Astorg partners with ATTIKON, a Leading German Commercial Insurance Brokerage Platform

Astorg

 

PreviousNext

Founded in 2019 through the combination of two regional brokers, ATTIKON has rapidly grown into one of Germany’s foremost multi-specialist commercial insurance brokers for small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”). The company offers a comprehensive portfolio across property, liability, and specialty lines such as cyber and directors and officers (“D&O”) liability insurance. ATTIKON has built a particularly strong presence in the residential real estate segment, where it ranks among the top three brokers nationwide.

Headquartered in Düsseldorf, ATTIKON serves more than 30,000 clients through five metropolitan hubs in Germany with a team of around 230 professionals.

ATTIKON’s focused platform, strong foothold in attractive niche segments, proven M&A execution, and resilient business model positions it to continue delivering strong growth. Astorg’s investment will support ATTIKON in accelerating its acquisition strategy, enhancing digitization across the platform, and expanding into complementary services such as managing general agent (MGA) capabilities.

The investment will be part of Astorg’s Mid-Cap portfolio, representing the seventh investment of the fund to date, the second in Germany, the fifth primary, and the first in the Business Services sector.

Astorg is partnering on this transaction with Sigla, whose founders and managing partners are longstanding significant shareholders in ATTIKON. Having invested in the company nearly from its inception, Sigla brings deep expertise in the insurance brokerage sector.

Florian Luther, Partner and Head of DACH Mid-Cap, and Kevin Bernges, Managing Director at Astorg, said:

“ATTIKON has built a remarkable platform in just a few years, combining deep sector expertise with a proven ability to integrate and grow acquired businesses. Operating in Europe’s largest and most resilient commercial insurance market, the company is well placed to capture sustained growth opportunities. We look forward to partnering with the excellent management team to accelerate ATTIKON’s strategy, enhance its digital capabilities, and further expand its leadership position in the German commercial insurance market.”

Lionel de Posson, Partner and Co-Head of Astorg’s Mid-Cap fund, added:

“Supporting ambitious companies through buy-and-build strategies has long been a core part of Astorg’s DNA, as demonstrated by our strong track record with investments such as Normec, IQ-EQ, and, more recently, IPCOM and Steliau. We are excited to bring this expertise to support ATTIKON’s growth and consolidation strategy.”

Thomas Michels, CEO of ATTIKON Finanz AG, said:

“Partnering with Astorg gives us not only the resources to accelerate our growth, but also a like-minded partner who shares and actively supports our strategic vision. Together, we aim to strengthen our position, enhance the value we deliver to our clients and employees, and advance towards our goal of becoming one of Germany’s leading brokerage groups.”

Astorg was advised by Rothschild & Co (M&A), Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Kirkland & Ellis (legal), EY (financial, tax, cybersecurity, and tech & ops), Oliver Wyman (commercial), Howden (insurance) and ERM (ESG).

*ENDS*

Astorg

Astorg is a leading pan-European private equity firm with over €23 billion of assets under management. Astorg works with entrepreneurs and management teams to acquire market leading global companies headquartered in Europe or the US, providing them with the strategic guidance, governance and capital they need to achieve their growth goals. Enjoying a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective and a lean decision-making body, Astorg has valuable industry expertise in healthcare, software and technology, business services and technology-based industrial companies.

Headquartered in Luxembourg, Astorg has offices in London, Paris, New York, Frankfurt, and Milan.

For more information about Astorg: www.astorg.com | Follow Astorg on LinkedIn.

ATTIKON

ATTIKON Finanz AG focuses on the acquisition and further development of specialized brokerage companies. ATTIKON is already among the top 20 brokers in the corporate and commercial sectors and continues to grow. New brokerage firms are systematically integrated into the group, with strategic consideration given to all aspects—from IT to human resources, finance, and even the company name.

Further information can be found at: www.attikon.de

Sigla

Sigla is a newly established, sector-focused private equity firm. We invest across Europe in countries we
know well and where we understand local markets and can bring our networks to bear. Sigla targets a limited range of specific investment themes within the Healthcare and Business Services sectors, where Sigla has deep expertise. Sigla invests in high quality businesses with best-in-class managers and with a combination of strong levels of resilience as well as distinct value creation levers, especially when they involve opportunities to digitalise and to consolidate. Sigla was founded by its three Managing Partners and Nordstjernan AB, a Swedish foundation-owned and family-controlled investment house with +130 years of legacy in direct investing and in entrepreneurship.

For more information about Sigla: www.sigla-capital.com | Follow Sigla on LinkedIn.

 

Categories: News

Tags:

Back to Press Releases KKR Leads Financing for Flexera Recapitalization

KKR

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that KKR-managed credit funds and accounts served as lead investor on the debt financing for the recapitalization of Flexera Software (“Flexera” or the “Company”), a global leader in technology spend and risk intelligence. KKR Capital Markets also served as Lead Arranger and Bookrunner on the transaction.

Founded in 1987 and based in Illinois, Flexera helps organizations understand and manage the value of their technology investments. Powered by the world’s largest high-fidelity technology asset data catalog, Flexera’s award-winning IT asset management, FinOps and SaaS management solutions provide comprehensive visibility and actionable insights on the entire IT landscape. With the Flexera One platform, organizations can optimize spend, minimize risk and accelerate AI implementation. Flexera is a portfolio company of Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm.

“We were drawn to Flexera’s strong momentum and scaled global platform that offers critical, simplified IT solutions in a highly fragmented and complex industry,” said Bobby Campbell, Managing Director at KKR. “We are pleased to support the team in this recapitalization to position the business for its next chapter of growth.”

KKR was advised on the transaction by Latham & Watkins LLP. Flexera was advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

About KKR

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

About Flexera

Flexera helps organizations understand and maximize the value of their technology, saving billions of dollars in wasted spend. Powered by the Flexera Technology Intelligence Platform, our award-winning IT asset management, FinOps and SaaS management solutions provide comprehensive visibility and actionable insights on an organization’s entire IT ecosystem. This intelligence enables IT, finance, procurement and cloud teams to address skyrocketing costs, optimize spend, mitigate risk and identify opportunities to create positive business outcomes. More than 50,000 global organizations rely on Flexera and its Technopedia reference library, the largest repository of technology asset data. Learn more at flexera.com.

Lauren McCranie
Media@kkr.com

Source: KKR

 

Download PDF

Categories: News

Tags:

Adamantem Capital to acquire majority stake in Nexon Asia Pasific

Adamantem

Australian private capital manager Adamantem Capital (Adamantem) is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in leading IT services provider Nexon Asia Pacific (Nexon). Founded in 2000, Nexon delivers comprehensive end-to-end IT solutions to business, government and not for profit clients, with deep expertise in security, cloud, and digital solutions. Nexon services over 1,000 active clients across all core managed IT offerings including cloud services, network and communications management, cybersecurity and digital solutions. Adamantem Managing Director Katie Wood said the firm looks forward to partnering with Nexon’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Barry Assaf, and his management team to support the business in its next phase of growth. “We’ve been impressed by Nexon’s journey so far and believe the business is well positioned for future growth,” she said. “Having invested successfully in the IT services sector in the past, we see a great opportunity for the business to continue to grow organically in the Australia and New Zealand markets, as well as to support the management team in its acquisition strategy.” The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and will mark the eighth investment from Adamantem’s Fund II, alongside Retail Zoo, QANTM, and Advara Heartcare. -Ends- Media contact: Jess Bell 0415399272 Jess.bell@sodali.com

Categories: News

Tags:

boost.ai named a leader in 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for conversational AI platforms

Nordic Capital

Boost.ai, a leading developer of AI Agents for regulated enterprises, today announced it has been recognized as a Leader by Gartner in the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Conversational AI Platforms. Boost.ai has been recognized in this Magic Quadrant by Gartner for its “Ability to Execute” and “Completeness of Vision”.

The report states that “Gartner defines conversational AI platforms (CAIPs) as SaaS products that primarily enable the development of applications simulating human conversation across multiple channels and media”. As AI adoption accelerates, the market is seeing a clear shift in customer expectations toward higher-quality self-service and interactions. While enterprises increasingly turn to generative AI to meet these expectations, platforms, like boost.ai, that combine generative capabilities with proven conversational AI, offer the scalable, reliable solutions needed to deploy with confidence.

“We’ve always believed that trust is the foundation of enterprise AI. Being recognized as a Leader by Gartner reinforces our position as a global provider of AI-driven conversations that our customers can trust,” said Jerry Haywood, CEO of boost.ai. “It affirms our commitment to delivering AI that is not only powerful and scalable but also responsible and secure. It’s this unwavering focus that continues to earn the confidence of some of the world’s most respected brands.”

Over the past year, boost.ai announced multiple customer wins and partnerships in the US and UK, including Jack Henry, SwitchThink and Sage. The company also introduced Test Studio, a first of its kind built-in studio to test and validate AI Agent performance before they are deployed by enterprises. With more than 600 live AI Agents across 450+ organizations worldwide, boost.ai is the go-to provider of trustworthy AI Agents for leading banking, insurance, and government institutions. The platform delivers industry-leading resolution rates above 90% and is certified to both ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 standards, reinforcing enterprise-grade data protection and privacy management across every customer interaction.

Boost.ai continues its upward global trajectory within the Enterprise Conversational AI market, while driving innovation and helping enterprises push the boundaries of AI responsibly. To learn more about how boost.ai is empowering customers like DNB and Jack Henry using conversational AI, please visit boost.ai.

Gartner disclaimer:
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with the permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner, “Magic Quadrant for Conversational AI Platforms”, by Gabriele Rigon, Justin Tung, Bern Elliot, Arup Roy, Adrian Lee, Uma Challa, 12 August 2025.

About Boost.ai
Boost.ai is the trusted leader in AI-powered customer experience solutions for regulated industries. Built for security, speed, and scale, the platform enables fast deployment, high-resolution rates, and full hybrid control through seamless orchestration of traditional NLU and LLMs. With over 650 successful deployments, 600 live virtual agents, and more than 150 million automated conversations, boost.ai helps enterprises around the world resolve with confidence, automate at scale, and trust every conversation.

Proven performance and enterprise-grade reliability make boost.ai the partner of choice for leading brands across the world, including Nordea, Credit Union of Colorado, Sage, DNB, Trading 212, and more.

Download a complimentary copy of the report here.

Platinum Equity to Acquire Anuvu

Platinum

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 18, 2025) – Platinum Equity announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Anuvu, a leading provider of global entertainment and high-speed connectivity solutions for airlines, VIP/VVIP aircraft, cruise lines and other mobility end-markets.

  • Headquartered in Lombard, IL, Anuvu serves more than 150 airline and 30 cruise-line customers worldwide. The company operates two primary divisions:
  • Media Technology Services: Licenses, distributes, localizes and delivers entertainment content for aviation, maritime and non-theatrical end markets, with a catalog of more than 400,000 titles
  • Connectivity: Provides telecommunications equipment, broadband satellite Internet access, passenger management services, and analytics solutions to airline customers.

“Anuvu is a leader in delivering exceptional entertainment experiences to global aviation customers and has developed highly innovative and technologically advanced satellite connectivity and content delivery platforms”

Jacob Kotzubei, Co-President, Platinum Equity

“Anuvu is a leader in delivering exceptional entertainment experiences to global aviation customers and has developed highly innovative and technologically advanced satellite connectivity and content delivery platforms,” said Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei. “As passenger traffic continues to grow, we are encouraged to see carriers making substantial new investments in both connectivity and entertainment, improving passenger and guest experiences. We look forward to working with Anuvu’s leadership team to capitalize on these tailwinds and other opportunities to grow the business.”

Joshua Marks, CEO of Anuvu, who has been with the company for 10 years and helped the business navigate through COVID and a subsequent transformation, will continue in his role following the acquisition.

“We’ve made strong progress in recent years by investing in both technology and content, focusing on our core strengths in the aviation and cruise markets. We recently activated the Anuvu Constellation, providing dedicated aviation satellite capacity over North America. In parallel, we continue to expand our Media partnerships to license, localize and distribute distinctive content to the world’s leading airlines and cruise lines,” said Marks. “We are excited to partner with Platinum Equity to leverage their financial expertise, global capabilities, and operational know-how supporting fast-growing portfolio companies.”

Platinum Equity has deep experience investing in technology and media businesses. Its current portfolio includes Deluxe, a leading provider of end-to-end post-production services for the world’s leading content production studios.

“Anuvu’s long-standing customer relationships, talented employees and global footprint provide a strong platform for organic growth,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Dan Krasner. “We also see opportunities to leverage Anuvu’s content and technology capabilities to expand further into adjacent markets, including non-theatrical verticals, media processing and delivery, advertising and other custom services.”

Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter calendar year 2025, after the receipt of required regulatory approvals.

Drake Star is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Anuvu.

About Platinum Equity

Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $50 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 60 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 30 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 500 acquisitions.

About Anuvu

Anuvu connects and entertains the world’s passengers. Our award-winning content and connectivity solutions are reliable, scalable, and tailored to our customers’ brands and service objectives. With a flexible and agile approach, we maximize the technology available today, while optimizing for tomorrow.

Some of the most experienced professionals in the industry lead our teams and this, together with our long-standing client relationships, means we never stand still.

Anuvu. Let Innovation Move You.

Follow Anuvu on LinkedIn for further updates and insights.

 

Contacts:
Dan Whelan
Platinum Equity
dwhelan@platinumequity.com

Caroline Smith
Anuvu
caroline.smith@anuvu.com

Categories: News

Tags:

Celebrating BlueStone’s IPO: A decade of design, trust, and quiet endurance

Accel

Celebrating BlueStone’s IPO: A decade of design, trust, and quiet endurance

Today, as BlueStone rings the bell, we feel immense gratitude. From our first conversations with Gaurav over a decade ago to seeing the company list today, it has been our privilege to be their first partners on day zero.

Why we leaned in so early
Back then, we were mapping India’s e-commerce landscape with a prepared mind. Jewelry stood out as a category where brand, design, and supply would define success more than marketplace placement. It was during that time we first met Gaurav, an operator who thought from first principles, carried the curiosity to master a new category, and the humility to keep challenging assumptions. That conviction gave us the confidence to back him early.

A hyperlocal and customer-obsessed thesis for India
Global playbooks suggested solitaires. Gaurav believed India would lead with gold and with design. Jewelry here would be defined by everyday wear, not just wedding trunks. It would not be a logistics or price game, but a brand and taste game. That thesis has shaped BlueStone’s trajectory and proven right.

Trust by design
BlueStone pioneered high-fidelity 3D rendering so customers could see the sparkle, not imagine it. They introduced home try-ons with alloy replicas and transparent exchange policies that reflected real buying behavior. These were deliberate choices to build confidence first, conversion next.

Building full-stack, before it was fashionable
Gaurav was arguably the first startup entrepreneur in India to think full-stack in a consumer category. He understood that disrupting an industry like jewelry needed a rethink at multiple levels, not just the front-end tech stack. From design and visualization to supply chain and retail, he built capabilities end-to-end. This included setting up multiple manufacturing centers, with Jaipur today being one of the largest in the country. This approach gave BlueStone control over quality, speed, and innovation that few competitors could match.

Omnichannel, with tech at the core
Long before it was consensus, BlueStone treated online and offline not as a trade-off but a continuum. Stores followed, thoughtfully. Inventory followed, scientifically. What sets them apart is how a design-first brand embedded a tech-first backbone. An ML-driven engine allocates designs across hundreds of stores, driving faster turns and sharper insights. Few companies in this space have blended taste and technology so seamlessly.

Weathering the middle
Building a consumer brand is a long game. In the mid-2010s, India lacked true mid-stage capital for vertical commerce. BlueStone stayed frugal and focused, steadily broadening its catalog, deepening manufacturing capabilities, and sharpening unit economics. The company moved through challenges with consistency, learning and building in every cycle. That discipline made today possible.

What this milestone signals
Today’s listing is not the end of the journey. It is still Day 1 in making millions of customers happy, and the best is yet to come. The opportunity ahead is vast: AI-assisted design, new material fusions, deeper manufacturing innovation, and global customers already drawn to BlueStone’s aesthetic. The IPO marks trust earned at scale and opens a new chapter as a public company.

To Gaurav and the BlueStone team, thank you for letting us walk alongside you from “no website yet” to this milestone. To early employees who bet careers on a thesis, to customers who chose design over habit, and to co-investors who backed resilience over fashion, this outcome carries your fingerprints.

At Accel, we are privileged to be first partners to founders who elevate the everyday. BlueStone did not just change how India buys jewelry, it made great design feel personal, frequent, and joyfully attainable.

Here is to the next chapter, and to keeping the bar high on what is possible when taste, technology, and tenacity meet.

— Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel

Categories: News

Tags:

BGF backs new accelerator to fast-track female-led business growth

BGF

The new programme from FFinc moves beyond traditional mentorship, to deliver investment, scale, and visibility to female founders.

15 August 2025
Ffinc Forward Faster Accelerator logo

Female founders and business leaders face entrenched bias, limited access to networks, and a massive funding gap: across the UK, just 1% of private investment is directed toward women-led businesses. This ‘leaky pipeline’ blocks innovation and growth at every stage, despite clear evidence that female-founded businesses deliver higher revenues, create more jobs, are more sustainable, and drive greater returns on investment.

FFinc, an association of women and businesses dedicated to the financial, career and personal advancement of women, has already built year-long tech accelerators with KPMG, supported hundreds of women to grow businesses globally with HSBC, and helped 20% of its most recent accelerator cohort secure funding – 10x the industry average. Now, they’re doubling down on what works.

This September, FFinc will launch its Forward Faster Accelerator, a comprehensive six-month programme, designed to supercharge 100 of the UK’s most ambitious female-founded businesses. In partnership with BGF, HSBC, Wilson Sonsini, Thrive Partners, Square, Elementaryb, Block, Atlantic Pacific and Streets Consulting, the accelerator moves beyond traditional mentorship, to deliver capital access, commercial readiness, strategic scale support, and visibility.

“Too many female founders are still locked out of the funding and growth they deserve.”
Tamara Gillan
Founder of FFinc

Unlike with conventional accelerators, Forward Faster participants will benefit from the combined talents, tools, and teamwork of FFinc’s business partners, as well as investors, sector specialists, and exited, female founders-turned-mentors (known as ‘Driving Forces’). The multiplier effect of uniting all these forces in one ecosystem – and 100 powerhouse entrepreneurs, working side-by-side – is set to drive growth, accelerate commercial outcomes, and deliver long-term results.

Jill Williams, Partner at BGF, said: “BGF has been the most active investor in female-led scaleups in the UK for over five years, but there’s more we want to do. Through the Forward Faster Accelerator, we’re sharing the insight of our investor network, to help founders scale confidently, understand the value of growth capital, and build lasting impact.

“This initiative reflects BGF’s broader commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship, and we’re proud to collaborate with FFinc and fellow partners, to create a more equitable, dynamic future for female-powered businesses.”

Female investors, business leaders and non-execs at the BGF Women in Entrepreneurship and on Boards (WEB) Forum

Each founder on the Forward Faster programme will be paired with a Driving Force: a world-class operator with real experience of scaling ventures. From GoHenry Co-Founder Louise Hill to healthtech pioneer Amber Vodegel and environmental impact guru Sian Sutherland, these leaders bring unmatched experience and cross-sector access – and will act as embedded collaborators to the programme’s participants.

“Through our years of work in this sphere, we’ve found that, if you only focus on capital, you can’t fix the story,” commented Tamara Gillan, Founder of FFinc.

“You need to connect funding with education, access, scale – and a community that helps women go further, faster. At FFinc, we don’t sit back and observe. We build, we partner, we listen. Every programme and every partnership makes us and our ecosystem smarter, sharper, and better equipped to shift the dial.”

Calling the 100

Applications to join the Forward Faster Accelerator are open now. If you’re a high-growth, female-powered business, with the ambition to scale – and the grit to move fast – FFinc wants to hear from you.

Participants will have access to:

  • C-Factor mentorship
  • Investor readiness clinics
  • Growth infrastructure strategy
  • Founder fitness sessions
  • High-value ecosystem collaborations
  • Targeted visibility via media, digital campaigns, and live events

Categories: News

Tags:

Emerald Invests in Waterly: Enabling the Digital Transformation of North America’s Water Infrastructure

Emerald

Zurich, Switzerland – Global climate tech leader Emerald has invested in a $4 million Series A financing round for Waterly, a US-based software company digitizing the operations of water and wastewater utilities across North America. Emerald is participating in the round, which was led by Burnt Island Ventures.

Founded in 2020 by industry veteran Chris Sosnowski, Waterly replaces outdated clipboard-and-spreadsheet workflows with a mobile-first, cloud-native software platform designed specifically for the needs of utility operators. In just five years, the company has scaled to support over 5,000 users and more than 1,000 water and wastewater systems, including industry leader American Water.

“Waterly is solving one of the water sector’s most entrenched problems with elegance and empathy: how to make digital transformation accessible to thousands of utilities still operating with pen and paper,” said Clayton MacDougald, Investment Director at Emerald. “Chris and his team have built an intuitive, secure, and scalable platform that’s beloved by operators—and we’re excited to support their mission of bringing smart water tools to every corner of the market.”

Simplifying Operations, Empowering Operators

Waterly’s flagship product, Rounds, digitizes data collection during facility rounds, transforming it into a structured, auditable dataset used for compliance reporting, operational insights, and organizational memory. It is compatible with SCADA and manual inputs, and is actively used by operators on smartphones and tablets on a daily basis, becoming in essence an extension of the operational team.

Water data entry in the Waterly phone app.

Expanding Suite of Solutions

Waterly’s expansion includes an integrated asset management module (Assets) acquired through the 2024 acquisition of OpWorks, and an Enterprise offering that aggregates operational data across utility portfolios.

Across its product lines, Waterly’s design principle is clear: build for operators, not IT teams. Its intuitive interface and rapid onboarding—often requiring just hours, not months—have become key differentiators in a fragmented market.

Targeting Underserved Markets with Strong Economics

Waterly is actively digitizing a vast and underserved segment: more than 80% of water and wastewater systems in North America still use manual methods for data tracking. The company focuses on a variety of customer segments from small to large utilities, contract operators and investor-owned utilities along with several industrial customers. Its pricing, based on treated flow rather than seat licenses, makes it especially attractive to budget-conscious customers.

Waterly CEO Chris Sosnowski

Driving Toward a Smarter, Safer Water Future

This financing will support Waterly’s continued investment in product development, customer success, and go-to-market expansion.

From Chris Sosnowski, CEO:

“Waterly started with a simple belief: water operators deserve better tools. It’s been amazing to see how much we’ve been able to change with just a small team and a lot of heart. Now, with Burnt Island Ventures and Emerald in our corner, we’re ready to go even bigger—helping thousands more water and wastewater heroes do their jobs with less stress and more confidence to deliver safer, smarter service to their communities.”

With water utilities under increasing pressure to modernize, Waterly is positioned as the digital operating system for a sector long overdue for transformation.


More on water and wastewater at Emerald:

Water & Wastewater

Emerald Leads SGD 8 Million Investment in SG Enviro, Driving Advanced Industrial Wastewater Treatment in SE Asia

Veralto Commits €20M to Emerald’s New Fund to Accelerate Water Innovation Solutions

About Emerald Technology Ventures

Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.

This is Emerald.

Bold Ideas. Bright Future.  www.emerald.vc

CONTACT FOR EMERALD:

info@emerald.vc

About Waterly

Many in the water industry want to move away from outdated water data collection methods but switching to a modern solution is historically expensive and cumbersome. At Waterly, we help the water industry make this switch by implementing an affordable, easyto-use water-specific software solution in days, not months, without breaking the bank. Waterly

Contact

Mandy Sosnowski | Business Manager | 833-492-8370 | mandy@waterly.co

About Burnt Island Ventures

Burnt Island Ventures is the world’s leading venture capital firm focused exclusively on water technology, leveraging specialized expertise and comprehensive global deal flow to identify, fund, and scale breakthrough water innovations. The firm’s dedicated water investment platform connects capital with the world’s best water entrepreneurs, accelerating technologies that ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable water for communities and industries facing unprecedented water challenges.

THL Announces Agreement to Acquire Headlands Research from KKR

KKR

LAKE WORTH, Fla. & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–THL Partners (“THL”), a premier private equity firm investing in middle market growth companies, today announced the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Headlands Research (“Headlands” or “the Company”), a leading multinational network of clinical trial sites, from funds managed by leading global investment firm KKR. The strategic partnership between THL and Headlands will fuel Headlands’ continued expansion, enhance its technology and centralized infrastructure, and further strengthen its ability to deliver high-quality, diverse clinical trial data for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors in support of Headlands’ mission to improve lives by advancing innovative medical therapies.

Headlands operates an integrated network of clinical trial sites across North America, conducting trials across key therapeutic areas, including central nervous system (“CNS”) disorders, vaccines, and metabolic diseases. By leveraging strong physician relationships and a data-driven operating model, Headlands consistently delivers high-quality results while expanding access to historically underrepresented patient populations.

“This is an exciting moment for our industry, with groundbreaking science and new therapies emerging at an unprecedented pace,” said Kyle Burtnett, CEO of Headlands. “I’d like to thank KKR for their tremendous support since our founding. Together, we’ve built an outstanding business with a highly dedicated team working every day to advance medical research. THL shares our vision and excitement for the opportunity to accelerate clinical trial innovation, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with their team as we seek to build on the strong foundation that we have in place.”

KKR founded Headlands in 2018 via its Health Care Strategic Growth Fund to transform the clinical trial site industry and improve the throughput and inclusivity of clinical trials. Since its founding, the Company has experienced significant growth resulting from complementary acquisitions, a novel de-novo playbook, substantial investment in operational excellence and network integration, and the assembly of a best-in-class team.

“Given the accelerated pace of research and development, innovative companies such as Headlands are critical to advancing clinical trials with precision, scale, and flexibility,” said Megan Preiner, Managing Director at THL. “We’re thrilled to partner with Kyle and the Headlands team to enable faster, more inclusive access to new therapies in a dynamic environment.”

“We initially founded Headlands with a mission to improve the clinical trial industry and build a best-in-class platform. We’re honored to have partnered with Kyle and the management team to scale Headlands into a premier clinical trial site network. We wish Kyle, the management team, and THL continued success with Headlands,” said Ali Satvat, Partner and Global Head of Health Care Strategic Growth at KKR, and Anuv Ratan, Director at KKR.

Earlier this year, THL issued proprietary research that found, despite regulatory uncertainty and mixed headlines, most biopharma companies are continuing to grow their R&D investments. THL’s long history in pharma services – built on more than 25 years of sector focus, deep industry relationships, and a track record of investing across the value chain – uniquely positions it to support Headlands’ critical work in helping bring new therapies to market.

THL will invest in Headlands Research through its flagship Fund IX. The transaction is expected to close in 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The firm has been active in pharma services for over 25 years, with investments that include Fisher Scientific, PCI Pharma Services, Syneos Health, CSafe, Adare Pharma Solutions, and Red Nucleus. The combination of THL’s deep sector expertise and the operating capabilities of its Strategic Resource Group made it a partner of choice for Headlands.

McDermott Will & Schulte and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison served as legal advisors to THL, and Jefferies as lead financial advisor. Edgemont Partners also acted as a financial advisor to THL. KKR and Headlands were advised on the transaction by Houlihan Lokey as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis as legal advisor.

About Headlands Research

Headlands Research is a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization with a mission to improve lives by advancing innovative medical therapies. Its group of exceptional sites focuses on large-volume recruitment of diverse and specialty patient populations while delivering the highest quality data. Headlands Research’s principal investigators are proven industry leaders in their fields with expertise in a wide variety of indications. Utilizing expert recruitment strategies and access to diverse patients through its site databases and physician partnerships, Headlands Research has successfully completed more than 5,000 clinical trials. Additional information about the company is available at www.headlandsresearch.com.

About THL

THL Partners (www.THL.com) is a premier private equity firm investing in middle-market growth companies exclusively within three sectors: Healthcare, Financial Technology & Services, and Technology & Business Solutions. THL couples deep sector expertise through an Identified Sector Opportunity (“ISO”) process with dedicated internal operating resources from its Strategic Resource Group (“SRG”) to transform and build great companies of lasting value in partnership with management. The Firm’s domain expertise and resources help to build great companies with an aim to accelerate growth, improve operations and drive long-term sustainable value. Since 1974, THL has raised more than $35 billion of equity capital, invested in over 170 companies and completed more than 600 add-on acquisitions representing an aggregate enterprise value at acquisition of over $250 billion.

About KKR

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

 

Contacts

Edelman Smithfield
Nicole Hakimi
Nicole.Hakimi@edelmansmithfield.com

Ryan Scanlon
Ryan.Scanlon@edelmansmithfield.com

 

Download PDF

Categories: News

Ocean Yield and KKR agree to acquire CapeOmega

KKR

Ocean Yield AS (“Ocean Yield” or the “Company”) today announced that, together with vehicles managed by KKR (“KKR”), a leading global investment firm, it has agreed to purchase 100% of the shares in CapeOmega Gas Transportation AS (“CapeOmega”) from Partners Group, acting on behalf of its clients.

CapeOmega co-owns ten LNG carriers operated by Knutsen LNG, a world leading owner and operator of LNG carriers. Seven vessels are currently on the water with an average age of two years, and three vessels are to be delivered from the shipyard in 2025 and 2026. All vessels are employed on long-term charters to the tier-one investment grade-rated energy companies, Shell, Engie and QatarEnergy, with an average contract duration of 9 years, or 16 years including extension options. The transaction will add approximately USD 120 million to Ocean Yield’s adjusted EBITDA backlog.

Andreas Røde, Chief Executive Officer at Ocean Yield, commented: “We are pleased to co-invest with KKR in this transaction, which provides attractive exposure to modern LNG carriers, all employed on long-term charters to investment grade-rated counterparties.”

Closing of the transaction is expected to occur during the second half of 2025.

KKR is also expected to inject additional equity into Ocean Yield to help maintain a robust balance sheet with capacity for further growth. BAHR and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett acted as legal advisors to Ocean Yield and KKR in connection with the transaction.

DISCLOSURE REGULATION

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

CONTACTS

  • Andreas Røde, Chief Executive Officer, +47 98 22 85 62
  • Eirik Eide, Chief Financial Officer, +47 950 08 921
  • Karl Fredrik Schjøtt-Pedersen, Senior Vice President, +47 951 32 335

ABOUT OCEAN YIELD

Ocean Yield AS is a ship owning company with investments in vessels on long-term charters. The company has a significant contract backlog that offers visibility with respect to future earnings.

 

Download PDF

Categories: News