Investment in strongly growing UK market

Essex / Neustadt a. d. Aisch – Onlineprinters, one of Europe’s largest B2B online printing companies, is about to acquire Solopress, a leading player in the UK online printing market. Solopress was founded in 2004 and has grown significantly in recent years reaching 225 employees in 2016. With “print delivered tomorrow” Solopress is uniquely positioned to fulfil customer demand for speed and quality. Solopress’ founders Aron Priest and Andy Smith will continue to lead Solopress as Managing Directors and become shareholders of Onlineprinters Group. Last year Bregal Unternehmerkapital became the new majority shareholder of Onlineprinters partnering with Project A and founder Walter Meyer to lead the company to its next phase of growth.

The parties involved in the acquisition have agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.

Onlineprinters was one of the First Movers in online printing, and in 2016 produced over 2.1 billion printed items. Having expanded its clientele by 100,000 new customers in 2016, the company welcomed its 600,000th customer in January 2017 and currently has more than 650 employees. Onlineprinters CEO Dr. Michael Fries commented about the deal, “We are glad that Solopress with its premier position in the UK market will become part of the Onlineprinters Group. The experience of the founders Aron Priest and Andy Smith will be instrumental in developing our UK business and helping to further develop Onlineprinters as a European leader in online printing.”

“With Onlineprinters we have found a partner who is one of the pre-eminent international players within the European online printing sector. The Onlineprinters Group provides the right framework to continue the successful development of Solopress,” says Solopress’ Co-Founder Aron Priest.

Growth strategy

The UK is one of the major European printing markets which has recently begun to accelerate in the transition to online print. “With Solopress we have a partner with a well established brand in the UK, a broad customer base, knowledge of the market and an efficient production facility, with high quality standards. The acquisition of Solopress strengthens the market position of Onlineprinters as one of Europe’s Top-5 online print providers,” explains Dr. Michael Fries.

Award winning quality and service

Solopress has grown year-on-year and won seven prestigious awards, including ‘Business of the Year’ and ‘Business to Business of the Year’. Onlineprinters was awarded for excellent customer service several times in the past few years and has earned many commendations by renowned media outlets.

About Onlineprinters

Onlineprinters GmbH is one of Europe’s top online print providers. In line with the motto “Print simply online!“ the company sells printed products to 600,000 customers in 30 European countries through its 16 web shops. Internationally, the company is known under the brand name “Onlineprinters“; in Germany it operates under the name “diedruckerei.de“. The product range comprises of 1,400 printed products from business cards, stationery and flyers to catalogues, brochures and large-format advertising systems. The formula to successfully produce customised prints in terms of Industry 4.0 rests on three pillars: online sales, fully integrated production from ordering to shipping and gang run printing. The latter uses so-called combined forms to collectively produce print jobs, therefore minimising costs and reducing the environmental impact. Selected products allow customers to choose the option of same day printing (produced on the same working day), overnight delivery, climate neutral production and custom size specification. Onlineprinters GmbH employs 650 staff and produces over two billion printed items per year.

About Solopress

Solopress is one of the UKs largest independent online printers, offering a wide range of business related printed products, including business cards, leaflets, brochures, posters and banners. With the maxim “Print Delivered Tomorrow” the company ships over 85% of its print jobs within 24 hours of being ordered. Last year alone Solopress produced over 300,000 online orders, and hit the 1,000,000th order milestone in October 2016. Within Solopress’ two sites covering more than 63,000 sq ft. the company boasts an impressive plant list including; 7 Heidelberg Speedmasters, 5 Xerox iGens and 9 Polar guillotines. These machines combined with an internally developed workflow and superb customer service (rated Excellent on Trustpilot with over 8,500 reviews) have seen Solopress achieve double digit growth for twelve consecutive years.

About Bregal Unternehmerkapital

Bregal Unternehmerkapital is part of a family-owned business that has been built up over generations. Its investment activity is based on long-term commitment and independent of developments in the financial markets. Bregal Unternehmerkapital identifies companies, with strong management teams, that are regarded as market leaders or “hidden champions” in their particular segment. Flexible financing and transaction structures enable it to acquire both minority and majority stakes. In doing so, Bregal Unternehmerkapital is also able to handle complex industry spin-offs, management buy-outs and succession situations in a sensitive, non-dogmatic manner. Bregal Unternehmerkapital aims to help companies to achieve a sustained improvement in sales and profitability, and provides them with capital, proven financial expertise and access to a broad network of entrepreneurs and industry experts.

About Project A

Project A is an operational VC that provides its ventures with capital, an extensive network and exclusive access to a wide range of operational expertise. The Berlin-based investor makes use of the €260m in assets under its management to back early-stage companies in the digital technology space. With its unique organizational structure featuring 100 operational experts, Project A offers its portfolio companies hands-on support in the areas of IT, Marketing & Brand Building, Business Intelligence, Sales and Recruiting. The portfolio includes companies such as Catawiki, WorldRemit, Tictail, Contorion, nu3, Lostmy.name and ZenMate. More about Project A on www.project-a.com  and on our blog insights.project-a.com.

Press contact Onlineprinters

Onlineprinters GmbH
Patrick Piecha
Head of Press & Public Relations
Phone:    +49 9161 6209807
+49 174 3077250
press@onlineprinters.com
www.onlineprinters.co.uk

Press contact Solopress

Solopress
Julia Murray
Digital Marketing Manager
Phone:    +44 1702 460047
+44 7702 202580
press@solopress.com
www.solopress.com

Press contact Bregal Unternehmerkapital

IRA WÜLFING KOMMUNIKATION GmbH
Dr Reinhard Saller / Florian Bergmann
Phone:      +49 89 2000 30-30
bregal@wuelfing-kommunikation.de

Press contact Project A

Project A
Konstanze Pflüger
Corporate Communications
Phone:      +49 30 340 606 321
konstanze.pflueger@project-a.com
www.project-a.com

Summa Equity has acquired Linfre Education AB from the founder and a handful of private investors. The founder and CEO Josef Lind will reinvest the majority of his proceeds, and the management team will also invest alongside Summa Equity.

Tommi Unkuri, Partner at Summa Equity, said: “We are very excited about concluding Summa Equity’ third investment, and the first one within the investment theme Changing Demographics. This investment also fits within another of our four themes, Tech-enabled business, where Education is a core segment. Through Lin Education we will contribute to the digitalisation of the Swedish educational system. In a time when learning is more important than ever, this is a field offering important challenges, but also huge opportunities. Being part of innovative solutions to some of the pressing challenges of our time, is a fundament in Summa Equity’s investment philosophy”.

Josef Lind, Founder and CEO of Lin Education, said: “We are very pleased to have Summa Equity as our new majority owner and partner, as this will help Lin Education take the next steps in our development. We are looking forward to a collaboration whereby we will strengthen our offering, press ahead to lead the development in educational content, and further develop our organisation. In Summa Equity we find a fit not only for our business, but also for our people and stakeholders.”

Lin Education was founded in 2007 by Josef Lind, and today has several hundred thousand digital tools and IT hardware (i.e. computers, laptops, tablets, etc.) in schools and preschools all over Sweden. Lin Education also offers learning, development and digitalisation training for its customers. Many thousand people are using the Lin Education’s proprietary digital content tools for learning. The company has some 90 employees working out of offices in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmö, Karlstad and Umeå. Revenue was SEK 569m in 2016.

Summa Equity will support the continued development of Lin Education and assist the Company in further growth through investments to develop existing as well as new products. Lin Education is expected to benefit from the trend towards increasing digitalisation of learning, in schools and in other environments.

Ends

For more information, please contact:

Tommi Unkuri, Lead Partner, Summa Equity, +46 70 508 1196, tommi.unkuri@summaequity.com

Josef Lind, CEO, Lin Education, +46) 704 385 827, josef.lind@lineducation.se

About Lin Education

Lin Education is a Swedish Education Technology company founded in 2007 as distributor of IT hardware (i.e. computers, laptops, tablets) to Swedish schools. The Company has since also expanded into segments for digital content, training and supplementary services for a digital learning environment, and today has a position as a leader in the Swedish market for digitalisation of the educational system. Lin Education has demonstrated strong double digit revenue growth annually over the past three years.

About Summa Equity

Summa Equity was formed in 2016 by partners with a shared vision of building a leading specialised private equity firm in the Nordic lower mid-market, positioned to capture the investment opportunity provided by the thematic megatrends expected to drive growth over the long term. The Firm focuses on sectors related to four megatrend driven themes: resource scarcity, energy efficiency, changing demographics and tech-enabled businesses. Summa Equity closed its first fund in February 2017 with commitments of SEK 4.5 billion.

Gimv leads EUR 10.3 million follow-on round to accelerate Itineris’ international growth

Gimv and Gimv managed Gimv Arkiv Tech Fund II jointly invest EUR 7.8 million in Itineris (www.itineris.net), a Belgian software solutions company that has developed UMAX, a Microsoft-based software solution managing the meter-to-cash processes at utility companies. Next to Gimv, other existing investors PMV and CEO-founder Edgard Vermeersch jointly put EUR 2.5 million on top, lifting the total financing round to EUR 10.3 million.

With four clients in the US under contract, a strengthened leadership for the UMAX North American business, a geographical extension of its focus in Europe with several new customer wins and revenues topping EUR 43 million, 2016 was a key year for Itineris.

The funds will be used to further support the growth of the company. Next to investing in the improvement of its UMAX-solution for its existing customers, and extending its reach with new customers in both Europe and North-America, the company is also considering some acquisition opportunities.

After earlier financings in November 2013 and May 2015, this is the third investment round of Itineris in which Gimv acts as lead investor. It clearly shows Gimv’s willingness to provide larger financing tickets to ambitious entrepreneurs willing to scale up and accelerate the growth of their company in order to become  leading in their sector.

25-10-2016 07:30

Gimv acquires a 40% stake in MEGA International, a leading global software and consulting services company, which helps companies improve their business and IT agility to innovate in the digital world. MEGA’s offering has been recognized for years by customers and prominent analysts in enterprise architecture (EA), IT portfolio management (ITPM), business process analysis (BPA), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) markets. The other shareholders are Lucio de Risi (Founder/CEO) and the management-team of MEGA International. Over the coming years, the emphasis will be placed on the acceleration of the growth in the US, the ongoing SaaS[1]-transformation, and in extending the audience of its product offering.

MEGA International (www.mega.com) is a global software firm helping companies manage enterprise complexity by giving them an interactive view of their operations. In today’s fast-paced, and disruptive business environment, organizations must be forward-looking and agile to adapt to rapidly-changing markets, technologies, and regulatory requirements. MEGA International’s integrated set of software solutions, called HOPEX, and its consulting services, enables IT departments and/or executives gain the visibility and information they need to make the right choices for effective governance and for striking the right balance between capacity for innovation, cost optimization, and risk management when it comes to their IT strategies and digital transformation programs. MEGA has a global footprint with 8 offices around the globe (Paris – HQ, London, Berlin, Milan, Boston, Mexico, Casablanca, and Singapore). Moreover, it works with 25 business partners around the world. The company’s customers are mostly big, complex – often global – companies and government organizations, e.g. Fannie Mae, Crédit Agricole, UniCredit, Nissan, Eurocontrol, United States Department of Agriculture, SBB CFF, P&G, Gilead or Colruyt. Last year, MEGA International realized a turnover of EUR 43 million with almost 300 employees.

Gimv’s investment provides partial liquidity to the initial shareholders while preparing the company for the next phase in its development. It is the ambition in the coming 3 years’ time (i) to foster the growth among its existing clients and by signing up new customers, (ii) to establish an excellent track record in its already initiated transition to a SaaS offering, and (iii) to apply its software tools to even more applications towards a broader audience.

Gimv Smart Industries platform has a focus on innovative companies with strong technology expertise and headquarters in France, Benelux and DACH regions. During the last years, the team has built a successful track record within the sector of ICT companies, engineered products and advanced manufacturing.

Tom Van de Voorde, Partner in Gimv’s Smart Industries platform: “Globalisation, digitalisation, consolidation and regulation are driving the need for large corporations to have a clear view on and the ability to manage their IT systems. MEGA’s leadership team together with its employees have the vision and the long experience in creating value for their customers by serving their needs and increasing their competitive positioning. We are truly delighted to join this partnership.”

Lucio de Risi, CEO and Founder of MEGA International: “I am very enthusiastic about this partnership and believe Gimv can bring a lot of value through their software expertise and experience in accompanying ambitious entrepreneurs in their international growth”.

Viking Venture invests in the Norwegian company Xait AS. The company has developed XaitPorter, a document collaboration and production tool used by major corporations globally.

Xait AS was founded by CEO Owe Lie-Bjelland and CFO Arnt Jørund Andreassen in 2000 and has grown to be a major player in the market for production of complex documents. The company has implemented a cloud based offering with a subscription based business model. XaitPorter is used by corporations when producing complex documents such as tenders, proposals, reports, governing documents and project documentation. The software supports both the production and formatting dimension as well as the project management, review and approval dimension of document production.

“We are impressed by the quality of the team, the product and the customers they have attracted. With more than 30% growth and 90% recurring revenue, this company is ideally positioned for further international expansion,” commented, Eivind Bergsmyr partner in Viking Venture and chairman of Xait.

Adelis Equity Partners (“Adelis”) has acquired majority stakes in IT Relation, Front-data and DSI-NEXT. The companies’ management teams continue as minority shareholders in the new setup.

The combined businesses will be the largest provider of IT outsourcing services to small businesses in Denmark with around DKK 300 million in revenues, 200 employees and offices in Herning, Århus, Odense and Copenhagen.

”With the combination of IT Relation, Front-data and DSI-NEXT, we have made four investments and three add-on acquisitions in Denmark since establishing Adelis less than three years ago. We are impressed by the three companies’ niche focus on small businesses, their consistent growth, and their strong cultures that make them leaders in this industry,” said Steffen Thomsen of Adelis.

“This acquisition creates a strong platform for growth. We have experience with similar companies where we have focused on finding the best platform in terms of a scalable business model combined with a strong company culture and a skilled management team,” Joel Russ of Adelis added.

The three businesses will continue activities under their own brands as part of the IT Relation Front-data Group and have access to capital and knowledge that will make it possible to accelerate their positive business development.

“We are pleased and proud to be able to work with Adelis given their significant experience building strong businesses through consolidation. Furthermore, they can contribute with their insights from previous technology investments, including within hosting. We are looking forward to the cooperation,” said Henrik Kastbjerg, CEO of IT Relation.

”I am delighted that we have created a strong foundation to deliver top-class service to our customers and to attract and retain the best employees,” said Jens Søgaard, founder of Front-data.

In connection with the transaction, Henrik Kastbjerg will become Group CEO of IT Relation Front-data. Jens Søgaard will become a member of the board, which will be chaired by former CEO of KMD, Lars Monrad-Gylling.

Nykredit has provided debt financing for the transaction. Clearwater International advised IT Relation on the transaction.

Further details concerning the transaction will not be published.

For further information:

Steffen Thomsen, Adelis Equity Partners, +45 40 28 34 09, steffen.thomsen@adelisequity.com

Joel Russ, Adelis Equity Partners, +46 73 543 90 68, joel.russ@adelisequity.com

Henrik Kastbjerg, IT Relation, +45 20 69 67 00, hvk@itrelation.dk

Jens Søgaard, Front-data and DSI-NEXT, +45 27 63 85 00, js@frontdata.dk

 About IT Relation

IT Relation was founded in 2003 and within a short period, the company has become one of the leading suppliers of it outsourcing services in Denmark. IT Relation currently has 115 employees, with offices in Herning and outside Copenhagen. For more information, please visit www.itrelation.dk .

About Front-data and DSI-NEXT

Front-data and DSI-NEXT have been part of JS Holding where the two companies have built up leading positions within each of their markets, Front-data within IT Outsourcing/Hosting and DSI-NEXT within Sharepoint, .net development and business intelligence solutions. In combination, Front-data and DSI-NEXT have 95 employees and offices in Århus, Odense and Copenhagen. Please visit www.frontdata.dk and www.dsinext.dk .

About Adelis Equity Partners

Adelis is an active investor and partner in creating value at small and medium sized Nordic companies. Adelis was founded in 2012 with the goal of building the leading lower middle market investment firm in the Nordics. Adelis’ team members have extensive Private Equity experience, have invested in over 50 companies and have been members of the board in more than 50 middle market companies. Our current fund size is approximately €400 million. For more information please visit www.adelisequity.com.