Tag Archives: Services

Blackstone-Led Consortium Completes Partnership Transaction with Thomson Reuters for Financial & Risk Business

Blackstone

New York, October 1, 2018 – A consortium led by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone (“Blackstone”) – together with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPPIB”) and GIC – have completed the previously announced partnership transaction with Thomson Reuters (TSX / NYSE: TRI) for Thomson Reuters’ Financial & Risk (F&R) business. The Blackstone-led consortium now owns 55 percent of the equity in a new corporation created to hold the F&R business, and Thomson Reuters retains a 45 percent equity stake, at an overall valuation of US$20 billion. The Financial & Risk business is now known as Refinitiv.

Refinitiv is one of the world’s largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure, providing leading data and insights, trading platforms, and open data and technology platforms that connect communities of trading, investment, financial and corporate professionals. It also provides leading regulatory and risk management solutions to help customers anticipate and manage risk and compliance.

Martin Brand, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “We are pleased to close this landmark partnership transaction with Thomson Reuters. Blackstone is excited to invest in Refinitiv to pursue a business plan focused on accelerating growth through innovation, in partnership with Refinitiv’s customers.”

Eli Nagler, a Managing Director at Blackstone, added: “We are excited to complete this transaction and look forward to supporting Refinitiv’s growth and continued technology advancements in the years ahead.”

Through this investment and carve out of F&R by the Blackstone-led consortium, the new Refinitiv business expects to invest in a number of key areas to serve its customer base, which currently includes 40,000 institutions in over 190 countries. This includes further investing in content coverage, AI and analytics across its open data platforms Elektron and Eikon for buy-side, trading, wealth and banking customers. It also plans to invest in enhanced capabilities for its leading platforms for trading, as well as in indices, risk management, and fighting financial crime.

“This is a unique moment in our 160-year history as the Financial & Risk business of Thomson Reuters now steps forward as Refinitiv,” said David Craig, CEO of Refinitiv. “We firmly believe that efficient, transparent and trusted markets are good for all and that Refinitiv’s role is at the heart of this, providing access to clean and consistent data on a global scale. With the backing of our investors, Refinitiv will continue to deliver the critical data, insights and open technology infrastructure that the market has come to expect while driving progress for our customers across trading, risk, banking, wealth and investment management and in areas such as financial crime and ESG investment. We look forward to exciting times ahead.”

Canson Capital Partners, BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and J.P. Morgan are acting as financial advisors to the Blackstone-led consortium, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is acting as legal counsel to the Blackstone-led consortium.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with approximately $440 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

About CPPIB
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is a professional investment management organization that invests the funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) to pay current benefits on behalf of 20 million contributors and beneficiaries. In order to build a diversified portfolio of CPP assets, CPPIB invests in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income instruments. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, São Paulo and Sydney, CPPIB is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm’s length from governments. At June 30, 2018, the CPP Fund totalled C$366.6 billion. For more information about CPPIB, please visit www.cppib.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

About GIC
GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to manage Singapore’s foreign reserves. A disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and infrastructure. In private equity, GIC invests through funds as well as directly in companies, partnering with its fund managers and management teams to help world class businesses achieve their objectives. GIC has investments in over 40 countries and has been investing in emerging markets for more than two decades. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,500 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information on GIC, please visit www.gic.com.sg.

About Refinitiv
Refinitiv is one of the world’s largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure, serving over 40,000 institutions in over 190 countries. It provides leading data and insights, trading platforms, and open data and technology platforms that connect a thriving global financial markets community – driving performance in trading, investment, wealth management, regulatory compliance, market data management, enterprise risk and fighting financial crime. www.refinitiv.com

Blackstone Media Contact
Matt Anderson
Senior Vice President, Global Public Affairs
T: 212 390 2472
matthew.anderson@blackstone.com

CPPIB Media Contact
Darryl Konynenbelt
Director, Global Media Relations
416-972-8389
dkonynenbelt@cppib.com

GIC Media Contacts
Ms Mah Lay Choon
Senior Vice President, Communications
Tel: +65 6889 6841
E-mail: mahlaychoon@gic.com.sg

Ms Wendy Wong
Senior Vice President, Communications
Tel: +65 6889 6928
E-mail: wendywong@gic.com.sg

Refinitiv Media Contacts
Kate Reid
Head of Communications
T: +44 20 7542 2215
kate.reid@refinitiv.com

Lem Brewster
Director, Communications
T: +1 646-223-5147
lemuel.brewster@refinitiv.com

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Funds advised by Apax Partners acquire Authority Brands

New York and Columbia, Maryland, 24 September 2018:Funds advised by Apax Partners (the “Apax Funds”) today announced the acquisition of Authority Brands, a leading North American franchisor of home services, from PNC Riverarch Capital. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands is the parent company of two home services franchisors: The Cleaning Authority, which provides residential cleaning services to over 100,000 customers across the U.S.; and Homewatch CareGivers, which delivers at-home services including elderly, disabled and after-surgery care, as well as help for those living with dementia. Authority Brands operates over 300 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, supporting them to grow through the provision of marketing, technology and operational support.

The acquisition by the Apax Funds will help the company accelerate its growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, as it looks to expand internationally and offer additional services. It also presents digitization opportunities as Apax intends to leverage its significant experience in this area to help Authority Brands provide enhanced software, digital marketing and systems to support its franchise partners. Under the terms of the acquisition, Authority Brands’ management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Rob Weddle, will remain in place.

Rob Weddle, CEO of Authority Brands, said: “We are very excited about the experience and depth the Apax team brings to this new partnership. Authority Brands has a vision to become the leading franchisor of home services by providing unparalleled business ownership opportunity to its franchisees and delivering first-class service to consumers. We are confident Apax shares in this vision and expect a bright future for Authority Brands.”

Ashish Karandikar, Partner at Apax Partners, said: “We have been attracted to the home services market for some time, due to its size, fragmentation and attractive growth rate. We have been impressed by Authority Brands’ established franchise network, experienced management, and strong track record of growth.

“We look forward to working with management and all franchise partners to accelerate growth, both organically and through M&A, as well as to leverage Apax’s significant experience in international expansion and digitization.”

About Authority Brands
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands, LLC is the parent company of two leading home service franchisors, The Cleaning Authority and Homewatch CareGivers. Together, these brands provide recurring home services through more than 300 franchise locations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchisee growth through providing strong marketing, technology and operational support.

About Apax Partners
Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 35-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of over $50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

Media Contacts:  

For Authority Brands

Nikki Rode, Fish Consulting | +1 954-893-9150 | nrode@fish-consulting.com

For Apax Partners

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

USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst | +1 212-521 4854 | todd.fogarty@kekst.com

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

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CVC Capital Partners announces majority interest investment in UnitedLex

Senior team has fully reinvested to further company’s mission to drive innovation in the legal marketplace

CVC Capital Partners (“CVC”) today announced that funds managed by CVC will make a majority interest investment in UnitedLex, the pioneer of enterprise legal services for the world’s leading corporations, law firms, and universities. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. The UnitedLex senior leadership team has fully reinvested in the transaction to further the company’s mission to lead the revolution of the practice of law and legal services delivery and to drive innovation in the legal marketplace.

The investment represents one of the largest transactions to date with any legal services provider. It comes on the heels of UnitedLex closing deals worth $1.5 billion in total contract value over the last 18 months.

Founded in 2006, UnitedLex provides enterprise legal services to its clients, which include more than 25% of the Global Fortune 500, across 18 countries. UnitedLex’s year-over-year growth has been purely organic, enabling a singularity of culture focused on delivering significant client value and providing its professionals a unique home to extend the current boundaries of client solutions through the “art of the possible.” The company has created a one of a kind legal services platform: a consulting, technology, and resource solutions company; an international law firm constellation; and a law firm resource platform – all focused on the areas of contracts and commercial transactions, litigation, intellectual property, consulting, and compliance.

Daniel Reed, CEO of UnitedLex, said, “I am very pleased to welcome CVC as our partner in what marks an important milestone in UnitedLex’s evolution. As Europe’s largest private equity firm with current and past portfolio companies such as Breitling, AlixPartners, and Formula 1, CVC has the geographic reach, sector expertise, scale, and significant capital that will undoubtedly help us expand our technology development and provide clients with unique financial structuring as part of our industry-changing solutions.”

Siddharth Patel, Senior Managing Director at CVC, commented, “UnitedLex has a multi-billion-dollar opportunity ahead of it, with legal services being one the few remaining verticals that is early in the penetration curve of technology, consulting, and solution delivery. UnitedLex continues to innovate with game-changing engagements with the world’s leading companies. Now is the perfect time for us to provide significant capital to enhance its growth and scale, the beginnings of which we’ve already seen in its impressive financial performance, customer wins, and pipeline of opportunities.”

Amit Soni, Managing Director at CVC, added, “We are excited to partner with UnitedLex and its excellent management team and to provide necessary capital to pursue both strategic acquisitions in a consolidating space, as well as transformational client wins. We have known the company for many years and have been impressed by its consistent track record of growth and ability to design and deliver unique solutions in the enterprise legal space.”

 

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Folmer Equity Fund II invests in Europlan Engineering Oy

Folmer

Folmer Equity Fund II Ky, a fund managed by Folmer Management Oy, is making an
investment in marine sector by acquiring a majority stake in Europlan Engineering Oy. As
part of the transaction, Hermann´s Finland Oy, a company specialized in demanding interior
solutions, becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Europlan Engineering group.

Europlan Engineering Oy, founded in 1990, is a leading Finnish marine technology project management company.
The core business of Europlan Engineering Oy consists of challenging turn-key projects for both domestic and
international clients. The company provides solutions for global cruise ships, superyachts and construction industry.
The company’s project management capabilities as well as its flexible network of subcontractors enable large-scale
global projects. The estimated revenue of the company for the current fiscal is ca. 55 MEUR.
The current owner and Managing Director of the company, Jari Savola, will continue as the Managing Director and
minority shareholder of the company with 40% equity stake. Moreover, the previous owner of Hermann´s Finland Oy,
Heikki Nieminen, will stay with the company.

“I wanted a partner that will ambitiously pursue the company to the next level through all aspects of the company. With
the large global orders in the backlog, we need particularly high standards as a company. We look forward continuing
to exceed the expectation levels of our clients”, says Jari Savola, The Managing Director of Europlan Engineering Oy.
“The prevailing megatrend of growth within the cruise ship industry provides us tailwind. Moreover, considering the
business climate, the opportunity to expand into new business segments is attractive”, says Sami Tuominen, the
Managing Director and Partner of Folmer. “Europlan Engineering Oy consists of group of experienced special talents
of the Finnish marine industry. Hermann´s Finland Oy offers exceptional production engineering capabilities. Together
the companies make a globally-recognized pioneer”, adds Johanna Marin, the Investment Director and Partner of
Folmer.

For more information:
Managing Director, Partner Sami Tuominen, Folmer Management Oy, tel. +358 40 708 4905,
sami.tuominen@folmer.fi
Managing Director, Europlan Engineering Oy, jari.savola@europlan.fi

Europlan Engineering Oy is a project management company providing its domestic and global clients with turn-key
solutions. The company services its clients within global cruise ship, superyacht and construction industry.
www.europlan.fi

Hermann´s Finland Oy is a production engineering company that specializes in demanding interior solutions. The
key competencies of the company are craft work, creative design and know-how in modern manufacturing methods.
The production of the company is built on IT-based design techniques and rigorous modelling. www.hermanns.fi
Folmer Management Oy is a Finnish private equity company investing in Finnish SMEs. Folmer creates value through
active development work. Folmer provides companies with support and professional experience – a requirement for
success. www.folmer.fi

Folmer Equity Fund II Ky benefits from the support of the European Union under the Equity Facility for Growth
established under Regulation (EU) No 1287/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a
Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium enterprises (COSME) (2014-2020).
Businesses can contact selected financial institutions in their country to access EU financing: www.access2finance.eu.

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CapMan Growth Fund successfully exits Fluido Oy

CapMan Growth Fund successfully exits Fluido Oy

– the Finnish growth company becomes part of an international technology frontrunner

CapMan Growth Fund has, together with its other owners, signed an agreement on selling its holdings of Fluido Oy, the leading Salesforce partner in the Nordics, to Infosys, a global technology company. Fluido will continue to operate as an independent company. The acquisition is the first exit for the CapMan Growth Fund, established in 2017. The fund held a 29 per cent stake in Fluido, with the investment providing significant returns.

Fluido is one the largest and longest tenured independent Salesforce Platinum Consulting Partners in Europe. The company provides consulting, development and integration services tailored to clients’ needs, supporting clients in digitalising their business and creating excellent cloud services experiences with Salesforce technology. Fluido is headquartered in Espoo, with offices also in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Slovakia. The company’s team of nearly 250 professionals comprises 30 different nationalities.

“We are very pleased with our investment in Fluido. The company is a true Finnish success story. Together with the founders, management and personnel, we have succeeded in growing its revenue nearly fivefold during our ownership due to domestic growth and fast internationalisation. We shared a goal of turning Fluido into the leading Nordic player in its industry, which we have achieved with great success.  Exceptional company management and committed personnel have made this achievement possible,” says Juha Mikkola, Managing Partner of CapMan Growth.

“Cooperation with the CapMan Growth team has been truly enjoyable for us. With the help of their persevering support, we have been able to grow fast and profitably and expand our operations into international markets. The current acquisition will provide us with a unique opportunity to serve our global clients even better. We also value the fact that we will continue as our own business under the Fluido brand after the transaction, treasuring our unique culture this way,” states Kai Mäkelä, Founder and CEO of Fluido.

Additional information:
Juha Mikkola, Managing Partner, CapMan Growth, Tel. +358 50 590 0522, juha.mikkola@capman.com
Kai Mäkelä, Founder and CEO, Fluido, Tel. +358 44 213 9812, kai.makela@fluidogroup.com

 

CapMan Growth is the partner for growth companies seeking capital and know-how for growth and M&A activities. CapMan Growth makes only minority investments in both private and public companies that operate in sufficiently large markets and are able to leverage their innovative services and solutions both in Finland and internationally. Our investment criteria further include professional and committed management, innovative service/product, proven business plan, growing revenues, significant market potential and unique competitive advantage.The objective of Growth investment activities is to find unlisted target companies with the potential to grow rapidly, to make significant minority investments in them and, as an active investor, to develop their value so as to achieve returns in excess of the market average through long-term ownership. Our recent investments include Arctic Security Oy and RealMachinery Oy.

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value-creation in its target companies and assets. We offer a wide selection of investment products and services. As one of the Nordic private equity pioneers we have developed hundreds of companies and real estate and created substantial value in these businesses and assets over the last 28 years. CapMan employs today approximately 120 private equity professionals and has approximately €2.8 billion in assets under management. We mainly manage the assets of our customers, the investors, but also make investments from our own balance sheet. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors. Our current investment strategies cover Real Estate, Buyout, Russia, Credit, Growth and Infra. We also have a growing service business that currently includes procurement services (CaPS), fundraising advisory (Scala Fund Advisory), and fund management services. www.capman.com

Fluido is the leading Salesforce Consultancy and Partner in the Nordics. Fluido’s customers include both large globally operating enterprises and growth companies across industries in all Nordic countries. Fluido offers consulting, development and integration services tailored for customer needs to help them reach their goals, transform and create outstanding customer experiences by utilizing Salesforce technology. Fluido’s headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, with additional offices in Denmark, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden. www.fluidogroup.com

 

CapMan Plc
Communications
Ludviginkatu 6
00130 Helsinki
Finland

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The Carlyle Group to become majority investor in Sedgwick in $6.7 billion transaction

KKR

Investment will foster continued growth of global claims management provider

MEMPHIS, Tenn. and NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sedgwick, a global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions, announced today that affiliates of funds managed by The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ : CG  ) have agreed to become the majority owner of Sedgwick in a transaction valued at approximately $6.7 billion. Current majority shareholder KKR will fully exit its position following the transaction. Funds managed by Stone Point Capital LLC and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), together with Sedgwick management, will remain minority investors.

“At Sedgwick, taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do, and I am proud that The Carlyle Group appreciates the value our colleagues create when they put our caring counts® philosophy into practice,” said Dave North, president and CEO of Sedgwick. “We are humbled by the confidence they have shown in our business model, and we look forward to partnering with Carlyle on developing and delivering innovative solutions for our clients around the world. We are grateful for the strong and value-added partnership with KKR over the last handful of years.”

On an annual basis, Sedgwick handles more than 3.6 million claims and has fiduciary responsibility for claim payments totaling more than $19.5 billion.

Stephen H. Wise, Managing Director and Global Head of Healthcare for The Carlyle Group, said, “Dave North and Sedgwick’s world-class management team have built the company into an industry leader over the last two decades. We are excited to collaborate with Sedgwick, which has distinguished itself by constantly improving the claims management and loss adjusting process to the benefit of all key stakeholders, including its colleagues, customers, insurance companies and brokers.”

“We are pleased to partner with the exceptional management team and highly talented colleagues of Sedgwick. We look forward to participating in Sedgwick’s next chapter of growth and innovation and working with the company as it builds out its global platform to meet the increasingly complex needs of its clients around the world, while leveraging the One Carlyle network,” said John C. Redett, Carlyle Managing Director and Co-head of Global Financial Services.

“We have greatly valued our partnership with Sedgwick and its exceptional management team,” said Tagar Olson, director of Sedgwick, Member of KKR, and head of KKR’s financial services investing efforts. “We look forward to watching the company’s continued success in delivering high quality technology-driven insurance solutions to clients and consumers around the globe.”

The parties are working to close the deal later this year, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Equity capital for the investment will come from Carlyle Partners VII, an $18.5 billion fund that focuses on buyout transactions in the U.S., and Carlyle Global Financial Services Partners III, L.P., a dedicated financial services buyout fund.

BofA Merrill Lynch served as financial advisor to Sedgwick, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor. BofA Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and KKR Capital Markets are expected to provide debt financing for the transaction. Morgan Stanley and Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. served as financial advisors to Carlyle, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor.

About Sedgwick 

Sedgwick is a leading global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions. The company provides a broad range of resources tailored to clients’ specific needs in casualty, property, marine, benefits and other lines. At Sedgwick, caring counts®; through the dedication and expertise of more than 21,000 colleagues across 65 countries, the company takes care of people and organizations by mitigating and reducing risks and losses, promoting health and productivity, protecting brand reputations, and containing costs that can impact the bottom line. For more, see sedgwick.com.

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ : CG  ) is a global alternative asset manager with $210 billion of assets under management across 335 investment vehicles. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – corporate private equity, real assets, global credit and investment solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including aerospace, defense and government services, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, health care, industrial, real estate, technology and business services, telecommunications and media, and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,625 people in 31 offices across six continents.

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EQT invests in China Shine, a fast-growing facility management service provider

eqt

  • EQT Mid Market Asia acquires a 40% stake in China Shine, a fast-growing facility management service provider with a focus on the Chinese market
  • The strategy is to support Shine’s continued growth and development of a broader service scope, as well as further geographical expansion, to become a national integrated facility management service platform
  • EQT is partnering with the current management of Shine, which remains as majority shareholders and will continue to drive the growth strategy

The EQT Mid Market Asia III fund (or “EQT Mid Market Asia”) has acquired a 40% stake in China Shine (Cayman) Co. Ltd. (“Shine” or the “Company”) from the current management shareholders. Shine’s management team will, under the joint leadership of Jack Zhou, CEO and Chairman, Sally Wu, COO and Alan Pang, General Manager, continue to lead and drive growth and development of the Company.

Founded in 2016 in Shanghai, Shine offers general cleaning, support, building maintenance, security and integrated facility management services across China. The two-year-old company is on track to achieve annual sales of RMB 200 million (USD 30 million) in 2018. Under the leadership of the current management team, which possesses more than 20 years of industry experience, Shine has demonstrated remarkable growth since inception and is today a fast-growing facility management service provider with a stable customer base.

With a strong management team and support from EQT’s industrial network and previous experience within facility management, Shine is well-positioned to capture the attractive growth opportunities in the under-penetrated and highly fragmented facility management market in China. The strategy includes continued growth, both organically and through add-on acquisitions, and development of a broader service scope as well as further geographical expansion, with the ambition to become a fully-integrated national facility management service platform.

Shine has also announced the strategic alliance with Shanghai East Asia Hong’An Cleaning Service Co. Ltd., a company focusing on Shanghai’s prime commercial and office building vertical.

Jack Zhou, CEO and Chairman of Shine, says: “We are excited to work together with EQT and further develop Shine into an integrated facility management service platform. With its industrial and operational growth-focused approach, EQT is the ideal partner for Shine”.

Martin Mok, Partner, Head of EQT Mid Market Asia and Investment Advisor to EQT Mid Market Asia III, concludes: “We are impressed by the management’s vision, vast industry experience and entrepreneurial spirit. EQT looks forward to the new partnership and the focus going forward will be on geographical and service scope expansion, while maintaining high service quality and customer satisfaction”.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction value.

Contacts
Martin Mok, Partner, Head of EQT Mid Market Asia and Investment Advisor to EQT Mid Market Asia III. + 852 2971 5877
EQT Press Office +46 8 506 553 34

About EQT
EQT is a leading investment firm with approximately EUR 50 billion in raised capital across 27 funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

About Shine
Shine is a fast-growing facility management service provider with a strong cleaning business in Eastern China and across China. The Company also offers support, building maintenance, security and integrated facility management services. Founded recently in 2016, Shine is on track to achieve annual sales of RMB 200 million (USD 30 million) in 2018.

More info: www.zxchinashine.com

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Priveq – a new growth partner for Frontit

Priveq

Frontit, an expansive company with services in management, project and program management and training, is bringing in Priveq Investment (“Priveq”) as a new growth partner for the future. Since 2007, Frontit has been owned by an individual principal owner, Pierre Bjurhager, and operated by Pierre Bjurhager together with management and staff. Now the company strengthens its position with Priveq as main owner and partner.

Today, Frontit has offices in Stockholm, Sundsvall, Västerås, Örebro, Norrköping and Malmö and about 190 employees. Priveq Investment is a company with 35 years of experience investing in profitable growth companies. Frontit’s operational focus will continue with former CEO Anneli Angeling together with corporate management and employees. Previous owners will remain in the ownership group.

Frontit offers senior consultants within management and IT to the private as well as the public sector and assists companies and organisations in managing operational changes. The company has been appointed one of the best working places in Sweden seven years in a row by “Great Place to Work” and had a turnover of SEK 188.5m in 2017.

Frontit is a value-based company with an open and inclusive corporate culture with the vision to “develop individuals and businesses to achieve their full potential”. For Frontit, it was important to find a partner who understands and respects the culture and recognizes the potential going forward. Priveq shares Frontit’s values and invests in companies of the same size with a strong management.

“We are impressed by how Frontit, with their service offering, has created a unique position on the market. We are looking forward to working together in the future and actively support Frontit in their development”, says Henrik Westfeldt, Partner at Priveq.

“We are very happy about teaming up with Priveq as a new growth partner to Frontit. We are excited about taking the company to the next level and we are convinced that Priveq, with their experience, will contribute to an exciting development for Frontit” says Anneli Angeling, CEO at Frontit.

For more information, please contact:

Henrik Westfeldt, Partner and Investment Manager, Priveq Investment
Tel: +46 (0)70 872 16 66
henrik.westfeldt@priveq.se

Anneli Angeling, CEO Frontit
Tel: +46 (0)70 221 12 58
anneli.angeling@frontit.se

About Frontit
Frontit assists companies and organisations to succeed with change management by providing effective consultancy services within business activities and IT. Frontit is passionate about creating extraordinary results by helping individuals and organisations reaching their full potential. The company has about 190 employees in Stockholm, Sundsvall, Västerås. Örebro, Norrköping and Malmö and has been awarded one of Sweden’s best places to work seven years in a row.
More information is available at www.frontit.se.

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KKR to Acquire Ramky Enviro Engineers

KKR

Investment Supports Continued Growth of Leading Indian Environmental Services Business

MUMBAI, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Global investment firm KKR and Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited (“REEL” or the “Company”), a leading provider of environmental services and solutions in India and overseas, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which KKR will acquire a 60% stake in the Company for approximately US$530 million via a combination of primary and secondary investments valuing the Company at an enterprise value of US$925 million.

REEL’s suite of comprehensive offerings includes the management, collection, transport and processing of hazardous, municipal, biomedical and e-waste, as well as the recycling of paper, plastic and chemicals. The Company also focuses on renewable energy generation – with a strong focus on waste-to-energy processes – and offers consulting and integrated environmental services. REEL has a presence in over 60 locations across 20 Indian states, as well as in certain Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern and African markets.

KKR’s investment in REEL marks one of the largest buyouts in India, in addition to being the first private equity buyout in the country’s highly attractive environmental services sector. The deal comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sadministration enhances its focus on environmental management through the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, an initiative to reduce pollution and improve critical sanitation infrastructure to boost living standards in cities, towns and rural villages nationwide.

M. Goutham Reddy, Managing Director & CEO of the Company, said, “REEL was founded by Mr. A. Ayodhya Rami Reddywith a vision that sustainable development is the key to success and with an objective of serving society through environmental management. With KKR as our new partner, we look forward to advancing our mission of responsibly addressing the environmental issues that emerging economies including India are facing today. Today marks the beginning of the next stage of REEL’s evolution towards serving society.”

Sanjay Nayar, Member & CEO of KKR India, said, “We are excited to partner with REEL, the only comprehensive environmental management company offering end-to-end environmental and waste management services across India. REEL’s work uniquely supports the Swachh Bharat Mission, and our team is pleased to invest in the growth of a company that provides critical services and infrastructure to reduce pollution and address the needs of India’s expanding urban population.”

“We look forward to leveraging our resources to enhance REEL’s operational best practices and add value by focusing on engineering innovation, attracting managerial talent and boosting efficiency, in addition to building on REEL’s rigorous focus on environmental, health and safety initiatives. We will work alongside REEL’s experienced management team to enhance the Company’s mission of becoming a world-class leader in environmental management at a time when implementing sustainable solutions is more important than ever,” added Rupen Jhaveri, Managing Director at KKR.

REEL has established itself as a leading and trusted provider of environmental services due to its focus on sustainability and commitment to continuous improvement. As part of this commitment, REEL uses a number of systems to monitor its procedures to ensure adherence to best environmental management standards. The Company frequently samples and analyses its business’ impact on the air, soil and water of the areas where it operates, and it manages community outreach and engagement programs. To date, REEL has been recognized for its safety and environmental efforts in numerous municipalities in India.

Barclays and EY are acting as REEL and KKR’s M&A advisors, respectively. Link Legal serves as REEL’s legal counsel, and PwC and Transaction Square act as REEL’s tax advisor. Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett serve as KKR’s legal counsel, with Deloitte India acting as accounting and tax advisor. Environmental Resources Management serves as environmental management advisor to the deal.

KKR makes the investment from its Asian Fund III.

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 manager partnerships 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 Ramky Enviro Engineers

Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited (“REEL”) is a leading provider of comprehensive environmental management services. Through the provision of its technical and operational expertise, REEL offers cost-effective, custom solutions to a variety of complex environmental needs across areas including Integrated Waste Management, Wastewater and Water Treatment and Remediation, among others. REEL today operates waste treatment facilities in more than 60 locations across India, Singapore, the Middle East, and Africa. The Company handles 3.5 million tons of municipal waste, 1 million tons of industrial waste, and caters to 20,000 healthcare establishments. REEL’s facilities are ISO 9001-, ISO 14001-, ISO 17025- and OHSAS 18001-certified to ensure excellence in environmental and waste management. For more information, visit: http://ramkyenviroengineers.com.

Media
For KKR:
KKR Asia
Anita Davis, +852 3602 7335
Anita.Davis@KKR.com
or
KKR Americas
Kristi Huller / Cara Major, +1 212-750-8300
Media@KKR.com
or
For KKR India:
Edelman
Siddharth Panicker, +91-9820-857-522
Siddharth.Panicker@Edelman.com

Source: KKR

 

 

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Blackstone Signs Agreement to Invest in TaskUs

Blackstone

New York, August 9, 2018 – Private Equity funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) have entered into a definitive agreement to invest in TaskUs, a leading customer service and business process outsourcing services provider for high-growth technology companies. The investment, before funding, values TaskUs at more than $500 million.

Founded in 2008 by Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir, TaskUs is one of the fastest-growing companies in its industry globally. Their business process solutions, which leverage the latest technology, including AI, advanced Learning Management Systems and big data, help companies quickly scale. TaskUs will continue to be led by Mr. Maddock, Mr. Weir, and the existing management team, who have been instrumental in driving the company’s growth.

Amit Dixit, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “The growth in ride sharing, social media, online food delivery, e-commerce and autonomous driving is creating an enormous need for enabling business services. TaskUs has established a leadership position in this domain with its base of marquee customers, unique culture, and relentless focus on customer delivery. We are excited to partner with Bryce, Jaspar and the existing management team to build the world’s leading company in this area. With access to capital from Blackstone, as well our two decades of experience with BPO companies, we are confident that our investment in TaskUs can significantly accelerate the company’s growth trajectory.”

Bryce Maddock, TaskUs co-founder and CEO, commented: “We chose to partner with Blackstone because they have a track record at building category-defining businesses. Our goal is to build TaskUs into the world’s number one provider of tech-enabled business services.  This partnership will help us dramatically increase our investment in consulting, technology and innovation to support our customers’ efforts to streamline and refine their customer experience. We will also use this investment to scale globally with new investments in Europe, India and Latin America and continued expansion in the countries where we operate today – the United States, the Philippines, Mexico and Taiwan. I want to thank our investors, Navegar Partners, who are selling their stake in this transaction, for an incredible three-year partnership.”

Jaspar Weir, TaskUs co-founder and President, added: “TaskUs has always emphasized the importance of employee experience as a key business differentiator, an initiative Blackstone fully supports. We’re excited that they will continue to support our investments in creating a world-class culture which drives innovation and enables us to deliver the next generation of customer experience solutions to our clients. This investment is truly a testament to the dedication of our amazing team.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

About TaskUs
TaskUs provides next generation customer experience that powers the world’s most disruptive companies through the partnership of amazing people and innovative technology. TaskUs provides ridiculously good strategy and business process outsourcing utilizing revolutionary technology and the best talent to deliver transformational, digital scale. To find out more visit www.TaskUs.com.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. Blackstone seeks to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies it invests in, and the communities in which it works. Blackstone’s asset management businesses, with approximately US$440 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

Media Contact
Blackstone
Matthew Anderson
+1-212-390-2472
Matthew.Anderson@Blackstone.com

TaskUs
Libby Loskota
+1-424-333-1980
libby@taskus.com

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