Category Archives: News

Longitude Capital raises $585 Million Fund to invest in transformative healthcare companies

longitude-capital

– Longitude Venture Partners IV will build on the Firm’s commitment to improve clinical outcomes, enhance patient quality of life, and drive efficiency in healthcare delivery –

– In 2020 to date, Longitude portfolio companies announced 4 IPOs and 3 M&A transactions –

MENLO PARK, Calif., GREENWICH, Conn., and BOSTON, Mass., September 23, 2020: Longitude Capital, a leading healthcare venture capital firm, today announced the closing of Longitude Venture Partners IV, L.P. (“LVP4”), with $585 million in capital commitments. LVP4, the largest fund that Longitude Capital has raised to date, will build on the proven strategy of its predecessor funds by investing in biotechnology, medical technology, and health solutions companies that seek to transform the healthcare industry.

“We are in the golden era of medical and biological innovation. The significant unmet clinical needs and the inefficiencies of our current healthcare system are driving meaningful scientific breakthroughs and creative solutions,” said Patrick Enright, co-founder and Managing Director of Longitude Capital. Since inception in 2006, Longitude Capital has raised nearly $2 billion in cumulative capital commitments and managed over 30 company exits. “We are fortunate to have helped build many successful healthcare companies and look forward to working alongside the next wave of entrepreneurs and scientists to advance critical medicines, devices, and health solutions to the marketplace.

” Juliet Bakker, co-founder and Managing Director of Longitude Capital, added, “We are thankful for the continued support of, and partnerships with, our investors who value our differentiated venture growth investing approach, experienced team, and passion for forging new frontiers in healthcare.

” LVP4 will invest opportunistically across all stages of a company’s development through a variety of approaches that include traditional venture capital investing and special situations such as spin-outs, equitylinked transactions, and private investments in public equities. Many of these investments stem from Longitude’s proprietary research of targeted healthcare sectors, therapeutic areas, and technologies of interest. Longitude Capital’s recent Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and exits include 89bio (NASDAQ: ETNB), Aimmune (NASDAQ: AIMT, recently agreed to be acquired by Nestlé Health Science), Axonics Modulation Technologies (NASDAQ: AXNX), Checkmate Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CMPI), Inflazome (acquired by Roche), Inozyme Pharma (NASDAQ: INZY), KaNDy Therapeutics (acquired by Bayer), Molecular Templates (NASDAQ: MTEM), Poseida Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PSTX), and Vaxcyte (NASDAQ: PCVX).

About Longitude Capital Longitude Capital is a leading healthcare venture capital firm, that invests in transformative biotechnology, medical technology, and health solutions companies seeking to improve clinical outcomes, enhance quality of life, and drive efficiency of healthcare delivery. Founded in 2006, Longitude Capital invests in both privately held and publicly traded companies through a variety of investment approaches. Longitude Capital has offices in Menlo Park, CA, Greenwich, CT, and Boston, MA. For more information, including a complete listing of investments, please visit www.longitudecapital.com.

About Longitude Capital Recent IPOs and Exits • 89bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative therapies for the treatment of liver and cardio-metabolic diseases. 89bio was originally spun out of Teva Pharmaceuticals in 2018 by founding investors Longitude Capital and OrbiMed, and completed its IPO in November 2019. www.89bio.com.

• Aimmune is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing treatments for potentially lifethreatening food allergies. Aimmune’s PALFORZIA® is the world’s first approved treatment for peanut allergy. Longitude Capital was the founding institutional investor of Aimmune. In 2020, Aimmune agreed to be acquired by Nestlé Health Science for $34.50 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of $2.6 billion. www.aimmune.com.

• Axonics Modulation Technologies is a medical technology company developing and commercializing novel implantable rechargeable sacral neuromodulation (SNM) devices for patients with urinary and bowel dysfunction. In 2018, Longitude Capital led a $40 million financing that preceded the company’s IPO later that year. www.axonics.com.

• Checkmate Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. In 2020, Longitude Capital and Novo Holdings led the company’s $85 million Series C financing that preceded the company’s IPO later in the year. www.checkmatepharma.com.

• Inflazome is a biotechnology company developing small molecules that block harmful inflammation by targeting inflammasomes, protein complexes that generate signals in order to activate an immune response. In 2020, Inflazome announced its acquisition by Roche for an upfront payment of €380 million, and potential predetermined milestone payments. www.inflazome.com.

• Inozyme Pharma is a rare disease pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of diseases of abnormal mineralization. Longitude Capital led Inozyme’s $49 million Series A financing in 2017, and was joined by New Enterprise Associates, Novo Holdings, and Sanofi Ventures. Inozyme completed its initial public offering in 2020. www.inozyme.com.

• KaNDy Therapeutics was a UK-based clinical-stage company focused on optimizing the potential of its unique NK-1,3 receptor antagonist NT-814 to treat common, chronic debilitating conditions related to menopause. In 2020, KaNDy Therapeutics was acquired by Bayer Pharmaceuticals for an upfront payment of $425 million, and a potential $450 million in R&D, regulatory milestones and additional commercial milestones.

• Molecular Templates is a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of targeted biologic therapeutics. In 2017, Longitude Capital led Molecular Template’s $40 million PIPE (private investment into public equity) financing. Molecular Templates now has strategic collaborations with Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. www.mtem.com.

• Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to utilizing its proprietary gene engineering platform technologies to create next generation cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure various cancers. Longitude Capital led Poseida’s $30 million Series B financing in 2018. Poseida completed its IPO in 2020. www.poseida.com.

• Vaxcyte is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. Longitude Capital invested in Vaxcyte’s $22 million Series A financing and served on the Board of the company through its IPO in 2020. www.vaxcyte.com. About Longitude Capital Recent Investments • Eargo is a medical device company dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with hearing loss. Longitude Capital and Gilde Healthcare led Eargo’s $81 million Series E financing in 2020. www.eargo.com.

• Epirium Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that uses insights related to the biology of mitochondrial function and tissue regeneration to pursue novel and clinically significant therapeutic approaches for neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and mitochondrial disorders. Longitude Capital and ARCH Venture Partners led Epirium’s $85 million Series A financing in 2019. www.epirium.com.

• Polares Medical is a clinical-stage medical technology company focused on the development of a unique trans-catheter mitral valve hemi-replacement system to treat patients suffering from mitral regurgitation (MR). Longitude Capital led Polares Medical’s $40 million Series B financing in 2020. www.polaresmedical.com.

• WelbeHealth is a services company dedicated to unlocking the full potential of vulnerable seniors through PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a comprehensive medical and social care model. Longitude Capital and .406 Ventures led WelbeHealth’s $30 million Series C in 2020. www.welbehealth.com.

Source: Longitude Capital

Contact Information Maggie Jamison Longitude Capital 650-854-5700 mjamison@longitudecapital.com

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Attentive Raises $230 Million Series D Investment, Led by Coatue, to Enhance Product and Expand Support for Customers

Atomico

The funding will be used to further accelerate our rapid pace of product innovation and business growth as we continue to create the best-in-class personalized text messaging solution for our 2,000+ customers.

We’re thrilled to share that Attentive has raised a $230 million Series D investment, led by Coatue. Read more in Forbes.

Tiger Global, Wellington Management Company, D1 Capital Partners, Atomico, and Sozo Ventures are new investors in the company—joining existing investors Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia, Sequoia Capital Global Equities, Coatue, IVP, Eniac Ventures, NextView Ventures, High Alpha, and Sapphire Ventures.

Mobile and e-commerce growth have accelerated over a matter of months this year, creating a lasting impact on consumer behavior. As a result, the way consumers and businesses interact is fundamentally shifting.

Today’s mobile-first consumers expect businesses to engage with them where and how they prefer—on their mobile devices. The future of business-to-consumer communications is mobile, two-way, and personalized interactions.

Over 2,000 innovative businesses—including Tapestry (Coach, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman), Urban Outfitters, Michaels, Steve Madden, and Jack in the Box—rely on Attentive to help engage their mobile audiences with personalized text messaging, driving billions of dollars in transactions. On average, Attentive is responsible for driving 18.5% of our customers’ total online revenue.

We continue to be very impressed by Attentive’s growth and performance and are very excited to expand our partnership with the team. We believe that mobile messaging will be how consumers will want to interact with businesses due to its immediacy, relevancy, and ease of use and believe that Attentive is strongly positioned as a leader in this space.

– Lucas Swisher, Partner at Coatue

This investment comes just five months after the announcement of the extension of our Series C round. In that time, we’ve tirelessly pushed innovation to meet widespread market demand and support our customers by building sophisticated product functionalities that deliver powerful results.

We’re on a mission to create the best personalized text messaging platform that helps our 2,000+ customers effectively engage their mobile audiences. This additional capital will be used to continue to accelerate our rapid pace of product innovation and to invest in the hiring and professional development of the top talent working towards this mission.

Attentive now has over 400 full-time employees—a 310% increase in headcount year-over-year. Notably, more people have joined the company since the transition to remote work due to COVID-19 than were on the team prior to March. (We are continuing to hire—view open roles here.)

Attentive has become an incredibly important part of our brand’s digital strategy and overall revenue growth. The platform’s capabilities and the team’s expertise in the text messaging space are both incredible, and have been integral to our success.

– Jeff Silverman, President of Global E-Commerce at Steve Madden

Thank you to all of our customers, investors, advisors, and industry partners for your continued support of Attentive.

To learn more, read the article in Forbes and the full press release.

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BGF to become cornerstone investor in Calnex Solutions’ IPO

BGF

BGF has today announced that it is investing in Calnex Solutions plc, an established provider of test and measurement solutions for the global telecommunications sector, as part of its proposed admission to trading on AIM. The admission is expected to take place on 5 October 2020.

Headquartered in Linlithgow and founded in 2006, Calnex designs and makes equipment that tests the performance of telecom network infrastructure for customers including BT, Ericsson, Nokia and Facebook. To date, Calnex has secured and delivered orders from over 600 customer sites in 68 countries across the world. The telecoms industry is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of change because of major trends including the migration of the mobile networks to 5G, the emergence of the Internet of Things and the shift to using cloud computing.

 

Calnex has a strong financial track record, delivering historical revenue CAGR since FY15 of approximately 16 per cent. The company is profitable and cash generative, with a record order backlog going into FY21 and a strong sales pipeline.

The funds raised through the IPO, along with the company’s existing cash resources, will allow Calnex to invest in business development and R&D resource, repay its existing debt facility and evaluate opportunities to acquire complementary technologies or businesses to accelerate the company’s growth.

Tommy Cook, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Calnex, said:

 “We are delighted to announce our proposed placing and admission to AIM and grateful for the support from our existing and new investors, such as BGF. The move onto the public markets will provide us with new capital, a raised profile and enhanced ability to execute on acquisitions, as we seek to capture an increased share of the growing market for telecoms test solutions.

Paddy Graham, head of BGF’s Edinburgh office said:

 “This investment into Calnex illustrates the strength of BGF’s regional presence and breadth of offering, with our Scottish investors working closely alongside BGF’s Quoted team in London to support the proposed listing. We have built a relationship with Tommy and the management team over a number of years and have watched the significant progress they have made, particularly around international expansion, R&D and successful bolt on acquisitions. We are very much looking forward to partnering with the company and supporting its growth ambitions.”

Paul Stevens, a member of BGF’s Quoted team said:

“We are delighted to be a cornerstone investor in Calnex at such an exciting time for the company. Having first met the business a number of years ago, BGF has followed the exceptional progress achieved by an innovative and entrepreneurial management team. The proposed listing and admission to AIM is a significant milestone for the company as it enters the next phase of its growth journey.”

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Salvia BioElectronics raises EUR 26M (USD 31M) to develop innovative neurostimulation therapy for chronic migraine

Inkef Capital

eries A led by new investors Panakès Partners, INKEF Capital and SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, September 22, 2020 – Salvia BioElectronics B.V., a neurostimulation platform company targeting chronic migraine, today announced it has raised EUR 26M in new financing from new and existing investors. The Series A investment round was led by Panakès Partners, INKEF Capital and SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement with participation from BOM Brabant Ventures, Thuja Capital and Dolby Family Ventures. The total raised includes a EUR 5M deferred risk-bearing Innovation Credit from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO, part of the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy). Salvia BioElectronics will use the funds to develop a unique neuromodulation technology capable of addressing known neural targets in chronic migraine and provide its therapy to those suffering from debilitating headaches.

Migraine is the first cause of disability in under 50s, affecting one out of seven people, predominantly women¹. People with migraine experience episodes of throbbing, pulsating pain, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. More than five percent of patients suffer from chronic migraine, where they experience migraines for an average of 22 days per month².

Neurostimulation has been proven as an effective treatment in chronic migraine, but there are no approved implantable devices available today. While traditional neurostimulation systems are not designed to be compatible with the anatomy of the head, Salvia BioElectronics develops highly conforming bioelectronic foils that can be inserted below the skin in a minimally invasive procedure.

Commenting on the news, Hubert Martens, CEO of Salvia BioElectronics said: “We are building a team of highly talented people that are passionate to develop a therapy that can change the lives of people suffering from chronic migraine. We are delighted to welcome our new investors, and I would like to thank our existing investors for their continued support. This strong syndicate of highly renowned medical technology investors validates our approach and the funding enables us to complete our therapy development towards market entry.”

In conjunction with the financing, Diana Saraceni, Founder and Managing Partner at Panakès Partners, Roel Bulthuis, Managing Partner at INKEF Capital and Sascha Alilovic, Managing Partner of SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement will join the Board of Directors.

Diana Saraceni, Founder and Managing Partner at Panakès Partners, added: “Panakès is excited to be part of the Salvia BioElectronics journey which combines a seasoned team and a unique and promising proposition in the neuromodulation space. It is a great opportunity for Panakès to work with the team and build towards its continued success.”

Roel Bulthuis, Managing Partner at INKEF Capital, added: “Salvia BioElectronics represents a very compelling and differentiated approach within the neurostimulation field. Based on its novel technology, Salvia BioElectronics is uniquely positioned to translate a proven therapy to marketable products for migraine sufferers. We are very pleased to be working with this talented team to help transform their ideas into a successful international business.”

Sascha Alilovic, Managing Partner of SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement, continued: “Having looked at a number of promising companies in the BeNeLux region, we are proud to add Salvia BioElectronics to our portfolio of innovative healthcare companies. Utilizing Salvia BioElectronics’ neuromodulatory device we hope to improve the situation of patients suffering from chronic migraine and at the same time have a positive impact on health economics.”

 

 

Enquiries

For more information please contact:

 

Salvia BioElectronics

Daniel Schobben, Chief Operating Officer

mb.info@salvianeuro.com

Optimum Strategic Communications

Mary Clark, Supriya Mathur, Manel Mateus

+44 (0) 20 3922 1906 / +44 (0) 203 922 0891

Salvia@optimumcomms.com

¹Steiner, T.J., Stovner, L.J., Vos, T. et al. Migraine is first cause of disability in under 50s: will health politicians now take notice?. J Headache Pain 19, 17 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-018-0846-2

² Richard B Lipton, Merle L Diamond, Stewart J Tepper, Expert Perspectives—Migraine Prevention

for Highly Impacted Patients

 About Salvia BioElectronics B.V. (Salvia BioElectronics)

Salvia BioElectronics is an innovative Dutch startup active in the emerging field of bioelectronics. Salvia BioElectronics was founded in 2017 by neuromodulation industry veterans with the ambition to develop a bioelectronics therapy for people suffering from chronic migraine that is as easy as taking medication yet side-effect free. Building on research around known neural targets in migraine, the startup is working to develop the right form factor for stimulation that is effective, safe, and affordable.

Migraine is the first cause of disability in under 50s, affecting one out of seven people, predominantly women. People with migraine experience episodes of throbbing, pulsating pain, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. More than five percent of patients experience migraines for 15+ days per month – with an average of 22 days – a condition described as chronic migraine. www.salvianeuro.com

About Panakès Partners (Panakès)

Panakès Partners is a venture capital investor that finances medical companies, early-stage startups and SMEs, with extremely promising products and great ambition, in Europe and Israel, improving both patient outcomes and healthcare economics. Investments focus on the medical device, diagnostics and healthcare IT fields. Panakès Partners is headquartered in Milan, Italy. www.panakes.it

About INKEF Capital (INKEF)

INKEF Capital is a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam, backing promising early stage companies in Europe. INKEF takes pride in being a patient, long-term investor with the ability to support companies through several rounds of funding. From the early stages of being a technology or life science venture, INKEF Capital supports entrepreneurs building their ideas into successful international businesses. www.inkefcapital.com

About SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement (SHS)

SHS Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement is based in Tuebingen, Germany, and invests in medical technology and life science companies with a focus on expansion financing, changes in shareholder structures and successor situations. SHS holds minority as well as majority interests. The company was founded in 1993 and has since gained extensive experience as an industry investor which supports the growth of its portfolio companies through a network of partnerships regarding the introduction of new products, regulatory issues or entering new markets. The SHS fund’s European based investors include pension funds, strategic investors, funds of funds, family offices, entrepreneurs and the SHS management team. The AIFM-registered company invests up to €30 million in equity capital and volumes exceeding this amount are implemented with a network of co-investors. SHS is currently investing from its fifth fund which received capital commitments of more than €130 million. Further information: https://www.shs-capital.eu/en/

About Brabant Development Agency (BOM)

BOM (the Brabant Development Agency) works together with entrepreneurs to create a strong, sustainable, and future-proof Brabant economy. BOM uses the Brabant Ventures label to focus, using knowledge and capital, on the accelerated and future-proof growth of ambitious Brabant startups and scale-ups in the life sciences & health, high-tech systems and software, agri-food, maintenance, supply chain, and bio-based economy top industries. www.bom.nl/english

 

About Thuja Capital Management (Thuja)

Thuja manages several venture capital funds aimed at building and scaling companies in the fields of (bio)pharmaceuticals, MedTech, and digital health. In addition to generating a financial return for its investors, Thuja’s investments positively impact the health and well-being of patients. Thuja serves physicians and patients worldwide by providing capital to daring entrepreneurs with ground-breaking product concepts locally. www.thujacapital.com

About Dolby Family Ventures

Dolby Family Ventures is an early stage venture firm focused on building great technology and life sciences companies. We partner with best-in-class innovators and strong investment syndicate partners. The fund honors the legacy of Ray Dolby and his commitment to entrepreneurs and their vision to solve the world’s toughest problems. Our life science investments focus on novel disease modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease, clinical depression, and neuromodulation therapies. www.dolbyventures.com

About Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

The Dutch government encourages ambitious entrepreneurs with access to capital, knowledge, and business partners. The implementation of the financing instruments aiming at innovation and growth forms an important part of the activities of RVO.nl.  Innovation Credit is one of these financing instruments. Netherlands Enterprise Agency is part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. www.rvo.nl

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Blackstone Prices $900 Million Senior Notes Offering

Blackstone

New York, September 22, 2020 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) priced its offering of $500 million of 1.600% senior notes due 2031 and $400 million of 2.800% senior notes due 2050 of Blackstone Holdings Finance Co. L.L.C., its indirect subsidiary. The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by The Blackstone Group Inc. and its indirect subsidiaries, Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.  Blackstone intends to use the proceeds from the notes offering for general corporate purposes.

The notes were offered and sold to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A and outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933.

The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and applicable state laws.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase the notes or any other securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.  This press release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act of 1933.

Investor and Media Relations Contacts

Weston Tucker
Blackstone
Tel: +1 (212) 583-5231
tucker@blackstone.com

Matthew Anderson
Blackstone
Tel: +1 (212) 390-2472
matthew.anderson@blackstone.com

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NextCapital Receives $30 Million Growth Investment Led by Francisco Partners

Franciso Partners

Press Release – September 22 2020

Investments from FP Credit, Oak HC/FT and IA Capital Group to advance retirement income capabilities and growth partnerships

CHICAGO — NextCapital, the leader in enterprise digital advice, today announced $30 million in growth financing, bringing the company’s total funding to $85 million. The financing was led by FP Credit, the credit investment arm of Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm. Oak HC/FT and IA Capital Group also participated in the capital raise.

NextCapital enables its commercial partners to rapidly bring to market a cost-effective, full-stack digital advice solution that is built to support the demanding requirements of large enterprises. The company enables scalable financial planning, advice, and managed accounts across leading financial institutions.

“This funding advances our mission to help everyone retire successfully,” said NextCapital Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder John Patterson. “Our partners are equally essential to the success of this mission, so we are excited to use this funding to further invest in our Partner Success program. This capital raise also allows us to extend our best-in-class workplace and rollover managed advice platform, as well as expand our retirement income offering.”

“NextCapital is at the forefront of the digital transformation sweeping the $8 trillion defined contribution market,” said Peter Christodoulo, partner at Francisco Partners. “Especially in the current economic climate, there is an urgent need to give Americans institutional-grade advice both in the accumulation phase for younger workplace savers and during the decumulation phase for older investors.”

NextCapital’s multi-channel solution supports defined contribution, IRA rollover, and retail accounts. Other key configuration features include:

  • Custom user experience and ongoing engagement
  • Configurable investment methodologies and advisory roles
  • Self-service and advisor-assisted service models
  • Plan advisor enablement
  • Integrations with 401(k) recordkeeping systems and retail custodians

“NextCapital is unique among its competitors in their ability to work with all firms in the retirement ecosystem, from large asset managers to recordkeepers to large advisory firms. NextCapital can build completely customized managed advice solutions for their partners that fulfill each institution’s unique requirements,” said Alois Pirker, research director for Aite Group‘s wealth management practice. “NextCapital’s platform addresses the needs of enterprise partners across the entire retirement landscape.”

Francisco Partners was advised by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as its legal advisor.

About NextCapital Group

NextCapital is an enterprise digital advice company whose mission is to help everyone retire successfully. NextCapital partners with financial institutions to deliver personalized planning and managed accounts to individual investors across multiple channels, including 401(k), IRA, and taxable brokerage accounts. NextCapital’s open-architecture digital advice solution provides integrated account aggregation, analytics, planning and portfolio management, and allows partners to customize advice methodology and fiduciary roles.

“NextCapital” is a brand name representing NextCapital Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, NextCapital Software, Inc. and NextCapital Advisers, Inc. NextCapital Advisers, Inc. is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). NextCapital Software, Inc. is not registered with the SEC and does not provide investment advice.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has raised over $24 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. The firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

About Oak HC/FT

Founded in 2014, Oak HC/FT is the premier venture growth-equity fund investing in Healthcare Information & Services (“HC”) and Financial Services Technology (“FT”). With $1.9 billion in assets under management, we are focused on driving transformation in these industries by providing entrepreneurs and companies with strategic counsel, board-level participation, business plan execution and access to our extensive network of industry leaders. Oak HC/FT is headquartered in Greenwich, CT, with offices in Boston and San Francisco. Follow Oak HC/FT on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Medium.

About IA Capital Group

Founded in 1992, IA Capital Group Inc. (previously Inter-Atlantic Group) is based in New York City and manages venture capital funds under the Inter-Atlantic name. The firm has a 20 year track record in insurtech and fintech venture capital, the longest of any insurtech-focused venture capital firm. Its fully-exited first fund, Inter-Atlantic Fund LP, had three portfolio company IPOs and ranks as the number one performing fund in several databases among comparable funds of its vintage. IA Capital currently makes strategic venture capital investments on behalf of 15 insurance companies.

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KKR to Invest ₹ 5,550 Crore in Reliance Retail Ventures

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KKR

KKR’s Second Investment With Reliance Industries Fuels Growth of India’s Fastest Growing Retail Business and Its Transformational New Commerce Model

MUMBAI, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Reliance Industries Limited (“Reliance Industries”) and Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (“RRVL”) announced today that global investment firm KKR will invest ₹ 5,550 crore into RRVL, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. This investment values Reliance Retail at a pre-money equity value of ₹ 4.21 lakh crore. KKR’s investment will translate into a 1.28% equity stake in RRVL on a fully diluted basis.

This marks the second investment by KKR in a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, following a ₹ 11,367 crore investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year.

Reliance Retail Limited, a subsidiary of RRVL, operates India’s largest, fastest growing and most profitable retail business serving close to 640 million footfalls across its ~12,000 stores nationwide. Reliance Retail’s vision is to galvanize the Indian retail sector through an inclusive strategy serving millions of customers by empowering millions of farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and working closely with global and domestic companies as a preferred partner, to deliver immense benefits to Indian society, while protecting and generating employment for millions of Indians. Reliance Retail, through its New Commerce strategy, has started a transformational digitalization of small and unorganised merchants and is committed to expanding the network to over 20 million of these merchants. This will enable the merchants to use technology tools and an efficient supply chain infrastructure to deliver a superior value proposition to their own customers.

Founded in 1976, KKR has $222 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2020 and a long history of building leading global enterprises, including many companies at the forefront of technology and digital transformation including in areas of consumer retail and eCommerce, such as investments in Epic Games, OutSystems, Internet Brands, Go-jek and Voyager Innovations. KKR established its first of eight Asia offices in 2005 and the firm currently has approximately $5.1 billion in private equity investments across more than 15 Indian companies, including Jio Platforms, JB Chemicals, Max Healthcare, Eurokids International and Ramky Enviro Engineers.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, “I am pleased to welcome KKR as an investor in Reliance Retail Ventures as we continue our onward march to growing and transforming the Indian Retail ecosystem for the benefit of all Indians. KKR has a proven track record of being a valuable partner to industry-leading franchises and has been committed to India for many years. We look forward to working with KKR’s global platform, industry knowledge and operational expertise across our digital services and retail businesses.”

Henry Kravis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of KKR, said, “We are pleased to deepen our relationship with Reliance Industries through this investment in Reliance Retail Ventures, which is empowering merchants of all sizes and fundamentally changing the retail experience for Indian consumers. Reliance Retail’s new commerce platform is filling an important need for both consumers and small businesses as more Indian consumers move to shopping online and the company offers tools for Kiranas to be a critical part of the value chain. We are thrilled to support Reliance Retail in its mission to become India’s leading omnichannel retailer and ultimately to build a more inclusive Indian retail economy.”

KKR is making its investment from its Asia private equity funds. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary approvals.

Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Retail and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Davis Polk & Wardwell acted as legal counsels. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP acted as financial advisor to KKR. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel to KKR.

About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)

RIL is India’s largest private sector company, with a consolidated turnover of INR 659,205 crore ($87.1 billion), cash profit of INR 71,446 crore ($9.4 billion), and net profit of INR 39,880 crore ($5.3 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2020.

RIL’s activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. RIL is the top-most ranked company from India to feature in Fortune’s Global 500 list of ‘World’s Largest Companies’ – currently ranking 96th. The company stands 71st in the ‘Forbes Global 2000’ rankings for 2019 – top-most among Indian companies. It ranks 10th among LinkedIn’s ‘The Best Companies to Work For In India’ (2019).

About Reliance Retail Ventures Limited

Reliance Retail Ventures Limited is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, and holding company of all the retail companies under the RIL Group. RRVL reported a consolidated turnover of ₹ 162,936 crore ($ 21.7 billion) and net profit of ₹ 5,448 crore ($ 726.4 million) for the year ended March 31, 2020.

Reliance Retail topped the list of ‘50 fastest-growing retailers globally between FY2013-2018’ in the Deloitte’s Global Powers of Retailing 2020 index. Reliance Retail secured the 56th spot this year against the 94th rank the previous year and is the only Indian company to be featured in this list.

KKR Asia Pacific
Zita Setiawan
+65 8940-5835
Zita.Setiawan@secondee.kkr.com

David Katz
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3i invests in GartenHaus to build the leading European platform for home and garden projects

3I

3i Group plc (“3i Group”) announces that it has agreed to invest c. £60m for a majority stake in A-Z Gartenhaus GmbH (“GartenHaus”), an online leader in garden homes, sheds, saunas, and related products in the DACH region. As part of the transaction, GartenHaus’ management team and board will also invest to become shareholders in the business.

GartenHaus offers garden houses, sheds, carports, terraces, saunas and other, often bulky, garden and home related products with garden houses being its core product category. The company focuses on the high-quality, mid-to-upper priced segment of the market and differentiates itself through product development, excellent customer service and the management of complex logistics to deliver and assemble its products which weigh on average more than 1,000 kg.

GartenHaus, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, was founded in 2002 and is a pure eCommerce player. With the launch of its first online shop in 2009, GartenHaus has been the pioneer in selling garden homes directly to consumers. With around 75 employees, the company combines specialist trade product know-how with digital competence and offers a one-stop shop for customers, from planning to realisation and maintenance of garden and home projects.

The company benefits from direct interaction with its customers along the complete project journey with a high level of SEO website traffic as a result of its strong content. Driven by a further shift towards online and the increasing popularity of gardening and leisure trends, the relevant home and garden market is expected to grow by more than 10 percent per year going forward while online penetration is expected to double by 2025.

Peter Wirtz, Partner, 3i, commented: “For us, GartenHaus is a highly attractive investment opportunity. It is a niche market player with strong digital capabilities which is benefitting from the shift to online. We see GartenHaus as a nucleus to establish the online champion for home and garden projects across Europe. The key focus is to expand the product range into adjacent categories, as well as to internationalise the business by expanding into neighbouring countries such as the UK, France, Scandinavia and the Netherlands which have fragmented markets and similar product trends.”

Sebastian Arendt, CEO, GartenHaus added: “3i has a great reputation for helping its companies to grow internationally and we are excited to partner with its team at this point in our journey. The 3i team has a strong network, excellent digital capabilities and a strong track record in the consumer retail space, all of which will be of great benefit to GartenHaus.”

 

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Funds advised by Apax Partners sell their controlling shareholding in Neuraxpharm

Apax

22 September 2020

22 September, 2020 — Funds advised by Apax Partners (the “Apax Funds”) today announced that they have agreed to sell their controlling stake in Neuraxpharm, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders (CNS), to funds advised by Permira. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

With a heritage dating back 35 years, Neuraxpharm focuses on improving the quality of life and mental wellbeing of patients affected by CNS disorders throughout Europe. Neuraxpharm has operations in 13 countries and covers 80% of the European CNS drug market today. The company has one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in CNS specialty pharmaceuticals in Europe, comprising more than 115 CNS molecules.

Drawing on Apax Partners’ deep knowledge of the healthcare sector, the Apax Funds saw the opportunity to create a European champion in CNS specialty pharmaceuticals and in 2016 they acquired Invent Farma in Spain and neuraxpharm Arzneimittel in Germany, creating the foundations of the pan-European Neuraxpharm group. Since then, and with the support of the Apax Funds, Neuraxpharm has experienced rapid international expansion both through greenfield operations and several acquisitions, transitioning from a local player to a leading pan-European specialty company that covers 80% of the European market.

Under the Apax Funds’ ownership, Neuraxpharm strengthened its management team under the leadership of Dr. Jörg-Thomas Dierks. The company grew rapidly both organically and inorganically, closing over 70 company and product acquisitions and in-licensing agreements. It also invested heavily in a robust product pipeline that broadened its CNS portfolio with unique value-added and high-tech medicines. Today Neuraxpharm has annual revenues in excess of €460 million and 850 employees.

The Apax Funds have a strong track record of investing in the Healthcare sector, having completed more than 80 investments over the last 30 years across multiple geographies, including the US, Europe and Asia. Recent transactions include the acquisition of InnovAge, Healthium, Candela, Kepro, Unilabs and Vyaire.

Arthur Brothag, Partner at Apax Partners, said: “It has been great to work with Jörg and the whole Neuraxpharm team over the past few years. We are proud to have helped them create and grow the business. Using our deep healthcare sector experience, we were able to support and build Neuraxpharm, leveraging the market opportunity that existed in the European specialty market. We always aimed to put the patient first and, in doing so, also created value for our investors.”  Steven Dyson, Partner at Apax Partners added: “Neuraxpharm is an excellent example of Apax Partners’ transformative ownership approach, focused on healthcare fundamentals and partnering with exceptional management teams. We thank Jörg and the team and wish them every success for the future in this new exciting chapter.”

Dr Jörg-Thomas Dierks, CEO of Neuraxpharm, said “I would like to thank the Neuraxpharm team for their hard work and dedication, focusing on providing critical medicines for chronic patients suffering from CNS disorders. Apax Partners has been an outstanding partner for Neuraxpharm’s management team over the last four years, as we have embarked on international expansion, invested in new differentiated products and grown the employee base. Apax’s deep industry knowledge and experience has been invaluable to us.”

Apax Partners was advised by Jefferies International Limited (M&A adviser), Linklaters (legal advisers) and PwC (financial and tax advisers). The transaction isexpected to close in Q4 2020, subject to regulatory approvals. 

END 

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of approximately $50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Healthcare, Tech & Telco, Services, and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see:www.apax.com.

About Neuraxpharm 

Neuraxpharm is a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorder (CNS) with a unique understanding of the European CNS market built over 35 years. More info: www.neuraxpharm.com.   

Apax Media Contacts 

Katarina Sallerfors | +44 207 872 6526 | katarina.sallerfors@apax.com

James Madsen / Matthew Goodman, Greenbrook | +44 20 7295 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com

Notes to Editors 

London-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.com), and Paris-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.fr) had a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

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EQT Real Estate and Sigma Capital launch GBP 1 bn residential joint venture, set to bring 3,000 new rental homes to Greater London

eqt

  • EQT Real Estate and Sigma Capital launch joint venture to create a GBP 1 billion investment portfolio of 3,000 high-quality “build-to-rent” (“BTR”) residential homes at market rental rates in more affordable areas of Greater London
  • The joint venture constitutes EQT Real Estate’s first UK investment and combines its thematic focus on “beds and sheds” in European gateway cities with a social impact strategy underpinned by EQT’s industry-leading sustainability credentials
  • The joint venture launches having secured five sites from one of the UK’s premier homebuilders, Countryside Properties, and has agreed to purchase two additional BTR sites from Sigma Capital upon their completion
  • Initial financing provided by Homes England, the housing agency of the UK Government

EQT Real Estate today announced the launch of a joint venture (the “JV”) with Sigma Capital Group plc (“Sigma Capital” or “Sigma”), a London-listed residential development and urban regeneration specialist. The JV will focus on the creation of new-build, high-quality well-located BTR residential apartment blocks and houses in more affordable parts of Greater London and its commuter towns. The homes will be predominantly located in transport Zones 3-6 and in close proximity to transport links, including train access to central London.

Completed homes will be let at market-rate rents under Sigma’s ‘Simple Life London’ brand, which aims to bring a higher standard of customer care and convenience to the private rental market.  Sigma has pioneered BTR in the UK and to date has successfully delivered and manages in excess of 4,200 rental homes across the UK.

EQT Real Estate and Sigma have initially committed equity of GBP 300 million and GBP 16 million, respectively, to the JV. Including gearing, it is intended that the JV will have an initial capacity to establish an investment portfolio of approximately 3,000 homes with a total value in excess of GBP 1 billion. The JV has secured five projects with an aggregate of 361 homes from Countryside Properties plc (“Countryside Properties”) located in the London boroughs of Ealing, Enfield and Havering. In addition, two further sites currently under development by Sigma in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering will be acquired by the JV on completion. These two sites together will comprise an additional 157 homes and are expected to be completed during H1 2021. The JV’s assets are expected to be delivered over a period of at least five years in order to create a stabilized portfolio of diversified rental income.

The initial acquisitions will be financed with a GBP 50 million loan facility from Homes England, the UK Government’s housing body that is responsible for increasing the number of new homes that are built in England and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. EQT Real Estate, Sigma and Homes England share the same vision of delivering thousands of new rental homes in London where there is a critical undersupply of affordable, high-quality rental properties.

Consistent with other EQT Real Estate transactions, the JV will invest in buildings with strong sustainability credentials. Where possible, buildings will tap into local community heating networks and will utilize photovoltaic panels. The JV will also promote sustainable living practices within the apartments themselves, while the schemes will include ample cycle storage and will typically be located near green outdoor areas, an important wellness factor.

Peter Shacalis, Director at EQT Partners and Head of UK, EQT Real Estate, said: “EQT Real Estate is thrilled to be entering the London residential market, one with a severe supply shortage of professionally managed, high-quality, good value homes to rent, with Sigma Capital. In addition to the initial seven schemes, we are currently evaluating a growing pipeline of projects in Greater London to build a large scale, resilient and downside-protected institutional BTR portfolio with robust and diversified rental income. EQT Real Estate looks forward to partnering with the Sigma team to realise our shared vision over the coming years.”

Rob Rackind, Partner at EQT Partners and Head of EQT Real Estate, said: “This joint venture with Sigma Capital marks an exciting entrance into the UK for EQT Real Estate as it represents the first transaction in this market since the business line was established in 2015. I cannot think of a more compelling investment opportunity at the moment than to deploy capital into this high conviction strategy, and one that should deliver significant social impact, by providing market-rate housing to renters in affordable locations within Greater London and its commuter towns with strong transport links.”

Graham Barnet, CEO of Sigma Capital, said: “We are delighted to be expanding our delivery of new rental homes in the UK with the launch of our London-focused joint venture with EQT Real Estate, a strong and visionary partner. Homes England, which has supported Sigma with every major initiative to deliver the new housing that is much needed across the country, is also providing invaluable backing to the joint venture. Once again, Homes England is leading the market in its support for organizations looking to deliver homes at scale in the UK. We are also pleased to be working with Countryside Properties in Greater London to replicate the success of our partnership in the regions. We look forward to delivering thousands of high-quality new rental homes across the Capital with our partners at EQT Real Estate and providing London renters with a higher standard of customer care.”

Iain McPherson, Group Chief Executive, Countryside Properties, said: “We are delighted to have expanded our strategic relationship with Sigma and its new partner, EQT Real Estate, to deliver much-needed PRS homes within London.  Our Partnerships business has a proven track record, and, together with our clear strategy for growth, we look forward to continuing to work with our partners as we focus on the delivery of high quality and sustainable mixed-tenure communities.”

UK Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said: “This Government is committed to delivering 300,000 new homes a year in England by the mid-2020s, ensuring everyone has the opportunity for a decent and secure place to call home.

“These 3,000 new homes, backed by £50 million from our housing accelerator Homes England, will help us deliver for families across Greater London.”

Simon Dudley, Interim Chair at Homes England, said: “We are excited to be strengthening our work with Sigma Capital. By supporting their joint venture with EQT Real Estate we are using our resources to accelerate the delivery of much needed high-quality rental accommodation and unlock substantial private sector investment in the housing sector.”

Taylor Wessing acted as legal advisor for EQT Real Estate.

Contacts

EQT
Peter Shacalis, Director at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Real Estate, +44 786 027 1392
Rob Rackind, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Real Estate, +44 786 027 1392
UK media enquiries: Greenbrook, eqt@greenbrookpr.com, +44 20 7952 2000
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

Sigma Capital Group
Graham Barnet, Chief Executive, +44 20 3178 6378
Mike McGill, Finance Director, +44 0333 999 9926
KTZ Communications, Katie Tzouliadis, +44 20 3178 6378

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America with total sales of more than EUR 27 billion and approximately 159,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

About EQT Real Estate
EQT Real Estate, part of EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT managed real estate funds, seeks direct and indirect controlling interests in value-add real estate assets, portfolios, operating companies and platforms across gateway cities in the UK and Europe that offer significant potential for value creation through repositioning, redevelopment, refurbishment and active asset management. The EQT Real Estate Advisory Team comprises 26 experienced Investment Advisory Professionals working out of EQT’s offices in London, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Stockholm. The Investment Advisory Team, which has access to the full EQT network including 11 European offices and more than 500 EQT Advisors, has experience analyzing and investing across the pan-European real estate market and has, collectively, advised on over 130 real estate projects in multiple asset classes across Europe.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram

Sigma has created an unrivalled property platform, which sources sites and brings together construction resource to develop them, enabling Sigma to deliver an integrated solution to partners. As well as sourcing sites and managing all stages of the planning and development process, Sigma also manages the rental of completed homes through its award-winning rental brand ‘Simple Life’. The Company’s subsidiary, Sigma PRS Management Limited, is Investment Adviser to The PRS REIT plc, the real estate investment trust that is investing £0.9bn in a portfolio of high-quality new rental homes for private rental across the regions.

More info: www.sigmacapital.co.uk

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