DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), a leading global independent infrastructure investment fund manager, through its fund DIF Infrastructure IV, together with EDF INVEST, are pleased to announce an agreement to sell their joint 100% ownership stake in Thyssengas Holding GmbH (“Thyssengas”), one of the largest German gas Transmission System Operators (“TSO”), to Macquarie Asset Management (“MAM”), via its fund Macquarie Super Core Infrastructure Fund SCSp (“MSCIF”).
Thyssengas is Germany’s second largest gas TSO, headquartered in Dortmund. Using its 4,400-kilometre-long underground transmission system, the company annually transports around six billion cubic metres of natural gas – one-tenth of Germany’s entire consumption. The gas is delivered to more than 1,000 exit points leading to subsequent networks, industrial customers and power stations.
During DIF’s and EDF INVEST’s joint ownership, Thyssengas has seen significant RAB growth and has developed a sizable future capex project pipeline with more than €500 million of planned projects from 2021 to 2027. One of the largest expansion projects during DIF’s and EDF INVEST’s joint ownership of the company has been “ZEELINK”, a pipeline construction project at the German-Belgian border which was commissioned in May 2021, owned together by Thyssengas and Open Grid Europe (OGE) via a joint venture. Despite significant expansion of the grid, the company has managed to maintain a highly reliable network and an outstanding HSE track record. The implementation of a new digital management system for maintenance processes further helped management to deliver operational efficiencies.
Thyssengas is an industry thought leader and works at the forefront of innovation in the TSO space. In particular, the company is a frontrunner for the rollout of hydrogen in Germany and is actively engaged in hydrogen-related initiatives.
The transaction is expected to be finalised in Q1 2022, subject to customary merger control clearance and foreign investment approval requirements.
RBC Capital Markets served as DIF’s and EDF INVEST’s financial advisor, and Linklaters provided legal advice. Furthermore, DIF and EDF INVEST were supported by Ernst & Young, AFRY Management Consulting, and Willis Towers Watson.
About Thyssengas
Thyssengas is one of 16 German gas TSOs. Founded in 1921, when its predecessor company built the first gas transmission system in Germany, Thyssengas can look back on a 100-year history, during which it has developed great expertise. Thyssengas currently employs an engaged and motivated team of around 390 employees, across seven locations in Northern Germany. As a TSO, Thyssengas is certified as an Independent Transmission Operator (ITO) by Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), the German Federal Network Agency.
About DIF Capital Partners
DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with more than €9.0 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australasia through two complementary strategies:
Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure Fund VI is the latest vintage, target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy, and transportation sectors.
DIF supports the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in-line with global efforts as a result of the Paris Agreement to have net zero emissions by 2050, or sooner.
DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 170 professionals, based in ten offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.
The partnership between Hellman & Friedman and EQT Private Equity now provides zooplus shareholders with higher transaction certainty on improved economic terms, and will allow zooplus to benefit from the “best of both” investors in support of its growth strategy.
25 October 2021 – London & Munich –Today, Hellman & Friedman LLC (“Hellman & Friedman” or “H&F”) and the EQT IX fund (“EQT Private Equity”) have announced a partnership to finance Zorro Bidco S.à r.l.’s (“Zorro Bidco”) voluntary public takeover offer (the “ZorroOffer”) for all outstanding shares of zooplus AG (“zooplus” or the “Company”), at an increased and final cash consideration of EUR 480 per zooplus share (the “Increased Offer”).
On 13 August 2021, Zorro Bidco, a holding company currently controlled by funds advised by H&F, announced its intention to launch a voluntary public takeover offer for zooplus, and most recently on 7 October 2021 it further increased the cash consideration offered to the zooplus shareholders from EUR 460 to EUR 470 per zooplus share. In doing so, Zorro Bidco matched the competing takeover offer published on 6 October 2021 (the “Pet Offer”) by Pet Bidco GmbH (the “Pet Bidco”), an investment vehicle indirectly held by EQT Private Equity.
With support of its partner EQT Private Equity, H&F has decided today to again increase the cash consideration under the Zorro Offer and to present the Increased Offer as a final proposal to zooplus shareholders.
The Increased Offer remains subject to reaching a minimum acceptance threshold of 50 percent plus one zooplus share and other customary conditions as set out in the offer document dated 14 September 2021. zooplus shareholders are reminded that Zorro Bidco has already obtained all regulatory clearances necessary for the Increased Offer to become wholly unconditional when the minimum acceptance threshold is reached.
EQT Private Equity plans, subject to required regulatory approvals and other conditions, to become a jointly controlling partner with equal governance rights in a parent of Zorro Bidco following settlement of the Increased Offer.
Zorro Bidco is focused on delivering the offer consideration to zooplus shareholders at the earliest opportunity and has therefore effected today an increase of the cash consideration under the Zorro Offer through the purchase of zooplus shares at a price of EUR 480 by an affiliate of Zorro Bidco. This will have no effect on the existing timeline of the Increased Offer, and in particular, does not affect the acceptance period deadline of 3 November 2021. On that basis, settlement of the Increased Offer is expected to take place by mid-November 2021.
The cash consideration under the Increased Offer of EUR 480 per share now constitutes a premium of 85 percent to the three-month volume weighted average share price of zooplus prior to the initial announcement of the Zorro Offer on 13 August 2021.
Pet Bidco does not intend to increase or otherwise amend the Pet Offer which is therefore expected to lapse in accordance with its terms.
The irrevocable tender commitments which Zorro Bidco has concluded with zooplus shareholders for approximately 17 percent of the share capital of zooplus remain binding on the relevant shareholders, who have already tendered the relevant shares to the Zorro Offer.
As already explained in the offer document for the Zorro Offer, Zorro Bidco intends to pursue a delisting of zooplus in case of a successful completion of the Zorro Offer.
Stefan Goetz, Partner of Hellman & Friedman, and Johannes Reichel, Partner and Head of EQT Private Equity’s Advisory Team in Germany, jointly said: “With this step we have found a solution to resolve the current deadlock in the tender process and enable the continued pursuit of the investment. The improved offer with a very attractive price provides the highest degree of transaction security to the benefit of all stakeholders of zooplus. H&F and EQT Private Equity are both excited to partner and to support the future development of the Company.”
Both the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of zooplus have welcomed the Increased Offer and intend to support it. The zooplus boards recognize that the Increased Offer provides zooplus shareholders with a clear resolution for a successful completion of the takeover process and thus enhanced transaction certainty. In addition, zooplus shareholders will receive a compelling value, with a premium of EUR 10 per zooplus share to the most recently recommended Zorro Bidco offer.
“With this offer by H&F in partnership with EQT, our shareholders now have the clarity and ability to take an informed tender decision and realize a remarkable 85% premium. Given the significant value creation for our shareholders, the complementary expertise of both partners as well as their financial and strategic commitments to the company and its stakeholders, we as the Management Board – together with the Supervisory Board – confirm our recommendation to our shareholders to accept Zorro Bidco’s offer”, said Dr. Cornelius Patt, CEO of zooplus.
Both H&F and EQT have been partners of choice for many European entrepreneurs and their companies. Access to the extensive experiences of both partners across sectors including internet, consumer, retail and pet care will be very beneficial for the future development of zooplus and will enable a long-term value creation.
About Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman is a preeminent global private equity firm with a distinctive investment approach focused on large-scale equity investments in high quality growth businesses. H&F seeks to partner with world-class management teams where its deep sector expertise, long-term orientation and collaborative partnership approach enable companies to flourish. H&F targets outstanding businesses in select sectors including software & technology, financial services, healthcare, consumer & retail, and other business services. The firm is currently investing its tenth fund, with over $24 billion of committed capital, and has over $80 billion in assets under management and committed capital.
Learn more about H&F’s defining investment philosophy and approach to sustainable outcomes at www.hf.com.
About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with more than EUR 70 billion in assets under management across 27 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas with total sales of approximately EUR 29 billion and more than 175,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.
Carbon Re, a climate tech startup, raises £1m in seed funding from the Clean Growth Fund, UCL Technology Fund and Cambridge Enterprise Fund to accelerate the development of AI technology to help the global cement industry, and other energy intensive industries reach net zero.
Energy intensive industries such as cement and steel are responsible for more than 20% of all global emissions.
Carbon Re’s cloud-based platform, Delta Zero, utilises powerful AI tools to achieve operational efficiencies in energy intensive industries, such as cement production, reducing operational costs and carbon emissions to otherwise unachievable levels. Delta Zero enables immediate reductions in energy consumption, cost and carbon emissions, with no capital expenditure.
Carbon Re is currently running pilot projects at cement plants in the EU, Turkey, India, Thailand and Vietnam and studies indicate that the Delta Zero platform could save a single cement plant US$2.3– 5.9 million per annum and a 20% cut in CO₂ emissions from fuel.
Carbon Re technology is based on world-leading research from UCL and Cambridge University, and aims to become the leading global AI company delivering industrial decarbonization. The investment will support the commercialisation of Carbon Re’s work, which originally started at UCL’s Energy Institute and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing.
Currently the cement industry is Carbon Re’s primary focus area but the company plans to expand into other energy intensive industries, including steel and glass, over the next 12-18 months.
The Hague, 6 October 2021 – Main Capital Partners (“Main”), a leading European software investor, is pleased to announce the successful completion of capital raises for two new funds, raising €1.21 billion in total. Following the launch of Main Capital VII and Main Foundation I, Main’s total assets under management (“AUM”) have more than doubled to approximately €2.2 billion. Main will deploy these funds to further grow and develop strong European software groups in multiple market segments, targeting local buy-and-build strategies as well as cross-border growth.
Charly Zwemstra, Chief Executive Officer of Main Capital, commented: “We aim to play a key role in the consolidation of the fragmented software market by building leading European software groups, executing strong, fit for purpose business models that drive sustainable growth.”
Source: Main Capital Partners
In terms of recent track record, Main has completed 75 software acquisitions in the Benelux and DACH regions as well as across the Nordics over the past 5 years, proving the scalability and achievability of its market leading strategic approach. Main has been the most active software specific investor for these geographies in this period, according to private equity database Preqin.
Autonomous growth combined with local and cross-border buy-and-build
Main currently manages a portfolio of 29 software groups, covering a wide range of differentiated markets. Strategically, Main combines organic growth with local and cross-border acquisitions.
German RegTech company cleversoft is a good example of the cross-border approach in Main’s portfolio. This company provides Governance, Risk and Compliance (“GRC”) software and has strengthened its leading position in the European GRC-software market with several acquisitions in the Benelux region.
Furthermore, Assessio, an HR-software and AI company, based in Sweden, has claimed a strong foothold in the Dutch market through multiple acquisitions including, HFM Talent Index. Main is also well known for its strong local buy-and-build strategies, as demonstrated by platforms such as King Software (financial software) and SDB Group (healthcare software) in the Netherlands, FOCONIS (RegTech) and MACH AG (GovTech) in Germany as well as Pointsharp (security software) in Sweden.
Significant growth for Main Capital funds Main Capital VI, the previous flagship fund, closed in 2019 at a €564 million hard-cap. Its successor announced today, Main Capital VII has closed at a hard-cap of €1 billion, while the new fund initiative Main Foundation I has closed, in tandem, at its hard-cap of €210 million. As a result of strong interest from both existing relationships as well as the new investors entering the Main structure, both funds were significantly oversubscribed with €1.21 billion at the first and final closing, after a fundraising period of less than four months. The combined target size was initially set at €1 billion.
The pre-existing investor base accounts for more than 60% of the committed capital allocated for the new funds. The other capital secured comes via new relationships with reputable institutions such as pension funds, asset managers, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. According to independent data sources, the financial growth and returns to the investors of Main’s previous funds are consistently among the best in the industry.
With Main Capital VII, Main will continue its existing strategy of building profitable and developed enterprise software groups, through both organic growth and the effective execution of buy-and-build strategies. With its new fund initiative Main Foundation I, Main will target fast-growing enterprise software companies looking for a strategic and financial partner. This new fund is meant for smaller but profitable, high-growth companies operating with strong, modern technology platforms.
About Main Capital Partners
Main Capital Partners is a strategic investor with an exclusive focus on enterprise software companies. Main has almost 20 years of experience in building strong software groups in the Benelux, the DACH-region and the Nordics. Main specialises in helping management teams within mature and growing software companies achieve sustainable growth by working closely together as a strategic partner. Main has a workforce of 45 employees working from offices in The Hague, Stockholm and Düsseldorf, offering support on a strategic and a pragmatic level. In total, Main has acquired or invested in more than 100 software companies to date and has realised 17 strategic scenarios for divestment of software groups. As of October 2021, Main Capital has approximately €2.2 billion assets under management and currently manages a portfolio of 29 platform companies, creating employment for approximately 4,000 people.
Chicago — October 5, 2021 — Hologram, a global cellular platform for IoT connectivity and an Espresso Capital portfolio company, has raised a $65 million Series B funding round. The round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Bullpen Capital, NextView Ventures, and Mucker Capital.
“Congratulations to the entire Hologram team,” said Espresso Capital Director Mark Gilbert. “This is an incredible milestone for the company and will help fuel Hologram in becoming a category- defining company in the IoT connectivity space.”
In 2020, Espresso extended a credit facility to Hologram to support the company’s continued growth and fund strategic investments to maximize that growth.
“Espresso Capital was able to offer us financing solutions to help us ambitiously pursue our growth and new equity funding at the same time,” said Ben Forgan, CEO and co-founder of Hologram. “Following our Series B raise, we’re planning to triple our team and we’ll continue our remote-first culture.”
Existing investors include Drive Capital, Capital Midwest Fund, Mucker Capital, and Bullpen Capital.
About Espresso Capital
Espresso empowers companies with innovative venture debt solutions. Since 2009, we’ve helped more than 300 technology companies and their investors accelerate growth, extend runway, and increase strategic flexibility with non-dilutive capital. Learn more at www.espressocapital.com.
Market Pay, the European and omni-channel payment platform, today announces the acquisition of Dejamobile, a French fintech leader in mobile and connected equipment payment solutions.
Dejamobile becomes a subsidiary of Market Pay
Dejamobile develops digital transaction software solutions targeting the payment, transport and retail industries. Its white-labelled solutions are marketed globally to merchants, banks, fintechs and merchant service providers. Certified according to market standards, Dejamobile solutions enable them to offer innovative and certified digital payment solutions based on the latest technologies (NFC, HCE, Token, QR Code).
Market Pay and Dejamobile have already successfully partnered pre acquisition by developing PayWishâ, an innovative service for mobile purchasing experiences through a contactless payment application on Android smartphones and tablets.
This investment allows Market Pay to onboard integrate a leading, mobile transaction technology offering with substantial adoption potential, to further strengthen Market Pay’s international footprint in the payments industry.
Dejamobile’s market leading expertise in both digital and contactless payments complements the full range of in-store and e-commerce payment services already offered by Market Pay. The Dejamobile team, made up of developers and engineers, will support and strengthen Market Pay’s R&D teams.
This deal is the second acquisition for Market Pay this month, following the acquisition of the Acoustic Payment platform. These developments represent part of an ambitious growth plan for Market Pay following AnaCap’s acquisition of a majority stake in April 2021.
Houssem Assadi, CEO and co-founder of Dejamobile, commented:
“Dejamobile’s founders and employees are excited to join Market Pay to build a leading fintech on an international scale. The range of innovative solutions developed by Dejamobile since 2012, as well as its ecosystem of customers and partners, provides Market Pay with new assets in its ambitious development project. The synergy created by the integration of Dejamobile within Market Pay will accelerate Market Pay’s rate of development and will benefit all our customers and partners.”
Frédéric Mazurier, CEO of Market Pay, commented:
“Dejamobile is a strategic acquisition for Market Pay. It strengthens our technological expertise as well as our strategic positioning in our various markets while also accelerating the ability to expand Market Pay’s international footprint. The Dejamobile team, which has already developed innovative solutions partnering with us, will become core to Market Pay’s R&D processes on all mobile payment related activities. Following the Acoustic Payment investment, this additional acquisition further demonstrates our desire to rapidly grow the business and internationalise.”
The recent merger of Xperi, Serac and Asecom is further expanded with INSynQ. Together the four companies form the largest SAP partner for the mid market in the Benelux. With the addition of INSynQ, the group has a leading position in each of the software vendor’s three pillars: SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business ByDesign and SAP Business One. Investor Mentha Capital helps the successful SAP partners realize accelerated growth in Western Europe and enter new markets.
The joining of forces of the four companies is in line with developments in the market and the SAP landscape. The digitization of SMEs requires pragmatic partners that can offer a broad range of solutions and services. The new combination responds to this like no other. In recent years all companies have been awarded multiple times by SAP for their expertise, performance and growth. The new umbrella company name will be announced later this year.
Peter Ouëndag, managing director of INSynQ: “We’re very pleased to join this strong group of companies. There are major similarities in the culture, the people-oriented nature of the company and the strategy. I’m convinced that as a joint organization we can offer a successful future to our employees and serve existing and future customers even better with a strong portfolio.”
More than 200 SAP specialists
The merger of Xperi, Serac, Asecom and INSynQ increases capabilities in the SAP ecosystem and ensures that customers can continue to be supported throughout their whole lifecycle, regardless of the company size or preference for a cloud, managed or hybrid solution. With the inclusion of INSynC the company can respond even better to the growth in the SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Business byDesign domains. The new merged company consists of more than 200 SAP specialists with expertise in various ERP solutions and related applications.
Peter Geelen, managing director of Xperi: “INSynQ is a company we’ve been working with successfully for some time. The open and people-oriented culture fits very well with our working method. The specialist knowledge of the more than 50 consultants of INSynQ in the various areas of SAP S/4 and SAP ByDesign is a great addition and enables us to optimally serve our customers in the middle segment. With this we have realized three mature pillars for the three ERP lines of SAP, so we’re always able to offer our customers the best solution for the best price.”
Fort Worth, TX, New York, NY, and Chicago, IL, October 1, 2021 – Simpli.fi, a leader in programmatic advertising and agency management software, announced today that private equity funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE:BX) (“Blackstone”) have completed the previously announced significant equity investment in the company. Blackstone joins existing investor GTCR, a leading private equity firm, as majority shareholders in the company. The investment, made through Blackstone’s flagship private equity vehicle, values the company at approximately $1.5 billion.
Simpli.fi’s full suite of mission critical workflow and ad buying software enables agencies and media groups to manage their core operations more efficiently, and to execute high ROI omni-channel ad campaigns. Each month, the company’s innovative programmatic advertising platform powers over 120,000 CTV, mobile, and other digital campaigns for 30,000 active advertisers.
“We are thrilled to embark upon this next chapter for Simpli.fi as we welcome Blackstone as a new partner,” said Frost Prioleau, Co-Founder and CEO of Simpli.fi. “Working alongside Blackstone and GTCR, we look forward to driving further product innovation and expansion of our platform, both organically and through our targeted acquisition strategy, in order to better serve the needs of advertising agencies and media buying organizations.”
“As local media spend increasingly moves from linear to digital channels, we are excited to partner with management and GTCR to build upon Simpli.fi’s market leadership in this space,” said Sachin Bavishi, a Managing Director at Blackstone. “We look forward to investing behind Simpli.fi’s rapid growth trajectory as it continues to innovate and serve customers through superior technology and customer service.”
Craig Bondy, a Managing Director at GTCR, and Stephen Master, a Principal at GTCR, added: “Blackstone shares our vision and strong belief in Simpli.fi’s growth potential and, importantly, brings complementary expertise and valuable resources to bear. We look forward to working together to support the company’s continued expansion.”
Evercore, LUMA Partners, and Canaccord Genuity served as financial advisors, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Simpli.fi and GTCR. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to Blackstone.
About Simpli.fi Simpli.fi is a leading provider of workflow software and programmatic advertising solutions, serving over 1,400 agencies, advertisers, and media buying organizations. Our solutions enable our customers to perform more effectively and efficiently, and to maximize ROI on their advertising spend across CTV, mobile, display, and other media types. Our platform delivers performance on budgets of all sizes, executing over 120,000 campaigns for 30,000 advertisers in a typical month. For more information please visit our website at www.simpli.fi
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, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $684 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, 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 Twitter @Blackstone.
About GTCR Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Growth Business Services, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Healthcare and Financial Services & Technology industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $20 billion in over 250 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.
MELBOURNE, Australia–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Quadrant Private Equity, Five V Capital, Rodney Kagan andothershareholders of Probe CX (“Probe” or the “Company”) today announced they have entered into an agreement under which KKR will acquire a majority stake in Probe alongside existing management. The investment will be used to further fuel Probe’s robust growth and strengthen its digital capabilities to enhance its service offering to customers.
Probe is a leading provider of customer experience (“CX”) and business process outsourcing (“BPO”) solutions based in Australia. Probe was founded by Co-chairman Rodney Kagan in 1979 and is now the largest provider of outsourced CX and BPO services in Australia and New Zealand, with more than 600 clients and over 15,000 staff located in its 33 offices across the globe.
Andrew Hume, CEO of Probe, said: “Customer experience is truly at the heart of our business. Through our intelligent, tailored solutions, Probe enables companies to consistently deliver positive and enriching experiences to their customers. With this mission in mind, we are really excited to welcome KKR as a shareholder and value-added strategic partner, as their experience in transforming CX and BPO companies globally will be invaluable in our next phase of growth.”
Gareth Woodbridge, Managing Director at KKR, said: “We are excited to work closely with Andrew and his team to expand Probe CX’s leading market position. We look forward to leveraging KKR’s industry and operational expertise to help accelerate Probe CX’s growth plans and to scale its digital services capabilities and footprint for the benefit of its customers.”
Rodney Kagan, Founder of Probe, said: “It is with much pride and joy that after 43 years I can see Probe continue as the leader in the customer experience and outsourcing industry. Probe’s success has always been to surround itself with the most brilliant, committed, and professional team. I am so passionate for Probe’s future and feel very excited to see KKR help take the Company to the next level on its global journey.”
Jonathon Pearce, Managing Partner of Quadrant Private Equity, said: “Probe is a fantastic business led by an exceptional team which has been at the forefront of digital innovation. Over the past 18 months Probe has continued to ensure customers and consumers received the highest quality support despite the external challenges. Now, with KKR’s global reach and capabilities, we believe the business will continue to grow and enhance its service offerings for customers in the years ahead.”
KKR is making this investment from its Asian Fund IV. The firm’s investment in Probe CX builds on its long history of investing in Australia. KKR also has experience in successfully growing businesses in the CX industry globally, including its prior investment in Webhelp – a leading provider of CX and BPO solutions throughout Europe.
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of calendar year 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Additional details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Probe CX was advised by Morgan Stanley Australia Limited, PwC, and Gilbert + Tobin. KKR was advised by Credit Suisse, King & Wood Mallesons, and EY.
About Probe CX
Probe CX is a globally recognised and award-winning customer experience organisation that designs and deploys solutions to bolster and optimise our client operations. Founded more than 40 years ago and with 15,000-plus staff across five countries, the company delivers exceptional customer experiences through its deep knowledge and capabilities in Contact Centre and Customer Management, Digital Consulting, Intelligent Automation and Analytics. Probe CX also provides Shared Services such as Finance and Accounting services and Help Desk/Support Desks and specialist Knowledge Services such as SEO/SEM marketing, software and web development, health care and loan processing.
About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and 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 The 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 and on Twitter @KKR_Co.
About Quadrant Private Equity
Quadrant Private Equity was first established in 1996 (firstly as Quadrant Capital) and is a leading Sydney-based mid-market private equity firm investing in companies in Australia and New Zealand. Quadrant Private Equity has raised $7 billion and 12 funds since inception. Its latest funds, QPE No. 7 and Quadrant Growth Fund 2, have $1,240 million and $530 million in equity commitments respectively for private equity investment Quadrant has extensive investment experience, having led 83 investments in the past 11 funds (with 60 exits) across a range of sectors including retail, healthcare, media, consumer foods, financial services, eCommerce and other sectors.
About Five V Capital
Five V Capital, a certified B Corporation, is a private equity fund manager based in Sydney with over $900 million of funds under management. Five V’s unique investment approach is underpinned by a philosophy of alignment and is reflected in the Five V Capital team being the largest investors across its funds. This alignment between team, investors, partners and management teams is a key component of Five V’s success. Five V Capital’s current portfolio contains several leading businesses including Penten, APP Corporation, Zenith Investment Partners, Totara Learning, Monson Agencies, Probe CX, Education Perfect and Plenti. For more information about Five V Capital, please visit Five V’s website at https://www.fivevcapital.com and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/fivevcapital.
The combined business will provide an integrated suite of cloud payroll and accounting software tools for accounting bureaus and small to mid-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland.
Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and London, United Kingdom. 28th September 2021. BrightPay, a leading provider of payroll and HR software solutions, and Relate Software (“Relate”), a champion in post-accounting, practice management and bookkeeping software, today announce that they have agreed to join forces to create a software champion serving payroll and accounting bureaus and SMEs across the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Paul Byrne, co-founder and CEO of BrightPay, and Ray Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Relate, will remain as significant investors in the combined business and will become co-CEOs. Ross Webster and Richie McMahon, also co-founders of BrightPay and Relate respectively, will also remain as investors and will continue to focus on developing the combined business’ best-in-class product suite.
Hg, a leading software and services investor with over two decades’ experience in growing tax & accounting technology businesses across Europe and North America, will become majority investor in the combined business.
The two complementary businesses will bring together their operational strengths and sector-leading products whilst, with the support of Hg, investing further in new cloud innovations to deliver increased automation, efficiency and value for their customers. The combined group will have over 190 employees and has plans to further grow headcount to continue providing best-in-class services and support for its payroll, accounting and SME customers across both the UK and Ireland.
“We are delighted to be joining with Ray and his team at Relate. They have a proven track record in a sector we know well and, together, we will aim to be a leading solution for many businesses and accountancy firms. We are also delighted that Hg continues to support us. Their deep sector knowledge has proven invaluable to us and will be instrumental in fuelling the further growth of BrightPay/Relate.”
Paul Byrne, founder and CEO of BrightPay
“Combining products from both businesses will provide a compelling offering for our customers, with the scope and backing for further innovation and development. I’m looking forward to working with Paul and am also excited to welcome Hg, a leading software investor with a track record of supporting growth in Irish software businesses.”
Ray Rogers, founder and CEO of Relate
“Both BrightPay and Relate are very highly regarded businesses and champions in their field. The two companies bring together core operational strengths whilst also unlocking a high-quality, complementary suite of products to a newly combined customer base. We’re proud to bring together this highly accomplished team. This is a sector and region we know deeply and we are excited for what we’ll all be able to achieve together.”
Jonathan Boyes, Hector Guinness and Thomas Martin at Hg
The terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
Media Contacts:
Hg
Tom Eckersley
Tom.Eckersley@hgcapital.com
+44 208 148 5401
About BrightPay
BrightPay is a modern payroll and HR software for accounting and payroll bureaus and SMEs. It takes care of every aspect of running your payroll, from entering employee and payment details to creating payslips and sending RTI submissions. BrightPay has been designed from the ground up to be really simple, yet with no compromise on payroll features. It’s priced fairly with no hidden costs and free support. Our products are in use by over 330,000 employers in the UK and Ireland. As a customer-focused company, we strive to look after each and every one of them. BrightPay is also known as Thesaurus Software, a company with over twenty years of industry experience in the UK and Ireland. For more information visit: https://www.brightpay.ie/
About Relate Software
Relate Software was formed in 2002 from the former management team of Apex Software. We have been building software for the accountancy profession for over 25 years. Relate is dedicated to building innovative and focused products specifically for the accountancy profession. Its offering includes Surf products, a modern, cloud native product suite of bookkeeping, post-accounting, and practice management software to accountancy bureaus and SMEs in the Republic of Ireland. Relate’s product suite also includes compliance, company secretary, personal and corporation tax, and enterprise payroll software. For more information visit: https://www.relate-software.com/
About Hg
Hg is a leading investor in software and services, focused on backing businesses that change how we all do business. Deep technology expertise, complemented by vertical application specialisation and dedicated operational support, provides a compelling proposition to management teams looking to scale their businesses. Hg has funds under management of over $37 billion, with an investment team of over 140 professionals, plus a portfolio team of more than 35 operators, providing practical support to help our businesses to realise their growth ambitions. Based in London, Munich and New York, Hg has a portfolio of over 35 software and technology businesses, worth around $70 billion aggregate enterprise value, with over 55,000 employees globally, growing at over 20% per year. Visit www.hgcapital.com for more information.
The combined business will provide an integrated suite of cloud payroll and accounting software tools for accounting bureaus and small to mid-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland.
Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and London, United Kingdom. 28th September 2021. BrightPay, a leading provider of payroll and HR software solutions, and Relate Software (“Relate”), a champion in post-accounting, practice management and bookkeeping software, today announce that they have agreed to join forces to create a software champion serving payroll and accounting bureaus and SMEs across the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Paul Byrne, co-founder and CEO of BrightPay, and Ray Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Relate, will remain as significant investors in the combined business and will become co-CEOs. Ross Webster and Richie McMahon, also co-founders of BrightPay and Relate respectively, will also remain as investors and will continue to focus on developing the combined business’ best-in-class product suite.
Hg, a leading software and services investor with over two decades’ experience in growing tax & accounting technology businesses across Europe and North America, will become majority investor in the combined business.
The two complementary businesses will bring together their operational strengths and sector-leading products whilst, with the support of Hg, investing further in new cloud innovations to deliver increased automation, efficiency and value for their customers. The combined group will have over 190 employees and has plans to further grow headcount to continue providing best-in-class services and support for its payroll, accounting and SME customers across both the UK and Ireland.
“We are delighted to be joining with Ray and his team at Relate. They have a proven track record in a sector we know well and, together, we will aim to be a leading solution for many businesses and accountancy firms. We are also delighted that Hg continues to support us. Their deep sector knowledge has proven invaluable to us and will be instrumental in fuelling the further growth of BrightPay/Relate.”
Paul Byrne, founder and CEO of BrightPay
“Combining products from both businesses will provide a compelling offering for our customers, with the scope and backing for further innovation and development. I’m looking forward to working with Paul and am also excited to welcome Hg, a leading software investor with a track record of supporting growth in Irish software businesses.”
Ray Rogers, founder and CEO of Relate
“Both BrightPay and Relate are very highly regarded businesses and champions in their field. The two companies bring together core operational strengths whilst also unlocking a high-quality, complementary suite of products to a newly combined customer base. We’re proud to bring together this highly accomplished team. This is a sector and region we know deeply and we are excited for what we’ll all be able to achieve together.”
Jonathan Boyes, Hector Guinness and Thomas Martin at Hg
The terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
Media Contacts:
Hg
Tom Eckersley
Tom.Eckersley@hgcapital.com
+44 208 148 5401
About BrightPay
BrightPay is a modern payroll and HR software for accounting and payroll bureaus and SMEs. It takes care of every aspect of running your payroll, from entering employee and payment details to creating payslips and sending RTI submissions. BrightPay has been designed from the ground up to be really simple, yet with no compromise on payroll features. It’s priced fairly with no hidden costs and free support. Our products are in use by over 330,000 employers in the UK and Ireland. As a customer-focused company, we strive to look after each and every one of them. BrightPay is also known as Thesaurus Software, a company with over twenty years of industry experience in the UK and Ireland. For more information visit: https://www.brightpay.ie/
About Relate Software
Relate Software was formed in 2002 from the former management team of Apex Software. We have been building software for the accountancy profession for over 25 years. Relate is dedicated to building innovative and focused products specifically for the accountancy profession. Its offering includes Surf products, a modern, cloud native product suite of bookkeeping, post-accounting, and practice management software to accountancy bureaus and SMEs in the Republic of Ireland. Relate’s product suite also includes compliance, company secretary, personal and corporation tax, and enterprise payroll software. For more information visit: https://www.relate-software.com/
About Hg
Hg is a leading investor in software and services, focused on backing businesses that change how we all do business. Deep technology expertise, complemented by vertical application specialisation and dedicated operational support, provides a compelling proposition to management teams looking to scale their businesses. Hg has funds under management of over $37 billion, with an investment team of over 140 professionals, plus a portfolio team of more than 35 operators, providing practical support to help our businesses to realise their growth ambitions. Based in London, Munich and New York, Hg has a portfolio of over 35 software and technology businesses, worth around $70 billion aggregate enterprise value, with over 55,000 employees globally, growing at over 20% per year. Visit www.hgcapital.com for more information.
