Tag Archives: Banking

Carlyle and KKR Strategic Partnerships Agree to Acquire Approximately $10.1 Billion Prime Student Loan Portfolio from Discover Financial Services

Carlyle

NEW YORK – July 17, 2024 – Global investment firms Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) and KKR (NYSE: KKR) today announced that one or more strategic partnerships comprised of funds and accounts managed by Carlyle and KKR’s respective credit businesses have agreed to purchase an approximately $10.1 billion portfolio of prime student loans from Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS).

“This acquisition highlights Carlyle’s proven expertise in private student loans and asset-backed finance, demonstrating our Global Credit business’s ability to provide scaled, tailored solutions to meet our clients’ dynamic needs,” said Akhil Bansal, Head of Credit Strategic Solutions at Carlyle. “As the lending space evolves, we believe private markets are well-positioned to offer financial institutions increased flexibility amidst this transformation.”

“We are pleased to leverage our scale, deep experience in ABF investing and capital markets capabilities to be a capital solutions provider of choice to financial institutions that are focusing on optimizing their balance sheets,” said RJ Madden, a Managing Director at KKR. “This transaction demonstrates the value that scaled private lenders can bring to key areas of the economy as the priorities of traditional lenders continue to evolve.”

“We’re very pleased to consummate this transaction with two outstanding strategic partners in Carlyle and KKR,” said Dan Capozzi, Executive Vice President and President of Consumer Banking at Discover. “This agreement represents an important milestone in our journey to simplify our operations and business mix.”

Carlyle’s investment in the portfolio was led by its Credit Strategic Solutions (“CSS”) team, a group within its Global Credit business focused on asset-backed investments. The highly experienced team seeks to leverage the knowledge, sourcing, structuring, and breadth of the entire Carlyle investment platform to deliver tailored asset-focused financing solutions to businesses, specialty finance companies, banks, asset managers, and other originators and owners of diversified pools of assets.

KKR’s investment in the portfolio comes primarily from its asset-based finance strategy and other credit vehicles and accounts.  KKR has made more than 80 ABF investments globally since 2016 through a combination of portfolio acquisitions, platform investments and structured investments. The firm has approximately $54 billion in ABF assets under management and a team of more than 50 professionals directly involved in the ABF effort globally.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2024 subject to customary closing conditions.

KKR Capital Markets and TCG Capital Markets structured and arranged the debt for the transaction. Monogram LLC, a portfolio company of Carlyle, will serve as portfolio manager for the student loan portfolio. Firstmark Services, a subsidiary of Nelnet, Inc. will service the loans in the portfolio. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to KKR and Carlyle. Paul Hastings LLP also served as a legal advisor to Carlyle and Clifford Chance LLP also served as a legal advisor to KKR. Wells Fargo served as exclusive financial advisor, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal counsel, to Discover Financial Services in connection with the transaction.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $425 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,200 people in 28 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. For more, follow Carlyle on X and LinkedIn.

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 Discover Financial 

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a digital banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover® card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers personal loans, home loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global Network® comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchants and cash access locations; PULSE®, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International®, a global payments network with acceptance around the world. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.

 

 

Media Contacts:

For Carlyle:

Kristen Ashton

212-813-4763

Kristen.ashton@carlyle.com

 

For KKR:

Julia Kosygina

212-230-9722

media@kkr.com

 

For Discover Financial: 

Matthew Towson

224-405-5649

matthewtowson@discover.com

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Genstar Capital & TA Partner with AffiniPay Management to Drive Next Chapter of Growth

TA associates

Additional Investment and Resources to Accelerate AffiniPay’s Expansion and Growth in Practice Management Software and Embedded Financial Services

SAN FRANCISCO and BOSTON – Genstar Capital (“Genstar”) and TA Associates (“TA”) announced today that the parties have entered into an agreement for Genstar to make a significant investment in AffiniPay, a leading provider of practice management software, integrated payments and embedded fintech for professionals across the legal, accounting, and professional services end markets. TA has been an investor in AffiniPay since 2020 and will continue to retain a meaningful stake in the company. Upon completion of the transaction, funds advised by Apax, which currently hold a minority position in AffiniPay, will fully exit their investment.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, AffiniPay has more than 500 employees and serves over 245,000 customers through industry-specific solutions, including: MyCase, CASEpeer, and Docketwise, leading practice management software applications for the legal industry; LawPay, a marquee payments platform for the legal industry; and CPACharge, a leading payments platform for the accounting industry. With this incremental investment, AffiniPay plans to continue its commitment to innovation and excellence by extending its already comprehensive suite of practice management software and embedded fintech solutions.

“We are thrilled for this next chapter with TA and Genstar,” said Dru Armstrong, CEO of AffiniPay. “Since I joined AffiniPay in 2021, we’ve had incredible momentum and it’s been so rewarding to influence how core system of record software combined with financial technology can benefit our customers and push the operations of the legal and accounting industries forward. The support of Genstar and TA will allow us to continue investing in our practice management software and embedded financial services platform for professionals.”

Eli Weiss, Managing Partner of Genstar, commented, “Genstar has a long history of investing in industry-leading vertical software and payments companies. We are excited about AffiniPay’s growth trajectory given its leading market position, commitment to innovation, and, we believe, strong management team. Alongside TA, Genstar looks forward to helping the Company extend its leadership in software and fintech while enabling new avenues of growth, through investments in new products and verticals.”

“Since our investment in 2020, AffiniPay has realized meaningful organic growth and strategically enhanced its offerings, empowering professionals with solutions that increase productivity and reinforcing its position as an industry leader. Genstar’s new investment demonstrates the strength of AffiniPay’s strategy and the continued opportunity that lies ahead. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the AffiniPay management team and collaborating closely with Genstar to further accelerate the Company’s growth journey,” said Roy Burns, Managing Director of TA and Clara Jackson, Director of TA.

Lazard and Raymond James served as financial advisors to AffiniPay and TA. Goodwin Procter LLP, provided legal counsel to TA. Ropes & Gray LLP, provided legal counsel to Genstar.

About AffiniPay
AffiniPay is a market leader in practice management software and online payments for professionals serving legal, accounting, architectural, engineering, and construction firms. AffiniPay has been recognized as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies for 12 years in a row. Each of its brands leads the market it serves with solutions purpose-built by industry including LawPay, MyCase, CASEpeer, Docketwise, CPACharge, and AffiniPay for Associations. AffiniPay’s solutions are trusted by more than 245,000 legal & accounting professionals with more than 150 strategic partnerships and endorsements, including the American Bar Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Visit affinipay.com to learn more.

About Genstar Capital
Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for over 30 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar currently has approximately $49 billion of assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the financial services, industrials, software, and healthcare industries.

About TA
TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more than 560 companies across its five target industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in capital to date and has over 150 investment professionals across offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong.

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Permira to Acquire Majority Position in BioCatch at $1.3bn Valuation

BainCapital

Permira to Acquire Majority Position in BioCatch at $1.3bn Valuation

Permira Growth Opportunities Transaction builds on initial minority investment made in early 2023 to acquire a majority position and support BioCatch’s accelerated growth within online fraud detection and financial crime prevention

New York and Tel Aviv – May 2, 2024 – BioCatch (the “Company”), the global leader in digital fraud detection and financial crime prevention powered by behavioral biometric intelligence, today announced that Permira Growth Opportunities II (the “Fund”), a fund advised by global private equity firm Permira, has agreed to acquire a majority position in the Company. Alongside the Fund’s investment, existing shareholders Sapphire Ventures and Macquarie Capital will also increase their investments in BioCatch. The transaction is expected to accelerate the Company’s global expansion, advance its innovative product roadmap and support its continued overall growth.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Fund will acquire a majority stake in BioCatch, buying out shares primarily from Bain Capital Tech Opportunities and Maverick Ventures, in a secondary transaction valuing the Company at a total enterprise valuation of $1.3bn.

BioCatch was founded in 2011 – at the dawn of a significant consumer shift from branch to online banking – with a mission to fight fraud and keep users safe in online transactions without disrupting user experience. Today, the Company is a leader in behavioral biometric intelligence and advanced fraud detection, leveraging patented artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning technology to analyze a user’s cognitive intent and deliver highly accurate insights as to the legitimacy of their identity, motivations, and behavior. In 2023, the Company expanded its mission to include a proactive approach to fighting financial crime with the launch of predictive, behavior-based mule account detection.

As fraud attacks have become increasingly scaled, sophisticated and complex, BioCatch has experienced significant and sustained momentum. Permira, via its growth equity strategy, completed an initial minority investment in the Company in early 2023, a year that BioCatch ultimately finished with 49% ARR growth, whilst also surpassing the $100 million ARR milestone and attaining EBITDA profitability. Today, BioCatch counts more than 190 financial institutions as customers globally, including over 30 of the world’s largest 100 global banks, who use its solutions to fight fraud, facilitate financial crime prevention and decision intelligence sharing, accelerate digital transformation, and grow the value of customer relationships.

Permira brings a growth mindset to BioCatch’s next chapter, with the ability and network to help the Company expand across Continental Europe, where Permira was first established nearly four decades ago. In addition, Permira is excited to back the Company’s exceptional management team and innovative product roadmap, and is committed to further strengthening BioCatch’s global leadership position both organically and inorganically.

“Permira has backed the theme of cybersecurity for several years, and within this, online fraud detection, customer identity and access management markets have become a clear focus. We have tracked BioCatch with enthusiasm for many years, and now having been a shareholder since early 2023, our conviction in the business, its growth potential, its technology leadership, and its management team continues to grow. We’re excited to become the company’s majority shareholder and look forward to a continued successful partnership with Gadi and the BioCatch team as we seek to further accelerate growth and expansion in the years to come,” said Stefan Dziarski, Partner and Co-Head of Permira Growth Opportunities.

Gadi Mazor, CEO of BioCatch, added: “After building a strong partnership with Permira over the last year, we are delighted to welcome them as majority shareholders. The firm’s impressive experience within technology and cybersecurity, combined with their scale, global network, and our close working relationship, has been invaluable since their initial investment. We’re excited to take BioCatch to the next level together. I’d also like to thank Matthew Kinsella from Maverick Ventures and Dewey Awad from Bain Capital for their support over the last four years, which has been key in helping us establish our leadership position in the market.”

“We have had the privilege of partnering with BioCatch over the past four years and worked closely with Gadi and the BioCatch team to develop a long-term strategy to realize the business’s growth potential,” said Dewey Awad, a Partner at Bain Capital. “Together, we drove several key initiatives aimed at augmenting BioCatch’s go-to-market strategy, team, and operations, all with the goal of protecting end-users and their most sensitive transactions. We believe the company is well-positioned to continue its growth journey under Gadi’s leadership and with Permira’s support.”

“At Permira, we are looking to back product-led businesses operating in structurally growing end markets and that have management teams with the ambition to scale and grow their business. We found all of that in BioCatch and were grateful to have the opportunity to make an initial investment in 2023. After a successful first year, we are delighted to take a majority stake in the business as it continues to grow at scale. With the full extent of Permira’s resources and experience at its disposal, we’re excited for what’s to come at BioCatch,” commented Ran Maidan, Senior Adviser and Head of Permira in Israel.

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About BioCatch

BioCatch stands at the forefront of digital fraud detection, pioneering behavioral biometric intelligence grounded in advanced cognitive science and machine learning. BioCatch analyzes thousands of user interactions to support a digital banking environment where identity, trust, and ease coexist. Today, more than 30 of the world’s largest 100 banks and more than 190 total financial institutions rely on BioCatch Connect™ to combat fraud, facilitate digital transformation, and grow customer relationships.

BioCatch’s Client Innovation Board, an industry-led initiative featuring American Express, Barclays, Citi Ventures, HSBC, and National Australia Bank, collaborates to pioneer creative and innovative ways to leverage customer relationships for fraud prevention. With more than a decade of data analysis, 90 registered patents, and unmatched expertise, BioCatch continues to lead innovation to address future challenges. For more information, visit www.biocatch.com.

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Coupa and Bottomline Partner to Optimize and Streamline Payments

Thomabravo

Coupa Pay customers can now pay suppliers via Premium ACH on Bottomline’s Paymode-X Business Payments Network

LAS VEGAS, NV and Portsmouth, NH—Coupa, the margin multiplier company, and Bottomline, a global leader in business payments, announced a strategic partnership to simplify digital payment processes for businesses. Coupa can now connect to Paymode-X, Bottomline’s business payments network that offers Premium ACH, to automate payments from buyers to suppliers.

Coupa Pay offers a single platform for managing all business payments across different countries and currencies. By utilizing the Premium ACH offering, customers will further optimize their payment stack, enhance payment security, receive more payment rebates, and improve their overall source-to-pay experience. Premium ACH is a powerful extension of the Coupa platform and requires no data or technology integration, or additional storage.

Leveraging the Paymode-X network’s leading fraud prevention capabilities, Coupa Pay will be able to offer enhanced security for payments made to suppliers who prefer to accept Premium ACH as a payment method.

With Premium ACH, suppliers receive enhanced data and reconciliation information, as well as rich reporting, and can lower their cost of payment acceptance. Providing this important data and reconciliation, Premium ACH helps strengthen relationships between payers and their suppliers.

“We are delighted to partner with a leader in source-to-pay (S2P) to modernize and fully digitize payment processes between buyers and suppliers. By integrating Paymode-X with Coupa Pay, payments are simplified for buyers and suppliers,” said Jeff Feuerstein, SVP Commercial & Payment Product Management, Paymode-X at Bottomline. “Coupa customers can unlock more value by paying suppliers using Premium ACH, which continues to drive increased value for members of the Paymode-X network.”

“Businesses today are all striving to deliver greater results with more efficiency. This partnership with Coupa and Bottomline optimizes payment processes and drives business results at scale. By automating the entire payment lifecycle through Bottomline’s secure payments network, businesses also benefit from stronger supplier relationships by improving payment timeliness and providing better data visibility,” said Bill Wardwell, General Manager of Coupa Pay and Treasury.

The partnership is the first launched through Bottomline’s network-as-a-service solution, announced last October. The new offering opens the Paymode-X network’s 550,000+ authenticated suppliers and the network’s proprietary Premium ACH payment type to Coupa Pay customers. Coupa Pay with Paymode-X will be generally available in May.

About Bottomline
Bottomline helps businesses transform the way they pay and get paid. A global leader in business payments and cash management, Bottomline’s secure, comprehensive solutions modernize payments for businesses and financial institutions globally. With over 30 years of experience, moving more than $10 trillion in payments annually, Bottomline is committed to driving impactful results for customers by reimagining business payments and delivering solutions that add to the bottom line. Bottomline is a portfolio company of Thoma Bravo, one of the largest software private equity firms in the world, with more than $130 billion in assets under management. For more information, visit www.bottomline.com. Bottomline and the Bottomline logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bottomline Technologies, Inc.

About Coupa
Coupa® makes margins multiply through its community-generated AI and industry leading total spend management platform for businesses large and small. Coupa AI is informed by trillions of dollars of direct and indirect spend data across a global network of 10M+ buyers and suppliers. We empower you with the ability to predict, prescribe, and automate smarter, more profitable business decisions to improve operating margins. Coupa is the margin multiplier company™. Learn more at coupa.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Read the release on the Coupa website here and on the Bottomline website here.

 

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TA-backed Fincare Small Finance Bank Merges with AU Small Finance Bank

TA associates

The merger creates a pan-Indian retail banking franchise focused on financial inclusion

April 18, 2024 – TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, is pleased to announce that Fincare Small Finance Bank Limited (“Fincare SFB”) has merged with and into AU Small Finance Bank Limited (“AU SFB”), effective 1st April 2024. The merger marks a significant milestone for Fincare SFB and the Indian banking sector, creating a pan-Indian retail banking franchise committed to promoting financial inclusion. TA first partnered with Fincare in 2017 and will remain a shareholder in the combined AU SFB group.

Fincare SFB caters to the banking needs of micro enterprises enabling their financial inclusion, while also providing innovative banking services along with digital solutions to metro and urban customers across Southern and Western India. AU SFB is the largest Small Finance Bank in India and is a Fortune India 500 company. Following the transaction, the combined entity will serve more than 10 million customers, with over 43,500 employees and a network of over 2,350 physical touchpoints across 25 states and union territories.

In addition to expanding resources and geographic reach, the merger will significantly strengthen and diversify the combined entity’s product portfolio. Post-merger, all 5.9 million customers of Fincare SFB will be able to experience and enjoy the best-in-class digital services and flagship products of AU SFB including its offerings like credit cards, QR code and video banking. Additionally, Fincare SFB’s rural, inclusion-focused microfinance, mortgages and gold loan businesses will bolster AU SFB’s financial inclusion charter.

“Over the last seven years, we have supported the Fincare SFB team as they have successfully scaled and delivered on their mission of providing rural and semi-urban communities with essential financial services,” said Dhiraj Poddar, Managing Director and India Country Head at TA. “This transformative merger with AU SFB, which has a complementary geographic footprint, product portfolio and importantly, a shared ambition to redefine banking excellence in India, marks an exciting new chapter for the business. We look forward to supporting the combined group as it continues to create a more inclusive banking ecosystem.”

As part of this merger, Mr. Rajeev Yadav, former MD & CEO of Fincare SFB, has been designated as the Deputy CEO of AU SFB and shall continue to lead all key asset businesses of Fincare SFB, now housed within the Fincare Unit at AU SFB.

“This is a defining milestone in our journey towards facilitating financial inclusion in India,” added Mr. Rajeev Yadav. “By joining with AU SFB’s strong franchise, we are confident in building a world-class bank with a robust balance sheet and a truly national franchise.”

About TA
TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more than 560 companies across its five target industries—technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in capital to date and has over 150 investment professionals across offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com.

About AU Small Finance Bank
AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU SFB) is a scheduled commercial bank and has established itself as the largest SFB in India since starting its banking journey in April 2017. Established in 1996 by Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, a first-generation entrepreneur, AU SFB boasts of a 28 years-legacy with deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets and customer segments. The Bank operates a sustainable business model that facilitates credit to the unserved and underserved retail and MSME customer segments while providing complete banking solutions to its deposit and branch banking customers. As a tech-led Bank, AU has a strong digital presence with innovative products and services like 24×7 video banking, credit card, personal loan, UPI QRs, payments, merchant lending, WhatsApp Banking, Chatbot etc. and its digital bank application AU0101 remains among the highest rated banking apps in India.

The Bank operates from 1,049 banking touchpoints across 21 States & 3 Union Territories serving 46.8 Lac customers with an employee base of 28,904 employees. As on 31st Dec’23, the Bank has a net worth of ₹12,167 Crore, deposit base of ₹80,120 Crore, Gross Advance of ₹67,624 Crore and a Balance sheet size of ₹1,01,176 Crore. AU SFB enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed at both NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained high external credit Rating and is presently rated ‘AA/Stable’ by CRISIL, CARE Ratings and India Ratings, while the Bank’s FD is rated ‘AA+/Stable’ from CRISIL Ratings. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.aubank.in.

About Fincare Small Finance Bank
Fincare Small Finance Bank is a ‘digital-first’ small finance bank offering banking services through banking outlets, ATM, WhatsApp, Video Banking, Mobile Banking, Internet Banking and website Chatbots. The bank aims to transform banking through automated processes, instant account opening, and seamless transactions. Powered by technology, on one hand, Fincare Small Finance Bank caters to the banking needs of micro enterprises enabling their financial inclusion, and on the other, provides innovative banking services along with digital solutions to metro and urban customers. The Bank offer a comprehensive suite of financial products and services, ranging from savings account, fixed deposit, loans as well as digital banking solutions, designed to simplify banking and enhance convenience for customers.

Fincare Small Finance Bank commenced banking operations on 21st July 2017 under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. It was included in the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934 published in the Gazette of India dated April 13, 2019. As of December 31, 2023, Fincare Small Finance Bank’s Gross Loan Portfolio amounted to ₹13,352 Crore, while Deposits reached ₹9,734 Crore. The Bank efficiently caters to a customer base exceeding 59 Lakhs+, supported by a robust team of over 14,800 dedicated employees. With a widespread presence, the Bank boasts 1,303 touch points strategically located across 20 states and 3 Union Territories.

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KeyCorp and Blackstone Credit & Insurance Announce Forward Flow Origination Partnership

Blackstone

Partnership demonstrates commitment to providing relationship clients with capital and investing in high-return businesses

CLEVELAND, OH – Today, KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY, “Key”) announced a forward flow origination partnership with Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“Blackstone”) focused on Key’s Specialty Finance Lending (SFL) group. SFL is a leading asset-based lender serving clients nationally across middle market, growth capital, transportation, equipment, and other verticals. In connection with the partnership, Blackstone and Key closed a transaction on a seed portfolio of middle market fund finance facilities. Key will continue to originate, hold, and provide asset management services for new commitments across all sectors.

Randy Paine, Head of Key’s Institutional Bank said, “SFL is a highly successful business that has been organically built over the past 15 years to serve a dynamic and fast-growing client base with increasing financing needs. The partnership with Blackstone, a long-trusted participant in this sector, will accelerate the growth of the business and be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders, especially our clients.”

“Key’s SFL group is a strong franchise with deep relationships with originators,” said Rob Horn, Global Head of Infrastructure and Asset Based Credit at Blackstone. “We are pleased to have closed this initial transaction and look forward to growing the relationship with SFL.”

Advisors
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and KeyBanc Capital Markets served as advisors to KeyBank.

About KeyCorp
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries, and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “outlook,” “goal,” “objective,” “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “project,” “believe,” “estimate” and other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements represent management’s current expectations and forecasts regarding future events. If underlying assumptions prove to be inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties arise, actual results could vary materially from these projections or expectations. Factors that could cause Key’s actual results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in KeyCorp’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as well as in KeyCorp’s subsequent SEC filings, all of which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are available on Key’s website (www.key.com/ir) and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (www.sec.gov). Forward looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Key does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.

Contact
Elana Ferrari for KeyCorp
(412) 222-1476
elana_ferrari@keybank.com

Mariel Seidman-Gati for Blackstone
(646) 482-3712
mariel.seidmangati@blackstone.com

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Barclays and Blackstone Credit & Insurance Agree to Sale of Credit Card Receivables

Blackstone

LONDON and NEW YORK (Feb. 27, 2024) — Barclays PLC (“Barclays”) and Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“Blackstone”) today announced that Barclays Bank Delaware (“BBDE”) has entered into an agreement with insurance accounts managed by Blackstone’s Asset Based Finance group, to sell approximately US$1.1 billion of currently outstanding credit card receivables (the “Transaction”) in relation to a defined set of Barclays-branded credit card accounts in the United States of America (the “Accounts”). This is the first in a series of activities Barclays plans to conduct to reduce its risk-weighted assets (RWAs) and create additional lending capacity for BBDE.

As part of the Transaction, BBDE will enter into a long-term strategic forward flow sale and servicing arrangement with Blackstone related to the Accounts. Blackstone’s investment will be made entirely on behalf of the firm’s insurance clients.

The Transaction remains subject to certain conditions and is expected to fund in Q1 2024.

Under the terms of the Transaction, BBDE will retain legal title in respect of the Accounts and BBDE will continue to service the Accounts for a fee. Barclays Bank PLC will invest into the Transaction alongside Blackstone’s insurance accounts.

The Transaction is expected to release approximately GBP£1.0 billion of RWAs on a post internal ratings-based (IRB) approach basis at the Barclays Group consolidated level(1). BBDE intends to use the proceeds of the sale to fund its lending activities.

Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its Investment Bank, served as exclusive structuring advisor to Blackstone in the transaction, to which it also served as risk retainer and liquidity facility provider.

Anna Cross, Group Finance Director at Barclays, said: “During our Investor Update, we said that we would leverage strategic partnerships to execute risk transfer agreements to reduce capital requirements. I am delighted to announce this first agreement in our US cards book.”

“We’re pleased to partner with an industry leader like Blackstone on this transaction that will help fund lending activities and support the long-term growth ambitions for our US Consumer Bank,” said Denny Nealon, CEO of Barclays US Consumer Bank and BBDE. “BBDE will continue to service the accounts, providing cardmembers with the high-level of service they have come to expect.”

Robert Horn, Global Head of Infrastructure & Asset Based Credit at Blackstone, said: “This collaboration demonstrates how we are supporting leading financial institutions with large-scale, long-term, efficient capital solutions in the asset based finance markets. Barclays has a premiere franchise in structured products and consumer banking and we look forward to working with them in the coming years to grow the partnership.”

(1) Subject to notification to and possible review by the Prudential Regulation Authority; the term “Barclays Group” refers to Barclays PLC together with its subsidiaries.

About Barclays
Our vision is to be the UK-centred leader in global finance. We are a diversified bank with comprehensive UK consumer, corporate and wealth and private banking franchises, a leading investment bank and a strong, specialist US consumer bank. Through these five divisions, we are working together for a better financial future for our customers, clients and communities. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the Barclays Group. Barclays cautions readers that no forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance and that actual results or other financial condition or performance measures could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘seek’, ‘continue’, ‘aim’, ‘anticipate’, ‘target’, ‘projected’, ‘expect’, ‘estimate’, ‘intend’, ‘plan’, ‘goal’, ‘believe’, ‘achieve’ or other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of Barclays’ directors, officers and employees and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. In setting its targets and outlook for the period 2024-2026, Barclays has made certain assumptions about the macro-economic environment, including, without limitation, inflation, interest and unemployment rates, the different markets and competitive conditions in which Barclays operates, and its ability to grow certain businesses and achieve costs savings and other structural actions. Additional risks and factors which may impact the Barclays Group’s future financial condition and performance are identified in Barclays PLC’s filings with the US Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (including, without limitation, Barclays PLC’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended 31 December 2023 which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov). Subject to Barclays’ obligations under the applicable laws and regulations of any relevant jurisdiction (including, without limitation, the UK and the US), in relation to disclosure and ongoing information, Barclays undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For further information, please contact:

Barclays
Marina Shchukina, Investor Relations
+44 (0)7385 14 2673
Jon Tracey, Media Relations (U.K.)
+44 (0)7552 21 4868
Matthew Fields, Media Relations (U.S.)
+1 302 255 7807
Matthew.Fields@barclays.com

Blackstone
Kate Holderness
+1 917 318 6818

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Nordic Capital acquires Zafin, a leading provider of SaaS Core Modernization and Transformation solutions

Nordic Capital
  • Investment made in partnership with Zafin’s founders and management, with the intention to accelerate the Company’s growth and product / platform roadmap
  • As a leading technology investor, Nordic Capital will leverage its expertise, experience and resources to further support Zafin’s commitment to simplify bank core modernization and create tangible business results for banks globally

 

Nordic Capital has signed an agreement to acquire a majority share in Zafin, a leading provider of SaaS core modernization and transformation solutions for financial institutions around the world. The investment is made in close partnership with Zafin’s founders and management, who will reinvest in the company alongside Nordic Capital.

Zafin is recognized as an industry leader for its innovative approach to bank core modernization. Zafin’s core SaaS platform extracts product and pricing from multiple core systems, enabling users to work collaboratively to design and manage relationship pricing, products, and packages, including personalized propositions. The platform allows banks to dynamically respond to changing customer and market needs across their entire bank core system footprint, all while ensuring regulatory compliance, transparency, and operational control. As a result of these benefits, such as faster time to market, increased revenue opportunities, lower operating costs, and reduced operational risks, Zafin is recognized as a preferred partner for banks globally. Zafin is a global organization serving a diverse base of customers including Wells Fargo, US Bank, HSBC, Truist, ING, CIBC, PNC, and ANZ.

Al Karim Somji, CEO, Zafin, said: “This partnership is an absolute game-changer for the Zafin team and our customers. We have been powering the modernization and transformation of banks and future-proofing their banking technology investments for years. With Nordic Capital’s scale, technology expertise, and deep market understanding, this partnership enables us to become a global leader in banking technology solutions.”

Mohit Agnihotri, Partner Nordic Capital Advisors, said: “Nordic Capital has been a keen observer of bank IT modernization efforts and has been highly impressed with Zafin’s innovative approach to helping its customers react to a constantly changing business landscape. The Company’s exceptional track record of success and resoundingly positive customer feedback are a testament to the entire Zafin team and product they have built. We firmly believe that Zafin will emerge as a gold standard in bank IT modernization efforts. Nordic Capital looks forward to partnering with Zafin management on the next phase of the company’s growth, including leveraging our seasoned inhouse operational team, deep expertise and expansive relationships in the sector.”

Nordic Capital has over 30 years of experience accelerating the growth of innovative technology companies. As a leading specialized technology investor globally, Nordic Capital has to date made 29 technology investments with an aggregate enterprise value of close to EUR 24 bn.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the transaction is expected during Q1 2024 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Zafin and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP served as legal counsel to Zafin.

 

Media contacts:

Nordic Capital
Katarina Janerud
Communications Manager, Nordic Capital Advisors
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com

Zafin
Uproar PR for Zafin
Matt Greenfield
mgreenfield@uproarpr.com

Bhavna Wadhwa
SVP, Global Marketing, Zafin
Tel: +1 289 962 0491
e-mail: bhavna.wadhwa@zafin.com

 

About Zafin

Founded in 2002, Zafin offers a SaaS product and pricing platform that simplifies core modernization for top banks worldwide. Its platform enables business users to work collaboratively to design and manage pricing, products, and packages, while technologists streamline core banking systems. With Zafin, banks accelerate time to market for new products and offers while lowering the cost of change and achieving tangible business and risk outcomes. The Zafin platform increases business agility while enabling personalized pricing and dynamic responses to evolving customer and market needs. Zafin is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with offices and customers around the globe, including ING, CIBC, HSBC, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Truist, PNC, and ANZ. For further information about Zafin, please visit www.zafin.com.

 

About Nordic Capital

Nordic Capital is a leading sector-specialist private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and Industrial & Business Services. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 23 billion in 140 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital XI with EUR 9.0 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and South Korea. For further information about Nordic Capital, please visit www.nordiccapital.com.

“Nordic Capital” refers to, depending on the context, any, or all, Nordic Capital branded entities, vehicles, structures, and associated entities. The general partners and/or delegated portfolio managers of Nordic Capital’s entities and vehicles are advised by several non-discretionary sub-advisory entities, any or all of which are referred to as “Nordic Capital Advisors”.

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Blackstone Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Sony Payment Services, Broadening its Japan Private Equity Portfolio

Blackstone

TOKYO – December 22, 2023 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that Private Equity funds managed by Blackstone have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Sony Payment Services Inc. (SPSV), one of Japan’s leading payment service providers, from Sony Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group. Sony Bank will roll over a certain portion of its equity and will continue to support the growth of SPSV as a minority investor. This marks Blackstone’s first investment in the financial technology sector in Japan.

Sony Group established its payment service business in 1995, which became a standalone company in 2006. Today, SPSV is one of the top payment service providers in Japan, offering high-speed and secure infrastructure for customers and businesses to process online payments.

Steve Schwarzman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Blackstone, said: “Sony has been a longstanding partner to Blackstone. Our partnership goes all the way back to Blackstone’s founding nearly four decades ago – we started out as a boutique M&A firm, and Sony was one of our earliest clients. We are proud to once again partner with a leading corporation in Japan and deepen our presence in the country, a key market for Blackstone where we’ve cultivated valuable relationships based on trust and shared success.”

Atsuhiko Sakamoto, Head of Private Equity, Blackstone Japan, said: “We are thrilled to invest in SPSV, one of Japan’s leading payment services providers and a well-established financial technology company, and expand our Japan Private Equity portfolio in “good neighborhoods” – sectors with strong secular growth. Digitization of the economy is a key trend around the world including Japan, and SPSV is exceptionally positioned to benefit with its sophisticated technology and robust customer base. We’re committed to bringing our operational and technology expertise and scale to support SPSV’s growth.”

Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman and CEO, Sony Group, said: “For the past 30 years, SPSV has led Japan’s cashless evolution, making payments safe and secure for customers. We believe Blackstone, a long-standing partner of Sony Group, can help continue the legacy that SPSV has formed and support its next phase of growth.”

Keiji Minami, President & Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, Sony Bank, said: “SPSV has seen steady growth and gained the trust of customers by providing high-quality service. With the accelerated shift towards cashless payments and increasing diversification in payment types, it’s more important than ever to adapt to new trends with greater speed. We believe that Blackstone is the best partner, bringing a global perspective and its expertise and network in the payment business.”

Hidehiko Nakamura, President & Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, Sony Payment Services, said: “SPSV has solidified a healthy market position and earned the trust of customers as a high-quality payment service provider. We believe this partnership with Blackstone will boost SPSV’s capabilities through investments in IT and talent to help accelerate its growth journey, particularly at an exciting time of growth for the electronic payment industry in Japan.”

Japan is the fourth largest electronic card payment market in the world with a market penetration of 9.1%, representing significant room for growth. SPSV is supported by Japan’s JPY 22.7 trillion e-commerce market and the rapid uptake of cashless payments around the world.

Blackstone’s Private Equity investments in Japan include the acquisition of Alinamin Pharmaceutical (formerly Takeda Consumer Healthcare) in the largest healthcare transaction in the market ever and AYUMI Pharmaceutical.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors. We do this by relying on extraordinary people and flexible capital to help strengthen the companies we invest in. Our over $1 trillion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, 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 LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Media Contact
Ellen Bogard
+852 3651 7737
Ellen.Bogard@Blackstone.com

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Licensed-Fintech QI Tech Raises $200M Series B Led By General Atlantic, With Participation From Across Capital

General Atlantic

With the goal of decentralizing credit from major banks, the fintech is pursuing strategic acquisitions and continued growth

São Paulo – October 31, 2023 – QI Tech, the first Direct Credit Company (SCD) approved by the Brazilian Central Bank, today announced an investment of US$200 million (R$1 billion) in a Series B round led by General Atlantic, a leading global investor, with participation from existing investor Across Capital, which is doubling its initial investment in the company. QI Tech plans to leverage the new capital to further expand its leading product position and explore strategic M&A opportunities.

Founded in 2018 by Pedro Mac Dowell, Marcelo Bentivoglio, and Marcelo Buosi, QI Tech is transforming the credit market by simplifying the loan process, with a mission to decentralize credit away from major banks. QI Tech offers a comprehensive set of APIs that allows any business to offer financial products to its customers. The company’s “one-stop-shop” solution provides digital registration tools, data validation, credit scoring, digital account opening, wire transfers, Pix, bank slips, and credit underwriting for various sectors of the economy. To complete the range of services offered, QI Tech also holds a brokerage license (DTVM), used to structure, administer, and safeguard investment funds in credit rights (FIDC). The fintech holds a top-tier Fitch rating of A+ (bra).

“This new partnership lays the foundation for the size of the opportunity we are pursuing. We plan to use the new capital to strengthen our leadership position in Brazil, keeping an eye on potential local opportunities and executing an aggressive growth strategy for each business unit,” continued Pedro Mac Dowell, founder and CEO of QI Tech.

In 2021, after two years of operation, QI Tech raised a Series A round of US$50 million (R$270 million at the time), led by the Sovereign Investment Fund of Singapore (GIC). The company has been profitable since its first year of operation.

“QI Tech is a unique company; we have cutting-edge technology, solid fundamentals, and an experienced, ambitious team operating in a high-performance culture. We do everything with purpose, ensuring that our clients receive the highest level of support and our community gets the best product,” said Marcelo Bentivoglio, co-founder and CFO of QI Tech.

Luiz Ribeiro, Managing Director and Co-Head of the Brazil office at General Atlantic, added, “We have tracked QI Tech for several years and are impressed by the vision of the leadership team. By building native connectivity with the national financial system, as well as through a modular API, QI Tech has enabled the development of credit, payment, and banking solutions for a range of asset managers, corporates, and fintechs. As digital payments and credit adoption in Brazil continues to accelerate, QI Tech is capturing an exciting opportunity to power high-quality financial infrastructure for their customers. We look forward to supporting the company in its continued expansion.”

“In a world where fintechs continue to proliferate and companies want to offer financial solutions to their end customers, we create opportunities for these businesses to offer a complete range of financial products, increasing engagement with their customers and also creating new revenue streams,” Mac Dowell added.

QI Tech engaged J.P. Morgan as its leading placement agent, Vinci Partners as its financial advisor, and Freitas e Leite Advogados as its legal counsel.

About QI Tech

QI Tech is a one-stop-shop platform for financial, credit, banking, and anti-fraud services. With both SCD and DTVM licenses granted by the Brazilian Central Bank, it provides all the technological infrastructure for its clients and partners to monetize and engage their ecosystem of stakeholders. The company combines an intelligent platform with all regulatory compliance, so its clients can offer payment and credit services securely and in a way that best fits their business model.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global investor with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 500 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and deliver lasting impact, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to scale innovative businesses around the world. General Atlantic has more than $77 billion in assets under management inclusive of all products as of September 30, 2023, and more than 220 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, Munich, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Stamford and Tel Aviv. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit: www.generalatlantic.com.

Media Contacts

Emily Japlon
General Atlanticmedia@generalatlantic.com

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