Tag Archives: Information technology

Ardian sells Gantner Technologies to Salto Systems

Ardian

  • 15 October 2020 Expansion Frankfurt am Main, Germany

• Gantner has doubled in revenues since Ardian’s investment began in 2016, creating a technology leader
• The company looks forward to continue this growth path with SALTO Systems

Frankfurt am Main / Nueziders (Austria), 15th October 2020 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, has sold GANTNER Electronic Austria Holding GmbH (“Gantner”). The company, which specializes in electronic access, ticketing and billing systems as well as smart locks for lockers, will be acquired by SALTO Systems (“SALTO”), a leading manufacturer of access control and electronic locking solutions. The parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Nueziders, Austria, Gantner is a leading European manufacturer of systems that enable automatic and contactless identification, based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.
Gantner systems comprise integrated solutions for membership and visitor management, cashless payments, time recording in business organizations and security. Its customers range across various areas, including fitness clubs and medical fitness facilities), Attraction (water parks, spas, museums and other cultural facilities, ski storage, golf courses and amusement parks), Corporate (smart employee lockers for flexible work models, access control solutions for industrial companies, healthcare staff, public facilities and cashless payment systems for company cafeterias) and Education (universities, libraries and schools).
Since Ardian took a majority stake in Gantner in 2016, the company has continued with its established strategy, providing customers with integrated solutions through targeted investments in research & development, as well as the expansion of the product range.

In June 2017, the product portfolio was expanded to include ticketing and management software for leisure facilities with the acquisition of Syx Automations. This was followed by the acquisition of Contidata in June 2020, with which Gantner expanded its offering to include market-leading cashless payment systems for company cafeterias. As part of its international expansion, the company was able to increase its market share, particularly in the USA, the UK and the Benelux countries. As a result, since 2015 Gantner has doubled in revenues and increased the number of employees from 200 to 450.

Headquartered in Spain, with more than 750 employees in offices spanning 32 countries, SALTO is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of world-class access control solutions, particularly in sectors where security is critical: education, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, retail, working spaces, residential and co-living, and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The company revolutionized access control with a pioneering approach that featured the first stand-alone, battery-powered electronic lock; the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) data-on-card technology; and the first wireless access control system that combined a stand-alone locking device with online, real-time capabilities — all without using wires or mechanical keys. The company has expanded its portfolio to include world-class software management, cloud solutions, and mobile applications. With the addition of the Gantner portfolio, SALTO will now have the combined strength and joint capacity of one million access points annually.

Elmar Hartmann, CEO of GANTNER, said: “The collaboration with Ardian as an entrepreneurial partner was a true success story. During the past four years, we have been able to continue our steep growth curve and doubled our size. With innovative products and integrated solutions for contactless access, ticketing and billing systems as well as flexible workspaces, we are, becoming a truly global player that significantly shapes the market in our segments. Thanks to the new partnership with Salto, we can expand our product portfolio, take advantage of important synergies, better target our markets and address customer segments with precision. This puts us in an optimal position to continue our growth. I would like to thank Ardian for their excellent cooperation, which was both inspiring and respectful, and look forward to continuing the successful development of our company with SALTO.”

Javier Roquero, SALTO Co-founder and CEO, said adding Gantner to the SALTO portfolio offers a “very bright future.”
“We are very excited to welcome Gantner to the SALTO family,” said Roquero. “The Gantner product suite enriches and diversifies the SALTO product offering, enhancing our end user experience and improves our ability to continue to deliver the absolute best in electronic access control.”

Dirk Wittneben, Managing Director at Ardian and responsible for the investments of the Expansion team in the DACH region, added: “We are proud to have supported Gantner in its internationalization, important strategic acquisitions and the development of new industries and customers. As a result, the company has been able to expand its product range and geographic coverage. We want to take this opportunity to thank Gantner’s management team and employees for their trust and cooperation. We know SALTO is a good fit for further development in the future.”

ABOUT GANTNER

Founded in Schruns, Austria in 1982, the company is widely considered to be a pioneer in contactless electronic access management and time recording systems in its core segments. Gantner offers its customers solutions based on RFID and NFC technology for use in gyms, public pools and spas, theme parks, universities and libraries, and in commercial properties and public buildings. The solutions include access systems, electronic locking and locker systems, cashless payment, cash register and billing systems, staff time recording systems as well as ticketing and management software for leisure facilities.
Gantner operates in around 70 countries worldwide and has subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Dubai, India, Australia, and the USA. The company has a worldwide workforce of 450. Elmar Hartmann has been managing director since 2003.

Visit the website

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$100bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 700 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

ABOUT SALTO SYSTEMS

SALTO Systems is a global leader in the development and manufacture of world-class access control solutions, particularly in sectors where security is critical: education, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, retail, working spaces, residential and co-living, and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The company revolutionized access control with a pioneering approach that featured the first stand-alone, battery-powered electronic lock; the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) data-on-card technology; and the first wireless access control system that combined a stand-alone locking device with online, real-time capabilities — all without using wires or mechanical keys. Its leading-edge hardware and software technologies are in use worldwide with 5 million access points and an estimated 40 million daily users. SALTO has local offices in 32 countries and a partner network that extends its reach to nearly every region of the globe.

Visit the website

ADVISORS ON THE TRANSACTION

  • Ardian

    • Dirk Wittneben, Marc Abadir, Max Dolata, Marlon Sandvoss
    • Financial: Deloitte (Egon Sachsalber, Tanya Fehr, Timo Weingärtner)
    • Commercial: goetzpartners (Sigurd Kitzer, Dr. Norbert Danneberg, Dr. Burak Yahsi)
    • ESG: INDEFI (Emmanuel Parmentier, Joanna Tirbakh, Renaud Muller)
    • Legal Corporate: Willkie Farr & Gallagher (Dr. Maximilian Schwab, Dr. Matthias Schudlo)
    • Legal Finance: Willkie Farr & Gallagher (Dr. Ralph Defren, Christopher Clerihew)
    • Tax: Taxess (Gerald Thomas, Richard Schäfer)
    • M&A Advisory: GCA Altium (Alexander Grünwald, Thomas Eulau)

PRESS CONTACT

ARDIAN – CHARLES BARKER CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

PETER STEINER

ardian@charlesbarker.de +49 69 79409027

JAN P. SEFRIN

ardian@charlesbarker.de +49 69 79409026

SALTO SYSTEMS

ION MURGA

i.murga@saltosystems.com +34 943 344 550

 

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SYMPLR to acquire TRACTMANAGER

Arsenal Capital Partners

October 23, 2020

Acquisition will further establish symplr as the leading cloud healthcare governance, risk and compliance software platform and will accelerate product innovation and growth

SANTA MONICA, CA and HOUSTON, TX – October 23, 2020 – symplr, a leading global healthcare governance, risk management, and compliance (“GRC”) software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform, backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”) and SkyKnight Capital (together with its affiliates, “SkyKnight”), today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TractManager (or the “Company”) from Arsenal Capital Partners (“Arsenal”). Financial terms were not disclosed.

This powerful combination will deliver the healthcare industry’s most complete end-to-end GRC software and services platform. symplr’s SaaS platform will now serve as the single source of truth for provider data management, workforce management, vendor and visitor management, contract management, spend management, compliance, quality, and patient safety. The symplr platform addresses the full spectrum of healthcare labor and supply chain regulatory requirements while supporting the delivery of improved quality of care and patient outcomes.

TractManager’s technology and professional services optimize the business of healthcare through contracting, sourcing, and provider management solutions. TractManager’s expert workforce and rich history of innovation in healthcare technology make this acquisition a winning strategy for the healthcare industry.

Together with TractManager, symplr will enable healthcare organizations to manage provider and supply chain data, including credentials, authorizations, privileges, quality metrics, staffing, time & attendance, contracts, and spend across employees and third parties. Additionally, customers will benefit from the expanded scale, platform innovation, corporate resources, and service capabilities that the combined company will deliver.

Growth through acquisition, coupled with innovation, is an integral part of symplr’s business strategy to deliver the industry’s leading healthcare GRC SaaS platform. The acquisition of TractManager represents symplr’s tenth successful acquisition in the past six years, and its fifth under sponsorship from Clearlake and SkyKnight since November 2018.

“We are thrilled to welcome TractManager to the symplr family,” said Rick Pleczko, CEO, and Tres Thompson, COO, of symplr. “TractManager’s cloud solutions bring powerful new capabilities to our customers’ connected GRC enterprise, enabling additional insights to drive improved quality of care and financial performance. Our expanding, end-to-end SaaS platform is a one-of-a-kind single source of truth for GRC-related data for providers, payers, and health systems.”

“Since our sponsorship of the company in 2018, symplr has successfully executed on its growth strategy, delivering increased revenue and significant product innovation,” said Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Prashant Mehrotra, Partner, of Clearlake. “This acquisition enhances symplr’s position as a cloud industry leader, and we are excited to support the management team as they continue to execute on our buy-and-build strategy while driving meaningful value for providers and payers.”

“This combination will enable TractManager and symplr to make an even greater, positive impact on our clients and the healthcare industry as a whole,” said Trace Devanny, CEO of TractManager.

“We are proud to have supported the talented team at TractManager in building market-leading solutions that enable hospitals, physician practices, and payers to deliver better outcomes for patients,” said Gene Gorbach, an Investment Partner of Arsenal. “We are excited about the next chapter of TractManager’s growth in combination with symplr.”

“TractManager’s solutions are highly complementary to symplr’s existing offerings, and we look forward to further investing in these capabilities to provide a best-in-class platform to the combined customer base,” said Jordan Milich and Claude Burton of SkyKnight.

Credit Suisse AG, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Antares Capital LP, Ares Management funds, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Golub Capital LLC and Jefferies LLC are providing debt financing for the acquisition. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to symplr. Harris Williams & Co. served as financial advisor and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal advisor to TractManager.

About symplr

Founded in 2006, symplr is a global leader in enterprise Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions. symplr focuses on a single mission: to make healthcare GRC simpler and more efficient for the global healthcare community. The symplr platform offers solutions that span provider data management, provider credentialing services, compliance, patient safety, workforce management, and vendor management. Our customers count on us every day to help protect and streamline their businesses with reliable and innovative GRC solutions. More information is available at www.symplr.com.

About TractManager

TractManager’s healthcare-specific application suite serves three out of five U.S. hospitals. Serving the healthcare industry with integrity for more than 30 years, TractManager is the first mover in strategic sourcing, enterprise contract lifecycle management, provider management and evidence-based data. The company’s more than 450 highly skilled and experienced professionals help clients to improve cash flows by reducing their capital and nonlabor costs and to conform their contract, policy, and procedure management to meet regulatory requirements. For more information, visit tractmanager.com.

About Clearlake Capital

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a leading investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $25 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 200 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap.

About SkyKnight Capital    

Founded in 2015, SkyKnight Capital manages over $1 billion in private equity capital on behalf of leading institutional family offices, foundations, and endowments. SkyKnight makes long-term investments into high quality businesses in acyclical growth sectors alongside exceptional management teams. SkyKnight aims to build category-leading businesses with a clear growth orientation in healthcare, insurance, and business services. More information is available at www.skyknightcapital.com.

About Arsenal Capital Partners

Arsenal is a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middle‐market healthcare and specialty industrials companies. Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds of $5.3 billion, completed more than 200 platform and add-on investments and achieved more than 30 realizations. Arsenal invests in industry sectors in which the firm has significant prior knowledge and experience. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth, and high value‐add.  For more information, please visit www.arsenalcapital.com.

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symplr to acquire TractManager

Arsenal Capital Partners

October 23, 2020

Acquisition will further establish symplr as the leading cloud healthcare governance, risk and compliance software platform and will accelerate product innovation and growth

SANTA MONICA, CA and HOUSTON, TX – October 23, 2020 – symplr, a leading global healthcare governance, risk management, and compliance (“GRC”) software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform, backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”) and SkyKnight Capital (together with its affiliates, “SkyKnight”), today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TractManager (or the “Company”) from Arsenal Capital Partners (“Arsenal”). Financial terms were not disclosed.

This powerful combination will deliver the healthcare industry’s most complete end-to-end GRC software and services platform. symplr’s SaaS platform will now serve as the single source of truth for provider data management, workforce management, vendor and visitor management, contract management, spend management, compliance, quality, and patient safety. The symplr platform addresses the full spectrum of healthcare labor and supply chain regulatory requirements while supporting the delivery of improved quality of care and patient outcomes.

TractManager’s technology and professional services optimize the business of healthcare through contracting, sourcing, and provider management solutions. TractManager’s expert workforce and rich history of innovation in healthcare technology make this acquisition a winning strategy for the healthcare industry.

Together with TractManager, symplr will enable healthcare organizations to manage provider and supply chain data, including credentials, authorizations, privileges, quality metrics, staffing, time & attendance, contracts, and spend across employees and third parties. Additionally, customers will benefit from the expanded scale, platform innovation, corporate resources, and service capabilities that the combined company will deliver.

Growth through acquisition, coupled with innovation, is an integral part of symplr’s business strategy to deliver the industry’s leading healthcare GRC SaaS platform. The acquisition of TractManager represents symplr’s tenth successful acquisition in the past six years, and its fifth under sponsorship from Clearlake and SkyKnight since November 2018.

“We are thrilled to welcome TractManager to the symplr family,” said Rick Pleczko, CEO, and Tres Thompson, COO, of symplr. “TractManager’s cloud solutions bring powerful new capabilities to our customers’ connected GRC enterprise, enabling additional insights to drive improved quality of care and financial performance. Our expanding, end-to-end SaaS platform is a one-of-a-kind single source of truth for GRC-related data for providers, payers, and health systems.”

“Since our sponsorship of the company in 2018, symplr has successfully executed on its growth strategy, delivering increased revenue and significant product innovation,” said Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Prashant Mehrotra, Partner, of Clearlake. “This acquisition enhances symplr’s position as a cloud industry leader, and we are excited to support the management team as they continue to execute on our buy-and-build strategy while driving meaningful value for providers and payers.”

“This combination will enable TractManager and symplr to make an even greater, positive impact on our clients and the healthcare industry as a whole,” said Trace Devanny, CEO of TractManager.

“We are proud to have supported the talented team at TractManager in building market-leading solutions that enable hospitals, physician practices, and payers to deliver better outcomes for patients,” said Gene Gorbach, an Investment Partner of Arsenal. “We are excited about the next chapter of TractManager’s growth in combination with symplr.”

“TractManager’s solutions are highly complementary to symplr’s existing offerings, and we look forward to further investing in these capabilities to provide a best-in-class platform to the combined customer base,” said Jordan Milich and Claude Burton of SkyKnight.

Credit Suisse AG, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Antares Capital LP, Ares Management funds, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Golub Capital LLC and Jefferies LLC are providing debt financing for the acquisition. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to symplr. Harris Williams & Co. served as financial advisor and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal advisor to TractManager.

About symplr

Founded in 2006, symplr is a global leader in enterprise Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions. symplr focuses on a single mission: to make healthcare GRC simpler and more efficient for the global healthcare community. The symplr platform offers solutions that span provider data management, provider credentialing services, compliance, patient safety, workforce management, and vendor management. Our customers count on us every day to help protect and streamline their businesses with reliable and innovative GRC solutions. More information is available at www.symplr.com.

About TractManager

TractManager’s healthcare-specific application suite serves three out of five U.S. hospitals. Serving the healthcare industry with integrity for more than 30 years, TractManager is the first mover in strategic sourcing, enterprise contract lifecycle management, provider management and evidence-based data. The company’s more than 450 highly skilled and experienced professionals help clients to improve cash flows by reducing their capital and nonlabor costs and to conform their contract, policy, and procedure management to meet regulatory requirements. For more information, visit tractmanager.com.

About Clearlake Capital

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a leading investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $25 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 200 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap.

About SkyKnight Capital    

Founded in 2015, SkyKnight Capital manages over $1 billion in private equity capital on behalf of leading institutional family offices, foundations, and endowments. SkyKnight makes long-term investments into high quality businesses in acyclical growth sectors alongside exceptional management teams. SkyKnight aims to build category-leading businesses with a clear growth orientation in healthcare, insurance, and business services. More information is available at www.skyknightcapital.com.

About Arsenal Capital Partners

Arsenal is a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middle‐market healthcare and specialty industrials companies. Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds of $5.3 billion, completed more than 200 platform and add-on investments and achieved more than 30 realizations. Arsenal invests in industry sectors in which the firm has significant prior knowledge and experience. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth, and high value‐add.  For more information, please visit www.arsenalcapital.com.

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Dunedin backed GPS secures investment from Visa

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Dunedin

GPS,

the  leading payments issuer processor, has secured a strategic investment from long-standing partner Visa Inc. to accelerate its global expansion. GPS powers next generation fintech payment companies and sits behind many of the world’s most exciting fintech companies and digital banks including Revolut and Starling Bank.
GPS was backed by UK private equity firm Dunedin in June 2018, in what was the largest B2B fintech financing in the first half of 2018. Since then, it has achieved spectacular growth with its operations expanding from the UK into Europe and APAC and year on year revenue growth exceeding 30%. Dunedin has a successful track record of investing in businesses that have cutting edge technologies at the core of what they do, particularly within the payments and insurance sub-sectors of financial services.
Oliver Bevan, Partner at Dunedin who sits on the Board of GPS, commented: “Since we invested just over two years ago, GPS has shown phenomenal growth and this investment from Visa, a global leader in payments technology, is testament to the business’ outstanding reputation. GPS has a strong relationship with Visa across four continents and the investment will allow the business to further expand its global reach.”
He added: “The global payments industry is seeing record growth, particularly given the current preference for digital payments over cash transactions. GPS has been a major contributor to the fintech revolution, being the only issue processor of its kind to support fintechs, challenger banks and e-wallet providers on their growth journey. This is a core area of expertise for Dunedin and we are actively seeking new investments within the payments industry.”
With the support of the UK Department for International Trade’s Fintech Bridges and the Singaporean Economic Development Board, GPS successfully expanded into the APAC region last year and has already delivered successful programmes including Xinja, a new digital banking experience in Australia and WeLab Bank, the first virtual bank and only domestic neo bank in Hong Kong. Having been selected as a preferred issuer processor for Visa’s APAC Fintech Fastrack programme, GPS has worked closely with Visa to deliver a next generation showcase for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Moving forward, the company intends to replicate its European and APAC accomplishments across other regions as a Visa preferred processor.

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Volpi Capital invests in Boyum IT Solutions

Volpi Capital

London, 22 October 2020: Volpi Capital (“Volpi”), a specialist European lower mid-market private equity firm, announces its eighth investment with the management buyout of Boyum IT Solutions (“Boyum”), a global SAP Business One Software Solutions Provider based in Denmark.

Boyum is the leading Software Solution Provider in the SAP Business One ERP ecosystem targeting the upper SME segment globally. The company has succeeded in establishing an unmatched distribution network of partners through an attractive product offering and comprehensive partner enablement efforts. Boyum offers 3 award-winning and mission critical software product families: Boyum: Horizontal software solutions enhancing flexibility and user-friendliness of SAP Business One, Beas Manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing software tailored to 13 distinct industry verticals and Produmex: Logistics/warehouse management software. Boyum is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark and employs c.100 people in 7 global offices.

Marco Sodi, Volpi Capital, commented: “Boyum fits well into our thesis for independent developers of software solutions for winning ERP ecosystems, such as SAP Business One. The Company has shown how to create growth through a strong partner focus, technological expertise and a unique way to enable their partner channel. The potential is great for Boyum IT Solutions globally, and we look forward to partnering with Mikael Boyum and his team to accelerate their successful business model”.

Mikael Boyum, founder and CEO of Boyum IT Solutions, added: “We are confident that the partnership with Volpi Capital will help to create an exciting future for the company, employees and partners. Strategic support from Volpi will strengthen our continued growth plans and business potential”.

Volpi Capital was advised by Carnegie, Kromann Reumert and PwC.

Media enquiries Volpi Capital
Samantha Lang
Public Relations
+44 203 747 2625
sam@volpicapital.com

ABOUT VOLPI CAPITAL
Volpi Capital is a specialist European lower mid-market private equity firm. Volpi has a thesis-driven approach targeting ambitious businesses using enabling technologies to disrupt traditional B2B value chains. Volpi typically invests €25-75 million of equity in businesses with enterprise values between €50 million and €200 million and seeks to drive transformative growth through international expansion and consolidation. The firm, which was founded in 2016 by Crevan O’Grady and Marco Sodi, closed its first fund (Volpi Capital Fund I) in April 2018 with commitments of €185 million.

http://www.volpicapital.com

ABOUT BOYUM IT SOLUTIONS

Boyum IT Solutions is a global award-winning SAP Business One implementation, consultancy and development house with more than 8,000 customers worldwide. Their strong individual skill sets combined with fast and efficient implementation methodology make them one of the strongest teams in the field.

Founded in Denmark in 1997, Boyum IT has been implementing and supporting ERP Accounting Software for more than 15 years. In 2004, Boyum IT became an authorized Partner for the SAP Business One system and the company is today a certified SAP partner.

https://www.boyum-solutions.com

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Triton acquires HiQ

Triton

Triton acquires HiQ

22.10.2020

Stockholm (Sweden), 22 October 2020 – Triton Fund V (“Triton”) through Trisall AB (“Trisall”) is the owner of 91 percent of the shares in HiQ International AB (“HiQ”)

This follows Tritons public offer, through Trisall to the shareholders of HiQ to tender 100% of the shares at a purchase price of 72 SEK per share. The shares tendered in the public offer as of 19 October 2020 amounts to in aggregate 50,871,458 shares in HiQ, corresponding to approximately 91 per cent of the share capital and the voting rights in HiQ.

Trisall has initiated compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares in HiQ and is promoting a de-listing of HiQ’s shares from Nasdaq Stockholm. HiQ is a leading Nordic digital transformation company with a reputation of having among the strongest industrial and technology expertise in their market and is recognized as one of the leaders in custom application development for R&D, as well as for very strong digitalization and design capabilities. Digital services, systems and products are at the core of HiQ’s business offer which span the entire tech and media landscape, from initial business development and digital innovation of new services, business models and experience, all the way to implementation and marketing of these services.

“Triton has a tradition of investing in companies with high potential and is working closely with them to unlock such potential. With HiQ, we are now adding a top-class company to our portfolio, characterized by its expertise and strong culture. We look forward to actively supporting the management and employees of HiQ as a stable owner by investing in the growth and development of the company into a Northern European leader “, said Peder Prahl, Director of the General Partner for the Triton funds.

On 26 August 2020, Triton Fund V, through Trisall announced a public offer to the shareholders HiQ to tender all their shares in HiQ to Trisall for SEK 70 per share. The price was increased on 15 September 2020 to SEK 72 per share.

 

About HiQ

HiQ helps to make the world a better place by using technology and communication solutions to make people’s lives simpler. HiQ is the perfect partner for everyone eager to achieve results that make a difference in a digital world. Founded in 1995, HiQ currently has close to 1500 specialists in four countries and is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm MidCap list.

For further information: www.hiq.se

 

 

About Triton

Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored nine funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial, business services, consumer and health sectors. The Triton funds invest in and support the positive development of medium-sized businesses headquartered in Europe.

Triton seeks to contribute to the building of better businesses for the longer term. Triton and its executives wish to be agents of positive change towards sustainable operational improvements and growth.

The 45 companies currently in Triton’s portfolio have combined sales of around €18,2 billion and around 100,800 employees.

For further information: www.triton-partners.com

Press Contacts

Triton
Fredrik Hazén
Phone: +46 709 483 810

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Graphite Capital acquires software services provider, Ten10

Graphite

Graphite Capital, a leading UK mid-market private equity specialist, has backed the management buy-out of Ten10, a leading independent UK quality engineering and software testing services provider.
Ten10 has a large and diversified customer base of approximately 100 blue-chip organisations across the financial services, retail, legal and public sectors.

Ten10’s services help customers manage the commercial and financial risks involved in developing, implementing, upgrading and integrating software to enable them to comply with regulatory change, support business growth, increase customer satisfaction or reduce costs.
The company has more than 250 staff, with offices in London, Leeds and Raleigh, North Carolina. Combining market-leading tools and methodologies with wide-ranging specialist consulting expertise, it provides clients with a flexible and cost-effective resource on a project, outsourced, or in-house basis.

It also operates an award-winning academy which provides graduates with industry-leading training in business analysis, software development, testing, DevOps and robotic process automation (RPA).
The management team is led by Chris Shaw who has repositioned the business and overseen a period of strong growth since his arrival as chief executive in September 2017. In the two years to April 2020, revenues increased by 28 per cent to more than £26 million. The management team has reinvested a substantial percentage of its proceeds as part of the deal.

Ten10 is forecast to continue to grow strongly in the UK and to expand further in the fast-growing North American market. The £1 billion UK quality engineering and software testing market is forecast to grow by 7 per cent a year to 2023. The £4 billion North American market is expected to increase at or above this rate over the same period.
Chris Shaw said: “We have known Graphite for a long time and believe they will be great partners for Ten10. Graphite has a strong track record of supporting technology-enabled businesses to become leaders in their sector. Their expertise will be invaluable as we continue the development of our software testing, DevOps and RPA services and accelerate our international expansion.”

Graphite partner Humphrey Baker commented: “We are looking forward to supporting Chris and his team in the next chapter of Ten10’s development. The company has a strong position in its market, with exciting organic growth prospects driven by an increasing demand for automation skills and the continuing growth of software development as companies seek to become more technology-enabled.”
Mike Tilbury, head of new investment at Graphite, John Western, investment director, and Zoe Jackson, investment executive, also worked on the transaction.

Shawbrook Bank provided the debt finance for the transaction.

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SmartBear Announces Investment from Vista Equity Partners

Franciso Partners

Press Release – October 21 2020

Vista to partner with SmartBear and existing investor Francisco Partners to accelerate product development and growth

Somerville — SmartBear, a leading provider of software development and quality tools, announced today that it has secured a significant investment from Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”), a leading global investment firm focused on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses. Francisco Partners, a leading global technology-focused investment firm, will continue as an investor with Vista and Francisco Partners as equal owners of the company.

SmartBear, which was acquired by Francisco Partners in 2017, is based in the greater Boston area and provides software development solutions used by more than 15 million developers, testers and operations engineers at over 24,000 organizations. SmartBear solutions support the rapidly growing DevOps market and include innovative technologies around API lifecycle management, test automation, test management, performance optimization and collaboration. These solutions are used by leading organizations to accelerate the design, development and release of higher-quality software at scale.

“Speaking on behalf of everyone at SmartBear, I am thrilled to welcome Vista as investors,” said Frank Roe, CEO of SmartBear. “Having the significant backing of two leading PE firms demonstrates the tremendous track record our products and employees have delivered so far, as well as the growth and demand in our markets. As every company is rapidly transforming to digital-first, we’re seeing a dramatically increasing demand for SmartBear solutions from developers, testers and entire organizations focused on consistently delivering high-quality software at the speed that business demands.”

SmartBear solutions span the entire software delivery lifecycle and enable organizations to reduce costs and accelerate time to market. Vista’s capital investment in SmartBear, along with the firm’s deep experience partnering with world-class enterprise software companies and their leadership teams, will enable SmartBear to broaden and strengthen its solutions as well as identify opportunities for continued organic and inorganic growth.

“The SmartBear suite of best-in-class DevOps solutions and its commitment to open source communities is a validation of the strength of its products and positions the company for continued growth in this rapidly accelerating market,” said Michael Fosnaugh, Co-Head of Vista Flagship Fund and Senior Managing Director of Vista. “We look forward to partnering with Frank and the SmartBear team along with Francisco Partners to continue providing innovative and valuable solutions to software teams around the world.”

Brian Decker, Partner, and Evan Daar, Principal at Francisco Partners, remarked, “Since our investment in SmartBear, the company has built an impressive track record as a market-leading platform in the large and growing DevOps market.”

“Frank and the SmartBear team have shown a tremendous ability to accelerate organic and inorganic growth over the last few years and we are excited to continue the journey with the company alongside Vista,” added David Golob, Chief Investment Officer at Francisco Partners.

Evercore acted as lead financial advisor to Francisco Partners and SmartBear on the transaction with Shea & Company also advising. Paul Hastings LLP served as legal advisor to SmartBear, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor for Vista.

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $58 billion in cumulative capital commitments. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, credit, public equity and permanent capital strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn @Vista Equity Partners.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has raised over $24 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. The firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

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Vector Capital Completes Acquisition of MarkLogic

Vector Capital

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vector Capital, a leading private equity firm specializing in transformational investments in established technology businesses, today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of MarkLogic Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise data integration and data management solutions.

Completing a leadership transition that started several months ago, Adrian Carr, Chief Operating Officer of MarkLogic, has been named Chief Executive Officer, replacing Gary Bloom. After eight years at MarkLogic, Gary is stepping aside from the CEO role and will continue to support MarkLogic in a consulting capacity. Mr. Carr joined MarkLogic in 2012 as the vice president of EMEA, and most recently served as COO where he led global Sales, Professional Services, Marketing, and Alliances.

“We are pleased to complete the acquisition of MarkLogic, a pioneer in the data integration market that is poised for growth,” said Andy Fishman, a Managing Director at Vector Capital. “We also welcome Adrian as the company’s next CEO and are excited to partner with him as he continues to accelerate the growth of MarkLogic’s automated cloud service offering, Data Hub Service. We thank Gary for his leadership of MarkLogic and see tremendous value in the business that he helped build.”

“I am thrilled to be leading MarkLogic at this important time in its evolution,” said Mr. Carr. “I am eager to work with MarkLogic’s talented team and leverage Vector’s significant resources and industry expertise as we continue to solve complex data management challenges for our customers. It has been an honor to have worked with Gary for the past eight years, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation he established.”

Prior to joining MarkLogic, Mr. Carr worked at Juniper Networks in Europe providing high-performance cybersecurity solutions to public sector organizations and banks. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Computing and Economics from Manchester Metropolitan University.

About MarkLogic
Data integration is one of the most complex IT challenges, and our mission is to simplify it. MarkLogic Data Hub Service is a highly differentiated data platform that eliminates friction at every step of the data integration process, enabling organizations to achieve a 360° view faster than ever. By simplifying data integration, MarkLogic helps organizations gain agility, lower IT costs, and safely share their data.

About Vector Capital
Vector Capital is a leading global private equity firm specializing in transformational investments in established technology businesses. With more than $3 billion of capital under management, Vector actively partners with management teams to devise and execute new financial and business strategies that materially improve the competitive standing of businesses and enhance value for employees, customers, and all stakeholders. For more information, visit http://www.vectorcapital.com.

Contacts

For Vector Capital:
Nathaniel Garnick / Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170

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Accenture Completes Acquisition of B2B Sales Firm N3

Redbird capital

N3 combines specialized sales talent with AI-powered insights to deepen B2B sales interactions

ATLANTA; Oct. 21, 2020 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has completed its acquisition of N3, an Atlanta-based business-to-business (B2B) sales firm that combines specialized talent with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to enable smarter, more efficient sales interactions.

Now part of Accenture Operations, N3’s approximately 2,200 employees have specialized skills across complex areas like cloud, platforms and 5G networks. The combination of N3’s cloud-based AI/ML technology with Accenture’s SynOps platform will give Accenture the ability to aggregate millions of interaction points into actionable insights to help clients drive sales growth.

“Bringing N3 into the Accenture family will better enable us to help companies influence purchasing decisions at critical stages,” said Manish Sharma, group chief executive of Accenture Operations. “Together, our real-time insights will augment decision-making, deepen sales interactions and help our clients achieve sustainable growth. We are excited about the potential of what Accenture and N3 can achieve together.”

Founded in 2004, N3 serves many of the world’s leading brands, including Cisco, Microsoft and SAP. The company has locations across five continents, including in Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.

Terms of the transaction, which Accenture announced on Sept. 22, were not disclosed.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. For a discussion of risks and actions taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see “Our results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic” under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in Accenture plc’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended May 31, 2020. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture’s results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture’s contracts include fees subject to the attainment of targets or specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company’s revenues and impact its margins; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders’ ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

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Contact:

Jenn Francis
Accenture
+1 312 693 4411
jennifer.francis@accenture.com

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