Category Archives: News

Alvic Group welcomes investment from KKR and Arta Capital

KKR

KKR and Arta will support Alvic in its international expansion plans

Spain, 23rd of July 2019: Alvic Group reached an agreement on the terms of an investment from KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Arta Capital, a Spanish midmarket private equity firm sponsored by the financial and investment group Grupo March.

Alvic is a leading Spanish panel and componentry manufacturer for kitchen and office furniture with more than 70% of its revenues coming from outside Spain. The current team led by Javier Rosales will continue managing the company.

Founded in Vic (Catalunya) in 1965 as Madetres, by Alejandro Rosales, the company started as a small manufacturer of custom-sized kitchen furniture. Today, Alvic owns and operates four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across Spain (in Andalusia and Catalonia) and a recently inaugurated 30,000 square metre manufacturing plant in Auburndale, Florida. In addition, the group plans to open new manufacturing capabilities in Alcaudete, Andalusia and one in Solsona, Catalonia for flat pack furniture.

The group’s offering has extended through the kitchen value chain selling high-end laminated panels, finished components (doors and cabinets), ready-to-assemble custom-sized furniture, and finished products through multiple channels such as partner-distributors, DIY retailers, direct to manufacturers and a network of 28 “Alvic Centers.” Additionally, the group sells office furniture under the brand “Ofitres,” and readymade kitchen/bathroom furniture under the brand “Faro.”

KKR and Arta will support the Rosales family in its next generation of innovation and international expansion by leveraging the new investors’ extensive experience, network and reach. The transaction builds on KKR’s successful track record in Spain and globally of working with family-led businesses to support their growth objectives and further scale their businesses. KKR has invested over $5 billion in Spain since 2010 across multiple asset classes including private equity infrastructure and real estate, supporting leading Spanish businesses. Arta Capital is one of the most active investors in the Iberian market with €800 million under management, and having successfully invested in 14 leading companies since 2008.

Alvic, with the support of its new investors, will continue its strategy of building its strong industrial innovation and will leverage the brand through its new US manufacturing facility, which will serve as the cornerstone to deliver Alvic’s high quality and design products into a highly attractive and growing market.

With its new investors, the company will be focused on investing in its commercial excellence capabilities for its core markets, continued investment in functional innovation and design and the opening of new facilities.

KKR and Arta have been impressed by Alvic’s industrial and commercial capabilities and are excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.

KKR’s investment will be made through its European private equity funds.

About Alvic Group
Founded in 1965 in Catalonia, Spain, the Alvic Group is a leading manufacturer and distributor of cabinetry and furniture panels for home and commercial use. Through its brands, among which are Alvic, Ofitres or Madetres, it provides home and office solutions to its customers in 97 markets. A family-led business, Alvic began expanding into new markets in 2011 through the opening of new distribution points in the United States, Canada and Australia. Since its founding, innovation has been at the heart of the business and products, and the company has been recognized as one of the “500 most innovative companies in Europe” by the Enterprises 500 Awards. In its more than fifty-year history it has received additional awards including the Golden Palustre of APCE for its track record, and the IDEAL Awards for the Company of the Year in the field of economics, among others. For more information, please visit https://www.grupoalvic.com/es/.

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About Arta Capital
Arta is a Spanish midmarket private equity firm sponsored by Corporación Financiera Alba/March Group. During the last 10 years, Arta has successfully invested in 14 leading Iberian companies. Arta Capital, with €800 million under management, is currently investing from its second fund, Arta Capital II. For additional information, please visit www.artacapital.com

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The Carlyle Group Enters into Agreement to Sell Evernex to 3i

Carlyle

Paris, France – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced it has reached an agreement to sell Evernex, a major global provider of third-party maintenance (“TPM”) services for data-center infrastructure and critical IT assets, to 3i Group plc (“3i”). The investment in Evernex was made by Carlyle Europe Technology Partners III (CETP), a pan-European fund focusing on telecoms, media and technology (TMT). The transaction is subject to legal and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q4 2019.

Under Carlyle’s stewardship, Evernex – formerly known as Cap Vert Finance – has pursued a strategy based on three growth pillars: focus on third-party maintenance services; institutionalization and industry consolidation. Over the last four years, the group has more than trebled its maintenance activities through an aggressive international development plan taking the number of offices around the globe from 17 to 33 and the number of employees from 230 to 550. In this process, the company has strengthened its management and infrastructure under the new leadership of Stanislas Pilot. With the backing of Carlyle, Evernex has played an important role in the consolidation of the TPM industry through five acquisitions in France, Spain, Brazil and Argentina.

Stanislas Pilot, CEO at Evernex stated: “Carlyle has been a key partner in Evernex’s growth story over the past 4 years, and we would like to thank the CETP team for all the support they have given to the group. The fruits of our ambitious strategy and our unique customer engagement model have been reflected in our growth in key geographic zones, notably in EMEA and Latin America. We look forward to continuing our development with our new majority shareholder and partner, 3i, who will support our next phase of growth across global markets.”

Vladimir Lasocki, Managing Director and Co-Head of the CETP investment advisory team at The Carlyle Group, said: “We are proud to have been a strategic partner in the formation of the Evernex group over the last 4 years. Evernex stands out for its flexible customer engagement model and its truly global footprint. They have combined solid fundamentals in this buoyant segment of the IT market with the intelligent deployment of the group’s capacities as a consolidation platform. This has brought about the construction of an indispensable TPM global player with leading market positions in Europe and Latin America, and a significant presence around the world. The investment is a great example of the strategies we put in place within CETP portfolio companies. It has been a real pleasure to work with Stanislas and his team over this period and we are confident that Evernex will continue to prosper in the coming years under 3i’s ownership.”

ENDS

About Evernex:
Evernex is a French headquartered company, which specializes in the maintenance of global IT infrastructure and offers a comprehensive range of services from maintenance to Spare as a Service – SpaaS ™, as well as additional services such as recycling, secure data disposal, data center removal and relocation, library repair, IT hardware rental, and financial solutions.

Evernex offers services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at all customer sites worldwide to ensure business continuity and operational quality for users, all through a process of environment protection and sustainable development. Evernex carries out three-quarters of its service activities internationally and covers more than 160 countries across the world. The group has achieved a consolidated turnover of close to $220 million in 2018. The majority shareholder in Evernex is The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG), an international investment firm,

More information at www.evernex.com/

About The Carlyle Group:
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $222 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2019, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,725 people in 33 offices across six continents.

Web: www.carlyle.com
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/OneCarlyle
Tweets: http://www.twitter.com/onecarlyle
Podcasts: http://www.carlyle.com/about-carlyle/market-commentary

Media contacts:

The Carlyle Group
Catherine Armstrong
+44 207 894 1632
Catherine.armstrong@carlyle.com

Dominic Riding
+33 (0)6 48 57 83 24
carlyle@steeleandholt.com

3i
Kathryn van der Kroft
+44 20 7975 3021
kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

Catherine Kablé
+33 (0)1 44 50 54 75
catherine.kable@kable-communication.com

Categories: News

Bridgepoint exits Estera

Bridgepoint

Inflexion Private Equity is pleased to announce that it is supporting the acquisition of Estera, a leading global provider of funds, corporate and trust services from Bridgepoint. Following completion of the investment, Estera will be merged with Inflexion’s existing portfolio company Ocorian, forming a global corporate service and fund administration leader of significant scale.

The combined business will operate from 18 key global jurisdictions, including Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey, Luxembourg and Mauritius. The businesses will have over 1,250 professionals globally, serving over 8,000 clients across the corporate service, fund administration and private client sector. Together, Ocorian and Estera, will provide a complete range of services to clients with multi-jurisdictional needs. In particular, Ocorian clients will benefit from Estera’s established North American presence (Bermuda, BVI and Cayman), while Estera clients will be able to leverage Ocorian’s strong links to the Middle East and Africa.

Farah Ballands, Estera Chief Executive, said: “This is a really exciting next step for our business and everyone who works for it. We are delighted that we will be combining with Ocorian, which with Inflexion’s support, will help us develop and grow the business even further. We look forward to implementing an ambitious joint growth plan.”

Stuart Layzell, Ocorian Chief Executive, commented: “This is a landmark transaction for Ocorian.  Together both businesses will be able to offer an enhanced service to their clients wherever they are located. The whole team looks forward to working with the team at Estera to take the enlarged business forward.”

Simon Turner, Managing Partner, Inflexion, commented: “Since carving out Ocorian from Bedell Cristin in September 2016, the business has successfully completed four acquisitions, significantly diversifying its client offering geographically. The combination of Ocorian and Estera is truly transformational, creating a global, market leading business of significant scale and we look forward to partnering with both teams to accelerate the growth of the joint business.”

William Paul, Partner and Head of Bridgepoint’s financial services team, commented:

“Estera has a reputation for high quality, client-centric services, and the expertise to deal with the complex needs of its clients. Alongside a strong management team, we have helped the business build market leadership positions globally across its product portfolio and accelerated investment in its platform as well as in selective acquisitions. We wish the company and its team continued success under its new ownership.”

This investment was made by affiliated funds advised by Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

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Fortino Capital Partners acquires a stake in Odin Groep, an independent ICT service provider

Fortino Capital

Odin Groep and Fortino Capital Partners (“Fortino”) today announce that investment company Fortino has taken a majority stake in Odin Groep. The management of Odin Groep believes that Fortino is the right partner to support their growth ambitions and the further development of Odin Groep, whereby delivering excellent customer service will be paramount.

Odin Groep is an independent ICT service provider consisting of the companies Previder, Heutink ICT and Winvision. Odin Groep specializes in IT solutions, cloud hosting, security, managed services and consultancy. Odin Groep relies on the knowledge of its 470 employees to provide its customers with the required expertise in making strategic ICT decisions. 

Odin Groep operates from two offices (Hengelo and Vianen), and believes in customer proximity to fulfill the ICT needs of its clients. Odin Groep has a strong presence in the segment of small and medium-sized companies, and has leading market positions in the healthcare sector and primary education. In 2018, Odin Groep achieved a turnover of 82 million euros and an EBITDA of over 15 million euros.

“We see Fortino as the perfect partner to support us in the next phase of our growth“,says Hans Lesscher, CEO and founder of Odin Groep. “After almost 30 years of building the organization together with my team, it is time for the next step forward. Fortino has the knowledge, experience and financial strength that we need to further shape our ambitions. In doing so, we remain true to our principle: providing complete IT solutions that enable our customers to make a difference“.

Duco Sickinghe, Managing Partner of Fortino
Capital Partners: “The ICT market is evolving rapidly, making it increasingly difficult for organisations to surround themselves with the required IT knowledge. We strongly believe in the added value of Odin Groep as a trusted ICT partner for its clients. We look forward to supporting Hans and his employees with the further growth of Odin Groep, both autonomously, as well as opportunities to work more closely together with other companies.“

For more information, please visit www.odin-groep.nl

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Ardian-Backed Kersia acquires Choisy Laboratories

Ardian

2019 – Kersia, the global leader in food safety, announces the acquisition of Choisy Laboratories (“Choisy”), a leading developer and manufacturer of chemical, biotechnological and biosecurity hygiene solutions based in Canada, from the Trudeau family and Champlain Financial Corporation, in partnership with the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund.

This transaction grows Kersia’s geographical footprint in North America, allowing the company to expand its presence in new sub-segments and to acquire new technologies; it has been completed with the support of Ardian, its majority shareholder.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Louiseville (Quebec), Choisy focuses on research, manufacturing and marketing of food safety & biosecurity solutions, with a strong focus on value-added products, notably with eco-labelled solutions thanks to its biotechnological capabilities as well as its strong enzymatic know-how. The company employs 250 people and is primarily active in the Food Service and Hospitality market segments across eastern Canada and in Europe.

With this acquisition, Kersia’s network will comprise 23 plants (o/w 16 owned), with c.1,200 employees and a turnover of c.€250 million. This is Kersia’s fifth strategic acquisition since its acquisition by Ardian in October 2016.

Sebastien Bossard, CEO of Kersia, said: “This acquisition is in line with Kersia’s growth strategy and ambition to become the world’s leading player in Food Safety solutions for the entire food chain from farm to fork. Combining the deep R&D and technological expertise of Choisy and Kersia’s teams, with the support of Ardian, grows our international footprint substantially and strengthens our offering. The complementarity between our two companies is strong, as are the common values we share. We are very pleased to welcome the Choisy team within our group.”

As far as Guy L. Trudeau, President and CEO of the Choisy Group is concerned, he declared: « I’m excited to conclude this transaction because of the great cultural and technological complementarities, as well as the growth opportunities and synergies that will be generated. The food industry and the professional hygiene markets will greatly benefit from the new modern alternatives in biosafety and food service hygiene solutions represented by the Choisy-Kersia offer. I am convinced that the conjunction of the Choisy-Kersia brands will serve as a value and growth accelerator for the company, its employees and shareholders in North America and Europe. »

Thibault Basquin, Head of Americas Investments and Managing Director at Ardian Buyout, added: ”The Ardian team is very proud of what we have achieved with Sebastien Bossard and the Kersia team over the past two years, particularly in terms of Kersia’s transformation. I would like to thank the Trudeau family for entrusting Kersia as the new home for Choisy. This is a great step in our ambitious international development plans, and we look forward to further supporting Kersia’s journey towards growth.”

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.

Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.

Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with 610 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 970 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

www.ardian.com

ABOUT KERSIA

Kersia is a global leader in biosecurity and food safety with value added products and solutions to prevent diseases or contamination in both animal and humans at every stage of the food supply chain.

Kersia is the name adopted in 2018 by Hypred, Antigerm, Medentech, LCB Food Safety, G3 and Kilco, experts in their fields which came together in 2017 and 2018, bringing together complementary skills and expertise that improve farm performance and add value to the food industry.

Now present in more than 90 countries and employs more than 1,200 personnel, Kersia records a turnover of 250 million euros.

www.kersia-group.com

ABOUT CHOISY LABORATORIES

Choisy is seventy-three years of research, development and know-how dedicated to innovation and the creation of added value for the protection of health, working environments, consumer and leisure environments. It is chemistry, biotechnology and application-based biological services at the service of the environment for a healthy environment.

Founded by Yvon G. Trudeau, B.A. and B.Sc., pioneer in professional hygiene in Canada, Choisy has always distinguished itself through the development of its own chemical and biological platforms or bases and through the technological innovation of its products and services.

A fully integrated company from chemical and biological scientific research to the commercialization of its formulas, products and application services, the Choisy Group has 250 employees in four divisions: Choisy Laboratories, GDG Environment, Mikadoweb Solutions and RMS Equipments/Services. These complementary business divisions are all articulated from the head office located in Louiseville, Qc, where the production and research & development activities for Hygiene Solutions are mainly located. The Group also operates three distribution centres and four business centres in Eastern Canada, in addition to the headquarters of GDG Environment located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec and RMS Equipments/Services located in Laval, Quebec.

www.choisy.com

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN / KERSIA
Headland
VIKTOR TSVETANOV
Phone : +44 020 3435 7469
vtsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.com
CHOISY
Ovation médias
RICHARD BEAUDRY
Phone : 514-645-2040 poste 300
rbeaudry@ovationmedias.com

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3i invests in Evernex, the European leader in third party maintenance of IT infrastructure

3I

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that it will invest in Evernex, a leading international provider of third party maintenance (“TPM”) services for data centre infrastructure. 3i is investing alongside the management team, headed by Stanislas Pilot, and is acquiring the business from Carlyle Europe Technology Partners.

Headquartered in Paris, France, Evernex maintains over 200,000 IT systems in c. 160 countries, and has a global network of 34 offices. It is the preferred maintenance partner for multinational companies. It has developed a multi-channel and multi-vendor flexible offering. With a maintenance proposition covering data centre hardware & critical IT assets, the business provides solutions for servers, storage and network equipment, with a differentiated presence notably in Europe and Latin America.

Under 3i’s helm, Evernex will push its expansion agenda in a market backed by sound growth fundamentals: increasing diversity of servers and storage systems in data centres; customers’ propensity to seek alternatives to existing maintenance solutions; and a growing need from customers for integrated network maintenance. In this market, Evernex’s international scale and technological expertise fits IT decision makers’ requirements of relying on single point of contact providers to maintain mission-critical IT equipment across several continents.

Stanislas Pilot, CEO, Evernex, commented:

“3i has a truly international team and network, which makes it the best partner for businesses looking to expand geographically. It also has deep expertise in the outsourcing space and we look forward to benefiting from its track record as we look to accelerate our growth. ”

Rémi Carnimolla, Partner & Managing Director, Frédéric Chiche and Guillaume Basquin, Directors at 3i France, added:

“We are delighted to invest in Evernex, a business we have been tracking for more than 2 years and which fits strongly with our focus on the Business & Technology Services sector. It has performed solidly over the past 6 years, with c.20% growth per annum. Under Stanislas’ leadership, Evernex has become a leading player in the mission-critical IT lifecycle services with a highly differentiated proposition and a global footprint. We believe Evernex is the best positioned consolidation platform to take global leadership in a fragmented industry. We look forward to supporting its growth plans and working with Stanislas Pilot and his excellent management team.”

The transaction is subject to approval under foreign investment regulations in relevant jurisdictions and is expected to close by Q4 2019.

 

– ENDS –

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Onex to Sell Jack’s Family Restaurants

Onex

Toronto, July 18, 2019 – Onex Corporation (“Onex”) (TSX: ONEX) and its affiliated funds (the “Onex Group”) today announced they have agreed to sell Jack’s Family Restaurants (“Jack’s”). The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019 subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.“Over the course of our investment, Jack’s significantly accelerated its growth and brought its differentiated concept, high-quality food and exceptional customer service to new communities across the southern U.S.,” said Matt Ross, a Managing Director of Onex. “We’d like to thank Todd Bartmess, Jack’s management team and all of the company’s dedicated employees for being great partners to Onex. We wish them continued growth and success in the future.”

“Matt and the entire Onex team have been wonderful to work with. Their support has allowed us to continue to invest in our people, technology and the growth of our brand,” said Todd Bartmess, Chief Executive Officer of Jack’s. “They were steadfast in their commitment to the Jack’s family and the high standards we set. We’re grateful for Onex’ partnership over the years.”

In July 2015, the Onex Group acquired Jack’s for a total equity investment of $234 million. Upon completion of the transaction, the Onex Group will have received proceeds of approximately $835 million, including prior distributions of $106 million. This results in a gross multiple of invested capital of 3.6 times and a 38% gross rate of return. Onex invested $79 million in Jack’s as a Limited Partner in Onex Partners IV and will have realized $255 million upon completion of the transaction, including prior distributions of $31 million.

About Onex

Founded in 1984, Onex invests and manages capital on behalf of its shareholders, institutional investors and high-net worth clients from around the world. Onex’ platforms include: Onex Partners, private equity funds focused on larger opportunities in North America and Europe ONCAP, private equity funds focused on middle market and smaller opportunities in North America; Onex Credit, which manages primarily non-investment grade debt through collateralized loan obligations, private debt and other credit strategies; and Gluskin Sheff’s actively managed public equity and public credit funds. In total, Onex’ assets under management are approximately $37 billion, of which approximately $6.6 billion is shareholder capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.

The Onex Partners and ONCAP operating companies have assets of $51 billion, generate annual revenues of $31 billion and employ approximately 172,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain, without limitation, statements concerning possible or assumed future operations, performance or results preceded by, followed by or that include words such as“believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” and words of similar connotation, which would constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve significant and diverse risks and uncertainties that may cause actual operations, performance or results to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by Canadian securities law, Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained here in should material facts change due to new information, future events or other factors. These cautionary statements expressly qualify all forward-looking statements in this press release.

For further information:

Emilie Blouin Director,

Investor Relations Tel: +1.416.362.7711

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Final close of CVC Strategic Opportunities II at €4.6 billion, surpassing its target

Latest fundraising continues the successful track record for the platform, with CVC Strategic Opportunities I having secured commitments of €3.9 billion

CVC Capital Partners is pleased to announce the final close of CVC Strategic Opportunities II (“SO II”) with total commitments of €4.6 billion, surpassing the target of €4 billion.

SO II’s global investor base, made up of sovereign wealth, public and private pension funds, financial institutions, foundations, endowments and family offices, diversifies the platform’s overall investor mix and reflects the growing appetite for this type of longer life vehicle.

The Strategic Opportunities platform invests in long-term capital appreciation opportunities across Western Europe and North America which fall outside CVC’s traditional private equity strategies. The platform seeks out stable opportunities with attractive risk-reward profiles which require a longer term outlook to unlock growth. Since 2016, €3.6 billion has been committed by the platform in seven opportunities, the latest of which, GEMS Education, the world’s largest provider of private K-12 education by revenue, was announced last week.

Lorne Somerville, Co-Head CVC Strategic Opportunities said: “We are delighted to have closed CVC Strategic Opportunities II. We continue to believe this is an attractive and growing market, a belief that is clearly shared by our investors, given the success of this capital raising with a closing well above the €4 billion target.”

Jan Reinier Voûte, Co-Head CVC Strategic Opportunities added: “The Strategic Opportunities platform invests in high-quality businesses with longer growth horizons. Often this is done in partnership with families or foundations who are seeking additional capital and support from CVC’s global investment platform to take their businesses to the next stage of development. SO II will allow us to continue to support great companies with these resources.”

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KPN Ventures joins Cambridge deeptech investment fund IQ Capital

Kpn Ventures

Rotterdam, 17-07-2019 – KPN Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of KPN, has invested in the final close of the third early-stage investment fund of Cambridge, UK based IQ Capital, an independent fund manager focused on investments into UK technology companies with unique knowhow or strong IP and primarily originating from the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.

Today, there are some 5,900 technologies companies in Cambridge, including 12 companies valued over a billion dollars (i.e. ARM, Autonomy and Aveva), and circa 63,000 people working in technology firms. Through twenty years of investing, IQ Capital has built very strong connections with all key components of the Cambridge ecosystem, from professors, research labs, successful entrepreneurs and investors to young scientists and key opinion leaders within the tech industry. The fund size amounts to $175 million from which they aim to invest across six domains: Data Analytics, FinTech, Human Machine Interface, Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber Security and High Performance Engineering.

Since its inception in June 2018, the fund has made already 12 investments in for example Concirrus, Wluper, Iotic Labs and CCS.

This is KPN Ventures’ fifth investment in a European early-stage fund, focusing on innovative technology companies spinning out of university research and innovation hubs. Previously, KPN Ventures invested in Enschede-based Cottonwood Technology Fund, Paris-based PSL Innovation Fund, Leuven-based imec.xpand and Lisbon-based Armilar TechTransfer Fund. Through these investments, KPN Ventures aims to create early access to new technology partners, and build partnerships to experiment, improve and expand its offerings to customers.

The full press release on IQ Capital’s closing of the new fund can be accessed here.

About IQ Capital

IQ Capital is a venture capital firm, based between Cambridge and London, that invests in ‘deep-tech’ across sectors including machine learning, AI, robotics, and advanced engineering and materials, and data-focused propositions based on disruptive algorithms. All of the firm’s portfolio companies are capable of dominating their respective markets on a global scale. Initial investments range from £300k to £5m, with capacity for follow-on investment up to £10-15m. The IQ Capital team has achieved over 20 exits to date, to companies including Oracle, Google, Apple, Huawei, and Facebook, and several IPOs. IQ Capital has led 28 investments over the last three years. The firm is currently investing at seed and Series A stage from its third venture fund. In July 2019, IQ Capital launched its Growth Opportunities Fund, providing the capital to scale companies through to exit. For more information, please visit www.iqcapital.vc.

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Questel acquires Direct Validation

ik-investment-partners

Questel, one of the world’s largest intellectual property software and service providers, has signed an agreement to acquire Direct Validation.

Founded in 1988 and based in Stockholm (Sweden), Direct Validation is a major player in EP validations services, the process of registering granted European patents in the countries where they will ultimately be enforceable.

“Questel has provided European patent validation services in the past, mainly through partners,” says Charles Besson, Questel CEO. “This investment will provide us with yet another highly synergistic client offering within the innovation and IP lifecycle.”

”Connecting Questel’s intellectual property solutions and worldwide network with Direct Validation’s unique knowledge of EP validations will translate into deep savings for clients of both of our companies,” says Olle Bäcklund, CEO of Direct Validation.

For more information, please visit www.questel.com

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