KKR to acquire majority stake in German fintech heidelpay from AnaCap

KKR

  • heidelpay is one of the fastest-growing full-service payment providers in Europe
  • Attractive industry fundamentals driving further growth
  • Can play a key role in consolidating the European payments market

LONDON & HEIDELBERG, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 4, 2019– heidelpay Group (“heidelpay”) and its majority shareholder AnaCap Financial Partners (“AnaCap”), a European financial services specialist investor, have today reached an agreement on the terms of an investment from KKR, a leading global investment firm. KKR will acquire a majority shareholding in the company, with Mirko Hüllemann, founder and CEO of heidelpay, and other key managers remaining as long-term shareholders.

Leading full-service payment provider

Founded in 2003, heidelpay is a leading full-service payment provider that offers a complete range of payment processing services to online and face-to-face merchants. heidelpay facilitates payment acceptance on behalf of merchants across various payment methods for e-commerce, m-commerce and at the physical point of sale. heidelpay currently serves more than 30,000 retailers and marketplace operators, focusing on SMEs and corporates.

The business operates in a European payments landscape underpinned by strong growth drivers, including an accelerating shift towards non-cash transactions and the continued growth of e-commerce.

Accelerating heidelpay’s growth journey

During AnaCap’s investment, heidelpay accelerated the development of its omni-channel platform, complete range of payment products, and proprietary technology. heidelpay can now play a key role in consolidating the fragmented European payments market. KKR is committed to supporting heidelpay in expanding its market share across the payments value chain, both organically and through strategic M&A, continuing the buy-and-build strategy initiated by AnaCap who completed seven bolt-ons. KKR will also support the company´s ambitious technology platform and product innovation roadmap.

Mirko Hüllemann, Founder and CEO of heidelpay, said: “We set out to become a market leader in omni-channel payment processing across the DACH region and with AnaCap’s powerful support we have reached our goal in a very short time frame. We are very excited to have attracted renowned global investor KKR to support us in the next stage of our growth journey. With its long-standing experience in financial services and technology, and its deep international network, we firmly believe that KKR will help us approaching larger customers and shaping the payment landscape globally. In my role as CEO and partner I’m looking forward to working with a fantastic management team in the next years.”

Daniel Knottenbelt, Member and Head of EMEA Financial Services at KKR, said: “We look forward to working together with Mirko and his highly experienced management team to help heidelpay continue to grow. We see enormous growth potential both organically and through M&A across Europe. We will draw on our deep sector knowledge, track record of working with founders, and our expertise through 20 years of investing in Germany to further shape heidelpay’s unique profile.”

Tassilo Arnhold, Managing Director at AnaCap, said: “heidelpay represents another successful digital value creation investment story for AnaCap. We wish Mirko and his team all the success for the next stage of their journey with KKR and we leave them in a far superior position to grow further in the DACH region and consolidate the European payments landscape.”

The offer is subject to approval by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. KKR will make this investment from its European Fund V. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

About heidelpay Group

Based in Heidelberg, the heidelpay Group is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative fintech service providers in Germany. The international payment processing specialist uses its own specially developed solutions such as payment via invoice, instalment payment, direct debit, direct payment and prepayment – and those of leading providers of credit cards or wallet solutions. As a payment institute authorised by the German Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and with over 16 years of experience in e-commerce and at the POS to its credit, the heidelpay Group allows companies of all sizes to effect worldwide payment transactions.

Founded in 2003, the full-service payment service provider covers the entire spectrum of electronic payment processing: from processing to acquiring, monitoring and risk management to receivables management. The fully scalable, modular solutions are used by 30,000 national and international customers. The various payment methods are provided for e-commerce, m-commerce and the stationary point of sale.

About KKR

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

About AnaCap Financial Partners

AnaCap Financial Partners is a leading asset manager in the European financial services sector, investing across the vertical through complementary Private Equity and Credit strategies. Since 2005, AnaCap has raised €4.7bn in capital while the team has grown to more than 70 professionals across 6 offices including London, Luxembourg and New Delhi. Through its Private Equity and Credit strategies, AnaCap provides a complementary suite of solutions to sellers and management teams, supported by a deep track record of investing in financial services with over 70 primary investments completed across 15 jurisdictions. The AnaCap investment approach is supported by the firm’s proprietary digital platform, Minerva, which enables AnaCap to harness highly granular data and intelligence rapidly into actionable information.

Source: KKR

Media
Raphael Eisenmann
Hering Schuppener Consulting
Phone: +49 69 92 18 74-86
Mobile: +49 160 90 61 11 07
E-Mail: reisenmann@heringschuppener.com

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Eurazeo to invest in supply chain software with acquisition of Elemica

Eurazeo

Eurazeo intends to accelerate Elemica’s expansion and growth strategy into new sectors and product offerings Paris, August 2nd, 2019 –Eurazeo, a leading global investment company listed in Pariswith €17.7billion in assets under management,has announced itsacquisition of Elemica, a leading cloud-enabled digital supply network. Eurazeowill support Elemica’s expansion and global growth strategy into new industry verticals, geographies and product offerings.

Elemica

Founded in 2000 by a group of the world’s leading industrial companies to provide visibility across the Global Process Industries whole supply chain, Elemica offers a suite of SaaS solutions that enables its customers to connect, automate, and have full end-to-end visibility into their supply chains. Elemica serves more than 450 customers worldwide, including 39 of the topglobal100 chemical companies. Half a trillion USD in goods are bought, sold and moved annually through the Elemica Digital Supply Network.

Marc Frappier, Managing Partner of Eurazeo Capital, said:”We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Elemica, which will join Eurazeo Capital’s U.S. investment portfolio alongside Trader Interactive and World Strides. Elemica is a key technology provider, operating at the heart of the global Process Industries supply chain. The company has meaningful growth potential and aligns in all respects with Eurazeo’s investment strategy. We are convinced that with our support, expertise and international network, Elemica will accelerate its development in new industries,geographiesand product offerings.”

John Blyzinskyj, CEO of Elemica added:“With Eurazeo’s partnership, we will be able to globally develop Elemica’s nearly 20-year vision of connecting the world’s leading process manufacturers to their direct material suppliers, logistics service providers, and customers. Our transatlantic operations andglobal ambitions make Elemica and Eurazeo very complementary partners and we look forward to achieving our growth strategy together.”

Elemica was acquired by Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity investment firm,in 2016. Eurazeo Capital will acquire full ownership of Elemica alongside its management team and will invest approx. $250 million(equity invested by Eurazeo and its affiliates), subject to various adjustments between now and the completion of the planned transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. Evercore served as strategic advisor to Eurazeo.

About Elemica

Elemicais the leading Digital Supply Network for the process manufacturing industries. Elemica accelerates digital transformation by connecting, automating, anticipating, and then transforming inter-business supply chain processes for the products they buy, sell, move, and comply. Launched in 2000, customers process over $500B in commerce annually on the network. For more information, visit www.elemica.com.

About Eurazeo

Eurazeo is a leading global investment company, with a diversified portfolio of €17.7 billion in assets under management, including nearly €11.6 billion from third parties, invested in nearly400 companies. With its considerable Private Equity, real estate, private debt and fund of funds expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its 235 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term.

Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Madrid.

Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.

ISIN: FR0000121121 -Bloomberg: RF FP -Reuters: EURA.PA

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EQT invests in Nexon, a leading managed IT services provider in Australia

eqt

  • EQT Mid Market Asia acquires a majority stake in Nexon Asia Pacific, a leading end to end managed IT services provider in Australia
  • Nexon delivers innovative, integrated, tailored and scalable solutions to support IT functions of clients across the commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors
  • Co-founder and CEO Barry Assaf will remain a significant shareholder and the existing management team will continue to drive Nexon’s next phase of growth

The EQT Mid Market Asia III fund (“EQT” or “EQT Mid Market Asia”) has entered into an agreement to invest in Nexon Asia Pacific Pty Limited (“Nexon” or the “Company”).

Nexon, an Australian cloud and managed service provider, has been providing dynamic IT solutions to clients across commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors since 2000. The offering includes six interconnected solutions: Secure Networks, Unified Communications, Cloud Services, Managed Security, Business Solutions and Digital Workspace, wrapped with Nexon managed IT services. The Company has a diversified customer base with over 400 customer groups and has built strong customer relationships within the mid-market and government segments. Given its customer-centric mindset and focus on innovation and solutions development, the Company has consistently achieved high customer satisfaction and retention rates. In addition, Nexon has delivered upon a steady expansion strategy with several acquisitions since inception.

Going forward, the strategy is to further enhance and develop the IT services offering, grow the client portfolio, continue seeking value accretive acquisitions and strengthen the scalability of the platform. The Company is expected to benefit from strong underlying secular trends, including increased share of IT outsourcing and growing cloud adoption.

Barry Assaf, co-founder and CEO of Nexon, said: “With our unwavering commitment to service, innovation and delivery, we are excited to enter our next phase of growth. EQT will provide both the capital and competence needed to rapidly grow our solution offerings and to innovate.”

Tak Wai Chung, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Mid Market Asia, concluded: “We are impressed with Nexon’s experienced management team, deep service development focus, strong recurring revenue profile and leading position in the mid-market and government segment. Nexon is an attractive platform to drive consolidation in a fragmented market. EQT’s expertise within the TMT and services sectors, coupled with a strong network of Industrial Advisors will support Nexon’s management team and employees in its next phase of growth and transformation.”

Contact
Tak Wai Chung, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Mid Market Asia +65 6595 1830

EQT Press Office press@eqtpartners.com +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT
EQT is a leading investment firm with more than EUR 61 billion in raised capital across 29 funds and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 21 billion and approximately 127,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

About Nexon
Established in 2000, Nexon Asia Pacific (Nexon) is a cloud and managed service provider helping clients run more efficiently, create better user experiences and explore bigger opportunities. We’re a trusted technology partner for mid-market businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Nexon supports businesses on their digital transformation, from network to SIP, to business solutions and everything else in between, allowing clients the ability to work seamless across any cloud, anytime and any device.

More info: nexon.com.au

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The Apax Digital Fund to acquire MetaMetrics, developer of the Lexile and Quantile Frameworks

Apax Digital

The investment will further the company’s mission to accelerate learning for students by bringing meaning to measurement

New York and Durham, North Carolina – July 30, 2019: MetaMetrics®, developer of the widely adopted Lexile Framework® for Reading and Quantile Framework® for Mathematics, today announced that the Apax Digital Fund, the technology-focused growth equity fund advised by global private equity advisory firm Apax Partners, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company from Pamlico Capital. The transaction is expected to complete in September 2019, subject to regulatory approval. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Apax Digital Fund to acquire MetaMetrics, developer of the Lexile and Quantile Frameworks

Founded in 1984 and based in the Research Triangle in North Carolina, MetaMetrics is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve educational outcomes. MetaMetrics provides universal measures of reading and math skills achievement through the Lexile® and Quantile® frameworks. The frameworks place both the student and instructional material on the same scale to match the learner with reading and math resources at each student’s ability level. When students receive Lexile and Quantile measures, their test scores become more actionable, allowing teachers and parents to link assessment to instruction. MetaMetrics’ partners include leading providers of educational technology and assessment solutions, state departments of education and publishers who incorporate MetaMetrics’ scales in their products. More than 35 million students receive a Lexile measure each year.

Leveraging Apax’s experience in education, data and analytics, and software, the Apax Digital team will support MetaMetrics in delivering increased value to students, educators and the company’s partners, in particular through new product development and international expansion.

Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of MetaMetrics said, “Apax Digital is the ideal partner for MetaMetrics as we continue to deepen our value proposition for students, teachers, parents and partners. Apax’s experience in the education space, its significant operational excellence capabilities, and its global platform will be extremely valuable assets as we grow MetaMetrics in the years ahead. We would also like to thank Pamlico for all its support over the past four years.”

Marcelo Gigliani, managing partner of Apax Digital, said, “Few things are more important than accelerating children’s learning. Malbert and the MetaMetrics team have developed a suite of category-defining measurement scales that support student growth and personalized learning. We look forward to partnering with Malbert and his team to continue to enrich their products and accelerate the company’s international expansion.”

Zach Fuchs, vice president of Apax Digital, added, “We look forward to supporting MetaMetrics and share the company’s goal of empowering educators and parents with valuable information to help children build strong literacy skills.”

Scott Stevens, partner of Pamlico Capital, shared: “It’s been a pleasure partnering with Malbert and the entire MetaMetrics team. We appreciate all the hard work put into the business over the last four years with us and we are excited to see what MetaMetrics continues to accomplish with Apax Digital moving forward.”

Raymond James & Associates served as exclusive financial adviser to MetaMetrics in connection with the transaction.

About MetaMetrics
MetaMetrics® is an award-winning education technology organization that offers the only scientifically valid, universal scales for measuring reading and listening (Lexile®) as well as math (Quantile®). The Lexile and Quantile Frameworks measure student ability and the complexity of the content they encounter. Lexile and Quantile measures and related technologies link assessment to instruction and provide next steps for students of all ages and abilities. The measures also provide valuable insights about students’ potential for growth. MetaMetrics’ measures, products and services are licensed to dozens of education product companies to help achieve that growth. For 35 years, MetaMetrics’ work has been increasingly recognized for its research-based approach to improving learning. For more information, visit metametricsinc.com.

About Apax Digital 

The Apax Digital Fund specializes in growth equity and buyout investments in high-growth enterprise software, consumer internet, and technology-enabled services companies worldwide. The Apax Digital team leverages Apax Partners’ deep tech investing expertise, global platform, and specialized operating experts, to enable technology companies and their management teams to accelerate the achievement of their full potential. For further information, please visit http://digital.apax.com.

Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of approximately $50 billion. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

About Pamlico Capital 

Pamlico Capital is a private equity firm founded in 1988 that invests in lower middle market companies in the U.S. Pamlico Capital seeks control-oriented growth equity investments alongside proven management teams in its target industries: business & technology services, communications, and healthcare. Since inception, the firm, based in Charlotte, NC, has invested over $3 billion. For additional information, please visit https://www.pamlicocapital.com.

Media Contacts

For MetaMetrics

Lisa Wolfe, L. Wolfe Communications | +1 312-953-8085 | lwolfe@lwolfe.com

For Apax Digital / Apax Partners

Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | andrew.kenny@apax.com

U.S. Media: Todd Fogarty, Connor Moriarty, Kekst CNC | +1 212 521 4800 | Apax@kekstcnc.com

UK Media: Matthew Goodman / James Madsen, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com

For Pamlico Capital

All Media: Gillian Rhew | +1 704 414 7126 | gillian.rhew@pamlicocapital.com

Notes to Editors 

London-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.com), and Paris-headquartered Apax Partners (www.apax.fr) had a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

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Bain Capital Merges ChinData with Bridge Data Centres to Establish Pan-Asian Data Centre Strategy

BainCapital

HONG KONG, July 25, 2019 – Bain Capital today announced the merger of ChinData, a leading Chinese operator of campus-style, hyperscale data centres, and Bridge Data Centres, a wholesale and custom build data centre company, to form one of the leading pan-Asian data centre platforms. The new parent Company, ChinData Group, will continue to operate under the ChinData and Bridge brands respectively. Bain Capital acquired ChinData in May 2019 from Wangsu Science & Technology Co. Ltd and has owned Bridge Data Centres since 2017.

The combined company delivers hyperscale, wholesale and custom-build data centre solutions to leading regional and global customers, with facilities in China, India, and Southeast Asia.  The company currently has delivered over 100 MW of contracted capacity and is still under continuous and full-speed development.

Bain Capital’s investment in the combined entity is funded from vehicles managed by Bain Capital Private Equity and Bain Capital Credit. Executing this multi-part deal and corporate combination required long-term creative thinking and financing over more than three years, beginning with a greenfield development in India, acquisitions in Southeast Asia, and the exploration of the hyperscale opportunity brought about by the massive needs among Internet, cloud and technology companies in China. ChinData Group is poised to benefit from the dramatic growth in demand among enterprises for cloud services and the expansion of opportunities in Asia for international cloud providers that require high performance mission critical data centre facilities.

The combined company employs professionals with deep experience and capabilities in data centre design, development, and facility operations.  It expects to invest further capital to expand its footprint of wholesale and custom-build hyperscale solutions to more than 300 MW over the next two years to become one of the largest independent third-party data center platforms in Asia.

Jonathan Zhu, co-head of Asia Private Equity for Bain Capital, said: “This deal demonstrates Bain Capital’s capabilities as a truly cross-regional, multi-asset class investment platform.  The combined entity brings together the best minds to power the Asian data revolution, especially in China and India, the two largest and most promising markets globally. ChinData Group will be able to move quickly to serve customers on a pan-Asian regional basis and build a differentiated position in the market.”

Barnaby Lyons, a Managing Director and Head of Asia for Bain Capital Credit, said: “This transaction showcases that Bain Capital, with both private equity and special situations teams, can provide a wide spectrum of solutions to businesses in Asia looking for growth capital.”

About Bain Capital

Bain Capital (www.baincapital.com) has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since its founding in 1984. Bain Capital Private Equity’s and Bain Capital Credit’s global teams of more than 475 investment professionals create value for its portfolio companies through its depth of expertise in key vertical industries and global distressed and special situations platforms. Bain Capital has offices in Boston, Chicago, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Dublin, London, Munich, Madrid, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Guangzhou and Tokyo. Bain Capital invests across asset classes including private equity, credit, public equity, venture capital and real estate, managing approximately USD 105 billion in total and leveraging the firm’s shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus.

Bain Capital’s proven operational expertise and ability to leverage a fully integrated global team presents a significant advantage for companies looking to identify and execute opportunities to tap into Asia’s high growth markets. Bain Capital works with companies in Asia to achieve their full potential and drive value through operating improvements, growth strategies, M&A and carve-outs from larger corporate partners, such as the recent acquisition of Toshiba Memory Corporation from Toshiba.

About ChinData

ChinData specializes in delivering campus-style hyperscale data centres to Internet, cloud and technology companies in China. It owns and operates data centres in Shenzhen, Beijing, Zhangjiakou and Datong, with further expansion planned across multiple locations. The company has pioneered custom-build designs suited to hyperscale customer requirements.  Founded in Beijing and formerly owned by Wangsu Science and Technology Co, ChinData focuses on the planning, investment, construction, testing and operation of high-performance information infrastructure.

ChinData is an industry-leading carrier neutral IT infrastructure solutions provider in China, focused on ecosystem planning, design, building, testing and operations. ChinData provides a full range of services for its customers, such as campus-style data centers, internet services and IT value-added business. Its customers include leading financial, internet, big data, AI enterprises as well as global hyper-scale cloud computing and technology companies.

Since its establishment in August, 2015, ChinData has rapidly built a cluster of hyper-scale IT infrastructure bases around the capital, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Greater Bay Area, with Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen as core end markets, and more than 220 operators’ data rooms in China. In the above-mentioned regions, the company is involved in the development of the most basic level of infrastructure and resources. Its hyperscale data center ecosystem is an engine for development of renewal energy and the green economy.

ChinData’s world-class “edge computing data centers” and “hyperscale data centers” have respectively won the first Global HRA certificate for flexible internet solutions, the 2018 DCD Award for Global Edge Computing Data Center Innovation and the 2019 DataCloud Global Hyper-scale Innovation Award.

About Bridge Data Centres

Bridge is a wholesale and custom-build data centre solutions provider whose customers include large global enterprises and hyperscale cloud and technology companies with rapid expansion plans across the region. The company owns data center facilities in Malaysia and India while pursuing additional opportunities in Southeast Asia.  Established in 2017 to invest in greenfield projects in the India market, Bridge serves customers in multiple industry sectors, including financial institutions, technology companies, government and more recently large cloud services providers, with best-in-class operating and maintenance procedures to ensure the highest levels of uptime and reliability.

 

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Wireless Logic Group eyes major European growth as France-based Matooma joins the group

Montagu

Wireless Logic Group, Europe’s leading IoT connectivity platform provider today announced the acquisition of Matooma, the Montpellier, France-based IoT connectivity specialist which has grown rapidly since its inception in 2012. Today, Matooma is recognised for its expertise and innovation within the cellular IOT (Internet of Things) connectivity space, with a broad base of customers using their secure network solutions across multiple applications.

The Matooma acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, is Wireless Logic’s third major purchase in 2019 having already welcomed Dutch-based M2MBlue and SIMPoint in February and June respectively. The three new organisations join the UK-headquartered IoT connectivity platform provider as it continues to deliver rapid expansion throughout its European network. With Matooma on board, the group has an increased presence in France working alongside Wireless Logic’s existing Aix-en-Provence team, and will enhance its European reach which includes offices in Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. The group’s European focus with global reach is backed by Montagu Private Equity who came on board in June 2018.

Commenting on the most recent acquisition, Oliver Tucker, Group CEO of Wireless Logic Group said: “We are delighted to be welcoming the Matooma team into the group. In just seven years, they have built an enviable reputation in France by delivering highly responsive and tailored IoT connectivity services, supported by exceptionally strong leadership. Over the coming months our integration programme will enable the group to enhance our best-in-class connectivity platform solutions to which Matooma will play a significant role, particularly within their core markets.”

On behalf of Matooma, founder and CEO Frédéric Salles said: “The success of Matooma has been based around the innovative use of secure mobile technology, a winning approach to nurturing long-lasting mobile network partnerships and in the strength and character of the Matooma team – our people have been so fundamental to where we are now today. Our journey so far has been short, fast-moving and with every opportunity seized. We are looking forward to combining our strengths with Wireless Logic and together building an even more exciting future as we develop and evolve the IoT connectivity market across France and further afield.”

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Tile Secures $45 Million to Advance Embedded Partnerships, International Growth, Product and Service Expansions

Franciso Partners

Investment, Led by Francisco Partners, Comes as Company Posts Strong First Half Results

SAN MATEO, Calif., — Tile, the world’s leading smart location company, today announced the closing of its Series C fundraising round, with a minority growth investment led by Francisco Partners, a global technology-focused private equity firm. The investment will accelerate plans to expand Tile’s embedded partnerships whereby third party products become findable just like Tile’s popular first party devices. The investment will also allow Tile to grow more aggressively internationally, expand into new product categories, and enhance its Premium service to deliver more peace of mind to its growing community of users.

The announcement comes as Tile posts strong results in early 2019, including growing sell-through in Europe by 160% in the most recent quarter, as well as more than doubling unit sales on Prime Day in the United States. The Company also reports that sign-ups for its Premium service, launched in October 2018, have significantly exceeded initial expectations and will be a key focus going forward.

Tile has grown substantially in recent years as customers increasingly rely on the technology to do more than find lost keys: users now depend on the popular service to remind them if they’ve left for work without their laptop, locate lost luggage, find the family cat hiding in the backyard, and even to keep track of the jacket a child may frequently leave behind. The Company’s growth coincides with a time when daily life is becoming more hectic, leaving the average person spending nearly a year of their lifetime looking for misplaced items.

“Millions of users already trust us to safeguard their belongings and find misplaced items — we will continue to deliver on that promise and more,” said CJ Prober, CEO of Tile. “This investment ushers in a new chapter for Tile: with new products and expanded partnerships, we can better solve the everyday pain point of losing or misplacing the things that matter most to our global customer base.”

This investment comes as Tile reaches a tipping point with its embedded strategy which began with product partners like Bose, Skullcandy and Sennheiser, and continues to grow with semiconductor partners like Qualcomm, Nordic and Dialog, resulting in millions of Tile-enabled third party devices in several new verticals by the end of this year.

“Tile pioneered the smart location category,” said Andrew Kowal, Partner with Francisco Partners. “With Bluetooth technology projected to be included in nearly 30 billion devices shipping in the next five years, Tile is poised to deliver an embedded finding solution for a rapidly expanding market. We are extremely excited to be partnering with Tile as the company enters the next chapter of its growth story.”

Tile also raised a portion of the Series C investment from existing investors GGV Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, as well as new investors Bryant Stibel and SVB Financial Group.

About Tile

Tile gives everything the power of smart location. Leveraging its vast community that spans 230 countries and territories, Tile’s cloud-based finding platform helps people find the things that matter to them most. The global Tile community helps locate more than five million unique items every day. The company is based in San Mateo, CA and is backed by Francisco Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and GGV Capital. For more information, please visit Tile.com.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a leading global private equity firm that specializes in investments in technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has raised over $14 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 275 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.

About Bryant Stibel

Bryant Stibel was founded in 2013 to provide strategic, financial, and operational support to businesses with a focus across technology, media, and data. The Bryant Stibel platform is unique in that it combines the creative vision of Kobe Bryant, one of the world’s most well known and respected sports icons, with Jeff Stibel, a proven market-driven operator and serial entrepreneur, alongside a team of proven public and private company executives. The team has extensive experience operating technology and data-driven businesses, as well as deploying capital through its growth and venture platforms. For more information, please visit www.BryantStibel.com.

About SVB Financial Group

For more than 35 years, SVB Financial Group (NASDAQ: SIVB) and its subsidiaries have helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB Financial Group’s businesses, including Silicon Valley Bank, offer commercial, investment and private banking, asset management, private wealth management, brokerage and investment services and funds management services to companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital, and premium wine industries. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, SVB Financial Group operates in centers of innovation around the world. Learn more at www.svb.com.

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

Fortino Capital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3I

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

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

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

Stanislas Pilot, CEO, Evernex, commented:

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

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

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

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

 

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Questel acquires Direct Validation

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

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

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

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

For more information, please visit www.questel.com

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