• UK’s largest residential gigabit broadband provider welcomes new investor

• Hyperoptic’s gigabit capable fibre network expected to quadruple in the next three years

• Strong potential for future deployment of full fibre services in UK, from only 8% coverage today

LONDON & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 14, 2019– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Hyperoptic Ltd, the UK’s largest residential gigabit broadband provider, from funds managed by Newlight Partners LP (“Newlight”) and Mubadala Investment Company. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Hyperoptic will continue to be led by Chief Executive Officer Dana Tobak, CBE and Executive Chairman Boris Ivanovic. Founded in 2011, Hyperoptic benefits from a full fibre network covering 43 towns and cities across the UK, with gigabit broadband services passing almost 400,000 homes and businesses.

Dana Tobak stated, “We are incredibly grateful to Newlight and Mubadala for their unwavering support and significant contributions to the success of Hyperoptic. Currently, only 8% of the UK has access to full fibre and less than half of that to symmetrical gigabit services.

We are confident that with the support of KKR and their significant expertise enabling high-growth businesses, our ambitious infrastructure plans to build our hyperfast network out to two million homes by 2021 and five million by 2024 will be realised.”

Vincent Policard, Member, and Cristina Gonzalez, Director in European Infrastructure at KKR, said, “Hyperoptic has a market-leading position and superior consumer product. The business is strongly positioned to meet the growing demand for full-fibre services in the UK through further investment and national roll-out, supporting housing development and renovation. Our investment in Hyperoptic builds on KKR’s strong track record in telecommunications infrastructure in Europe, investing in and deploying next-generation digital connectivity.”

David Wassong and Ravi Yadav, co-Managing Partners at Newlight, said, “We are extremely proud to have partnered with the Hyperoptic team during its formative years to build the leading fibre broadband provided in the UK. The roll out of its hyperfast network is poised to expand rapidly in the next few years and we will continue to cheer them on from the sidelines.”

“Mubadala is proud to have been part of the Hyperoptic journey. Our ICT sector strategy is focused on investments in high growth companies with excellent management, and Hyperoptic is a prime example of that,” said Mounir Barakat, Executive Director of ICT, Mubadala.

KKR’s investment builds on the firm’s track record as an owner and operator of European telecommunications infrastructure, including major joint ventures with Telxius and Altice in Spain and France respectively focused on mobile connectivity and towers, along with its ownership of Deutsche Glasfaser, a leading German fibre broadband provider. The investment in Hyperoptic is being made through KKR’s Global Infrastructure Investors Fund III.

LionTree Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Hyperoptic and the selling shareholders in connection with the transaction.

-ENDS-

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 Hyperoptic

Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 to shake up the UK broadband market and is now the country’s largest and fastest-growing gigabit network provider. It delivers the nation’s fastest broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps (1,000 megabits per second), which is over 18x faster than the UK average.

Hyperoptic is a leader in “full” fibre optic technology, delivering fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), not just fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). Its future-proofed infrastructure is bringing transformational internet speeds and connection stability to millions of people across the UK.

Hyperoptic works with property owners, developers and professionals, designing and installing dedicated fibre infrastructure to new buildings and existing developments.

Working with more than 200 property developers, Hyperoptic is live in 43 towns and cities with an ambition to reach 5 million homes and businesses by 2024.

The company was awarded ‘Best Superfast Broadband’ provider by the Internet Service Providers’ Association for six years in a row. In 2019 it received awards for ‘Best Customer Service’ and ‘Best Business ISP’. It has also featured in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 for the last three years – the UK’s private tech companies with the fastest-growing sales.

Hyperoptic encourages every customer to leave a review on Trustpilot, where it has a 5* rating – significantly higher than other UK broadband providers – and it continues to stay high despite customer numbers growing rapidly.

About Newlight Partners LP

Newlight Partners LP (Newlight) is a private investment firm focused on collaborating with management teams and strategic investors to build unique, durable businesses, predominantly in North America. For more than 15 years, the Newlight team has helped build successful enterprises in five sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, power and renewable energy, healthcare services and business services. Led by David Wassong and Ravi Yadav, Newlight has invested approximately $6 billion in over 100 investments since 2005, first as the Strategic Investments Group at Soros Fund Management LLC (Soros), and now as Newlight after the team’s spin out from Soros in 2018. Newlight has approximately $4 billion in capital commitments and assets under management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191014005279/en/

Source: KKR

KKR
Alastair Elwen
Finsbury
+44 20 7251 3801
Alastair.elwen@finsbury.com

Newlight
Jonathan Gasthalter / Nathaniel Garnick
Gasthalter & Co.
212-257-4170

Hyperoptic
Kathryn Williamson
+44 7598 790515
Kathryn.williamson@hyperoptic.co.uk

Loopia has signed an agreement with Binero Group AB (publ.) to acquire its web hosting business in Sweden and Germany. The business provides web hosting and domain registrations to small and medium sized companies and consumers and will be carved out in a transaction expected to close on August 31, 2019. For Loopia, this is another step towards having the scale to provide an even better user experience for our many customers.

The business that Loopia is acquiring offers web hosting and domain registration to small and medium size enterprises and consumers in a subscription model. The customer base and services fit well into the Loopia Group and the combined team will join forces to pursue Loopia’s ambition to deliver a superior user experience, technological innovations and outstanding local support to our customers. The purchase price was approximately SEK 380 million.

– ​We are excited to welcome employees and customers alike into the Loopia Group. Combined, we will be a clear leader in Sweden and stronger in Germany. This strengthens our capacity to invest in creating the best user experience for our many customers, says Sara Laurell, CEO of Loopia Group.

Loopia Group is an innovative European web services and hosting business with operations in Sweden, in Central Eastern Europe, and across Western Europe. This is a milestone in Loopia Group’s growth journey and follows the acquisitions of .SE Direkt with 116,000 domains in Sweden on February 12, 2019 and of WebSupport – the #1 provider in Slovakia – on March 31, 2019.

Since June 2018, Loopia Group has been owned by Axcel, a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies. ABG Sundal Collier acted as exclusive financial adviser in the transaction.

For more information, please contact:
Sara Laurell
CEO Loopia Group
+46 72 708 4848
sara.laurell@loopiagroup.com

About Loopia Group
Loopia is an innovative European web services and hosting business with its largest operations in Sweden, in the Czech Republic with Active24 and WebSupport in Slovakia. Loopia also provides services to customers in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain.

For more information, click here.

About Binero Group
Binero Group is a Swedish company with a broad range of services within hosting and cloud solutions. The share is traded on Nasdaq First North, ticker BINERO

For more information, click here.

• EQT Infrastructure acquires inexio, one of the fastest growing providers of high-speed internet to retail customers and businesses in rural Germany
• inexio owns and operates a high-capacity fiber-optic network and is committed to provide fiber connectivity to 2 million rural and suburban households by 2030
• As the leading fiber infrastructure investor world-wide, EQT Infrastructure is uniquely positioned to support inexio and its founder-led management team in accelerating growth

The EQT Infrastructure IV fund (“EQT” or “EQT Infrastructure”) today announced that it has agreed to acquire inexio Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KGaA (”inexio” or “the Company”) from Warburg Pincus, Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, the founders and several minority investors.

inexio was founded by David Zimmer in 2007 and has since the start invested heavily in fiber infrastructure in rural and small-town communities in Germany, predominantly in the Southwestern and Southern parts. Today, the Company provides high-speed internet access to more than 300,000 households and 6,000 businesses. inexio’s unique and scalable network, consisting of more than 10,000 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure, provides a strong platform for continued growth.

Looking ahead, the founder-led management team of inexio plans to continue the rapid growth of the Company by pursuing a large-scale deployment of fiber-to-the-home (“FTTH”) internet access in rural Germany. FTTH is the fastest, most reliable and future-proof internet connectivity solution available and the only technology that will be able to handle the rapidly growing internet bandwidth demands of the future.

Germany is one of the most attractive growth markets for fiber in Europe as the penetration rates are significantly lower than in other countries, such as Sweden or the Netherlands. To capitalize on this market opportunity, inexio is committed to providing FTTH connectivity to 2 million rural and suburban German households by 2030. This represents a significant share of the German government’s plan to provide universal Gigabit internet access.

David Zimmer, Founder and Chief Executive of inexio, said: “We are excited to welcome EQT as our new partner for the next chapter of inexio’s development. EQT convinced us from the outset with their hands-on industrial approach and their significant experience from other successful fiber rollouts in Europe. Together, we will be able to accelerate inexio’s growth by bringing modern and reliable fiber-optic infrastructure to two million German households. inexio is a ‘must have’ for companies and private households in a modern digitalized world.”

Matthias Fackler, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, said: “We are delighted about the opportunity to invest in inexio. We are impressed by the growth the team around David Zimmer has achieved over the past ten years. The strong need for fiber-based Gigabit internet access in Germany will require substantial investments over the coming years. EQT, as one of the leading fiber investors world-wide, is fully committed to supporting inexio and its management team to embark on this exciting journey while also contributing to making Germany a more digital and connected society.”

The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2019, subject to regulatory approvals. Clifford Chance acted as legal advisor to EQT.

With this transaction, EQT Infrastructure IV is expected to be 50-55 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication).

Contact
Matthias Fackler, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure IV, +49 89 25 54 99 0
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. 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.

EQT Infrastructure owns multiple leading providers of Gigabit fiber infrastructure across Europe, including Delta Fiber (Netherlands), IP-Only (Sweden) and Global Connect (Denmark/Norway).

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on Twitter and LinkedIn

About inexio
inexio is a fast-growing provider of fiber optic internet connections for retail and business customers in Germany. In the retail customer segment, growth is driven by rising data volumes and the growing use of video streaming, whilst in the business segment, fiber optic connections for small and medium-sized businesses are the key driver of growth. Just over a decade after its establishment, inexio has reached a market-leading position in rural and small-town communities in Southwest and Southern Germany, providing internet access to more than 300,000 households.

More info: www.inexio.net

• EQT Infrastructure acquires inexio, one of the fastest growing providers of high-speed internet to retail customers and businesses in rural Germany
• inexio owns and operates a high-capacity fiber-optic network and is committed to provide fiber connectivity to 2 million rural and suburban households by 2030
• As the leading fiber infrastructure investor world-wide, EQT Infrastructure is uniquely positioned to support inexio and its founder-led management team in accelerating growth

The EQT Infrastructure IV fund (“EQT” or “EQT Infrastructure”) today announced that it has agreed to acquire inexio Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KGaA (”inexio” or “the Company”) from Warburg Pincus, Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, the founders and several minority investors.

inexio was founded by David Zimmer in 2007 and has since the start invested heavily in fiber infrastructure in rural and small-town communities in Germany, predominantly in the Southwestern and Southern parts. Today, the Company provides high-speed internet access to more than 300,000 households and 6,000 businesses. inexio’s unique and scalable network, consisting of more than 10,000 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure, provides a strong platform for continued growth.

Looking ahead, the founder-led management team of inexio plans to continue the rapid growth of the Company by pursuing a large-scale deployment of fiber-to-the-home (“FTTH”) internet access in rural Germany. FTTH is the fastest, most reliable and future-proof internet connectivity solution available and the only technology that will be able to handle the rapidly growing internet bandwidth demands of the future.

Germany is one of the most attractive growth markets for fiber in Europe as the penetration rates are significantly lower than in other countries, such as Sweden or the Netherlands. To capitalize on this market opportunity, inexio is committed to providing FTTH connectivity to 2 million rural and suburban German households by 2030. This represents a significant share of the German government’s plan to provide universal Gigabit internet access.

David Zimmer, Founder and Chief Executive of inexio, said: “We are excited to welcome EQT as our new partner for the next chapter of inexio’s development. EQT convinced us from the outset with their hands-on industrial approach and their significant experience from other successful fiber rollouts in Europe. Together, we will be able to accelerate inexio’s growth by bringing modern and reliable fiber-optic infrastructure to two million German households. inexio is a ‘must have’ for companies and private households in a modern digitalized world.”

Matthias Fackler, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, said: “We are delighted about the opportunity to invest in inexio. We are impressed by the growth the team around David Zimmer has achieved over the past ten years. The strong need for fiber-based Gigabit internet access in Germany will require substantial investments over the coming years. EQT, as one of the leading fiber investors world-wide, is fully committed to supporting inexio and its management team to embark on this exciting journey while also contributing to making Germany a more digital and connected society.”

The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2019, subject to regulatory approvals. Clifford Chance acted as legal advisor to EQT.

With this transaction, EQT Infrastructure IV is expected to be 50-55 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication).

Contact
Matthias Fackler, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure IV, +49 89 25 54 99 0
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. 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.

EQT Infrastructure owns multiple leading providers of Gigabit fiber infrastructure across Europe, including Delta Fiber (Netherlands), IP-Only (Sweden) and Global Connect (Denmark/Norway).

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on Twitter and LinkedIn

About inexio
inexio is a fast-growing provider of fiber optic internet connections for retail and business customers in Germany. In the retail customer segment, growth is driven by rising data volumes and the growing use of video streaming, whilst in the business segment, fiber optic connections for small and medium-sized businesses are the key driver of growth. Just over a decade after its establishment, inexio has reached a market-leading position in rural and small-town communities in Southwest and Southern Germany, providing internet access to more than 300,000 households.

More info: www.inexio.net

Loopia Group AB has today signed an agreement to acquire Planeetta Internet Oy. The business provides sustainable cloud driven webhosting solutions, including e-commerce, to companies of all sizes. For Loopia, this is well aligned with the strategy for growth in the Nordic countries and Central Eastern Europe and another step towards having the scale to provide an even better user experience for our 500 000+ customers.

Planeetta Internet Oy has 20 000 customers and 36 employees in Helsinki, Joensuu and Rovaniemi. In addition to bringing loyal customers and a strong position in the Finnish market, with the brands Planeetta, Ops.Host, Neutech and Webhotellit.com, Planeetta also brings a broadened product- and services suite to the group, including a website maintenance business and an innovative approach to scalable cloud hosting accounts.

”Backed by Loopia Group, Planeetta will be in a perfect position to continue grow through acquisitions in Finland to further strengthen our position as a leader in sustainable cloud driven webhosting solutions”, says Lauri Kasti, founder and Managing Director of Planeetta Internet Oy.

”Planeetta’s smart webhosting solutions complement the business in Loopia Group and support our ambition to deliver a superior user experience, technological innovations and outstanding local support to small and medium sized businesses and consumers across Europe”,  says Sara Laurell, CEO Loopia Group.

After the transaction, Loopia will have around 200 qualified employees in total and 500 000+ customers in Scandinavia, Central Eastern Europe, and in a few Western European markets.

About Loopia Group
Loopia Group is an innovative European web services and hosting business with its largest operations in Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Loopia also provides services to customers in Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain. Our main brands are Loopia, Active24, Websupport and Planeetta. Since June 2018, Loopia Group has been owned by Axcel, a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies.
https://loopiagroup.com/

For more information, please contact:
Sara Laurell, CEO Loopia Group, +46 72 708 4848, sara.laurell@loopiagroup.com

Wireless Logic Group, Europe’s leading IoT connectivity platform provider today announced the acquisition of SIMPoint, one of the fastest growing IoT connectivity specialists in The Netherlands.

Founded in 2012 and located in Eindhoven, SIMPoint delivers customised M2M (Machine-to-Machine) connectivity solutions based on cellular (2G, 3G and 4G) and Low Power Wide Area Networks (LoRa) technologies and is a partner to KPN.

The business offers customised data plans, variable durations, extended security (VPN’s and customised APN’s) and control for customers via an industry leading customer portal. Highly customisable offers and excellent customer service have enabled SIMPoint to grow a base of over four thousand highly satisfied customers across a wide range of industry verticals including retail, security, healthcare, water management, automotive, utilities, smart cities and agriculture.

The acquisition by Wireless Logic Group for an undisclosed sum is the group’s sixth in just four years. It is the second since Montagu Private Equity invested into the organisation earlier in June 2018.

Commenting on the SIMPoint acquisition, Oliver Tucker, Group CEO for Wireless Logic Group said: “I’m delighted to welcome SIMPoint into the Wireless Logic family. This acquisition significantly strengthens our connectivity solutions offering and adds scale and reach to our European operations. The growth that Rob Lammers and his team have delivered over the last six years is hugely impressive and we are excited to welcome their expertise, energy and drive into the group.”

For SIMPoint, Rob Lammers, CEO and founder said: “Since SIMPoint was founded in 2012, we have delivered rapid growth by delivering industry leading IoT connectivity services across a range of applications and verticals. The incredible team at SIMPoint has achieved this success through their expertise and absolute determination to deliver for our customers.

“We are now very much looking forward to becoming part of a global player in the world of IoT connectivity. The synergies between the businesses will significantly strengthen the customer offer and deliver a strong and sustainable European footprint for Wireless Logic Group.”