Category Archives: News

Loopia acquires Binero Group’s mass hosting business to further strengthen its leading position in the Swedish market

Axcel

Loopia has signed an agreement with Binero Group AB (publ.) to acquire its web hosting business in Sweden and Germany. The business provides web hosting and domain registrations to small and medium sized companies and consumers and will be carved out in a transaction expected to close on August 31, 2019. For Loopia, this is another step towards having the scale to provide an even better user experience for our many customers.

The business that Loopia is acquiring offers web hosting and domain registration to small and medium size enterprises and consumers in a subscription model. The customer base and services fit well into the Loopia Group and the combined team will join forces to pursue Loopia’s ambition to deliver a superior user experience, technological innovations and outstanding local support to our customers. The purchase price was approximately SEK 380 million.

– ​We are excited to welcome employees and customers alike into the Loopia Group. Combined, we will be a clear leader in Sweden and stronger in Germany. This strengthens our capacity to invest in creating the best user experience for our many customers, says Sara Laurell, CEO of Loopia Group.

Loopia Group is an innovative European web services and hosting business with operations in Sweden, in Central Eastern Europe, and across Western Europe. This is a milestone in Loopia Group’s growth journey and follows the acquisitions of .SE Direkt with 116,000 domains in Sweden on February 12, 2019 and of WebSupport – the #1 provider in Slovakia – on March 31, 2019.

Since June 2018, Loopia Group has been owned by Axcel, a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies. ABG Sundal Collier acted as exclusive financial adviser in the transaction.

For more information, please contact:
Sara Laurell
CEO Loopia Group
+46 72 708 4848
sara.laurell@loopiagroup.com

About Loopia Group
Loopia is an innovative European web services and hosting business with its largest operations in Sweden, in the Czech Republic with Active24 and WebSupport in Slovakia. Loopia also provides services to customers in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain.

For more information, click here.

About Binero Group
Binero Group is a Swedish company with a broad range of services within hosting and cloud solutions. The share is traded on Nasdaq First North, ticker BINERO

For more information, click here.

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JOHBECO acquires the Finnish fish and seafood specialist Arvo Kokkonen

Litorina

The Swedish fresh food specialist group JOHBECO, which includes Johan i Hallen and Bergfalk & Co, strengthens its position in Finland by acquiring the Finnish fish and seafood specialist Arvo Kokkonen Oy. Thanks to this partnership, Arvo Kokkonen can now also offer its customers in Finland a complete range of high-quality meat and delicatessen products.

Arvo Kokkonen offers a complete range of fresh and frozen fish and seafood products and holds a strong position in Finland, having been operating in this sector for 40 years. The aim is to offer a varied assortment of environmentally certified products to customers throughout Finland. Arvo Kokkonen is established in Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, and Nurmes, in eastern Finland. Thousands of kilos of fish and seafood are transported daily from Vantaa to restaurants, shops and wholesalers. Thanks to its facility at Nurmes, located beside a lake, the company has access to a variety of freshwater fish and extensive experience from its own smokehouses.

Jari Kokkonen, CEO of Arvo Kokkonen Oy, feels positive about the new collaboration.
“We noted early in the discussions that we share the same opinions and passion for what we do. Being part of a larger group will make it easier for our customers to gain access to a much wider selection of food products than previously. All from a single supplier. With such a broad range of fish, seafood, meat and delicatessen products we will also be able to attract new customers” says Jari Kokkonen.

Lars Bengtsson, CEO of JOHBECO, views the acquisition as an important step in the group’s continued expansion process.
“We started off in Finland three years ago with Bergfalk & Co Oy and we felt that it was now time to further strengthen our position in the country. Our values and opinions are wholly in line with those of Arvo Kokkonen and we look forward to continuing to develop our role on the Finnish market with two strong segments there now, fish and meat” concludes Lars.


For further information, please contact:
Lars Bengtsson, CEO, JOHBECO AB
tel. +46 70 523 30 02, lars.bengtsson@johbeco.se

 

In 2019, the JOHBECO group has presented several new acquisitions. The group previously consisted of Johan i Hallen AB and Bergfalk & Co AB, but has now also added fish and seafood specialists Fiskeboa i GBG AB, Gothia Seafood AB and Fiskgrossisten i Helsingborg AB. Together with the acquisition of Arvo Kokkonen Oy, the group now has a turnover of around EUR 160 million (SEK 1.7 billion).

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Blackstone to Partner with Leading French Dark Fiber Provider Sipartech

Blackstone

Paris, France, October 4, 2019 – Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today announced the signing of definitive documentation by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities (“Blackstone”) to form an equity partnership with Sipartech S.A. (“Sipartech”), a provider of telecom infrastructure solutions in France. Sipartech holds a leading position in the deployment of dark fiber, with a focus on serving data center and hyperscaler customers that are the largest consumers of wholesale data connectivity.

Blackstone will acquire its stake from growth equity investor Summit Partners, who invested in the business alongside Founder & CEO Julien Santina in 2016. The transaction is expected to close in late 2019, subject to regulatory approval; financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Sipartech has established a world-class and differentiated network infrastructure in France focused on the most demanding and complex connectivity requirements,” said Jasvinder Khaira, a Senior Managing Director in Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities Group. “Providing growth capital to founders to accelerate their growth is a hallmark of Blackstone’s investments in the telecom and internet infrastructure sector, and we are thrilled to support Julien and the rest of the management team as they expand their presence in the European marketplace.”

“We expect France to be at the intersection of exponential growth in fiber connectivity needs in Europe over the coming years. Investing in Sipartech substantially augments our European digital infrastructure presence, and we are excited to support the Company’s ongoing remarkable growth in France and across continental Europe,” said Thomas Senecal, also of Blackstone Tactical Opportunities.

“We have done a great job with Summit Partners over the last 3 years. As we enter the next chapter of our growth, we are proud and very excited to partner with Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, who shares our vision and will support us in our ambitious growth plans,” said Julien Santina, Sipartech’s majority shareholder and CEO.

“Julien and the Sipartech team have built a market leading fiber network in France and an impressive business. They have delivered growth that has outpaced the incumbents, and we believe the business is very well positioned for the future. It has truly been an honor to work alongside the team as the company has scaled,” said Christian Strain, a Managing Director with Summit Partners.

Sipartech is among the fastest growing dark fiber providers in France, with a strong presence in Paris and other major French metropolitan centers. The company was founded in 2008 by Julien Santina and has grown into a leading provider of B2B and wholesale dark fiber services and other telecom services. Headquartered in Paris, Sipartech owns and operates over 3,000km of fiber across France.

Blackstone was advised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Sipartech was advised by Lazard Frères & Co and Paul Hastings LLP, and Summit Partners was advised by Latham & Watkins LLP.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with $545 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

About Tactical Opportunities
Tac Opps is Blackstone’s opportunistic investment platform.  The Tac Opps team invests globally across asset classes, industries and geographies, seeking to identify and execute on attractive, differentiated investment opportunities.  As part of the strategy, the team leverages the intellectual capital across Blackstone’s various businesses while continuously optimizing its approach in the face of ever-changing market conditions.

About Summit Partners
Founded in 1984, Summit Partners is a global alternative investment firm that is currently managing more than $19 billion in capital dedicated to growth equity, fixed income and public equity opportunities. Summit invests across growth sectors of the economy and has invested in more than 500 companies in technology, healthcare and other growth industries. Summit has backed more than 60 communications technology businesses, including Acacia Communications, Accedian Networks, Casa Systems, Finisar, Fuze, MACOM and Ubiquiti. Summit maintains offices in North America and Europe, and invests in companies around the world. For more information, please see www.summitpartners.com or on Twitter at @SummitPartners.

In the United States of America, Summit Partners operates as an SEC-registered investment advisor. In the United Kingdom, this document is issued by Summit Partners LLP, a firm authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Summit Partners LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC388179 and its registered office is at 11-12 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1JJ, UK. This document is intended solely to provide information regarding Summit Partners’ potential financing capabilities for prospective portfolio companies.

About Sipartech
Founded in 2008 by Julien Santina, Sipartech is a leading neutral and independent European infrastructure carrier. Sipartech provides a wide portfolio of connectivity products and services to more than 500 customers in the world, including data centers, hyperscalers, enterprises, and telecom operators. : www.sipartech.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Blackstone:
Ramesh Chhabra
+44 20 7451 4053
ramesh.chhabra@blackstone.com

Paula Chirhart
+1-212-583-5011
paula.chirhart@blackstone.com

Sipartech:
Isabelle Saint-Pol
+33 (0)1 84 13 01 00
contact@sipartech.com

Summit Partners:
Meg Devine
+1 617 824 1047
mdevine@summitpartners.com

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Cinven to invest in National Seating & Mobility

Cinven

Leading provider of complex mobility solutions in North America

Cinven, the international private equity firm, today announces that it has agreed to make an investment in National Seating & Mobility (‘NSM’), a leading provider of complex rehabilitation mobility and accessibility solutions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, NSM provides personalised solutions to individuals with mobility challenges by bringing together industry-leading expertise, uniquely engineered systems and breakthrough technologies. NSM’s Assistive Technology Professionals (‘ATPs’) work closely with physical and occupational therapists throughout the US and Canada to design customised, complex wheelchairs to meet the unique needs of each client. Established in 1992, today NSM has more than 1,850 employees operating from 149 branches across the US and Canada serving more than 100,000 clients annually.

Alex Leslie, Partner at Cinven, commented:

“This is an attractive opportunity for Cinven to invest in NSM, a leading player in the Complex Rehab Technology market in North America. NSM operates in an industry we have been evaluating deeply for several years through our work in the Healthcare sector team in both Europe and the US.”

John Richardson, Senior Principal at Cinven, added:

“We are looking forward to partnering with NSM’s highly experienced management team to accelerate the company’s growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Cinven will invest significantly in the business to ensure that NSM remains at the forefront of providing best-in-class complex mobility solutions.”

Bill Mixon, CEO of NSM, said:

“NSM was founded with a very simple mission: to provide self-reliance for our clients through mobility. Our goal is to drive independence for those we serve, and propel the future of possibilities for the Complex Rehab Technology industry.

“We are very excited to continue pursuing our mission through our new partnership with Cinven. The Cinven team’s significant expertise in the global Healthcare sector, as well as its proven track record of investing in, and working with, healthcare companies to expand their businesses will be invaluable to us as we look to enter our next phase of growth.”

Advisors to Cinven on the transaction included: Jefferies LLC, Cain Brothers, a division of KeyBanc Capital Markets, Latham & Watkins LLP and Deloitte LLP.

Categories: News

CVC funds to partner with ironSource

New investment by CVC funds will allow ironSource to further accelerate both organic and inorganic growth

Leading mobile marketing company ironSource announced today that CVC Funds have agreed to acquire a minority stake for over $400 million in the company. The partnership reflects a shared long-term vision to further strengthen ironSource’s position as a global market leader in the high-growth mobile advertising and mobile gaming technology markets and will serve to accelerate strategic growth.

“As one of the world’s most respected private equity firms, CVC has a track record of successfully partnering with companies to drive global growth,” said Tomer Bar Zeev, CEO and Co-Founder of ironSource. “As such they are the perfect partner for this next phase in our journey, as we continue to scale internationally, engage with A-class partners and invest heavily in building out our offering for game developers.”

Profitable from almost day one, ironSource has grown rapidly since its founding in 2009 and is on track to finish 2019 with approximately $1 billion of revenue. Through its various technologies, the company works with a unique combination of customers including software, app and game developers, telecom operators, and mobile device original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company  focuses on developing technologies for app monetization and distribution, with its core products targeting game developers.

The  gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, and is on track to generate $180 billion in 2021, with mobile gaming experiencing a 27% CAGR. ironSource’s growth platform provides mobile game developers with the tools they need to grow and scale their game businesses.

“We’re witnessing the creation of a sector, gametech, which supports this growing ecosystem, with tailor-made tech solutions such as advertising, marketing, analytics, market intelligence, CRM and more,” says Bar-Zeev. “Our continued investment in this industry is part of a wider goal to be the go-to partner for any game developer looking to scale their game business.”

Another key growth driver for the company is Aura, ironSource’s solution for mobile carriers and device manufacturers. Aura provides a dynamic engagement and content distribution solution, empowering OEMs and telecoms operators to build ongoing relationships with their customers, ultimately turning those customers into engaged users. The technology is integrated on more than 120 million mobile devices globally, through partnerships with the top telecoms operators in the US and international mobile OEMs.

“By combining best-in-class technology with strategic acquisitions we’ve proven our ability to support the growth of our clients and create a unique experience for their users, and that’s something we plan to continue investing in moving forward,” concluded Bar Zeev.

“We are delighted to be partnering with such an innovative and exciting technology business,” said Daniel Pindur, Partner at CVC Capital Partners. “The investment in ironSource  is a unique opportunity to support a well-respected founder-led organization to accelerate its growth. We look forward to working with Tomer Bar Zeev and his team to take the company to the next level.”

Sebastian Kuenne, Managing Director, CVC Growth Partners added: “We are very excited about CVC Funds’ first technology deal in Israel. Israel is a hub for leading edge technology companies and ironSource is a prime example. We are excited by the opportunity to partner with ironSource’s founders to continue to provide leading technology solutions to its customers.”

Board members at ironSource, Shlomo Dovrat, Co-Founder of Viola Ventures and Ronen Nir, GP at Viola Ventures, added: “As the first institutional investor in ironSource, we had the honour of working with this exceptional founding team, and supporting their growth to become one of Israel’s first unicorns. We are big believers in the company’s ongoing journey to becoming a global leader and with CVC’s support, we are confident the company will sustain its rapid growth and high profitability. ironSource is a fantastic example of Viola’s commitment to backing Israeli entrepreneurs who aspire to build multi-billion dollar companies, and is an inspiration for the entire Israeli tech ecosystem.”

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Blackstone to Acquire 65% Controlling Interest in Great Wolf Resorts and Form New $2.9 Billion Joint Venture With Centerbridge Partners

Blackstone

NEW YORK–Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX, an affiliate of Blackstone (NYSE: BX) (“Blackstone”), and affiliates of Centerbridge Partners, L.P. (“Centerbridge”, the existing owner) announced today that Blackstone is acquiring a 65% controlling interest in Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (“Great Wolf” or the “Company”). Great Wolf is a leading owner and operator of family-oriented entertainment resorts, with 18 resorts around the country. As part of the transaction, Blackstone and Centerbridge will form a new $2.9 billion joint venture to own the Company.

Tyler Henritze, Head of US Acquisitions for Blackstone Real Estate, commented, “We have been very impressed by the evolution and growth of the company under Centerbridge’s ownership. With the leadership of its talented management team, Great Wolf has enriched the guest experience and opened seven new lodges since 2015. We look forward to investing in these properties to further deliver for guests and grow the company.”

“We are enthusiastic about partnering with Blackstone to continue accelerating the growth of the company,” stated William D. Rahm, a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Real Estate at Centerbridge. “Blackstone is one of the most experienced and successful investors in the hospitality and leisure industries, and is highly supportive of Great Wolf’s growth potential and each lodge’s ability to provide unparalleled experiences for families.”

Murray Hennessy, the CEO of Great Wolf Resorts, stated, “We are pleased to welcome Blackstone as a new member of the Great Wolf pack and excited to begin the next chapter for our rapidly expanding company. Great Wolf stands to benefit greatly from Blackstone’s world-class insights and expertise in hospitality, and values Centerbridge’s continued involvement as we look to further expand the Great Wolf brand with the development of new resorts and enhancements to our renowned immersive family experiences.”

Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are serving as financial advisors to Great Wolf, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal counsel to Great Wolf.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLC is serving as legal counsel to Blackstone.

About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf provides safe and immersive entertainment experiences for families in all seasons and all weather conditions across 18 resorts, or “lodges”, in the United States and Canada, with more in the pipeline including a new lodge in Northern California scheduled to open in 2020. Every Great Wolf lodge contains a full-service hotel, expansive indoor waterpark, recreational activities including game rooms, ropes courses, and family bowling alleys, various food & beverage offerings, and themed experiences with proprietary characters unique to Great Wolf. The company has approximately 6,000 full-time employees nationwide.

About Centerbridge Partners, L.P. (“Centerbridge”)
Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines—from private equity to credit and related strategies, and real estate—in an effort to find the most attractive opportunities for our investors and business partners. The Firm was founded in 2005 and as of June 30, 2019 has approximately $27 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies to help companies achieve their operating and financial objectives. For more information, please visit www.Centerbridge.com.

About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has $154 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is one of the largest property owners in the world, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, multifamily and single family housing, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ strategy invests in substantially stabilized real estate globally through regional open-ended funds focused on high-quality assets, and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a non-listed REIT that invests in U.S. income-generating assets. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).

Contacts

Blackstone Contact
Jennifer Friedman
Jennifer.Friedman@blackstone.com 
Tel: (212) 583-5122

Centerbridge Contact 
Jeremy Fielding / Anntal Silver
Kekst CNC
jeremy.fielding@kekstcnc.com / anntal.silver@kekstcnc.com 
Tel: (212) 521-4800

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DIF Capital Partners’ investment in Irish Schools PPP project successfully completed

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to report that the construction of the Irish Schools PPP Bundle 5 project (the “Project”) has been successfully delivered. The comprehensive restructuring was required due to the liquidation of the project contractor Carillion in 2018, which initially led to a standstill of the construction of the new school facilities and uncertainty for many students.

Carlow Campus, including Tyndall college and the institute of Further Education are the last facilities in the Project that opened their doors to students for the start of the new school year. This marks the successful completion of all six facilities within the Project. The other facilities became operational in Q3 2018 and Q2 2019.

The Irish Schools PPP Programme, procured by the National Development Finance Agency (“NDFA”) on behalf of the Department of Education & Skills (“DoES”), represents a major investment in education infrastructure through the delivery of new, state-of-the-art education facilities by way of public private partnership (“PPP”) arrangements. The Project delivered five replacement schools and one replacement Institute of Further Education that will be used by DoES as a template for other projects as a centre of excellence.

DIF had previously confirmed its longstanding commitment to the Project by appointing Omagh-based Woodvale Construction (“Woodvale”) as a replacement contractor in June 2018, following the liquidation of Carillion, a UK construction company and DIF’s original co-shareholder in the Project. This built on Woodvale’s experience in projects to deliver education facilities. Integrated facilities management services and life cycle provisions are provided by Sensori Facilities Management, a joint venture of John Sisk and Son, one of the largest Irish construction companies, and Designer Group, the Dublin-based international electrical and mechanical engineering business.

DIF was able to proceed with the Project and to successfully deliver it due to constructive cooperation and negotiations between all stakeholders. This will secure education in all new facilities over the next 25 years.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with €5.6 billion of assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in construction and operational infrastructure assets, that generate stable and predictable cash flows, located in Europe, Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

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

DIF has a team of over 135 professionals, based in nine offices located in Schiphol (the Netherlands), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

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

 

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Delisting of the Wessanen shares will occur on 1 November 2019

PAI Partners

This is a joint press release by PAI Partners SAS (“PAI”) and various entities (indirectly) controlled by or affiliated to Charles Jobson and/or his family members (“Charles Jobson”), acting jointly through Best of Nature Bidco B.V. (“Bidco”, and together with PAI and Charles Jobson, the “Consortium”), and Koninklijke Wessanen N.V. (“Wessanen” or the “Company”).

Paris, France / Boston Massachusetts, the U.S. / Amsterdam, the Netherlands – 2 October 2019

With reference to the joint press release dated 30 September 2019, the Consortium and Wessanen jointly announce that, in connection with the Consortium holding more than 95% of the issued and outstanding shares in Wessanen following completion of its public offer, Euronext Amsterdam N.V. (“Euronext Amsterdam”) has consented to the delisting of the Shares from Euronext Amsterdam.

Delisting shall occur on Friday 1 November 2019 and, accordingly, the last trading day of the Shares shall be Thursday 31 October 2019.

For more information, please contact:

Press enquiries for the Consortium
CFF Communications
Presthaya Fixter
T: +31 (0)6 2959 7748
E: presthaya.fixter@cffcommunications.nl

Press enquiries for Wessanen
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Ingo Heijnen
T: +31 (0)6 5586 7904
E: ingo.heijnen@hkstrategies.com

Wessanen
Koninklijke Wessanen N.V.
Hoogoorddreef 5 Atlas Arena, (1101 BA) Amsterdam, the Netherlands

About PAI Partners

PAI Partners is a leading European private equity firm with offices in Paris, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York and Stockholm. PAI Partners manages EUR 13.4 billion of dedicated buyout funds. Since 1994, the company has completed 71 transactions in 11 countries, representing over EUR 50 billion in transaction value. PAI Partners is characterised by its industrial approach to ownership combined with its sector-based organisation. PAI Partners provides the companies it owns with the financial and strategic support required to pursue their development and enhance strategic value creation.

About Charles Jobson

Charles Jobson, CFA, has been a director at Good Times Restaurants Inc. (listed on NASDAQ) since May 24, 2018. He co-founded Delta Partners, LLC in 1999 and serves as its portfolio manager. Charles Jobson has been a long-term shareholder of Wessanen since 2009. Charles Jobson has shown strong support for the current management of Wessanen and believes in the current strategy. He would like to continue investing in the business to unlock its further potential as a growth company.

About Koninklijke Wessanen

Koninklijke Wessanen is a leading company in the European market for healthy and sustainable food. In 2018, revenue was EUR 628 million, and the company employed on average 1,350 people. With its purpose ‘connect to nature’ Wessanen focuses on organic, vegetarian, fair trade and nutritionally beneficial products. The family of companies is committed to driving positive change in food in Europe. Wessanen’s own brands include many pioneers and market leaders: Allos, Alter Eco, Bjorg, Bonneterre, Clipper, Destination, El Granero, Isola Bio, Kallø, Mrs Crimble’s, Tartex, Whole Earth and Zonnatura.

General restrictions

The distribution of this press release may, in some jurisdiction other than the Netherlands, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe these restrictions. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Offeror and Wessanen disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of any such restrictions by any person. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of that jurisdiction. Neither the Offeror, nor Wessanen, nor any of their advisors assumes any responsibility for any violation by any of these restrictions. Any Shareholder who is in any doubt as to his or her position should consult an appropriate professional advisor without delay.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or an invitation to acquire or dispose of any securities or investment advice or an inducement to enter into investment activity. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire the securities of Wessanen in any jurisdiction.

To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulation, the Offeror and its affiliates or brokers (acting as agents for the Offeror or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time after the date hereof, and other than pursuant to the intended offer, directly or indirectly purchase, or arrange to purchase, ordinary shares in the share capital of Wessanen, that are the subject of the Offer. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in the Netherlands, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release to inform Shareholders of such information. In addition, financial advisors to the Offeror may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Wessanen, to the extent permissible under law or regulation, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements”, such as statements relating to the impact of this transaction on the Offeror and Wessanen. Forward-looking statements include those preceded by, followed by or that include the words “anticipated,” “expected” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although the Offeror and Wessanen believe that the assumptions upon which their respective financial information and their respective forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, they can give no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, receipt of regulatory approvals without unexpected delays or conditions, the Offeror’s ability to achieve the anticipated results from the acquisition of Wessanen, the effects of competition (in particular the response to the transaction in the marketplace), economic conditions in the global markets in which the Offeror and Wessanen operate, and other factors that can be found in the Offeror’s and Wessanen press releases and public filings. Neither the Offeror, nor Wessanen, nor any of their advisors, accepts any responsibility for any financial information contained in this press release relating to the business, results of operations or financial condition of the other or their respective groups. Each of the Offeror and Wessanen expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based.

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Bain Capital agreed with U.S. Cheetah Digital Inc. to acquire its Japanese E-mail Service Provider Business

BainCapital

Hong Kong, October 1, 2019 – Bain Capital Private Equity is pleased to announce today that it has acquired Japanese e-mail service provider business from a U.S. marketing solutions provider Cheetah Digital, Inc. (Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois), via Cheetah Digital Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Eugene Hashimoto) (“Cheetah Digital”). The acquisition price has not been disclosed.

Cheetah Digital’s e-mail service provider, MailPublisher, has the industry-leading technologies in the growing digital marketing space. It is distributing 6.1 billion e-mails on a monthly basis, and is introduced to more than 5,300 companies in total. MailPublisher has established a critical infrastructure to its customers, and is maintaining the top share in the e-mail service provider market for the 11 consecutive years.

Yuji Sugimoto, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity, said: “MailPublisher of Cheetah Digital has an exceptional functionality delivering a large volume of e-mails at high speed, with high security and without delivery failure. Bain Capital will be providing active support for their further growth, including expansion of new functions.”

Bain Capital will be able to fully utilize its knowledge and proven track record in software-related areas globally, in further developing new functions in line with recent digital marketing trends, and in securing new customers through active investments in sales and marketing. Bain Capital continues to be active in investments in the software sector.

About Bain Capital Private Equity
Bain Capital Private Equity (www.baincapitalprivateequity.com) has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since its founding in 1984. Bain Capital Private Equity’s global team of approximately 240 investment professionals create value for its portfolio companies through its global platform and depth of expertise in key vertical industries including healthcare, consumer/retail, financial and business services, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. Bain Capital has offices in Boston, Chicago, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Dublin, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Munich, Guangzhou, Melbourne, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo. The firm has made primary or add-on investments in more than 875 companies since its inception. In addition to private equity, Bain Capital invests across asset classes including credit, real estate, public equity and venture capital, managing more than USD 105 billion in total and leveraging the firm’s shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus.

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Divestiture of Aleris completed

Investor

2019-10-01 15:30

Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, has following regulatory approval today completed the divestiture of Aleris to Triton. As announced on July 12, 2019, net cash proceeds are estimated to SEK 2bn. Following the completion of this divestiture, Patricia Industries no longer retains any ownership in Aleris. Doktor24, remains within Patricia Industries’ Financial Investments.

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