was formed in 2022 following an integration of LSP, a leading European life sciences and healthcare venture capital firm, into the EQT platform. As LSP, the firm raised over EUR 3.0 billion (USD 3.5 billion) and supported the growth of more than 150 companies since it started to invest over 30 years ago. With a dedicated team of highly experienced investment professionals, coming from backgrounds in medicine, science, business, and finance, EQT Life Sciences backs the smartest inventors who have ideas that could truly make a difference for patients. The LSP Dementia Fund (USD 297 million) started in 2020 and has a dedicated team of neurologists and neuroscientists focused on investing in therapeutics targeting neurodegenerative diseases.

For more information, go to https://eqtgroup.com/private-capital/life-sciences/

About Atalanta Therapeutics
Atalanta Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering new treatment options for neurological diseases by utilizing its proprietary RNA interference platform, di-siRNA, which for the first time enables RNA interference to be deployed as a therapeutic approach throughout the brain and spinal cord. The company is advancing a deep pipeline of wholly-owned programs, with IND submissions planned in 2025 for programs in KCNT1-related epilepsy and Huntington’s disease, in addition to ongoing strategic collaborations with Biogen and Genentech. Atalanta is headquartered in Boston, Mass. For more information, visit www.atalantatx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Your.World Receives €800 Million Strategic Investment from Ares Management and Carlyle

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Carlyle

AMSTERDAM – 28 JANUARY 2025 – Your.World (the “Company”), a leading European online solutions provider, today announced that it has received €800 million in long-term partnership capital in the form of preferred equity from Ares Management Credit funds (“Ares”) and Carlyle.

Founded in 2016 by Strikwerda Investments, Your.World has emerged as a leading European provider of web hosting, online productivity, and managed IT services. Its growth has been driven by its serial acquirer model based on high quality, sustainable value creation and scalable M&A across verticals and geographies. Today, the Company employs over 2,000 people, operates 45 distinct brands, and serves more than one million customers through its Your.Online and Your.Cloud divisions.

By combining disciplined capital allocation, a decentralized operating model and a focus on mission-critical online solutions, Your.World has established itself as a key player in the European SME segment. Your.World’s serviceable addressable segment has expanded considerably in the last five years, accompanied by a corresponding increase in its M&A opportunities. The Company anticipates additional growth opportunities in the future.

“As Your.World pursues its long-term ambitions, we are pleased to welcome the additional partnership capital and expertise from two leading global investors, Ares and Carlyle,” said Robin van Poelje, CEO of Your.World. “Their financial and strategic support reinforces our ability to drive accelerated growth while continuing to deliver high-quality solutions and services to our customers. We look forward to seizing the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“We are excited to be investing in Your.World as it enters its next chapter of growth,” said James Kim, Partner and Head of European Opportunistic Credit at Ares. “The combination of Your.World’s demonstrated history of execution, sector leadership, strong management and robust M&A pipeline underscore our conviction in its ability to generate significant value over the long-term. We look forward to working with Robin, Strikwerda Investments, Carlyle, and the Your.World team as they continue to differentiate themselves in the online solutions sector.”

Taj Sidhu, Head of European and Asian Private Credit at Carlyle, said: “We are delighted to provide this strategic capital financing to Your.World. The business is a leader in a resilient and fragmented market, and we believe there is significant white space for the company to continue to pursue their successful M&A strategy as they further accelerate growth.”

J.P. Morgan acted as exclusive financial adviser and sole placement agent, and A&O Shearman acted as legal advisor, to Strikwerda Investments & Your.World with respect to the strategic investment from Ares and Carlyle.

-ENDS-

About Your.World
Your.World is the leading platform for building businesses online. Our c. 2,000 employees support over one million customers. We cherish our reputation in acquiring, developing, and empowering leading online solutions companies. We nurture local entrepreneurial pride and spirit by creating true partnerships and giving room for independent local entrepreneurship with strong local brands. For more information, please visit www.your.world.

About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2024, Ares Management Corporation’s global platform had approximately $464 billion of assets under management, with more than 3,100 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.

About Carlyle
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $447 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents.

Carlyle’s Global Credit platform manages $194 billion in assets under management, as of September 30, 2024. It regularly pursues investments in privately negotiated capital solutions partnering with high-quality sponsors and leading family or entrepreneur-owned companies.

Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About Strikwerda Investments
Strong companies are built together. This takes time. At Strikwerda Investments, a leading Dutch Tech-focused family office, we build durable partnerships with entrepreneurs and have invested in over 200 companies in the last 40 years. We have the strong will to bring out the best in these companies, all of which contribute to our goal of building enduring businesses together for future generations.
For more information, please visit www.strikwerdainvestments.nl.

Media Contacts
Your.World / Strikwerda Investments
Jean-Pierre Buijtels, +31 6 5327 8967
jp.buijtels@strikwerdainvestments.nl

Ares
Giles Bethule, +44 7879615114
Jacob Silber, +1 212 301 0376
media.europe@aresmgmt.com

Carlyle
Andrew Kenny, +44 7816 176120
andrew.kenny@carlyle.com

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Forbion BioEconomy Fund I surpasses €150 million target, raising €164.5 million with strong institutional LP support

Forbion

Forbion’s BioEconomy Fund I has raised €164.5 million to date, exceeding its €150 million target in just over a year, since launching in November 2023.
• Institutional investors, include KfW Capital, Novo Holdings, Rentenbank, Aurae Impact and most recently ABN AMRO Bank and EIFO
• The fund focuses on biotech-enabled, B2B solutions that deliver sustainability at price parity or better across Food, Agriculture, Materials, and Environmental Technologies.

Naarden, The Netherlands, 27 January 2025 – Forbion, a leading venture capital firm with deep biotech expertise in Europe and the US, announces that its BioEconomy Fund I has raised €164.5 million. This exceeds the fund’s €150 million target, underscoring growing investor interest in the commercial potential of biotech innovations that address global sustainability challenges.

BioEconomy Fund I is supported by top-tier institutional investors, including KfW Capital, Novo Holdings, Rentenbank, and Aurae Impact, alongside new backers ABN AMRO Bank and EIFO. The BioEconomy Fund I anticipates a final close at or close to the hard cap of €200 million, demonstrating the growing confidence in biotech innovations that address global sustainability challenges.

Launched in November 2023, the Forbion BioEconomy Fund I is a planetary health fund that targets business-to-business (B2B) solutions that replace unsustainable products with scalable, cost-effective alternatives. A key pillar of the fund’s strategy is ensuring these innovations achieve price parity with incumbent solutions, enabling wide-scale adoption across the fund’s four target sectors: Food, Agriculture, Materials, and Environmental Technologies industries.

Sander Slootweg, Managing Partner and co-founder of Forbion, stated, “Exceeding €150 million in just over a year reflects the strength of our team and strategy and the confidence our investors have in our ability to execute. Their support for BioEconomy Fund I demonstrates the growing demand for scalable, cost-competitive biotech solutions that deliver both sustainability and strong returns.”

Alex Hoffmann, General Partner, added, “Investors recognize the transformative potential of scalable biotech solutions to meet the needs of industries seeking to adopt sustainable practices. Their support empowers us to help companies scale and deliver meaningful change.”

***ENDS***

About Forbion BioEconomy Fund I
BioEconomy Fund I’s focus on using biotechnology and green chemistry to deliver sustainable B2B solutions in Food, Agriculture, Materials, and Environmental Technologies is best exemplified by its initial investments in Solasta Bio and Novameat. These portfolio companies illustrate Forbion’s commitment to scalable, biotech-enabled innovation. Solasta Bio develops sustainable insect control solutions as alternatives to chemical insecticides, while Novameat advances plant-based meat production with proprietary technology designed for scalability and high-quality texture. By building on Forbion’s expertise in biotechnology, the fund aligns its investments with UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 13 (climate action). Forbion BioEconomy Fund I aims to deliver strong financial returns while driving impactful solutions to pressing planetary challenges. Forbion announced the first close of BioEconomy Fund I at €75 million on 20 June 2024.

About Forbion
Forbion is a leading global venture capital firm with deep expertise in Europe and the US with offices in Naarden, The Netherlands, Munich, Germany and Boston, USA. Forbion invests in innovative biotech companies, managing approximately €5 billion across multiple fund strategies that cover all stages of (bio-) pharmaceutical drug development. In addition,Forbion leverages its biotech expertise beyond human health to address ‘planetary health’ challenges through its BioEconomy fund strategy, which invests in companies developing sustainable solutions in food, agriculture, materials, and environmental technologies. Forbion’s team consists of over 30 investment professionals that have built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with 128 investments across 11 funds. Forbion’s record of sourcing, building and guiding life sciences companies has resulted in many approved breakthrough therapies and valuable exits. Forbion typically selects impactful investments that will positively affect the health and well-being of people and the planet, as well as meet its financial return objectives. The firm is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Forbion operates a joint venture with BGV, the manager of seed and early-stage funds, especially focused on Benelux and Germany.

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EQT Real Estate acquires 12-building logistics assemblage located in key Northern Italian submarkets

eqt

  • Transaction comprises an attractive collection of 12 high-quality, fully let logistics assets totaling 265,000 square meters

  • Portfolio features a weighted average lease term of 4.3 years with significant rental growth potential and value creation opportunities

  • With the close of this transaction, EQT Real Estate will meaningfully increase its exposure to one of the most attractive occupational markets in Europe, owning and operating high-quality warehouses fit for today’s modern logistics users

EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT Exeter Logistics Value Fund IV (“EQT Real Estate”) has entered into an agreement to acquire a best-in-class logistics assemblage strategically located in the key Northern Italian submarkets of Milan and Verona, for approximately EUR 230 million. The assets will be acquired via an Italian REIF structure managed by Kryalos SGR S.p.A.

The assets offer proximate access to core distribution locations via key motorways, including the A1, A4 and A22, reaching major population centers and more than 12 million inhabitants.

The properties hold an average building age of ten years and feature Grade A technical specifications, including eaves heights averaging 11 metres, as well as ample loading and maneuvering features. The assemblage also benefits from a strong, globally diversified tenant base and is well-suited to meet the growing needs of today’s modern logistics users, both in Italy and around the globe.

The transaction strengthens EQT Real Estate’s exposure to the growing Italian logistics market, which continues to experience strong demand among key European submarkets. The acquisition further consolidates EQT Real Estate’s presence in the Greater Milan area, creating a significant opportunity to deploy its differentiated and hyper-local approach to value creation, and benefit from future rental growth potential.

John Toukatly, Partner, Chief Investment Officer, European Logistics at EQT Real Estate, said: “We are thrilled to incorporate this high-quality logistics portfolio into our fund. Strategically located in supply-contrained markets, these assets appeal to a broad array of prominent big box occupiers, and aligns well with EQT Real Estate’s focus on acquiring highly reversionary, modern logistics assets in underserved European markets. By leveraging EQT Real Estate’s operational and asset management expertise, we aim to unlock additional value from these properties in our effort to exceed our investors’ expectations.”

Paolo Bottelli, Founder and CEO at Kryalos SGR, said: “This transaction underscores the strength and liquidity of the Italian logistics real estate market, which continues to attract investors looking to establish or grow their presence in this rapidly expanding sector. We are pleased to work with EQT to support the execution of their investment strategy in Italy. Kryalos will manage the assets involved with the utmost professionalism, seeking to ensure their long-term value creation and leveraging our deep expertise in the logistics market.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com
Kryalos Press Office, Barabino & Partners, Claudio Cosetti, c.cosetti@barabino.it

About EQT Real Estate
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 246 billion in total assets under management (EUR 134 billion in fee-generating assets under management), divided into two business segments: Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT supports its global portfolio companies and assets in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence, and market leadership. Within EQT’s Real Assets segment, EQT Real Estate acquires, develops, leases, and manages logistics and residential properties in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. EQT Real Estate owns and operates over 2,000 properties and 400 million square feet, with over 440 experienced professionals across 50 locations globally.

About Kryalos
With €13.8 billion of AuM and a team of 125 professionals, Kryalos is one of the most active players in the Italian real estate market. The company offers transaction management, real estate and credit fund management, development and advisory services and is a partner of Italian and international leaders. Further information on
 www.kryalossgr.com

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Voxelcare receives a €5.5M investment from Axon Partners Group

Axon

Voxelcare, a leading global provider of technology systems for producing custom foot orthotics, announces a new partnership with Axon Partners Group, who comes in as a minority investor to support the company’s global expansion plans.
Founded in Elche (Alicante), although with part of its operations in Amsterdam, Voxelcare commercialises an end-to-end solution for custom foot orthotics (insoles) manufacturing, allowing footcare professionals to diagnose, design and produce custom foot orthotics in-house. The company was founded by Michael Lampert, current CEO and Santiago Ledesma and currently employs 47 people. With sales in more than 50 countries, Voxelcare has achieved strong success since its inception and is currently positioned as a global referent in high-precision technology for the foot orthotic market.

Voxelcare has developed a completely proprietary, cloud-based, 3D printing technology, which allows footcare specialists such as podiatrists, orthopaedic technicians and footcare retailers to produce a pair of custom orthotic insoles at a point of sale in less than one hour. Voxelcare has managed to develop its state-of-the-art technology without external investment to date. With Axon’s entry, the company plans to fulfil its vision of bringing custom footcare worldwide.

This investment, closed at the end of 2024, marks Axon’s fifth deal this year under its Growth Equity strategy, aligning with its investment thesis of backing innovative companies with exceptional founders, high growth, and an efficient use of capital. The investment comes from the Axon Innovation Growth Fund, a vehicle focused on European scale-up companies, which has also invested in firms such as Metricool, Embention, and Dogfy Diet.

Michael Lampert, Voxelcare CEO, highlights: We are very proud of our new partnership with Axon. Today, while foot orthotic insoles are in high demand, only a small number of people have convenient access to them. With Axon, we have found the right partner that shares our vision and ambition to continue developing the best possible footcare technology and making it available, accessible, and affordable all over the world. The deal with Axon kicks off the next stage of our company journey and allows us to deliver on our ambitious future growth plans.

César Gimeno Le Paih, Principal at Axon Partners comments: We are delighted to be partnering with Voxelcare and Michael’s team to support the company’s journey in becoming the largest global provider of tech solutions for the custom foot orthotic market. We are confident our experience investing in fast-growing technology companies will help Voxelcare reach its goals

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Alice & Bob Closes €100M Series B

AXA

Alice & Bob Closes €100M Series B Led by Future French Champions (FFC), AVP and Bpifrance to Advance Towards a Useful Quantum Computer.

Series B funding fuels groundbreaking cat qubit technology, cutting costs and complexity of useful quantum computing.

Alice & Bob, a global frontrunner in the race for fault-tolerant quantum computing, today announced a raise of €100 million in its Series B funding round, led by Future French Champions (FFC), AVP (AXA Venture Partners) and Bpifrance. FFC is a partnership between QIA and Bpifrance.

The funding will accelerate Alice & Bob’s path to build the world’s first useful quantum computer by 2030.

Having established performance records with our cat qubits, Alice & Bob now enters a new phase focused on building a quantum computer that can deliver valuable results,” said Théau Peronnin, CEO of Alice & Bob. “Cat qubits are unique, as they make scaling quantum computers practical: where conventional approaches would require millions of qubits, we would need only thousands.

At the center of cat qubits’ hardware-efficiency is the inherent suppression of bit-flip errors, one of the two types of errors that plague quantum computers. This property is key to enabling more efficient architectures for Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers (FTQCs) that resist errors and can be used in real-world applications. Alice & Bob is the only player developing quantum computers exclusively with this type of qubit, which the company has pioneered since its inception in 2020. To learn more about Alice & Bob’s technology, see its recently published white paper and roadmap.

All Series A investors, Elaia Partners, Breega, Supernova Invest and Bpifrance, returned for the Series B round, joined by new institutional investors, FFC, AVP, and the EIC (European Innovation Council), reflecting broad market confidence in Alice & Bob’s approach and future impact.

Alice & Bob will use the funding to enhance the performance of its system, improve error correction, and create its first error-corrected logical qubit. Nearly half of the funds will be used to finance the ongoing construction of a state-of-the-art lab and production facility, and additional funds will be used to further expand the team, which has doubled in the past year.

Elie Girard, Executive Chairman of Alice & Bob, added, “Quantum computing is poised to transform industries, but the engineering complexity has remained a major hurdle. Alice & Bob’s cat qubit innovation offers a clear path forward, combining efficiency and reliability to unlock quantum’s full potential. This funding allows for Alice & Bob to continue to grow as a company and leading player in the industry.

Quotes From Alice & Bob’s Investors

Antoine Emmanuelli, President, FFC

In investing in Alice & Bob, Future French Champions recognizes the company as a French leader in quantum computing. We are eager to see Alice & Bob achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing in this highly competitive, evolving field using unique and innovative technology to make France a champion in quantum tech.

François Robinet, Managing Partner, AVP

We have been following the field of quantum computing for a long time at AVP and we are now convinced that quantum computing is leaving the pure R&D space and is entering into an ’industrial’ phase to soon address ’real-life’ use cases, thanks to the technology that Alice & Bob has been developing. AVP is therefore proud to support the company in their mission to reduce the hardware requirements for building a practical, large-scale quantum computer.

François Charbonnier, Investment Director, Bpifrance

We are thrilled to once again contribute to the groundbreaking work that Alice & Bob is doing to scale quantum computers for real-world applications. Bpifrance’s continued investment in Alice & Bob reflects our goal to establish France as an international leader in quantum computing and bolster the growth of the French economy by investing in technology that will disrupt industries and solve problems globally.

Maximilien Bacot, co-founder & COO, Breega

For the past four years, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Alice & Bob’s founders, whose remarkable vision, determination, and expertise continue to inspire us. Together, we’re driving a big leap in technology, redefining the limits of what’s possible with scalable and sustainable quantum computing—an ambition perfectly aligned with Breega’s mission to support transformative innovation.

Anne-Sophie Carrese, Partner, Elaia

Since Alice & Bob’s inception, Elaia Partners has been proud to stand behind the company as it strives to achieve energy, and hardware-efficient fault-tolerant quantum computers using cat qubits. Alice & Bob’s work in reducing the energy required for quantum computations aligns closely with our ESG goals, and we look forward to seeing how their technology can solve even greater energy problems in other sectors.

Etienne Moreau, Partner, Supernova Invest

Supernova Invest strengthens its commitment to quantum and to Alice & Bob by participating in this Series B as the company has built a clear roadmap towards the delivery of the first fauttolerant quantum computer. This funding will propel the company into a new era of computing power, far exceeding existing capacity for generational change in critical applications in energy, healthtech or industry.

About Alice & Bob

Alice & Bob is a quantum computing company based in Paris and Boston whose goal is to create the first universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer. Founded in 2020, Alice & Bob has already raised €130 million in funding, hired over 110 employees and demonstrated experimental results surpassing those of technology giants such as Google or IBM. Alice & Bob specializes in cat qubits, a pioneering technology developed by the company’s founders and later adopted by Amazon. Demonstrating the power of its cat architecture, Alice & Bob recently showed that it could reduce the hardware requirements for building a useful large-scale quantum computer by up to 200 times compared with competing approaches. Alice & Bob cat qubit is available for anyone to test through cloud access. Follow Alice & Bob on LinkedInX or YouTube, visit their website www.alice-bob.com, or join The Cat Tree on Slack to learn more.

About AVP

AVP is a global venture capital firm specializing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies, managing more than $2 billion in assets across four investment strategies: Venture, Early Growth, Growth, and Fund of Funds. Since its establishment in 2016, AVP has invested in more than 60 technology companies in Venture and Early Growth stages in the U.S. and Europe. With offices in New York, London, and Paris, AVP supports companies in expanding internationally and provides portfolio companies with tailored business development opportunities to further accelerate their growth. For more information about AVP, please visit www.axavp.com.

About FFC

Future French Champions is the partnership between QIA and Bpifrance, initiated in 2014.

QIA is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state’s reserve funds. QIA is one of the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds in the world. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and diverse regions, as well as partnering with leading institutions across the globe to develop a global and diversified investment portfolio, with a long-term perspective that can generate sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.
More information on: www.qia.qa

Media contact: media@qia.qa

About Bpifrance

Bpifrance Investissement is the management company that handles Bpifrance’s equity investments. Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses – at every stage of their development – through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export…).
For more information, please visit: www.bpifrance.com
Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance – @BpifrancePresse

Altor divests Marshall Group to HSG

Altor

Altor divests Marshall Group to HSG

Published

Jan 24 2025

January 24, 2025 – Altor Fund VI (“Altor”) has signed an agreement to divest all shares in Marshall Group AB (“Marshall Group”), the iconic brand renowned for its legendary amplifiers, speakers, and headphones, to HongShan Capital Group (“HSG”), with experience from supporting strong brands such as Ami Paris. Telia Company, Time Growth Fund and Zenith VC are also divesting their shares, the Marshall Family will continue as owners in Marshall Group.

Marshall Group is the audio, tech and design powerhouse uniting musicians and music lovers through genre-breaking innovation. Marshall, the flagship brand, is uniquely positioned with over 60 years of rock’n’roll attitude on stage, at home, and on the go, across more than 90 markets. The Group has more than EUR 400 million in revenues and brings together around 800 talented people across eight locations globally.

When Altor invested in Marshall Group in 2023, the company was already on a strong profitable growth trajectory and has since then successfully continued to deliver excellent results and invested in the future through innovation. Altor’s ambition has been to unlock additional growth potential by contributing with experience from building and scaling iconic brands like Helly Hansen, Rossignol and RevolutionRace.

“Marshall is a remarkable company. After working closely with the management team and co-owners, we are impressed by the dedication and commitment to deliver the best products to music lovers across the globe. For us at Altor, there is always the possibility to support our companies for longer time horizons. With Marshall we see a great opportunity for them to grow even stronger in core markets with HSG on board. This opportunity marks a closing of our journey together and we look forward to seeing them succeed in this next chapter,” says Andreas Källström Säfweräng, Partner and Head of the Consumer Sector at Altor.

“Throughout our partnership, Marshall has consistently pushed boundaries, delivering outstanding results as a testament to their efforts. It’s fantastic to see what they have accomplished over the years. We are confident that the possibilities are endless as they continue their journey with HSG,” says Karl Svenningson, Principal at Altor.

“This deal is a testament to our team’s dedication and exceptional talent in making our vision a reality. Together with HSG and the Marshall family, we have the perfect conditions to continue building on Marshall’s iconic status and unlocking our full potential across the world,” says Jeremy de Maillard, CEO of Marshall Group.

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

About Altor

Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised more than EUR 11 billion in total commitments. The funds have invested in just south of 100 companies. The investments have been made in medium-sized predominantly Nordic and DACH companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are CCM Hockey, Rossignol, Toteme, Helly Hansen and RevolutionRace.

About Marshall

Marshall Group is the audio, tech and design powerhouse uniting musicians and music lovers through genre-breaking innovation. Marshall, our flagship brand, is uniquely positioned with over 60 years of rock ‘n’ roll attitude on stage, at home and on the go. Our iconic products are brought to life by a dedicated team of 800 passionate employees and sold in over 90 markets worldwide.

Learn more on marshall.com.

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Blackstone Energy Transition Partners to Acquire Potomac Energy Center

Blackstone

Acquisition of Efficient, Scale Power Plant Located Within “Data Center Alley”; Well Positioned to Help Meet Growing AI and Power Demand Growth

Loudoun County, VA and New York, NY, January 24, 2025 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) announced today that Blackstone Energy Transition Partners (“Blackstone”) have agreed to acquire Potomac Energy Center (“Potomac”), a 774-megawatt natural gas power plant in Loudoun County, Virginia.

The transaction represents Blackstone’s most recent investment in the power infrastructure supporting data centers and AI revolution – one of the firm’s highest-conviction areas. The Northern Virginia region currently represents approximately 25 percent of U.S. data center capacity, and the Potomac plant is located in close proximity to over 130 data centers – with significant further growth expected.

Bilal Khan, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, said: “This investment underscores Blackstone’s commitment to investing in the electric infrastructure required to power AI innovation. We believe Potomac is well-positioned to help meet data center-driven power demand growth in Northern Virginia.”

Mark Zhu, Managing Director at Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, added: “We are particularly excited about this investment given the opportunity to supply reliable, baseload power to the region. Potomac is one of the most efficient gas power plants in the region and has the potential to integrate a hydrogen fuel blend in the future, which could provide future environmental benefits.”

Lee Davis, CEO of Creto Energy, Blackstone Energy Transition Partners’ North America power platform, added: “I am tremendously excited about this investment. Potomac has a reputation and history for providing reliable and high-quality generation capacity, which are critical to helping support the region’s growing power needs.”

Blackstone is a leader in investing in the infrastructure powering AI innovation – across not just energy but a wide array of areas. Blackstone is the largest data center provider in the world with major investments in both Northern Virginia and globally. The firm also recently made major investments in CoreWeave, a specialized provider of critical cloud infrastructure pioneering the AI revolution, and DDN, a global leader in AI and data intelligence solutions.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Santander and Jefferies LLC served as M&A advisors to Blackstone on this transaction.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1.1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries, and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners    
Blackstone Energy Transition Partners is Blackstone’s energy-focused private equity business, a leading energy investor with a successful long-term record, having invested approximately $23 billion of equity globally across a broad range of sectors within the energy industry. Our investment philosophy is based on backing exceptional management teams with flexible capital to provide solutions that help energy companies grow and improve performance, thereby delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy to meet the needs of the global community. In the process, we build stronger, larger scale enterprises, create jobs and generate lasting value for our investors, employees and all stakeholders.

Media Contacts

Blackstone

Matt Anderson (Matthew.Anderson@Blackstone.com)

OR

Ellie Gottdenker (Ellie.Gottdenker@Blackstone.com)

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