Laurel Acquires Quantime To Accelerate Expansion Into Accounting And Consulting

Sat Apr 01 2023

Acquisition will accelerate Laurel's expansion into all professional service industries

SAN FRANCISCO, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Laurel announced today that it has acquired Quantime, a venture-backed startup building an AI-powered scheduling engine designed to help professionals optimize their time. The acquisition of this world-class team will accelerate Laurel's product development efforts as it brings its AI-timekeeping software to all professional services. Laurel announces the transaction on the heels of announcing its partnership with Ernst & Young and its company rebrand. It has plans to leverage Quantime's expertise in building time software as part of its reimagined product rebuild. Prior to the acquisition, Quantime managed half of all calendared events for professionals, and routinely spoke on the subject of time for leaders at Harvard Business School and Inc. 5000.

"We're thrilled to have Quantime join Laurel," said Andy Ward, VP of Machine Learning at Laurel. "The team has built a product that is smart, well-engineered, and thoughtfully designed. It's clear that together we have the opportunity to deliver on our shared promise of returning time to professional services workers."

"As a founder, it's rare to meet people who have thought as deeply about the problem you're solving," said Quantime founder Suchit Tuli. "When I first met Ryan (Laurel CEO), it was evident he had gone beyond. Joining forces with the Laurel team was a no-brainer to fulfill our shared promise to the world."

Laurel raised its $36.5M Series B last year from ACME, Anthos, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's TIME Ventures, Gokul Rajaram, and Initialized Capital. In addition to expansion into accounting and consulting, the company will continue to expand its legal footprint, adding to its customer base that includes leading firms such as Armstrong Teasdale, Tonkon Torp, and Shulman Rogers. The companies believe that together, they can help all knowledge workers understand how they are spending their time at work. Currently, 83% of the one billion knowledge workers worldwide do not track time given the burden of manual timekeeping. It is not just time that organizations are losing. Today, companies that deploy Laurel experience an increase of 7% in profitability, and their timekeepers recover up to 2 hours a week.

"Laurel's mission is to help people understand and value their time, and we believe that the acquisition of Quantime will materially accelerate our ability to deliver on that promise," said Ryan Alshak, CEO of Laurel.

Visit laurel.ai to learn more about how the company automates timekeeping for legal, accounting, and consulting organizations.

Media Contact

Fatima Zehra Naqvi, Laurel, 1 6698007342, fatima@laurel.ai

SOURCE Laurel

eBay Acquires 3PM Shield to Bring Advanced Marketplace Compliance Technology In-House

Tue Mar 07 2023

3PM Shield's monitoring technology will simplify policy compliance for sellers, and keep eBay a trusted marketplace

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY), a global commerce leader that connects millions of sellers and buyers around the world, and 3PM Shield LLC, a provider of advanced AI-based marketplace compliance solutions, today announced that eBay has acquired 3PM Shield.

This further enhances eBay's world-class monitoring solutions with new technologies designed to prevent the sale of counterfeit items, unsafe products and illegal goods.

Bringing 3PM Shield to eBay is part of eBay's ongoing commitment to provide sellers and buyers with a safe and trusted platform enabled by technology. 3PM Shield enhances eBay's ability to address suspicious or harmful seller behavior, and potentially problematic items.

"It is a top priority to help ensure that eBay remains a safe and trusted environment for our global community of sellers and buyers, particularly to prevent counterfeits and unsafe or illegal products," said Zhi Zhou, Chief Risk Officer at eBay. "3PM Shield has been a valued and effective external partner in helping eBay tackle these challenges and we look forward to unlocking additional capabilities as we bring their technologies in-house."

"3PM Shield was founded to provide next-generation eCommerce monitoring to protect trust in the buyer and seller relationship," said Robert Dunkel, founder and CEO, 3PM Shield. "We're proud to partner with eBay, and I am excited that eBay's investment will help us accelerate the impact of our cutting edge technology to combat counterfeits, unsafe products and illegal items."

Details on the Transaction

eBay has acquired 3PM Shield LLC, also known as 3PM Solutions, and the deal has closed as of February 9, 2023. Further details were not disclosed.

About eBay

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2021, eBay enabled over $87 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as "anticipate," "approximate," "believe," "commit," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "project," "potential," "should," "would," "will" and other similar words or expressions. Such forward-looking statements reflect eBay's current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and actual events may differ materially from historical results or current expectations. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks, assumptions and other factors, many of which are outside the control of eBay. The forward-looking statements in this document address a variety of subjects including, for example, the potential benefits of the acquisition, including preventing listings of counterfeits, unsafe products and illegal items. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the possibility that eBay may not fully realize the projected benefits of the acquisition and business disruption following the transaction. In addition, actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to eBay's overall business, including those more fully described in eBay's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this document speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

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SOURCE eBay Inc.

PEGASUS ELITE AVIATION ACQUIRED BY PRIMA AIR GROUP

Wed Feb 01 2023

This acquisition expands the charter fleet with high-speed, long-range, new Gulfstream G650ER

VAN NUYS, Calif., Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pegasus Elite Aviation, Inc., a well-recognized industry leader in the private jet realm operating and managing a large fleet of Gulfstreams with outreach around the globe, was acquired by Prima Air Group in late 2022.

Download images here

Prima Air Group's acquisition of Pegasus Elite Aviation offers the private jet industry a diverse fleet of aircrafts ranging from the Turboprop aircraft all the way up to the well-known, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650ER. Led by an executive team holding a combined century of corporate aviation experience, Prima Air Group has cultivated a strong support team of more than 100 full-time dedicated employees, including 49 full-time pilots, 25 full-time flight attendants, as well as ground support employees assisting to ensure a safe and efficient operation.

The acquisition of Pegasus Elite Aviation is one of the many business ventures Prima Air Group has outlined for the long-term growth of the company. Dr. Charles Huang established Prima Air Group in 2021 after becoming the majority stakeholder of Prima Air, Inc. Through Huang's notable and philanthropic goals, he has donated more than $100 million USD to his alma maters in the United Kingdom and China, as well as several industry leading hospitals in the United States.

Prima Air, Inc. was founded by Lina Tullberg in 2019 with a successful venture interest and partnership with Pasaca Capital, LLC, which is solely owned by Dr. Charles Huang. The Chinese-American entrepreneur stated, "We will continue to support US-based businesses with the rapid expansion of our jet fleet." Huang's statement about Prima Air Group's expansion compliments the ever-increasing demand for air travel and access to the global market.

Lina Tullberg, Partner and CEO of Prima Air Group, adds that, "With the combination of elite management, high-level operational experiences and efficiencies, along with the ever-expanding fleet of managed and owned aircrafts by Pegasus, Prima Air's future vision and business models will establish the company as a strong player and industry leader."

Tim Prero, CEO of Pegasus Elite Aviation, said, "With the leadership of Dr. Huang and Lina Tullberg, Pegasus Elite Aviation will excel with a substantially enlarged and improved aircraft fleet." To further that goal, Pegasus is expanding its fleet by adding a brand-new Gulfstream 650ER.

Gulfstream 650ER holds the current record for the furthest and fastest private jet with a max cruising speed of 0.925 Mach and a range of 7,500 nautical miles. Prero further explained that, "Adding this 2022 G650ER to our existing fleet enables us to better meet and even exceed our fast-growing and diverse customer base, both domestic and globally."

Just in time for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, Pasaca Capital congratulates Gulfstream on another successful delivery experience, as well as Prima Air and Pegasus Elite Aviation on achieving another significant milestone.

For more information about Prima Air Group, please visit www.flyprimaair.com. For any additional inquiries, please contact 626-889-5818 or info@flyprimaair.com.

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SOURCE Prima Air

Uptime Acquires LEET Security, S.L.

Tue Mar 07 2023

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominus Capital, L.P. ("Dominus") announced today that its portfolio company Uptime Institute ("Uptime"), the global digital infrastructure authority, has completed its acquisition of LEET Security, S.L.  Uptime provides assessment, certification, and consulting services for owners, operators, and users of digital infrastructure, and provides education, accreditation, and membership network services for data center professionals and organizations.

"We are excited to be able to join Uptime, the undisputed Global Digital Infrastructure Authority," said Antonio Ramos, chief executive officer and founder of LEET Security. "Over the past decade, LEET Security, S.L. has developed a unique and comprehensive cyber security rating system.  We will now have many more opportunities for growth through geographic expansion and development of new service offerings as part of Uptime. We look forward to this next phase of globalization of our firm. I want to personally thank all our clients, staff, and investors who have supported us over this journey since 2010, in our delivery of unique value and in bringing ongoing innovation to the critical area of cyber security."

"The LEET Security acquisition builds on Uptime's leadership position in the worldwide digital infrastructure market. LEET enhances the core value delivered by Uptime's existing offering's by incorporating a differentiated cyber security service in response to customer and market demands. We are excited about the scale of opportunities ahead for both companies," said Bob Haswell, founding partner, Dominus Capital.

"LEET Security has built a unique and differentiated solution that meets a critical need that all organizations have – the ability to thoroughly detect, investigate and mitigate cyber security threats," said Martin V. McCarthy, chief executive officer, Uptime. "Traditional risk management methodologies take an outside-in approach or inside-out approach, which doesn't always account for how 'bad actors' might exploit potential attack surfaces. LEET Security delivers both perspectives across the entire landscape of an organization's external and internal cyber security vulnerabilities to provide deep visibility and insight into the exposed threat surfaces and allows that organization to improve their cyber security posture. The addition of LEET's cyber ratings service offering to Uptime's portfolio of services will provide unparalleled value to customers by building upon the physical and operational security elements already covered by Uptime in our various assessments and certifications," continued McCarthy. 

All organizations and their ICT service partners are under increasing pressure to secure their digital infrastructure in response to the complex and ever-evolving cyber-risk threat landscape. The LEET Cyber Security rating system directly addresses the issue by giving clients the ability to easily understand the nature and severity of these risks. The clients can then take the appropriate steps to mitigate these risks and improve their organization's security posture on a continuous basis therefore hardening their organization against cyber threats. This includes identifying systemic weaknesses and specific exposures and then building compensating security controls across both the internal and external "attack surface" that may exist in any digital services they use, whether this service is provisioned in-house or delivered via a third-party service provider.

LEET Security represents Uptime's second M&A transaction completed this month. It follows two weeks after Uptime's acquisition of CNet Training, LTD a 50+ person global firm, headquartered in the UK that is the leader in digital infrastructure education and learning & development solutions. Uptime continues to identify and assess potential add-on acquisitions to broaden its service portfolio, and to more completely execute on its mission to help all datacenter owners, operators, and tenants around the world provide and access the resilient, available, sustainable, and secure digital infrastructure required for their mission critical business applications and services.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Dominus Capital, L.P.

Based in New York, Dominus Capital, a 2022 Top 50 PE Firm in the Middle Market, focuses on management-led buyouts and growth capital investments particularly in family and founder owned companies in the business services and light manufacturing sectors of the economy. Drawing on the experience, knowledge and network of its founders and a team of in-house operating executives, Dominus Capital works hand-in-hand with exceptional management teams to unlock the untapped potential of its portfolio companies. The firm takes a long-term approach to investing and has a consistent and highly successful track record of achieving significant growth at its portfolio companies. The Dominus Capital team members have executed more than 90 transactions over the past 20+ years. For more information, please visit www.dominuscap.com.

About Uptime

Uptime is the Global Digital Infrastructure Authority. For over 25 years, the company has established industry-leading benchmarks for data center performance, resilience, sustainability, and efficiency, which provide customers assurance that their digital infrastructure can perform across a wide array of operating conditions at a level consistent with their business needs. Uptime's Tier Standard is the IT industry's most trusted and adopted global standard for the design, construction, and operation of data centers – the backbone of the digital economy. Its Tier Standard and Certifications, Management & Operations reviews, Standardized, Comprehensive Risk Assessment-FSI financial sector risk assessment, broad range of additional risk and performance assessments, Intelligence research services, and accredited training courses completed by over 100,000 data center professionals, have helped thousands of companies in over 100 countries to optimize critical IT assets while managing costs, resources, and efficiency.

Uptime is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices in London, Sao Paulo, Dubai, KSA, Singapore, and Taipei and now Madrid. For more information, please visit www.uptimeinstitute.com.

About LEET Security

LEET Security is an independent rating agency, set up for the sole purpose of developing and managing a labelling system to reliably rate the information security posture of organizations and their third-party ICT service providers/partners. 



Since its inception in 2010, the LEET Security cyber rating agency compiled and updates the risk and control measures defined in the main international regulations, standards, and best practices including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) & International Standards Organization (ISO-27001) & Esquema Nacional de Seguridad/National Security Framework (ENS) among others. Using its proprietary and tested methodology LEET classifies and groups the defined controls to provide a security posture 'score' which is attested by the LEET Stamp with a detailed report. 

The LEET Security rating provides confidence to customers and users that cyber security risks are identified and characterized  within any services utilizing digital infrastructure for any aspect of service delivery across enterprise-owned digital services and infrastructure and third-party partners. The rating clearly indicates an organizations commitment and investment into to measuring, monitoring, and hardening their security posture, providing full transparency to the security measures implemented.  For more information, please visit www.leetsecurity.com.

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SOURCE Dominus Capital, L.P.

Retriever, An IT Team's Best Friend In A Remote Work Environment, Acquired by Lever Technology

Tue Mar 07 2023

SaaS technology specialists bring on remote device return startup trusted by Lowe's, CrossFit and more

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FE International, Inc., the global market leader in mid-market technology mergers and acquisitions (M&A), announces the acquisition of Retriever by Lever Technology.

According to McKinsey, 58% of Americans have the opportunity to work from home at least one day per week. After COVID-19 turned remote work from an option into a requirement, organizations around the world have permanently embraced flexible work environments. That shift presents a unique challenge for returning devices like laptops and monitors when an employee exits the company or needs a device upgrade or repair. Retriever co-founders and former Dropbox engineers Annie Kramer and Alex Sydell developed an automated platform, enabling a seamless, hassle-free device return process and saving organizations valuable time and resources.

"When Alex and I left startup jobs during the pandemic, we both had trouble returning laptops to our former employers," Kramer said. "We realized that many companies, small and large, were facing a similar problem, so we decided to help improve the process. What started as two people printing labels and packing boxes quickly turned into a scalable enterprise SaaS and logistics business that has completely transformed how companies manage remote device returns. Now it's as simple as typing in an address from anywhere across the U.S."

Retriever's custom-built software platform handles all of the logistics, shipping, and tracking for an employee device return. Remote employees receive an easy-to-pack padded box with a prepaid return label, instructions, and reminders along the way, and companies gain access to a powerful dashboard and API to easily track, manage, and collaborate on device returns.

Despite being a bootstrapped two-person team, Retriever has been profitable since its launch in 2021, with a 21% compounded monthly growth rate (CMGR) leading up to the acquisition. In that time, Retriever has amassed thousands of customers across a variety of industries, including tech, telecom, consumer goods, law, finance, accounting and health care. Tens of thousands of devices have been returned from every U.S. state using Retriever.

"Witnessing Retriever's growth is remarkable enough, but when you see that their customer list includes logos like CrossFit, Lime, Lowe's, Foursquare and Thrive Market, it became obvious that this is a service that can dominate the market," said Craig Swill, founder and CEO of Lever Technology. "Annie and Alex have witnessed significant growth with only a team of two — the decision to acquire their company and put a full team at the helm to scale Retriever to new heights was an easy one."

Unfortunately, the economic downturn has led to substantial layoffs across industries and made return services all the more vital. Employees don't want to jump through hoops to send devices back to their employers during these difficult situations. Simplifying the device return process can help IT, HR and operations teams and their employees avoid significant headaches. 

FE International served as the sole sell-side M&A advisor on the acquisition.

"Retriever expertly identified a significant pain point facing companies of all sizes and jumped into action to create an easy-to-use solution. Lever Technology is the perfect fit to help grow the Retriever team and take its product to the next level," said Thomas Smale, CEO of FE International.

For more information about Retriever, visit www.helloretriever.com.

About Retriever:

Founded in early 2021 in response to the rising tide of remote work, Retriever is the market leader in facilitating laptop and monitor returns for companies with remote employees. Since its founding, Retriever has helped thousands of companies across tech, telecom, consumer goods, law, finance, accounting, and healthcare get tens of thousands of devices returned quickly, safely, and reliably through a combination of seamless logistics and custom software designed to help organizations manage device returns at scale. Today, the Retriever team continues to be laser-focused on making device returns safe, easy, and hassle-free for companies and their remote employees. For more information, visit www.helloretriever.com

About Lever Technology:

Lever Technology was founded by Craig Swill to acquire positive cash-flow software businesses. Lever has acquired twelve operating companies over the years and uses its operating leverage to scale. Lever remains committed to its existing portfolio and is always looking for new growth opportunities. For more information, visit www.levertechnology.com 

About FE International:

Founded in 2010, FE is known for its extensive network of pre-qualified international investors. Its team includes experts in exit planning, valuation, accounting, legal and more.

FE serves clients worldwide with headquarters in New York and regional offices in Miami, San Francisco and London. It was named one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies in 2022, 2021 and 2020 by The Financial Times and is also a four-time Inc. 5000 company. For more information, visit www.feinternational.com 

Media Contact

Spencer Hotz

BLASTmedia for FE International

spencer@blastmedia.com

317-806-1900 ext. 187

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SOURCE FE International

Infinite Electronics, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Bulgin Ltd., Leading Developer and Manufacturer of Innovative Harsh Environment Connectivity Solutions

Fri Jan 27 2023

Latest Acquisition to Further Strengthen Infinite Electronics' European Footprint and Global Distribution Network

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinite Electronics, Inc., a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands, has announced today that it acquired Bulgin Ltd, a UK-based developer and manufacturer of connectors and related components for harsh-environment applications. Bulgin was previously owned by Equistone Partners Europe, a leading European mid-market private equity firm.

"By welcoming Bulgin to Infinite Electronics' growing brand portfolio, we are better positioned to meet the increasing demand for reliable connectivity solutions for harsh environments," said Infinite Electronics President and Chief Executive Officer Penny Cotner. "Bulgin's focus on mission-critical, customizable components with outstanding design and customer support aligns with our own longstanding reputation for delivering our customers what they need, when they need it most."

Bulgin has a century of experience designing, developing and manufacturing IP66, IP67, IP68 and IP69K harsh environment connectivity solutions for end-users across a wide range of industries. Bulgin's business focuses on bespoke services and custom capabilities with quick prototyping and a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to address customers' urgent needs. Since Equistone's acquisition of the business in 2019, Bulgin has grown significantly, opening a new site in Tunis, Tunisia and new headquarters in Cambridge, UK.

"Joining Infinite Electronics' portfolio provides the Bulgin brand with the scale to leverage opportunities required to accelerate business growth globally," said John Wilson, Bulgin's Chief Executive Officer. "Infinite Electronics and Bulgin share much in common, such as ambitious global growth plans and customer-centric values. This is an exciting milestone in the Bulgin journey."

Today, Bulgin has more than 600 distributor locations spanning 60 countries and six continents. It employs 680 people globally, including its UK headquarters, operations in Tunisia, and Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as well as a presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

William Blair served as exclusive financial advisor and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as the legal advisor to Infinite on the transaction.

This acquisition further establishes Infinite Electronics' presence in Europe and comes after the company announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cable Connectivity Group (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group NV, a leader in the production, distribution and assembly of specialty cables and cable connectivity solutions. These acquisitions are the latest milestones in Infinite Electronics' rapid growth over the past six years.

Infinite Electronics has a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands. Infinite's brands help propel the world's innovators forward by working urgently to provide products, solutions and real-time support for their customers. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Infinite's brands serve customers across a wide range of industries with a broad inventory selection, same-day shipping and 24/7 customer service. Learn more at www.infiniteelectronics.com.

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Bulgin is a leading manufacturer of harsh environment connectivity solutions. The business designs, develops and manufactures high integrity circular connectors, switches, and power-related components, which are environmentally sealed to withstand harsh conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, water, and humidity.

Founded in 1923, Bulgin has a well-established brand and a strong reputation for product quality and reliability with its global customer base of more than 75,000 end users, who are served primarily via specialist electronic distributors. Currently, the business offers more than 7,000 products that are used across a wide range of end markets including industry 4.0, robust electronics, transportation and infrastructure, and medical technologies. Learn more at www.bulgin.com.

Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe's leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between €50m and €500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2.8bn hard cap in March 2018, and has recently launched the Equistone Reinvestment Fund, with a mandate to make minority re-investments alongside new sponsors following a portfolio company exit from one of its main buyout funds.

Press Contact:

Katee Schalau

17792 Fitch

Irvine, CA, 92614 USA

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SOURCE Infinite Electronics, Inc.

Ritchie Bros. Shareholders Vote to Approve IAA Acquisition at Special Meeting

Sat Apr 01 2023

Shareholder Approval Marks Important Milestone Toward Completing IAA Transaction and Accelerating Ritchie Bros.' Strategy to Create Premier Global Marketplace with Long Runway for Outstanding Growth and Value Creation

VANCOUVER, BC, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA) ("Ritchie Bros.") announced that, based on the preliminary vote count provided by its proxy solicitors following the Company's Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Special Meeting") held earlier today, Ritchie Bros. shareholders voted to approve the proposed acquisition of IAA, Inc. (NYSE: IAA) ("IAA").  Ritchie Bros. will file final, certified voting results on a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as practicable. 

Ann Fandozzi, CEO of Ritchie Bros., said, "We thank our shareholders for their confidence in the Ritchie Bros. team, our strategy and the significant value creation potential we can unlock through the Ritchie Bros. + IAA combination. We have a proven record of delivering on our stakeholder commitments and look forward to continuing this record with IAA – providing outstanding returns for our investors, exciting opportunities for our employees and enabling our customers to be even more successful by tapping into Ritchie Bros.' marketplace of value-added insights, services and transaction solutions."

"We greatly value the varied perspectives that have been shared and the engagement we have had with our shareholders since announcing the IAA transaction," continued Ms. Fandozzi.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance(R) equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Ritchie List, a self-serve listing service for North America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Ritchie Bros. Energy. The company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an innovative technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains information relating to a proposed business combination transaction between Ritchie Bros. ("RBA") and IAA, Inc. ("IAA"). This communication includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements may include statements relating to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, the anticipated benefits of the proposed Merger, the anticipated impact of the proposed Merger on the combined company's business and future financial and operating results, the expected or estimated amount, achievability, sources, impact and timing of cost synergies and revenue, EBITDA, growth, operational enhancement, expansion and other value creation opportunities from the proposed Merger, the expected debt, de-leveraging, cash flow generation and capital allocation of the combined company, the anticipated closing date for the proposed Merger, other aspects of RBA's or IAA's respective businesses, operations, financial condition or operating results and other statements that are not historical facts. There can be no assurance that the proposed Merger will in fact be consummated. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "can," "intends," "target," "goal," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates," "opportunity" or other words or phrases of similar import.

It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on the results of operations and financial condition of the combined companies or the price of RBA's common shares or IAA's common stock. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. While RBA's and IAA's management believe the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the parties' control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed Merger may not be satisfied (or waived), that either party may terminate the merger agreement or that the closing of the proposed Merger might be delayed or not occur at all; the anticipated tax treatment of the proposed Merger; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed Merger; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the response of competitors to the proposed Merger; the ultimate difficulty, timing, cost and results of integrating the operations of RBA and IAA; the effects of the business combination of RBA and IAA, including the combined company's future financial condition, results of operations, strategy and plans; the failure (or delay) to receive the required regulatory approval of the transaction; the fact that operating costs and business disruption may be greater than expected following the public announcement or consummation of the proposed Merger; the effect of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the proposed Merger on the trading price of RBA's common shares or IAA's common stock; the ability of RBA and/or IAA to retain and hire key personnel and employees; the significant costs associated with the proposed Merger; the outcome of any legal proceedings that could be instituted against RBA, IAA and/or others relating to the proposed Merger; restrictions during the pendency of the proposed Merger that may impact the ability of RBA and/or IAA to pursue non-ordinary course transactions, including certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; the ability of the combined company to realize anticipated synergies in the amount, manner or timeframe expected or at all; the failure of the combined company to realize potential revenue, EBITDA, growth, operational enhancement, expansion or other value creation opportunities from the sources or in the amount, manner or timeframe expected or at all; the failure of the trading multiple of the combined company to normalize or re-rate and other fluctuations in such trading multiple; changes in capital markets and the ability of the combined company to generate cash flow and/or finance operations in the manner expected or to de-lever in the timeframe expected; the failure of RBA or the combined company to meet financial forecasts and/or KPI targets; any legal impediment to the payment of the special dividend by RBA; legislative, regulatory and economic developments affecting the business of RBA and IAA; general economic and market developments and conditions; the evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes under which RBA and IAA operates; unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, pandemics, acts of terrorism or outbreak of war or hostilities, as well as RBA's or IAA's response to any of the aforementioned factors. These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed Merger, are included in the Registration Statement (as defined below) and joint proxy statement/prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities in connection with the proposed Merger. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the Registration Statement are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. 

For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to RBA's and IAA's respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the risk factors identified in RBA's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K and IAA's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither RBA nor IAA undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made, except as required by law.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. 

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed Merger, RBA filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the common shares of RBA to be issued in connection with the proposed Merger on December 14, 2022 (the "Initial Registration Statement"), as amended by Amendment No. 1 and Amendment No. 2 to the Initial Registration Statement filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on February 1, 2023 and February 9, 2023, respectively (together with the Initial Registration Statement, the "Registration Statement"). The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on February 10, 2023. The Registration Statement includes a joint proxy statement/prospectus which will be sent to the shareholders of RBA and stockholders of IAA seeking their approval of their respective transaction-related proposals. Each of RBA and IAA may also file other relevant documents with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities regarding the proposed Merger. This document is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or Registration Statement or any other document that RBA or IAA may file with the SEC and/or applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE RELATED JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGER OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RBA, IAA AND THE MERGER. 

Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these documents (when they are available) free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, SEDAR at www.sedar.com or from RBA at its website, investor.ritchiebros.com, or from IAA at its website, investors.iaai.com. Documents filed with the SEC and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities by RBA (when they are available) will be available free of charge by accessing RBA's website at investor.ritchiebros.com under the heading Financials/SEC Filings, or, alternatively, by directing a request by telephone or mail to RBA at 9500 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC, V5J 0C6, Canada, and documents filed with the SEC by IAA (when they are available) will be available free of charge by accessing IAA's website at investors.iaai.com or by contacting IAA's Investor Relations at investors@iaai.com.

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SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

The Healing Company [OTC: HLCO] acquires Chopra Global's wellbeing experiences businesses, deepening partnership with wellness icon, Dr. Deepak Chopra

Fri Mar 24 2023

• This is the second acquisition in four months for The Healing Company, who acquired leading plant-based superfoods brand Your Super, late last year
• The Chopra Global wellbeing experiences businesses, including physical products, the meditation and wellbeing app, and licensed experiences will join The Healing Company's community of healing brands
• With a community of 20M social followers, 6M email database, 7M web traffic, 1M app downloads, top rated 4.9 star app, and more than 90 books authored, Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.'s reach and impact in the integrative healing movement is unrivaled
• Landmark partnership signals new era of accelerated growth and impact for Chopra Global, advancing a culture of wellbeing at the nexus of high-growth markets including integrative healing ($100B market, 22% CAGR), Ayurveda ($7B, 15% CAGR), and meditation ($5B, 18.5% CAGR)
• Deepak will continue in his role as Chief Scientific Advisor to The Healing Company, driving innovation and setting a rigorous scientific standard for all brands within the portfolio

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Healing Company (OTC: HLCO) and Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D., are thrilled to announce The Healing Company's acquisition of Chopra Global's wellbeing experiences businesses, in a landmark partnership for both companies. The acquisition includes Chopra's physical product line, the Chopra meditation & wellbeing app, and licensed experiences including The Chopra Health Retreat at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa and the Chopra Mind-Body Zone and Spa at the Lake Nona Performance Club. Concurrently, the organizations entered into a perpetual license agreement to include the Chopra content, community, and brand. Founded in 2022, The Healing Company is building a community of powerful healing brands through the acquisition of companies in the wellness, supplement, and nutraceutical spaces.

One of TIME Magazine's Top 100 most influential people, Dr. Deepak Chopra has spent a lifetime bringing integrative healing to hundreds of millions of people, authoring more than 90 books, creating educational content for his 20M social followers, leading thousands of events, and developing best-in-class healing products and experiences that have changed lives worldwide. The guiding mission of Chopra Global—personal transformation for collective wellbeing—is anchored by his vision to empower one billion people to create a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthy, and joyful world.

With this bold vision in mind The Healing Company and Chopra Global enter into this partnership, working to usher the brand into a new era of growth. Chopra Global sits at the nexus of three high growth sectors: integrative healing ($100B market, 22% CAGR), Ayurveda ($7B, 15% CAGR), and meditation ($5B, 30% CAGR), and reached over 100 million people last year. Paired with The Healing Company's deep expertise in S-commerce, media, storytelling, growth, and distribution, and strategy to build a community of powerful healing brands, the partnership will aim to amplify the reach and impact of Chopra's world-class wellbeing experiences. "I am deeply inspired by The Healing Company's vision and leadership, and am very excited to work together to launch new products and practices that meet the Chopra community—and the world's—healing needs," says Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.

This is the second acquisition in four months for The Healing Company, with leading plant-based superfoods brand Your Super joining the brand community late last year.

Dr. Deepak Chopra, MD, says: "The world's healthcare system is in crisis. The Healing Company is a perfect partner for Chopra Global, with the expertise and leadership to propel our mission of helping 1 billion people access healing so that we can collectively move in the direction of a more just, sustainable, peaceful, healthy, and joyful world."

Simon Belsham, CEO and Co-founder of The Healing Company (ex-Jet.com and Equinox Media President) adds: "Chopra Global is placed at the intersection of explosive global markets: Ayurveda, meditation, and integrated healing, and is poised to become the leading provider in this space. The company has already reached millions through world-class healing experiences, content, and products, and we look forward to accelerating this further at The Healing Company."

Anabel Oelmann, Director and Co-Founder of The Healing Company, says: "We are deeply inspired by Deepak's vision to help 1 billion people access healing. As we've built our partnership over the last year, our conviction in mission alignment and our ability to help him achieve this aim have only grown. We could not be more excited for this next chapter in our partnership, and all we can do together to bring leading science-backed healing solutions to the world."

For more information please contact thehealingco@ragency.com

All press imagery and videos can be found here.

About Deepak Chopra:

DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, FRCP founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is also an Honorary Fellow in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his 93rd book, Living in the Light (Harmony Books) taps into the ancient Indian practice of Royal Yoga and offers an illuminating program for self-realization, bliss, and wholeness. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of their top 100 most influential people."  www.deepakchopra.com

About Chopra Global:

Chopra Global is a leading integrative health company that is empowering personal transformation for millions of people globally to expand our collective wellbeing. Anchored by the life's practice and research of Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D. a pioneer in integrative medicine, Chopra Global's signature programs have been proven to improve overall wellbeing through a focus on physical, mental and spiritual health. Chopra Global has been at the forefront of health and wellness for more than two decades with a portfolio that includes an editorial archive of more than 2,000 health articles, expansive self-care practices and meditations, mobile app, masterclasses, teacher certifications, immersive live events, and personalized retreats. By providing tools, guidance, and community, Chopra aims to advance a culture of wellbeing and make a healthy, peaceful, and joyful life accessible to all. For more information, interact with the team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About The Healing Company:

The Healing Company Inc. was founded with a bold aim: Bring integrated healing to the world. Compelled by the global healthcare crisis and a deep belief in a different way—one which draws on conventional medicine and ancient wisdom, science and nature—the company looks to democratize access to integrated healing methods, while helping the world evolve how it thinks about health and healthcare. To do so, the company is building a community of powerful healing brands, identifying, acquiring, and helping scale the reach and impact of the world's highest potential healing practices & products.

The Healing Company's common stock is quoted for trading on the OTC under the symbol HLCO, and its investors and advisors include global wellbeing icon Dr. Deepak Chopra, MD, renowned investor and psychedelics entrepreneur Christian Angermayer, and Social Chain & Thirdweb founder and Dragons Den member Steven Bartlett. For more information, visit http://www.healingcompany.com.

Sources:

Data Bridge, Global Meditation Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029

Research and Markets, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027

Market Research Future, Ayurveda Market Information by Application, Disease Pattern, Source, Form, End-Users, Distribution, and Region - Forecast till 2030

Chopra Global and Deepak Chopra data collected from Google Analytics, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, App Store, and proprietary CRM

Forward-looking statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. The Company makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financial requirements, business strategy, products and services, potential future financings, acquisition and scaling of future brands and or project and its anticipated financing plans, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions that are forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements are estimates reflecting the Company' s best judgment based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements; foreign exchange and other financial markets; changes in the interest rates on borrowings; hedging activities; changes costs of goods; changes in the investments and expenditure levels; litigation; legislation; environmental, judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments in areas in which The Healing Company operates. There can be no assurance that The Healing Company will achieve the above stated brand acquisitions and scaling of those brands or the closing of any required financing. The reader should refer to the risk disclosures set out in the periodic reports and other disclosure documents filed by The Healing Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2018100/The_Healing_Company_Logo.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2018101/The_healing_company_Chopra_Global.jpg

Video: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2018099/HealCo_ChopraGlobal.mp4

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SOURCE The Healing Company

Horizon Air Freight Announces Recent Acquisition of Transmarine Navigation Corporation

Tue Mar 07 2023

Q4 2022 Purchase Further Establishes Horizon as Leading International Port Agency and Comprehensive Marine Logistics Company

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Air Freight announced today its recent acquisition of Transmarine Navigation Corporation, further establishing its leadership positions as an international port agency and customer-first logistics solution for ship owners, operators, and charters, making ports of call in North and South America.

Horizon CEO Steve Leondis said the transaction was completed in Q4 2022.

"In the spirit of Horizon and Transmarine, we began our partnership with a focus on our customers and the quality of our services," he said. "Now it is time to share the big news with the public. Our acquisition of Transmarine allows us to better coordinate critical services for our customers' vessels calling North and South America. Together, we'll get everything they need to their ports of call and manage all their in-port logistics too, all with our shared commitment to excellence in the service of our customers. It's a simpler and more streamlined solution for our clients, all provided by two companies the industry has trusted for generations."

The combined services after the acquisition include:

• Best-in-class customer experience in agency for North and South America
• Best-in-class door-to-deck marine logistics solutions globally
• White-glove port call service with talent on board to ensure customer success
• Freight forwarding of spares, supplies, and equipment from any vendor worldwide
• Port call agency services at Transmarine's 12 served ports along the Gulf Coast, West Coast, Hawaii, and Argentina
• Spares and supplies consolidation at Horizon's 30 global warehouses
• Import and export documentation services
• Last-mile delivery services at any port of call

Transmarine recently announced that Leslie Clements was stepping into the role of Managing Director, a position previously held by Jim Papp, who is assuming the role of Head of Strategic Ventures. Papp was instrumental in developing the partnership with Horizon.

"After nearly 40 years at the company, I can confidently say that there has never been a more exciting time to be a part of Transmarine," Papp said. "A new ownership structure, combined with a great new leader in Leslie, will ensure that our best days are upon us.

"It's an honor to continue Transmarine and Horizon's great work," Clements said. "The new visionary leadership team, alongside the legacy of producing results for our clients, is the perfect combination."

Existing customers of Horizon and Transmarine can take advantage of the newly integrated services immediately by reaching out to their current account representatives. New customers can contact Horizon through haf.com or by calling 800-221-6028.

About Horizon Air Freight

Horizon Air Freight keeps fleets shipshape and on schedule with global marine logistics by air, land, and sea. Critical marine spares, supplies, and equipment from any vendor worldwide: consolidated, expedited, delivered door to deck. Whatever you need, wherever you need it, we'll get it there on time and on budget. With more than 50 years of experience, we keep more than 3,000 ships safe, able, and sailing. To learn more about how Horizon and Transmarine's combined services can help your fleet, call 800-221-6028 or visit haf.com.

About Transmarine

Founded in 1938, Transmarine is a leading U.S. tramp ship agency, headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with offices in a dozen port cities along the Gulf Coast, West Coast, and Hawaii. The most prestigious firms in the shipping industry trust Transmarine to manage their port call operations with safety and efficiency. To learn more visit www.transmarine.com.

CONTACT: Jon Waterhouse

jwaterhouse@lenzmarketing.com

678.770.9561

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SOURCE Horizon Air Freight

CI Capital Announces Sale of PRA

Sat Apr 01 2023

Company grew revenue and EBITDA by nearly 3x during CI Capital's five-year ownership period

Successfully navigated through COVID-19 with substantial business growth

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CI Capital Partners ("CI Capital"), a North American private equity investment firm dedicated to investing in middle-market companies, today announced the sale of its portfolio company, PRA, a leading business event management company, to EagleTree Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

PRA has over 40 years of experience designing and executing memorable events and experiences on behalf of corporate clients, including many Fortune 100 companies, across a variety of industries. PRA provides end-to-end event planning, creative, and production services across both in-person and digital formats, partnering closely with clients to help achieve key business objectives. Headquartered in Chicago with teams throughout every major and secondary market in North America and strategic global partnerships, PRA delivers reach and consistent quality for clients' brand-building initiatives.       

Under CI Capital's ownership, PRA completed nine add-on acquisitions to expand its national footprint and achieved a nearly three-fold growth in revenue and EBITDA. CI Capital worked with the company's talented management team to broaden PRA's presence across key U.S. markets, enhance its digital event capabilities, and make strategic investments in its technology systems. These initiatives ultimately allowed the company to successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fred Iseman, Chief Executive Officer of CI Capital, said, "CI Capital is proud to have collaborated with PRA for more than five transformative years, driving growth and resilience through the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve the best year in PRA's history in 2022. We wish the PRA management team all the best as the company enters this exciting new phase of its evolution."

Mike Fiber, Chief Executive Officer of PRA, commented, "With CI Capital's partnership, we significantly scaled our operations to deliver broader reach for our clients and expanded our digital offerings to emerge from the pandemic as a more formidable enterprise. We look forward to building on this momentum to deliver even more value for our clients as a go-to partner for cutting-edge experiences."

BrightTower served as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP served as legal advisor to PRA. Jones Day acted as legal advisor to EagleTree.

About PRA 

Headquartered in Chicago with teams throughout every major and secondary market in North America, PRA is a leading business event management firm, creating in-person and digital experiences which move hearts, minds, and businesses forward. Through its strategic approach to creative design, production services and destination experiences, PRA offers end-to-end integrated service capabilities and solutions aligned with business meetings and events. PRA blends Passion, Reach and Authenticity to consistently deliver incomparable experiences that engage participants and exceed business goals. PRA's reach runs deep, delivering value to millions of participants for 40 years in every major destination across North America and beyond. For information on our complete portfolio of services, please visit PRA.com

About CI Capital Partners

CI Capital Partners LLC is a leading North American private equity investment firm dedicated to investing in middle-market companies with over $2.4 billion of invested capital. Throughout its 30-year history, CI Capital and its portfolio companies have made over 425 platform company and add-on acquisitions representing over $10 billion in enterprise value. CI Capital forms partnerships with experienced management teams and entrepreneurs to build substantial businesses through add-on acquisitions, organic growth and operational improvements. For more information on CI Capital Partners, please visit www.cicapllc.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

+1 (212) 521-4800 

daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com

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SOURCE CI Capital Partners

Broco Rankin Acquired by Salt Creek Capital

Wed Feb 01 2023

ONTARIO, Calif., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Salt Creek Capital, a private equity firm based in Woodside, California, has acquired Broco, Inc., Rankin Industries, Inc., and Strong Welding Products - collectively known as Broco Rankin. Mr. Sterling Peloso has been named Broco Rankin's new Chief Executive Officer.

For nearly three decades Broco Rankin was co-owned and managed by Richard "Rick" A. Ferry and Richard M. Ferry. In that time the company became a leading manufacturer of underwater and industrial cutting and welding equipment, forced entry and tactical breaching equipment for law enforcement and military, as well as hardfacing and protective metal alloy products. 

"I am excited to join Broco Rankin. This is a great company with a solid foundation and a strong, experienced team. I am looking forward to working with the employees, clients and customers to continue the company legacy of quality and innovation that is well established," said Mr. Peloso.

Mr. Peloso is an experienced executive having held senior leadership positions as President at Avante Ultrasound & Monitoring, CEO at Ultra Solutions, Senior Vice President at Aramark and CEO at Quartermaster. He earned an MBA from the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine and a BBA from the University of San Diego.

"I am thrilled to have partnered with Salt Creek Capital to complete this transaction," said Mr. Peloso. "We look forward to expanding Broco Rankin's reach around the world in the near future."

Broco Rankin is headquartered near Los Angeles in Ontario, California. Broco, Inc. was founded in 1968 and specializes in underwater cutting and welding products, and designs and manufactures tactical and forced entry products for law enforcement, military, and fire and rescue, and industrial exothermic cutting and welding systems. Rankin Hardfacing, PMA Protective Metal Alloys, and Chamberlain Security are part of Rankin Industries, founded in 1938, which designs and manufactures buildup, hardfacing, specialty nickel alloy products, and high security components for safes, containers and cabinets.

For more information, please contact Margaret McCallister at  352613@email4pr.com, or call (909) 483-3222, and visit www.broco-rankin.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broco-rankin-acquired-by-salt-creek-capital-301730129.html

SOURCE Broco Rankin

TRM Equity Acquires Assets of Gamma Aerospace, LLC

Tue Mar 07 2023

MANSFIELD, Texas, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TRM Equity II ("TRM") has acquired substantially all of the assets of Gamma Aerospace, LLC ("Gamma").  With three production facilities, including its headquarters in Mansfield, TX, assembly location in southern California and machining location in Mexicali, Gamma is a leading manufacturer of multi-contoured formed and multi-axis machined parts serving Aerospace and Defense.  The transaction was completed on March 2, 2023.  Gamma employs over 200 people.

Jeff Stone, Managing Director for TRM, commented:  "Gamma has been entrusted by the Defense Industry Primes and commercial OEMs with responsibilities to provide critical components on high-profile programs for years.  These customers have supported our efforts to move the business forward from a very challenging operating environment caused by a combination of uncertain demand during the COVID pandemic, labor market tightness and supply chain dislocations during the rebound from COVID, as well as ongoing aggressive inflationary pressure.  As we move forward, Gamma will be a stable and predictable performer for our customers while the industry continues to navigate ongoing supply chain challenges."

About TRM Equity

TRM Equity is a private equity firm that seeks controlling investments in situations where the experience of our team can assist companies with operational improvement or transformation. The Firm's core team has worked and invested together for approximately 20 years, applying a consistent approach in targeted manufacturing industries, and has a demonstrated track record of above-market returns.

Media Contact

Jeffrey A. Stone

Managing Director

jeffreystone@trmequity.com

(800) 817-4152

Robert Sylvester

Managing Director

robertsylvester@trmequity.com

(800) 817-4152

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SOURCE TRM Equity

Job Search Advice Website, Career Sidekick, Acquired by Amai Group

Mon Mar 06 2023

FE International, Inc., the global market leader in mid-market technology mergers and acquisitions (M&A), announces the acquisition of Career Sidekick, a job search advice website, by Amai Group.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CareerSidekick.com was launched in 2013 to provide job search advice and tactics to those looking to land in-demand, high-paying jobs. Advising job seekers pre- and post-interview and accommodating a diverse array of careers and industries.

Founder of Career Sidekick, Biron Clark, who previously was an executive recruiter for multiple Fortune 500 firms, and reviewed thousands of resumes said, "I'm excited to announce the sale of Career Sidekick after 10 years in operation. Founding and growing the business was an incredibly rewarding experience. It's now time to pass the brand to a larger organization that can continue the growth. The team at FE International was a huge help throughout the exit process. I hope to partner with them again in the future".

Upon completing the deal, Mark Cambridge, owner of Amai went on to say "The acquisition of CareerSidekick.com by the Amai Group (Amai.com) fits our long-term goal of building a diverse group of evergreen web-based companies.

Drawing on our experience in scaling businesses, we expect to build on the success of the founder and expand the content of the site, creating an even more valuable resource for career and employment advice".

FE International served as the sole sell-side M&A advisor on the acquisition of Career Sidekick. "It was a pleasure getting to know Biron, and we are delighted with the outcome for him and everyone involved. Career Sidekick has been acquired by a group with the expertise to grow this business to its full potential," said Thomas Smale, CEO of FE International.

Amai is a provider of e-commerce software solutions for Shopify merchants. Based in Singapore with a multinational team, they've been an approved Shopify partner for over four years. For more information, please visit amai.com.

Founded in 2010, FE is known for its extensive network of pre-qualified international investors. Its team includes experts in exit planning, valuation, accounting, legal and more.

FE serves clients worldwide with headquarters in New York and regional offices in Miami, San Francisco and London. It was named one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies in 2022, 2021 and 2020 by The Financial Times and is also a four-time Inc. 5000 company.

Thomas Smale

+1 (800) 403 9067

https://feinternational.com/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/job-search-advice-website-career-sidekick-acquired-by-amai-group-301738979.html

SOURCE FE International

BuildCentrix Acquires SiteTrace to Streamline Material Procurement in Construction

Wed Mar 08 2023

SiteTrace advances BuildCentrix's mission to bring together labor, materials, and data to modernize the construction industry

VANCOUVER, BC and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BuildCentrix announced today that it has acquired SiteTrace, a San Francisco based technology company providing material procurement software for the construction industry. By uniting teams and leveraging data, this acquisition will expand BuildCentrix's footprint and help the construction industry build more efficiently.

With a robust customer base of trade contractors across the United States, SiteTrace helps its customers procure materials more accurately and efficiently. This streamlines construction workflows, prevents schedule delays, and improves project profitability.

"We're excited to acquire an agile company such as SiteTrace to bring our best of breed applications to the industry," said James Beveridge, BuildCentrix CEO. "With a strong focus on customer success, we help our clients reduce waste and save time in material procurement and management."

"We founded SiteTrace as a fanatically customer-focused company dedicated to improving the way contractors procure materials," said Mehul Kulkarni, SiteTrace CEO & Co-Founder. "We are excited to bring contractors to a comprehensive solution by joining with BuildCentrix and dramatically improve the way they do business."

Today, SiteTrace primarily services contractors in the mechanical trade. Over time, the product & customer base will become integrated with BuildCentrix.

About BuildCentrix

BuildCentrix is a leading provider of construction productivity software. Specialty contractors utilize BuildCentrix's technology to streamline material procurement and management in their field and shop.

About SiteTrace

SiteTrace is a San Francisco based technology company providing material procurement software for the construction industry. Founded by Mehul Kulkarni, Catherine Jiang, Lin Htet Kyaw, and Sara Pearce-Probst, SiteTrace is trusted by contractors nationwide.

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SOURCE BuildCentrix

TaxBit Announces Acquisition of Digital Asset Accounting Startup Tactic

Fri Jan 27 2023

The combination of TaxBit's enterprise-grade digital asset tax and accounting solutions with Tactic's automated accounting software enables best-in-class crypto financial visibility and compliance for businesses.

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TaxBit, the leading tax and accounting provider for the digital asset economy, today announces the acquisition of Tactic, a digital asset financial accounting platform that offers a streamlined accounting subledger to save businesses hundreds of hours on critical digital asset management and reporting. This acquisition will combine two leaders in the digital asset accounting space and establish TaxBit's New York office presence.

TaxBit co-founder and CEO Austin Woodward commented, "2022 demonstrated that there is a massive problem in the digital asset space with regards to credible accounting.  TaxBit historically focused on top-of-market Enterprises, but it became evident that businesses of all sizes accepting, trading, or holding digital assets are in need of automated accounting solutions. As we got to know Tactic, it was clear that their world-class technical team, products, and culture perfectly align with what we are building and how we operate at TaxBit. We are excited to welcome their team onboard, and together continue building a turnkey solution for digital asset accounting."

Tactic provides accounting automation tools, seamless integration with other financial software products, and increased visibility to reduce crypto accounting processes by as much as 75%. Tactic will augment TaxBit's existing Corporate Accounting Suite (CAS) offering. The full integration of Tactic's software and team with TaxBit will take place over the coming months.

The acquisition comes on the heels of major turmoil for digital asset markets. Recent crypto market events have highlighted the mission-critical need for transparency, especially in the form of auditable and verifiable accounting. As regulations evolve and as scrutiny increases, TaxBit can help restore investor trust with innovative and compliant solutions for tracking, processing, and reporting transactions.

Tactic co-founder and CEO Ann Jaskiw added, "As transparency and efficiency become the largest issues for businesses working in or entering the crypto sphere, we aspire to provide the definitive toolset for the industry. Austin and I share similar stories, being founders at the forefront of innovation and first movers in a fast-evolving industry. The team is thrilled to continue Tactic's journey of product innovation and to establish our collective team as the go-to provider for digital asset accounting."

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

TaxBit is designed by CPAs and tax attorneys, TaxBit is the leading tax and accounting solution for the digital asset economy. TaxBit's platform serves the industry's top exchanges, institutional investors, governments, and individuals. TaxBit is SOC 1, Type 1, SOC 2, Type 2 attestation and ISO 27001 certified. TaxBit has raised over $235M from the world's-top investors to enable widespread digital asset adoption by automating the regulatory hurdles of tax and accounting compliance at scale. TaxBit has offices in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Washington D.C.

To learn more visit: www.TaxBit.com, Twitter, LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Michelle O'Connor

VP of Brand and Communications

(801) 332-9105

michelle@taxbit.com

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SOURCE TaxBit

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

Fri Mar 24 2023

MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq: PACB) ("PacBio") today announced that it intends to offer and sell $150.0 million of shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. PacBio also intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $22.5 million of shares of its common stock, at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The proposed offering is subject to market and other conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and Allen & Company LLC are acting as Joint Book Running managers for the offering.

PacBio intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for research and development, commercial infrastructure expansion and working capital and general corporate purposes. PacBio may also use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, technologies, product candidates or other intellectual property, although it has no present commitments or agreements to do so.

The securities described above are being offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement filed by PacBio with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that became automatically effective upon filing. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website. The final terms of the offering will be disclosed in a final prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained from:

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: (866) 471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing prospectusny@ny.email.gs.com; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, telephone: (866) 718-1649 or by emailing prospectus@morganstanley.com; or Cowen and Company, LLC, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, telephone: (833) 297-2926 or by emailing Prospectus_ECM@cowen.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Any offer, if at all, will be made only by means of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus.

About PacBio

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB) is a premier life science technology company that is designing, developing, and manufacturing advanced sequencing solutions to help scientists and clinical researchers resolve genetically complex problems.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, whether or not PacBio will be able to raise capital through the sale of shares of common stock or consummate the offering, the final terms of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, prevailing market conditions, the anticipated use of the proceeds of the offering which could change as a result of market conditions or for other reasons, and the impact of general economic, industry or political conditions in the United States or internationally. Additional risks and uncertainties relating to the offering, PacBio and its business can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in PacBio's most recent current, quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC and in the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering to be filed with the SEC. PacBio assumes no duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Contact:

Investors: Todd Friedman

650.521.8450

ir@pacb.com

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SOURCE Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.

The Panther Group Acquires Managed Service Provider, Enterforce

Mon Mar 06 2023

The Panther Group (Panther), a Massachusetts-based full-service staffing and recruiting firm, has acquired Enterforce, Inc. (EFI), a Wisconsin-based Managed Service Provider (MSP), in a stock purchase on December 30, 2022.

MAYNARD, Mass., Feb. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Panther Group (Panther), a Massachusetts-based full-service staffing and recruiting firm, has acquired Enterforce, Inc. (EFI), a Wisconsin-based Managed Service Provider (MSP), in a stock purchase on December 30, 2022. The addition of EFI into the Panther family of businesses, with operations throughout North, Central, and South America, will complement existing recruiting and staffing solutions and will further strengthen our capabilities to offer industry-leading, differentiated, and cost-saving solutions to our clients throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. EFI will continue to operate as an independent division of Panther. The acquisition of EFI will increase the breadth and depth of existing Panther Workforce Solutions' expertise, operational structure and capabilities, and company scale.

"This acquisition is viewed as a joining of two extraordinary companies very similar in experience and culture, with practice strengths that are highly complementary and that will enable us to provide a new and broader set of services to our clients," states Sean Cogdell, Chief Executive Officer of the Panther Group. "The synergies and increase in scale will enable The Panther Group and Enterforce to continue delivering exceptional talent, exceptional service, and world-class human capital solutions to a broader market base. The sales growth opportunities and operational efficiencies to both organizations with its forward-focused business strategy are exponential," Cogdell added.

To connect with us and for more information, please visit: http://www.ThePantherGroup.com http://www.Enterforce.com

At The Panther Group and Enterforce, we are Experts in Human Capital.

Media Contact

Tim Puglielli, The Panther Group, 1 781-373-6020 Ext: 1006, tpuglielli@thepanthergroup.com

SOURCE The Panther Group

HYBE Makes Historic Key Acquisition to Merge with QC Media Holdings, Inc., The Parent Company of Pierre "P" Thomas and Kevin "Coach K" Lee Advancing HYBE's Ambition to be the Leader in Global Entertainment

Mon Mar 06 2023

• HYBE inks historic deal with QC Media Holdings, Inc., the parent company for Pierre "P" Thomas and Kevin "Coach K" Lee's music, sports, and film & television empire ("QC"), greatly increasing its footprint in the music landscape while diversifying the company's offerings as it continues to be to be one of the most dominant entertainment and lifestyle platforms in the world.
• This merger acquisition is part of the larger vision for HYBE that is shared by Bang, Scooter and the rest of HYBE's leadership; to create a truly global entertainment platform that is rooted in music, the artists that create music, and the loyal fans across the world that are inspired by that music.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

With this partnership, QC will benefit from HYBE's global entertainment innovation capabilities

QC, founded by CEO Pierre "P" Thomas and COO Kevin "Coach K" Lee, is among the most influential labels, responsible for groundbreaking acts such as Migos, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, and City Girls.

"I am so proud and honored to have Coach and P join Bang and myself as our partners," said HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun. "QC is one of the most significant independent labels in the world, working with incredible artists who are, and remain to be, the voices of culture.  I'll never forget riding around Atlanta over 20 years ago with Coach discussing our dreams and ambitions and how we said: 'If they let us in the game, we are never going to give it back'. Now, all these years later, we are joining forces to make these dreams a reality.  It's important to my team and me that P and Coach continue to have the freedom, and now our global resources, to continue to do what they do best; facilitate and nurture great art and culture." 

"HYBE are perfect partners for Quality Control as we come together to take our story and work global.  All of HYBE's leaders are entrepreneurs with phenomenal, combined history finding talent and taking it to the highest levels. Taking QC worldwide requires key partners like this who understand building something from the bottom and aiming sky high. It matters to us greatly their grasp of culture and acutely seeing what QC has built and the limitless path of where it can go.   QC and HYBE both have an existing relationship with the Universal Music Group family of companies makes this seamless.  We have so much gratitude to the whole QC family of artists and without them this wouldn't be possible.  This partnership will create a global platform for our artists which has been our goal since day one for them," said Pierre "P" Thomas, Co-Founder, CEO of QC.

"P and I are ecstatic about this partnership with Scooter and HYBE and are confident they can get us to our global ambitions we've had in our scope since the beginning of our company as nothing means more than our artists impacting world-wide. Over many years Scooter and I have cultivated real trust and a common way of looking at the world and culture. An added bonus of this partnership is the fact that both QC and HYBE have existing relationships with the UMG family and that will create an easy flow that will benefit the artists.  The artists of QC are our focus and their best interests will be incredibly supported with this partnership,"  said Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Co-Founder, COO of QC.

This collaboration will drive HYBE's strategy to expand and diversify its global entertainment footprint

The acquisition represents the first initiative orchestrated by Scooter Braun as sole CEO of HYBE AMERICA, underscoring Scooter's key role in the expansion plans for HYBE given his track record and reputation in the industry as well as his ability to bring key players to the table.

This is part of a strategic and concerted effort by HYBE to diversify its offerings and the company's dedication to groundbreaking innovation via technology investments and strategic partnerships. The first strategic partnership was with Ithaca, which immediately diversified HYBE's portfolio by including Scooter Braun Projects and Big Machine Label Group. Now with QC, HYBE has made another significant inroad into other genres of music. 

In addition to expanding its footprint in the music industry, HYBE is focused on building out its already robust tech portfolio which consists of innovative global platform Weverse, a global multimedia fandom hub that connects artists to fan communities, and recently acquired Artificial Intelligence audio company Supertone.

"Based on hip-hop, QC has been making a strong presence in the American music scene. With our shared vision, I have high hopes in what we can operate and achieve together," said Jiwon Park, CEO, HYBE.

"This partnership is a vital part of our growth plan to innovate the entertainment industry through a diversified portfolio and advanced technology. We will work together to continue adding depth of hip-hop to the global music industry," said  Bang Si-Hyuk, Chairman, HYBE.

About HYBE

HYBE Corp. (HYBE), rebranded from Big Hit Entertainment in March 2021, is a global entertainment lifestyle platform company that seeks boundless expansion in order to innovate the music industry. Ever since, HYBE has been expanding its multi label system including BIGHIT MUSIC, BELIFT LAB, SOURCE MUSIC, PLEDIS Entertainment, KOZ ENTERTAINMENT, ADOR, HYBE LABELS JAPAN, while HYBE AMERICA also manages its affiliate labels including Big Machine Label Group. In addition to the label business, HYBE established an integrated structure with its solution business that creates concert, video content, game, original story and retail, as well as a platform business through Weverse, a global fandom platform. Composed of its three headquarters based in Korea, Japan and the US, the company works towards bringing innovative change throughout the global music industry.

About HYBE AMERICA 

HYBE AMERICA sits at the intersection of global trends in music, entertainment and technology, creating new synergetic opportunities for artists, businesses and brands. The company encompasses artist management, music publishing, recording labels and content creation with activities across music, tech, film, television, brands, culture, and social good. The company's combined expertise and proven track records of success transcends genres, industries and national borders. SB Projects, a business unit of HYBE AMERICA, represents global artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato while the company's recording labels under Big Machine Label Group include some of the biggest names in country music and rock such as Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, and Sheryl Crowe. HYBE AMERICA is a wholly owned subsidiary of HYBE Corp. 

About QC Media Holdings 

QC Media Holdings, Inc, is the parent company for CEO Pierre "P" Thomas and COO Kevin "Coach K" Lee's Music, Sports, Film and Television empire ("QC")".  P and Coach K launched the music business in 2013. Garnering billions of streams yearly from groundbreaking acts like Migos, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby and City Girls, QC is without a doubt leading the charge as one of the biggest and most influential labels of today. In 2020, QC's Lil Baby released My Turn, the highest selling & streaming album of the year and the first album of 2020 to go RIAA certified double platinum, with his entire catalog hitting over 37 billion streams to date in 2022. The QC empire has continued to expand, launching their subsequent management wing Solid Foundation Management, film & TV wing Quality Films and sports wing QC Sports. As digital strategists and label execs, Coach and P have earned the prestigious titles of Executives of the Year by Billboard and Innovators of the Year by Variety. Spearheading their way through the culture in music, film, sports, and TV by breaking unknown acts, athletes and talent and taking them all the way to stadiums, QC has undoubtedly become the modern-day blueprint for success in the industry.

Media contact:

Jennifer Abel

Jennifer@jonesworks.com

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SOURCE HYBE AMERICA

JetSynthesys acquires majority stake in Fanory; Onboards former Twitter India Head Manish Maheshwari in a leadership role

Wed Feb 01 2023

~Fanory, coming out of stealth, is a monetization platform for creators to turn them into micro-entrepreneurs~

~Fanory is co-founded by former Twitter India Head Manish Maheshwari~

PUNE, India , Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New-age digital entertainment and technology company, JetSynthesys, has acquired majority stake in Fanory, a start-up that helps creators monetize better than what is possible on social media platforms. As part of this transaction, JetSynthesys has onboarded ex-Twitter India Head and Fanory's co-founder, Manish Maheshwari, as President at the Corporate level, JetSynthesys. Shareholders of JetSynthesys include the family offices of Infosys Co-Founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Serum Institute's Adar Poonawalla, and cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, amongst others. 

Co-founded by Maheshwari along with two of his former colleagues, Fanory enables creators to monetize their craft on their terms through their community of fans, thereby turning them into micro-entrepreneurs. The platform connects creators with their superfans through a personalized app, a model similar to how in the eCommerce space, Shopify helps small offline businesses set up personalized digital stores. Maheshwari will now focus on the global expansion of Fanory.

Regarding the transaction and new appointment, Rajan Navani, Founder and CEO, JetSynthesys, says, "Last year has seen high growth for us at JetSynthesys, and we are happy to begin 2023 with this transaction. We are looking forward to expanding our horizons in the digital entertainment space. The social media creators market has grown exponentially, and we see this continuing for the foreseeable future. Fanory's model is beneficial for creators. It compensates them for their hard work and creativity. With Manish by our side, we look forward to exploring this new avenue and entrenching ourselves deeper into the digital entertainment realm."

Fanory as a platform will work closely with the digital entertainment pillar of JetSynthesys. Fanory will assist creators in locating their superfans, i.e., those who are both ready and willing to pay for exclusive opportunities to interact with their favorite artists. It will then enable creators to upsell premium experiences on a personalized app through a frictionless, coin-based payment mechanism.

Manish Maheshwari, Co-founder of Fanory and now President, Corporate Level, JetSynthesys, said, "Social media platforms prioritize follower acquisition and engagement so that they can sell adverts to brands. Direct monetization for creators is an afterthought. Fanory is different because its core and only focus is creator monetization. This deal will exponentially grow the possibilities for creators and their superfans as they now have access to the broader platform and ecosystem relationships of JetSynthesys."

Before joining Twitter, Maheshwari was CEO of Network18 Digital. He has previously held leadership positions at Intuit and McKinsey in San Francisco and New York respectively. Manish's career has seen a sharp focus on social media, digital content, and technology platforms. In his previous position at Twitter, he oversaw its business in India and subsequently in new markets worldwide based out of Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco. He advocates for greater involvement of women to make social media and digital technology platforms more diverse and inclusive. Manish has previously served on the Governing Council of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India's leading policy body for internet companies. Manish is an MBA from the Wharton Business School.

About JetSynthesys:

JetSynthesys is a new-age digital entertainment and technology company with a global foray into three key ecosystems: (a) gaming and esports, (b) digital entertainment, and (c) wellness and livelihoods. With millions of consumers across 180 countries, JetSynthesys builds world-class products, platforms, and services in these three verticals, aiming to touch the lives of billions of consumers. Since its launch in 2014, under the leadership of Rajan Navani (Chairman & Managing Director), JetSynthesys has built a powerful ecosystem of technology, talent, content, and distribution stacks, and is committed to delivering delightful moments to all stakeholders across multiple digital worlds, aptly titled the #Jetverse.

The company is backed by Kris Gopalakrishnan, Adar Poonawalla, Sachin Tendulkar, and the multi-billion-dollar family offices of the promoters of Thermax, Triveni Group, Yohan Poonawalla Group, and DSP Group. With offices in Europe, the UK, and the US, JetSynthesys is a key player in India's digital landscape. Built on innovation and new-age culture, JetSynthesys is building a digital ecosystem for consumers to be the one-stop solution for all their digital needs. It is perfectly poised to create success stories at scale through made in India apps with the best talent available globally, funded by the Indian capital.

JetSynthesys is part of the diversified JetLine Group of Companies, the roots of which originated in the 1930s in Bangkok, Thailand with a presence in India since 1974. Established by the Late Kishinchand Navani in 1937, the growth in Thailand and South-East Asia over several decades has resulted in large-scale manufacturing industries in textiles, packaging, electronics, and real estate development amongst others.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1989697/Manish_Maheshwari.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1837282/JetSynthesys_New_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE JetSynthesys Private Limited

Addtronics Acquires Missouri Tooling & Automation

Wed Feb 08 2023

GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Addtronics, LLC ("Addtronics"), a mission-driven holding company dedicated to acquiring, empowering, and growing leading robotic automation solution providers, announced today that it has acquired Missouri Tooling & Automation, LLC. ("MTA"). MTA is a leading custom robotic automation systems provider based in Lebanon, Missouri. MTA is the second addition to the Addtronics family of companies after the company acquired Dynamic Design Solutions ("DDS") in October 2022. Addtronics is backed by Kaho Partners, a thesis-driven private equity firm.

Since its founding in 2004, MTA has grown to become a trusted automation solutions provider to companies in the medical, consumer products, electronics, and general industrial industries. Bob Archer and Bryan Root, MTA's President and Vice President, will continue to lead MTA alongside the Addtronics leadership team.

Mr. Archer remarked, "We are very excited to partner with Addtronics. This is an important next step for MTA, as it provides our team with additional resources to deliver more value to our customers. We think this transaction will ultimately allow MTA to become a larger and stronger organization. MTA believes in Addtronics' mission to bring manufacturing back to the United States through automation, and we are thrilled to join their family of brands."

Jerry Osborn, President of Addtronics, added, "Addtronics is focused on diversifying across end markets, applications, and geographies. The acquisition of MTA helps us achieve all three. We are excited about the significant experience and expertise that the MTA team brings to Addtronics."

"MTA has developed a reputation over the past eighteen years for high-quality, fairly priced solutions delivered with excellent customer service. We are confident that this acquisition will help further our mission to strengthen the domestic manufacturing sector by increasing access to robotic automation solutions," stated Max Katzenstein, Co-founder of Addtronics and Managing Partner of Kaho.

Addtronics is actively searching for additional businesses to add to its family of robotic automation solution providers. Ideal candidates will be excited about joining a mission-driven organization that values autonomy and the entrepreneurial spirit.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Holland & Knight, PLLC acted as counsel to Kaho.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Max Katzenstein (max@kahopartners.com) or Griffin Horter (griffin@kahopartners.com)

About Addtronics: 

Addtronics is a mission-driven holding company dedicated to acquiring, empowering, and growing leading robotic automation solution providers. Addtronics is strengthening the domestic manufacturing sector by increasing access to robotic automation solutions. Addtronics seeks to be the acquirer of choice in this space by allowing its brands to retain their autonomy, identities, and brands. For more information on Addtronics, please visit www.addtronics.com.

About Kaho Partners: 

Kaho is a thesis-driven private equity firm exclusively focused on building market-leading companies through aggressive organic and inorganic growth. Kaho is singularly focused on building a select few companies and maintains a long-term time horizon. Kaho is based in New York, NY and Greenwich, CT. For more information on Kaho Partners, please visit www.kahopartners.com.

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SOURCE Addtronics

Roc360 Expands its Leading Portfolio of Brands with Acquisition of Finance of America Commercial Through Asset Sale

Sat Apr 01 2023

NEW YORK, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Roc Capital Holdings LLC ("Roc360"), a vertically integrated platform for residential real estate investors and a leading originator of business purpose loans nationwide, today announced it has closed on the previously announced transaction for Finance of America Commercial ("FACo") assets.

Under the terms of the transaction, Finance of America Companies Inc. (NYSE:FOA) has sold the operational assets of its FACo division, which specializes in residential real estate investment loans, to Roc360. Excluded from the sale are previously originated loans and the residual in the ANTLR securitization shelf. Roc360 will refresh the brand with a new logo and run it under a new subsidiary using its trusted brand name, Finance of America Commercial, which will join Roc360's growing portfolio of leading real estate brands, including Roc Capital, Haus Lending, Elmsure Insurance, Wimba Title, and Tamarisk Appraisals.

FACo traces its initial roots back over a decade to its predecessor companies B2R Finance, Dwell Finance and Jordan Capital Finance, early players in the national private lending space offering fix and flip and landlord DSCR loans to real estate investors. Since its inception, FACo has funded in excess of $6 billion to over 9,000 individual guarantors across over 25,000 closed loans through its borrower-direct and broker channels.

The FACo acquisition adds additional capacity to Roc360's existing origination footprint within its retail and wholesale channels and the data acquired will further contribute to Roc360's data science efforts. In 2022, the two companies collectively funded in excess of $4.6 billion in business purpose loans. 

"Roc360 is committed to delivering innovative products and services that help rejuvenate and deliver new and like-new energy efficient homes to America's undersupplied housing stock. The acquisition further broadens our reach and ability to make a difference.  We will continue to pursue growth opportunities, including acquisitions, that expand our ability to provide solutions to real estate investors," said Arvind Raghunathan, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Roc360 family of companies.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, acted as financial advisor to Roc360.

About Roc360

Roc360 is a leading financial services platform for residential real estate investors, providing vertically integrated solutions, including lending, servicing, insurance and valuation.  Founded in 2014, Roc360 employs over 300 people and has funded in excess of $14 billion in loans through its lending subsidiaries.  The company is headquartered in New York City with offices on three continents.

In 2022, Roc360 joined the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. 

For Roc360 Media Relations: pr@Roc360.com

For more information about Roc360, please visit www.roc360.com

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SOURCE Roc360

GenNx360 Capital Partners Announces ITsavvy's Acquisition of INOC, Strengthening its Presence in the NOC Services Market

Tue Mar 07 2023

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GenNx360 Capital Partners announced today that ITsavvy LLC ("ITsavvy"), a provider of end-to-end technology solutions, has acquired INOC LLC ("INOC" or the "Company"). ITsavvy is a portfolio company of GenNx360 Capital Partners ("GenNx360"), a New York-based private equity firm investing in middle-market businesses.

ITsavvy is an Addison, Illinois-based technology solutions provider that delivers frictionless IT experiences by leveraging the power of its partner ecosystem to design, develop and deliver technology infrastructure solutions that accelerate business outcomes on behalf of its clients.

INOC, headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, provides 24x7 Outsourced Network Operations Center ("NOC") Support and NOC Operations Consulting. Founded in 2000, INOC specializes in infrastructure support via NOC solutions designed to meet the specific needs of its clients' technology environments and operational workflows. Additionally, INOC is a vendor-certified managed service provider for several critical network OEMs.

ITsavvy CEO Munu Gandhi said, "We are thrilled to welcome INOC and its ~200 colleagues to our firm. The cultural and strategic fit across our firms will create significant value for our colleagues, clients, and partners. INOC has built a strong reputation in the marketplace. Its AIOps-enabled Ops 3.0 platform is a solution designed to drive lower MTTR, higher availability, and greater client satisfaction. Prasad Ravi, Prasad Rao, and their team are thought leaders in designing, building, and operating NOCs. With the addition of INOC, ITsavvy will enhance our Intelligent Edge and Multi-Cloud solution capabilities, enabling us to accelerate time to value in delivering business outcomes for our clients."

INOC CEO Prasad Ravi said, "INOC's commitment is to provide leading-edge NOC services. With investments in our next-generation AIOps NOC platform, we have reached an exciting stage in our evolution. With ITsavvy's expansive solutions portfolio and expertise in the broader infrastructure market, we can provide quicker technology innovations and better service scalability to clients globally."

"This strategic combination is an excellent opportunity for both companies," said INOC President and COO, Prasad Rao. "Through our conversations with ITsavvy, it became clear that a partnership was highly synergistic and would allow both platforms to benefit greatly."

Ron Blaylock, GenNx360 Founder, Managing Partner, and Chairman of the ITsavvy Board of Directors, noted, "The INOC acquisition hits at the core of ITsavvy's inorganic growth strategy, adding a technical service capability that is highly accretive to the overall platform."

About INOC

INOC is an ISO 27001:2013 certified 24×7 NOC and an award-winning global provider of NOC Lifecycle Solutions^®, including NOC support, optimization, design, and build services for enterprises, communications service providers, and OEMs. INOC solutions significantly improve the support provided to partners' and clients' customers and end users.

INOC assesses internal NOC operations to improve efficiency and shorten response times, and provides best practices consulting to optimize, design, and build NOC operations, frameworks, and procedures. Proactive 24×7 NOC support is provided with several options, including North America, EU, or APAC only or global integrated NOCs. INOC's 24×7 staff provides a hands-on approach to incident resolution for technology infrastructure support.

About ITsavvy

ITsavvy is a provider of integrated IT products and technology solutions in the United States. Combining a comprehensive value-added reseller business with industry-leading IT solutions, ITsavvy is a single-source, end-to-end IT partner that strives to continuously deliver peace of mind to its clients.

About GenNx360 Capital Partners

GenNx360 Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on acquiring middle market businesses. GenNx360 partners with companies having proven and sustainable business models in expanding industries with the objective of implementing and supporting value-enhancing organic and inorganic initiatives to accelerate growth, deliver cost efficiencies, and generate strong financial returns. GenNx360 was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New York City.

For more information on GenNx360 Capital Partners, please visit www.gennx360.com. For media inquiries about this press release, please contact:

GenNx360 Capital Partners

Carmen Rojas, Director of Investor Relations

Email: investorrelations@gennx360.com

Tel: +1 212.257.6772

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SOURCE GenNx360 Capital Partners

Beach Point Acquires Controlling Stake in Leading Pet Food Manufacturer Wet Noses

Wed Mar 08 2023

Investment supports expansion of manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand for natural and organic pet food

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beach Point Capital Management's Tactical Fund has acquired a controlling stake in Wet Noses, a leading manufacturer of human-grade, natural and organic pet food and treats, following its minority investment in the company in December 2019. The transaction was made in partnership with Wet Noses founder Jasmine Galligan. As part of the transaction, Galligan will return to the company as CEO, along with the former COO Jeff Quinn. The investment will support Wet Noses' manufacturing capacity expansion to serve the growing demand for natural and organic pet foods and treats.

Founded in 1998, Wet Noses has built an extremely loyal customer base thanks to its differentiated offering in branded pet treats and also now serves a growing list of private label and contract manufacturing partners. Over the past decade, the company has significantly increased its capacity with the inclusion of three human-grade baking lines at its Seattle facility and expanded its product line beyond treats to include foods such as baked kibble.

Evan Klebe, Managing Director at Beach Point, said: "We are excited to have Jasmine and Jeff rejoin the company and lead Wet Noses during its next phase of growth. Both executives have a deep knowledge of the core business and its history, which, coupled with the added financial and strategic resources Beach Point can offer, will help the business fully capitalize on the compelling opportunities it sees across the pet treat and food market."

Robert Bergmann, Portfolio Manager at Beach Point, added: "We are thrilled to support Wet Noses' growth during an inflection point in the pet food industry, where consumers, retailers and brand partners are all exhibiting rapidly growing demand for the company's products including human-grade baked pet treats."

Galligan said: "Beach Point has been a terrific partner since its initial investment in 2019 and has been instrumental in implementing a growth strategy that has already expanded our customer relationships and product capabilities and enhanced our overall approach to building our business. I am excited to rejoin the company's leadership team with Beach Point's support as we invest in meeting the growing demand for our products."

About Beach Point Capital Management

Beach Point Capital Management is a multi-strategy investment manager making credit, private equity, real estate and structured product investments. As of December 31, 2022, Beach Point Capital Management manages $14.5 billion in AUM on behalf of institutional investors. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, the firm also has offices in New York, London, and Dublin. Beach Point Private Equity leverages Beach Point Capital Management's industry expertise, network and shared resources to be a value-added partner for its private equity portfolio companies. Beach Point Private Equity seeks investments with capital requirements of $15 - $150 million and currently has 10 portfolio companies.

Press Contact

Beach Point Capital Management

Prosek Partners

Josh Clarkson

212.279.3115 / jclarkson@prosek.com

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SOURCE Beach Point Capital Management

California-based Wholesaler Wine Warehouse to Join Breakthru Beverage Group

Tue Jan 31 2023

Major west coast expansion bolsters Breakthru's footprint

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthru Beverage Group today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire California-based Wine Warehouse, further expanding the company's footprint to the largest U.S. beverage alcohol market. Once the deal is completed, which is expected this spring, Wine Warehouse will join the Breakthru Beverage family and begin to integrate many of the company's resources and capabilities to enhance service to partners and grow the California market.

"We intend to make significant investments and be a competitive force in the market," said Tom Bené, Breakthru Beverage Group President and CEO. "Breakthru has built a consistent and scalable business that makes us a very attractive partner to both suppliers and customers nationwide. We will bring a consumer-led approach as we unite the expertise of the California team with the culture, scale and capabilities that Breakthru can provide to grow the business."

Wine Warehouse is a multi-generational, family-owned and -operated, wholesale distributor of fine wine, beer and spirits for California. The company was established in 1973 by passionate wine collectors Bob and Jim Myerson and successfully expanded to be the third largest wholesaler in California, and a top ten wholesaler in the country. The move is Breakthru's third acquisition in the last year following Major Brands in Missouri and J.J. Taylor in Minnesota. 

"The dynamics of the industry are changing and the momentum we have makes this an ideal time to begin the next chapter with Breakthru. We know they will invest in growing the business, bring innovations to the market and use their strong relationships and expertise to distinguish us among both the suppliers and customers we serve," said James P. Myerson, Wine Warehouse Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

Bené added, "We are committed to maintaining the existing strong leadership team in California and have the utmost confidence that they will continue to deliver as a strong marketplace option on behalf of our supplier and customer partners."

Breakthru will use its expertise and financial strength to make investments that expand and improve the Wine Warehouse customer and consumer-focused strategies. Wine Warehouse has a premium wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic beverage portfolio that aligns well with Breakthru's national supplier partners and has upside growth potential across the market and all channels. The transaction is expected to close this spring and is subject to usual and customary closing conditions.

Breakthru Beverage Group is one of the leading alcohol wholesalers in the United States and the largest broker in Canada representing a full total beverage alcohol portfolio of spirits, wine and beer. Breakthru is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and supports a wide range of notable organizations as well as local charitable initiatives across its North American footprint.  Across all markets, Breakthru aligns a nimble and insightful approach to sales, marketing and operations. Family ownership is active in the business and committed to being stewards of heritage and champions of innovation. For more information, visit www.BreakthruBev.com.

Wine Warehouse was founded in 1973 and is a multi-generational, family-owned and -operated, wholesale distributor of fine wine, beer and spirits for California. When the company began it represented nearly half of all wineries in Napa and was the first statewide distributor. Through acquisition, the company expanded to craft beer and artisanal spirits and today boasts an exceptional portfolio in one of the most sophisticated and demanding markets in the country.

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SOURCE Breakthru Beverage Group

Triad Securities Corp. Advises Sale of Fourth Packaging Company in the Last 21 Months

Wed Feb 08 2023

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Triad Securities Corp., a 45-year-old boutique financial firm, today announced that its investment banking team successfully advised Next Press on its sale to B2B Industrial Packaging.  This follows Triad's recent engagement as the adviser to Springfield Corrugated in its sale to B2B Industrial Packaging. 

Scott Daspin, Director of Investment Banking at Triad Securities Corp said, "Triad was pleased to play a key role in this successful acquisition. The expert, friendly service that Next Press provides will now be complemented by the national-scale packaging solutions, distribution and support that industry leader B2B Industrial Packaging delivers."

Bill Cannon, CEO Next Press said "Scott's personal approach to understanding the desired outcome was incredibly important, he invested the time to understand Next Press business, and was able to introduce us to like-minded companies. Chemistry was very important."

Triad's investment banking group has developed a packaging sector niche, with two deals under engagement and three other deals in last 21 months including:

• Advisor for Springfield Corrugated Box. Inc. on its sale to B2B Industrial Packaging, a GenNx360 company
• Advisor for IC Industries Inc. on its sale to SupplyOne, Inc.
• Advisor for Bell Container Corp. in its sale to SupplyOne, Inc.

Triad Securities Corp.'s investment banking group offers boutique investment banking and advisory services to mid-sized and small companies.  As the packaging industry continues to see consolidation, "We are working with a number of buyers and sellers in the industry and expect to see more activity," said Daspin.

About Triad Securities:

Triad Securities Corp., a member of FINRA and SIPC, is a full-service, agency-only brokerage firm. The firm provides superior and personalized investment banking and prime brokerage services to Private Companies, Hedge Funds, Family Offices and Registered Investment Advisors.

For more information, please contact Scott Daspin at 212-349-1004 or 352844@email4pr.com or visit triadsecurities.com.

About Next Press:

Next Press, founded in 1997, is a logistics company focused on solving clients' packaging-related needs. The company, specializing in corrugated products, has an in-house design team and printing capabilities to create customized innovative and functional packaging. Next Press provides samples of custom packaging and handles small production runs in-house all with the goal of supporting clients' marketing efforts.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/triad-securities-corp-advises-sale-of-fourth-packaging-company-in-the-last-21-months-301734788.html

SOURCE Triad Securities Corp.

CropX Acquires Tule, Further Expands in California with New Solutions for Specialty Crops and Drip Irrigation

Wed Feb 08 2023

NAPA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CropX Technologies, a global leader in digital solutions for agronomic farm management, today announced its acquisition of Tule Technologies, a precision irrigation company based in California. This acquisition brings new data capture technologies to the CropX Agronomic Farm Management System and expands its market in California drip-irrigated specialty crops.

The CropX system offers its users real-time mobile and desktop insights and advice on irrigation, disease control, nutrient management and more, based on above-ground crop sensing data and below-ground soil monitoring. Tule brings a complementary new mode of data collection from above the plant canopy that precisely determines crop water use, which will enhance CropX's artificial intelligence predictions, recommendations, and automations, and add to its solutions for drip-irrigated specialty crops such as tree-nuts and vineyards.

Effective immediately, all Tule employees will join CropX, adding expansive on-farm and client service expertise in the specialty crop and drip irrigation space, as well as technology talent to CropX's growing global team.

"We are excited to welcome Tule to CropX, expanding our offerings to our customers to solve agronomic problems. With Tule's canopy data incorporated into the CropX system, CropX is adding a new and powerful dimension to the world's most complete precision irrigation solution," said Tomer Tzach, CEO of CropX Technologies.

"At Tule, we've admired CropX for their agronomic expertise, engineering excellence, and global ambition," said Dr. Tom Shapland, CEO of Tule Technologies. "We couldn't be more thrilled to join the CropX team."

The acquisition comes at a time of increasing demand for precise watering technologies in agriculture. "The farming industry is at the frontlines of global challenges to balance food security with water and other natural resources," said Dr. John Gates, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Product at CropX. "We are committed to helping our customers manage water confidently and efficiently with technology. Tule's unique tech and vast experience with California vineyards and orchards are a perfect fit."

This is the fourth acquisition CropX has made since 2020 and the second US-based company. CropX acquired Nebraska-based CropMetrics in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020, New Zealand-based Regen in Q4 of 2020, and Netherlands-based Dacom Farm Intelligence in Q3 2021, in each case adding expertise, technologies, customers, data and expanding markets.

About CropX Technologies

CropX Technologies is one of the fastest growing providers of agribusiness farm management solutions in the world, deployed in over 60 countries and across all arable continents. The CropX Agronomic Farm Management System synthesizes data from the earth and sky to offer advanced soil and crop intelligence and a suite of digital decision support and planning tools, all on an easy-to-use app capable of tracking multiple farms and fields. CropX is backed by the world's leading agribusinesses and VCs, who recognize that CropX's precision-ag technologies set new standards for best practices in environmental sustainability and farm productivity. Learn more at www.cropx.com.

About Tule Technologies

Founded in 2014 with backing from Y-Combinator and others, Tule (pronounced "too-lee") combines proprietary technology, agronomic expertise, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence to provide farmers with irrigation decision support solutions. Their unique in-field sensor, developed at the University of California, Davis, is the only commercially available device for measuring Actual Evapotranspiration (i.e., the water use of a farm field). The company's customers include the winemakers who tend to coastal California's most prized vineyards to the agronomists who farm thousands of acres of tree crops in California's inland valleys.

Media Contact:

Hanna Day-Woodruff

Communications Specialist

hanna.dw@cropx.com

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SOURCE CropX

Tinuiti Acquires Ampush, Unlocks New Level of End-to-End Performance Social and Creative for Clients

Wed Feb 01 2023

Tinuiti redefines its social offering with new acquisition, the firm's third since 2021

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tinuiti, the largest independent performance marketing firm across Streaming TV, Google, Meta, and Amazon, today announced its acquisition of Ampush, a leading growth marketing agency with a core focus across social platforms that provides end-to-end performance creative and customer acquisition capabilities. The acquisition expands and complements Tinuiti's already industry award-winning paid social capabilities, in addition to now providing clients access to distinctive end-to-end social, creative and measurement capabilities that leverages data through industry-differentiated technology.

Founded in 2010, Ampush is based in New York City with nearly 90 employees, with an additional presence in San Francisco and remotely. Ampush partners with fast-growing e-commerce and subscription commerce brands including Instacart, Blenders Eyewear, and STARZ. Ampush quickly made a name for itself by catapulting digitally-native brands to new levels of profitable customer growth. The Ampush tech stack and social capabilities has proven the ability to use novel technologies and tactics to connect the right consumers with the right brands.

The acquisition brings Tinuiti clients:

• Performance Creative for Social: Agile creative production including access to graphic designers, videographers, UGC-content production, proprietary content sites, and influencer relationships to optimize messaging for growth.
• Customization throughout the funnel: Rigorous testing and optimization of the connection between "pre-click" ad creative and audiences, with "post-click" curated landing pages, checkout flows and personalized experiences.
• Analytics that unlock strategy: Proprietary tech that integrates across any data source and empowers teams to use client-specific insights and find otherwise invisible strategies to win. Unique and advantageous solutions to build an edge in marketing.

Zach Morrison, CEO at Tinuiti, said: "With Tinuiti's acquisition of Ampush, we're unlocking a new level of social capabilities for clients designed not only for today's landscape, but for long term success - an end-to-end offering with expertise that combines creative with differentiated landing page technology and data. Not only are they the right business fit, they are also the right cultural fit who shares similar values and core philosophies for creating employee happiness and establishing an environment that empowers its employees with a culture of ownership."

This deal was facilitated for Tinuiti by New Mountain Capital, while PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Ampush. This deal marks the third acquisition since 2021 for Tinuiti, following the purchase of The Ortega Group, an Amazon-specialist agency in March 2021, followed by Bliss Point Media in August 2021, formally launching Tinuiti's Streaming+ division. Ampush CEO Jon Oberlander, will lead the Tinuiti Social Division as EVP, Social and report to Tinuiti's Chief Solutions Officer, Obele Brown-West.

Jon Oberlander, EVP, Social at Tinuiti said: "Since our founding in 2010, Ampush has built a reputation as a best-in-class social agency driven by a performance-oriented culture of ownership and innovation. We believe in the effectiveness of our unique approach — leveraging both technology and creativity to solve for the entire customer acquisition journey, impression all the way through conversion, to drive unprecedented growth for our clients. Today, we're incredibly excited to bring this approach to Tinuiti, combining our talented teams and offering our clients even stronger technology-enabled solutions across the full breadth of their portfolios."

In addition to their shared business approach, Tinuiti and Ampush align deeply on company culture. Both firms believe in revolutionizing work by prioritizing a culture of ownership and in nurturing an inclusive environment that is ultimately driven by employee happiness. This shared sentiment and an overarching commitment to retaining and attracting talent is evident in Ampush's impressive roster of industry veterans and exceptional leaders.

In 2022, Tinuiti celebrated a year of healthy growth – from new client wins to first-ever strategic partnerships, to top industry awards. Growth highlights included becoming PacSun's Paid Media Agency of Record and Digital Agency of Record for The Honest Company. Tinuiti clients also saw record-breaking business growth: Poppi took the #1 spot in the soda category on Amazon and e.l.f. Cosmetics was named the #1 makeup brand for Gen Z. Tinuiti also secured two first-ever agency partnerships with Snap Inc. and Reddit, was named Microsoft's Global Agency of the Year and Partner of the Year — a first for any independent agency — and was included in Inc. Magazine's Annual Best Workplaces list for the fifth time.

About Tinuiti

Tinuiti is the largest independent performance marketing firm across Streaming TV, Google, Meta, and Amazon, with more than $3 billion in digital media under management and over 1,200 employees. With industry-leading expertise in search, social, Amazon and marketplaces, addressable TV, mobile apps, Influencer, Lifecycle, and more, Tinuiti understands that success requires both strategy and channel expertise. Each solution is delivered through Tinuiti's performance planning framework, GAMMA, and is enabled by a proprietary suite of marketing intelligence and media activation technology – Mobius. For more information visit http://www.tinuiti.com.

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SOURCE Tinuiti

Dentsu Agrees To Acquire Tag To Grow Creative Production And Customer Transformation & Technology Capabilities

Sat Apr 01 2023

TOKYO, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dentsu Group Inc. [(Tokyo: 4324) (ISIN: JP3551520004); President & CEO: Hiroshi Igarashi; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 74,609.81 million yen] today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Advent International under which dentsu will acquire Tag Worldwide Holdings Ltd, the global omnichannel digital marketing production powerhouse. The acquisition will support dentsu's strategy of offering integrated client solutions at the convergence of marketing, technology and consulting, uniting the group's service offerings like never before. Tag's digital infrastructure and services will provide high quality content at speed and scale for creative, a scaled personalization engine for customer experience management (CXM), as well as add power to media Dynamic Content Optimization (DCO). Upon completion, the acquisition will take dentsu's Customer Transformation and Technology (CT&T) net revenues to 34% from 32% for FY2022. Dentsu has set "Business Transformation and Growth," as one of the four pillars of its medium-term management plan and one of the priorities is to reach 50% of its revenues from CT&T.

Tag works with leading brands to transform their business and marketing capabilities to deliver content at speed and scale across channels, cultures, and regions. With intelligent, sustainable, and technology-driven solutions at the heart of everything it does, Tag enables brands to operate more efficiently and effectively to stand out, grow and waste less. The organization will become dentsu's sixth network brand and will retain the Tag brand for the foreseeable future. 

The acquisition will substantially bolster dentsu's creative digital production capabilities, adding 2,800 colleagues located across 29 countries around the world, with one global production hub and ten specialist hubs. Tag's existing service portfolio is structured around three core disciplines: Creative Production (including Digital Video, high-end CGI, moving image, AR / VR and Post-Production), Technology (focused on UX design, website & platform development, Managed Services and Digital Interact (Di)) and Channel Activation (comprising strategic advisory and omnichannel content delivery). 

Tag utilizes a robust global delivery model to provide clients with scalable solutions and round-the-clock coverage. The model closely mirrors dentsu's own Networked Talent structure through which clients get the best expertise, networked from wherever it is located, delivered consistently and to the highest levels of quality available across dentsu. It is this combination of technology and people that transcends location and optimizes delivery for clients.

Founded in 1972, Tag was acquired by Advent International in 2017 and has grown significantly following more than €100 million of investment and the successful completion of six acquisitions to further enhance the business' capabilities. Tag's distributed hub model allows it to be an always-on, end-to-end production partner of choice for 38 of the world's leading 100 brands, with average client tenure of over seven years. A key foundation of this success is Digital Interact (Di), a unified martech platform which helps marketers better manage campaigns, access, automate and optimize content, and seamlessly tap into Tag's global creative production, sourcing and transcreation networks.

Hiroshi Igarashi, President & CEO, Dentsu Group Inc. said, "Tag will truly enable us to scale our CT&T business for global clients with a technology-driven solution. By applying mass-personalization across the three services lines, we will create a best-in-class, horizontal creativity offering. The values that the Tag leadership team have established and nurtured over the past 50 years very much mirror dentsu's own culture and values, with a shared focus on Social Purpose, DEI and sustainability. We look forward to welcoming Tag to the dentsu family and to our shared success."

David Kassler, Global CEO, Tag, said, "We can't wait to start this next phase of our journey and couldn't be happier to be joining the dentsu family. The market is moving incredibly fast towards integrated services - the combination of Tag's global technology-enabled content production with dentsu's broader marketing, technology and consulting skills will be tremendously additive for both sets of our wonderful clients."

Opportunity For Clients 

A powerful combination of global content delivery and personalization at scale: 

The acquisition of Tag will significantly scale dentsu's content offering so that it can serve global brands across the entire customer journey, in the most efficient way possible. As the web becomes more immersive, and the dawning of Web3 creates an insatiable hunger for richer, more personalized cross screen content, dentsu and Tag together will provide the perfect modern engine for content creation, distribution and personalization.

Company Structure 

Tag will remain a distinct brand within dentsu, will continue to be led by David Kassler, Tag's Global CEO and will remain headquartered in London, UK. 

Summary of Terms of Transaction  

The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is anticipated to close later in 2023 subject to receipt of required antitrust approvals and customary closing conditions. Lazard acted as financial advisor to dentsu in relation to the transaction.  

Dentsu expects the acquisition to provide a number of financial benefits, including the acceleration of organic revenue growth, an increase of the profile of CT&T revenues and accretion to earnings per share. On completion, Tag will represent approximately 3% of dentsu revenues and adds long-term, contracted revenue streams.

About dentsu

Dentsu is the network designed for what's next, helping clients predict and plan for disruptive future opportunities and create new paths to growth in the sustainable economy. Taking a people-centered approach to business transformation, we use insights to connect brand, content, commerce and experience, underpinned by modern creativity. As part of Dentsu Group Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004), we are headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and our 69,000-strong employee-base of dedicated professionals work across four regions (Japan, Americas, EMEA and APAC). Dentsu combines Japanese innovation with a diverse, global perspective to drive client growth and to shape society.

dentsu website：https://www.dentsu.com/ 

Dentsu Group Inc. website：https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/ 

About Tag

Tag works with brands to create and deliver impactful content at speed and scale. From creative production and activation to strategic sourcing and delivery, analytics, and subject matter expertise, we transcend digital and physical touchpoints to allow brand content and concepts to travel globally and connect locally, through flexible, tech-enabled solutions.

https://www.tagww.com/ 

About Advent International

Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in over 400 private equity investments across 41 countries, and as of September 30, 2022, had $89 billion in assets under management. With 14 offices in 12 countries, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 285 private equity investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; health care; industrial; retail, consumer and leisure; and technology.

For more information, please visit www.adventinternational.com.

Disclaimer

Lazard & Co., Limited ("Lazard"), which is authorized and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to dentsu and no one else in connection with the transaction and will not be responsible to anyone other than dentsu for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the transaction or any other matters referred to in this announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

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SOURCE Dentsu Group

PartnerHero acquires SupportOps, a leader in Zendesk implementation and customization

Fri Jan 27 2023

The deal combines PartnerHero's reputation for unparalleled quality with SupportOps' expertise in CRM administration

BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PartnerHero (www.partnerhero.com), a top provider of outsourced customer operations, announced today that it has acquired SupportOps (www.getsupportops.com), a leading provider of CRM implementation and customer support automation services. PartnerHero will immediately begin offering Zendesk implementation and administration services through the SupportOps brand.

Headquartered in the New York Metro area, SupportOps is a leader in the Zendesk services space and has completed custom Zendesk configuration, automation, and theme development for more than 100 businesses.

"I founded SupportOps to help companies better serve their customers," said SupportOps founder Hosam Hassan. "I've had the privilege of helping hundreds of amazing brands build and optimize their customer support operations on Zendesk, and I can't wait to grow that impact even more with PartnerHero's reach and expertise."

Founded in 2014, PartnerHero is a global leader in outsourced CX services, with clients including Miro, Loom, Sweetgreen, Udemy, Lovepop, and Grindr. The company is known for providing high-quality, 24/7, global outsourced CX services and a values-based approach that is helping to remake the BPO industry from one that is extractive and exploitative to one that is generative and uplifting.

"PartnerHero's services are positioned extremely well for early and growth-stage startups," said PartnerHero President and COO, Heather Casey. "One of the most common challenges we see our partners face is how to set up and optimize their helpdesk for sustainable growth. We're extremely excited to bring in Hosam and the SupportOps team to kickstart this new line of business for us and provide more value to our partners."

This acquisition will accelerate PartnerHero's ability to provide end-to-end CX services to its customers. PartnerHero is actively seeking additional M&A opportunities. Interest parties can contact: ryan.berk@partnerhero.com

SupportOps is an Advanced Implementation Partner for Zendesk, with more than 100 customers and a perfect five-star rating in the Zendesk Marketplace.

PartnerHero is a provider of premium customer operations outsourcing, including customer support, trust & safety, content moderation, and quality assurance. The company has offices in the United States, Honduras, Romania, and the Philippines, and remote employees in dozens of additional countries.

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SOURCE PartnerHero

NEXT GEN FOODS, MAKERS OF TiNDLE, ACQUIRES NEW PLANT-BASED DAIRY STARTUP, MWAH!, AND UNVEILS EXPANDED BRAND PORTFOLIO AT EXPO WEST

Fri Mar 24 2023

• The three-year-old food tech company acquires Mwah! – a startup dedicated to creating the most creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired products made from plant-based ingredients
• Following a recent debut into grocery stores across Germany, Next Gen Foods will preview TiNDLE's newest retail products in the U.S. at the Natural Products Expo West 2023 – featuring exclusive recipes combining the popular plant-based chicken with Mwah!'s gelato made from plants
• Next Gen Foods is broadening its portfolio with its first acquisition, allowing for increased efficiencies and growth within the plant-based food category

LONDON and ANAHEIM, Calif., March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Next Gen Foods announces its acquisition of Mwah!, a new food startup producing creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired products from plants, following the recent expansion of TiNDLE. From March 9-11, attendees of the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California will be the first to try TiNDLE's soon-to-be-released retail products, featuring recipes using Mwah!'s new plant-based gelato.

The acquisition of Mwah! is the first for Next Gen Foods who introduced TiNDLE – its 'ridiculously good' chicken made from plants – less than two years ago. The expansion into new categories that now include plant-based dairy and meat allows Next Gen to continue diversifying its product offerings, while meeting rising consumer demand for delicious, sustainable, and unique food experiences.

Next Gen Foods was founded in 2020 by Andre Menezes and Timo Recker, two veterans of the animal agriculture and plant-based food industries. The company believes that saving the planet can be easy and enjoyable – without sacrificing deliciousness. To date, Next Gen Foods has raised $130 million in funding centered on bringing TiNDLE to market and in under two years, TiNDLE's presence has grown from only a handful of restaurants in Singapore to over 1,500 eateries and 6,000 grocery stores worldwide – including Michelin-starred establishments to fast casual chains and coveted independent restaurants. Last month, TiNDLE made its initial debut into grocery stores across Germany, launching with the country's largest retailer, the EDEKA Group.

Innovation for the next generation

The Next Gen Foods platform was constructed to bring like-minded brands that deliver on quality taste and experiences to market, which includes popular categories such as dairy, seafood, and meat. The acquisition of Mwah! follows the company's rapid expansion into the European and U.S. markets last year – allowing for growth in the plant-based market while sharing resources and assets to develop new products that meet consumer preferences worldwide.

Mwah! is a London-based company that is cracking the code on developing the creamiest and most indulgent dairy-inspired products – but without the use of animals. Through a carefully designed process that combines natural flavorings – along with selected plant-based proteins and lipids – the team can recreate the qualities of pure cream, which can then be applied to their complete portfolio of products. This unique process provides the memorable flavor of dairy and will serve as a foundation for all Mwah! products, including its newest plant-based gelato.

"We're thrilled to be joining the Next Gen Foods family. We know they are the right company to help us expand and tap into the rising consumer desire for more innovations in taste and decadence from the dairy category," shares Damian Piedrahita, CEO and Co-Founder at Mwah! "Our plans are to introduce our signature creamy and indulgent products this year – with our unique, best-in-class gelato experience – and looking forward to hearing feedback from dairy lovers everywhere."

Mwah! is led by co-founders Damian Piedrahita, CEO, and Claudia Comini, Director of Operations, who both spent decades pushing boundaries in the hospitality industry. Piedrahita and Comini met as consultants for brands in the food & beverage and hospitality industries, before turning their focus to the plant-based food sector and working together on initial dairy prototypes that mirrored the creamy and luscious experiences – but with plant-derived ingredients. In early 2022, Mwah! closed its seed round, which was led by Next Gen Foods and raised more than $2 million to fund the development of the startup's first plant-based dairy product, its signature gelato. Next Gen's CEO, Andre Menezes, and CMO, Jean Madden, previously served as directors on the board at Mwah!, now introducing Piedrahita and Comini as full-time members of the Next Gen Foods team as part of the acquisition.

"When we started Next Gen three years ago, we knew that making a significant impact on the food system would require continuous development of delicious foods that consumers desired. This meant we needed to invest in R&D that would help us create products that would not only deliver on our promise to eliminate animal agriculture but also outperform on taste and experience," says Andre Menezes, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Gen Foods. "By joining forces with Damian and Claudia at Mwah! and expanding our offerings in plant-based chicken category with TiNDLE, we're committed to making sure that everyone can enjoy all the foods they already love."

Chicken and ice cream: deliciousness on display

TiNDLE will be showcased at the annual Expo West this year, previewing its new range of plant-based chicken products – including Nuggets, Patties, Popcorn, Tenders, and Wings – designed to bring the same elevated restaurant experience into home kitchens. The brand is currently offering an early preview of select TiNDLE retail products in curated meal kits prepared by Chef Chad Rosenthal, available through his Motel Fried Chicken storefront on Goldbelly. Starting this month, residents in New York City and Miami can also find an early taste of TiNDLE's retail line through a curated display at SHOWFIELDS – the popular lifestyle concept store that features mission-driven products, art, and events from coast to coast. Later this year, the brand plans to enter U.S. grocery stores with its full product range.

Mwah!'s first product is their Madagascan Vanilla Gelato, which mirrors the decadent and indulgent experience of classic gelato through plant-based ingredients. It is lactose-free and made with plant-based ingredients that include cashews, coconut oil, vegetable fibers, natural flavors, sugar, salt, and organic Madagascan vanilla. The plant-based gelato will be featured at Expo West alongside TiNDLE – a sweet tribute to the classic chicken and waffle dish, inspired by Chef Andrew Zimmern's TiNDLE Waffles and Ice Cream recipe.

Beginning on March 15, Londoners can exclusively sample Mwah!'s Madagascan Vanilla Gelato for a limited time at Floozie Cookies, the sweets destination in Covent Garden helmed by Pastry Chef Kimberly Lin, and at the popular group of vibrant plant-based cafés, WAVE (We Are Vegan Everything). At Floozie Cookies, the "Cherry and Chocolate Hot Mess" features Mwah's plant-based gelato – topped with a tangy black cherry compote – and flooded with Floozie's signature hot chocolate and chocolate cookie crumbles. The WAVE team has crafted two special breakfast-inspired recipes: Mwah! Raspberry Pancakes (available at the Hackney location) and Mwah! Raspberry Waffles (available at the Stokey location). The fluffy, gluten-free pancakes and sourdough waffles are both topped with raspberries, golden syrup, cinnamon, rose petals and creamy Mwah! vanilla gelato. Mwah! plans to bring its plant-based gelato to additional restaurants later this year, partnering closely with dessert professionals and pastry chefs, before entering grocery stores in the future.

Mwah! will leverage existing distribution through Next Gen Foods to support the introduction of its products to key markets, including the United Kingdom. Those interested in sampling Mwah's products can email ukpartners@eatmwah.com for more information.

To experience TiNDLE and Mwah! at Expo West, conference attendees can visit TiNDLE's Booth #1105 in Hall A from March 9-11, 2023. To learn more, visit tindle.com and eatmwah.com.

About Next Gen Foods

Founded in 2020, Next Gen Foods is a food tech startup developing and commercializing delicious, innovative, and sustainable plant-based food brands – including TiNDLE, chicken made from plants, and Mwah!, creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired products. Next Gen Foods is backed by a team with proven experience in plant-based food technology, global brand development, and distribution scaleup. For more information, visit nextgenfoods.sg.

About TiNDLE

TiNDLE is the leading plant-based chicken – offering the distinct aroma, taste, and texture of chicken and made with non-GMO ingredients. TiNDLE is the first product by Next Gen Foods, a Singapore-founded food tech company that is developing and commercializing innovative and sustainable foods to make saving the planet easy, enjoyable, and delicious. For more information, visit www.tindle.com or follow @tindlefoods on Instagram and @tindle.foods on TikTok.

About Mwah!

Founded in 2020, Mwah! is a food startup that creates creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired experiences, using plant-based ingredients. The London-based startup was founded by Damian Piedrahita and Claudia Comini, who met working in the food and beverage industry in Italy, and were frustrated by the lack of delicious, creamy plant-based options when it came to dairy foods. Mwah! was acquired in 2023 by Singapore-founded food tech company, Next Gen Foods. Mwah!'s first product is a creamy and decadent Madagascan Vanilla Gelato, made from plants, that mirrors the indulgent experience of classic gelato. For more information, visit eatmwah.com or follow on Instagram (@eat.mwah).

Media kit

www.nextgenfoods.sg/media

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SOURCE Next Gen Foods, Inc

KPS CAPITAL PARTNERS TO ACQUIRE CONTROLLING OWNERSHIP OF PRINCESS YACHTS

Mon Mar 06 2023

Investment will Accelerate Company's Growth and Innovation

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KPS Capital Partners, LP ("KPS") announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling equity interest in Princess Yachts (Holdings) Limited, ("Princess Yachts" or the "Company"), a leading global manufacturer of luxury motor yachts.  Existing stockholders will retain ownership in the Company.  Completion of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2023 and is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals. 

Princess Yachts is a leading builder of luxury motor yachts and is recognized for its timeless design, hand-crafted quality and exceptional seakeeping.  Headquartered in Plymouth, England, the Company's unparalleled level of vertical integration – including on-site design, engineering and manufacturing – has helped position Princess Yachts as one of Britain's most iconic luxury brands.  Princess Yachts serves a global customer base through its best-in-class international dealer network.  The Company has approximately 3,200 employees and operates five manufacturing facilities in Plymouth, England.

Ryan Harrison, a Partner of KPS Mid-Cap Investments, said, "We are excited to make this significant investment in Princess Yachts, a leading company in the luxury global yachting industry with an iconic brand grounded in British tradition, a remarkable and growing product range and worldwide reputation for quality and innovation.  KPS' investment will accelerate Princess' growth trajectory and fund numerous investments for its future.  We look forward to working with Princess' existing stockholders, Chief Executive Officer Antony Sheriff, the senior leadership team and the talented employee base at Princess Yachts."   

Antony Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer of Princess Yachts, said, "We are thrilled to partner with KPS for this exciting new chapter for Princess Yachts.  KPS and the Princess Yachts team are deeply committed to investing in the Company's future while continuing to further strengthen our portfolio of best-in-class motor yachts.  With a current order book nearing a record $1 billion and many model lines sold into 2025, we have never been in a stronger commercial position.  Together with KPS' tremendous track record of manufacturing excellence and investing in leading brands, we are now positioned to take Princess Yachts to the next level of industry leadership in quality and innovation.  Under KPS' ownership, we will accelerate a range of growth and operational initiatives to build upon our long and successful history."

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP served as legal counsel to KPS.  Macquarie Capital and Latham & Watkins LLP served as financial advisor and legal counsel, respectively, to Princess Yachts.

About Princess Yachts

Princess Yachts is a leading builder of luxury motor yachts and is recognized for its timeless, understated design, unique craftsmanship and exceptional seakeeping.  Headquartered in Plymouth, England, the Company's unparalleled level of vertical integration – including on-site design, engineering and manufacturing – has helped position Princess Yachts as one of Britain's most iconic luxury brands.  Princess Yachts serves a global customer base through its best-in-class international dealer network.  The Company has approximately 3,200 employees and operates five manufacturing facilities in Plymouth, England.  For additional information, please visit www.princessyachts.com.

About KPS Capital Partners

KPS, through its affiliated management entities, is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of investment funds with over $14.4 billion of assets under management (as of September 30, 2022).  For nearly three decades, the Partners of KPS have worked exclusively to realize significant capital appreciation by making controlling equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries, including basic materials, branded consumer, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and general manufacturing.  KPS creates value for its investors by working constructively with talented management teams to make businesses better and generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness, and profitability of its portfolio companies, rather than primarily relying on financial leverage.  The KPS Funds' portfolio companies have aggregate annual revenues of approximately $22.0 billion, operate 232 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries, and have approximately 53,000 employees, directly and through joint ventures worldwide.  The KPS investment strategy and portfolio companies are described in detail at www.kpsfund.com.

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SOURCE KPS Capital Partners, LP

ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF ENVIROSERVE FROM SAVAGE

Fri Jan 27 2023

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced that one of its affiliates has successfully completed its acquisition of EnviroServe Inc. ("EnviroServe" or the "Company"), a leading national provider of environmental and waste management services, from Savage, a global provider of supply chain infrastructure and services.

EnviroServe provides environmental remediation, waste management and emergency response services from over 35 locations across the U.S. The Company is committed to creating valued partnerships with customers to help them solve their complex, environmentally sensitive issues in a safe and sustainable manner.

"We are pleased to welcome EnviroServe, a business with a longstanding commitment to delivering exceptional results for its customers, to the One Rock portfolio," said Josh Goldman, Partner at One Rock. "Our investment in EnviroServe is a testament to the Company's reputation, its broad operational capabilities and, above all, the hard work and high level of commitment that its more than 550 Team Members bring to work each day."

"EnviroServe has established itself as a reliable partner for its customers as they address a wide range of environmental challenges," said Tony W. Lee, Managing Partner at One Rock. "Our extensive experience in the business and environmental services sectors as well as with corporate carve-outs positions us well to work with EnviroServe to grow and scale the business. We are excited to collaborate with EnviroServe's leadership team and provide the strategic and operational resources necessary to enhance its operational capabilities and expand its geographic footprint."

Nathan Savage, who will be retiring from Savage and leading EnviroServe as Chief Executive Officer, added: "As we enter the next phase in EnviroServe's evolution, I look forward to working with One Rock to create new and exciting opportunities for the business and our Team Members as we position ourselves as a provider of choice in the environmental services and waste solutions industry."   

ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC

One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Hallie Erlich

Prosek Partners

pro-onerock@prosek.com 

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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC

MikeWorldWide Public Relations Acquires Technology Specialist Firm, MRB Public Relations

Wed Feb 08 2023

MRB Founder Michael Becce brings 30+ years of tech media and analyst relations expertise with focus on information technology and cybersecurity

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MikeWorldWide, a leading independent PR agency, today announced that it has acquired MRB Public Relations, Inc., a boutique technology-focused public relations firm that was recognized as one of the world's top channel-focused public relations firms by research and advisory firm Forrester Research, Inc.

MRB founder Michael Becce and senior employee Angela Tuzzo, a 17-year MRB veteran along with support staff, will join MWW's global tech practice led by Maria Brown. The practice grew 174% in 2022, with clients across SaaS, B2B, enterprise, cloud security, fintech, venture-backed startups, media platforms and consumer technology.

"MRB's deep expertise in the tech industry—leveraging analyst relations and media research techniques—will help better communicate our client partners' value proposition in today's changing media landscape," said Michael Kempner, founder and CEO of MikeWorldWide. "Michael's relationships in the tech media community will be invaluable to our clients and team members as our practice continues its rapid growth."

MRB Public Relations was founded in 1992 as a media research firm, helping leading business work with broadcast and technology trade media. With a focus on information technology and cybersecurity, MRB has led its clients to numerous lucrative acquisitions, and over two billion dollars in funding.

"MRB has a great deal of success building its clients into much larger entities and after substantial funding rounds or acquisitions, it's not uncommon for those clients to desire bigger agencies with more capabilities than we offer," said Michael Becce, CEO of MRB. "Now, these clients can continue to leverage our media relations capabilities, but grow into other facets, like digital, search, and influencer marketing and leverage a bevy of innovative AI, reporting and analytics tools that will escalate their campaigns."

"MRB has done a good job of generating coverage for Fortra by making sure we are part of key conversations in cybersecurity," added Michael Devine, chief marketing officer of Fortra, a cybersecurity software and services provider and longtime client of MRB. "This move enables us to leverage MWW's global PR network, yet still retain the excellent small firm service we've come to expect from MRB."

To learn more about MRB Public Relations. Inc., visit https://mrbpr.com/.

About MikeWorldWide

MikeWorldWide is a leading independent, integrated public relations agency serving global clients across the US & Europe. It employs more than 230 communications experts that live at the intersection of consumer brand marketing, technology, and corporate reputation. The award-winning firm applies its expertise and culture of caring through research, strategy, creativity, empathy, and insight for clients to maximize the potential of every marketing channel. It delivers breakthrough communications for the global enterprises, corporate leaders and innovative brands who are driving the creative economy. Open positions at MWW can be found here. To learn more about MikeWorldWide, visit mww.com.

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SOURCE MikeWorldWide

Kadenwood Sets Sights on Plant-Based Category Growth with Acquisition of Global Probiotic and Microbiome Brand Probulin

Fri Jan 27 2023

Plant-Based Wellness Category Leader Establishes Formidable Staying Power with Stronghold of Product Offerings in Performance and Wellness

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kadenwood (the "Company"), a leading category disruptor whose mission is to revolutionize plant-based wellness through transparency and trust, announced today the acquisition of Probulin, a globally renowned probiotic and microbiome health brand. The partnership expands Kadenwood's premium portfolio of plant-based wellness products providing new retail and e-commerce distribution channels to bring high-quality OTC products to global consumers.

Kadenwood's dynamic growth has been prominent due to its proprietary product development, setting the industry standard of quality with its formulas and distribution models. As consumers put a renewed focus on daily health management, expanding into the probiotics space is a natural progression for the company, which has hit several milestones within the wellness category to date, including being the leading supplier of trusted CBD products.

Probulin, a Hempfusion Wellness, Inc subsidiary, prides itself on proprietary IP and "cold and protected" delivery to assure maximum efficacy by delivering live cultures. Probulin has similarly shown tremendous growth, becoming one of the leading probiotic providers since its launch in 2013, and is a top-selling product at Sprouts.

"At Kadenwood, we strive to produce and develop the best products, understanding our consumer's demand for safe and trusted brands that enhance their daily health routines," said Erick Dickens, Co-Founder, and CEO of Kadenwood. "We have made strategic decisions to invest in like-minded, plant-based wellness brands that share our vision as we look to increase our distribution and global scale. The team behind Probulin has developed an exceptional following. We welcome the team's depth of experience as we further Kadenwood's mission to accelerate mainstream adoption of high efficacy, plant-based wellness products, including the quickly expanding microbiome health category."

"The microbiome health category has quickly become one of the fastest growing adoptions by consumers who understand the importance of digestive balance and health," said Kadenwood Executive Vice President Cris Weekes. "Probiotics complement the plant-based wellness strategy Kadenwood has deployed and will provide more opportunities for science-based products for a broad consumer base."

Kadenwood's leadership has cultivated retail partnerships with leading companies such as CVS, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Walgreens, Publix, and more. Kadenwood products are currently available at over 22,000 retail stores. Probulin will remain available globally with key retail partners, including Sprouts and others in the Natural Channel, Drug Channel, and E-commerce market.

To find out more, please visit www.kadenwoodbrands.com.

About Kadenwood

Founded in 2019, Kadenwood, Inc. is a privately held consumer products company relentlessly focused on creating a trusted and safe mainstream plant-based wellness category. To drive this mission, Kadenwood is backed by decades of CPG marketing and category innovation expertise and industry-leading, vertically integrated CBD manufacturing to ensure quality CBD oil from seed to shelf that contains 0.0% THC. In 2019, Kadenwood launched its first branded products under LEVEL SELECT™ in personal care. Kadenwood expanded its global presence in Summer 2021 by acquiring Healist Advanced Naturals, an innovative CBD wellness brand focused on high-quality botanical ingredients, along with Social CBD, a brand committed to delivering calming formulas with the added benefit of CBD. Since then, Kadenwood has become the first plant-based wellness company to have a portfolio of multiple brands across approximately 22,000 retail stores. To learn more about Kadenwood, please visit https://www.kadenwoodbrands.com.

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SOURCE Kadenwood

McKinney acquires August United, a leading influencer marketing agency

Wed Feb 01 2023

The transaction expands McKinney's existing social and performance marketing services

DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative and media agency McKinney announces today that it has acquired August United. August United is a top 10 influencer marketing agency, previously owned by Audacious Studios. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, they provide full-service influencer marketing capabilities from strategy to partnership management to content development and implementation. In addition, McKinney will also acquire the performance media arm of Audacious Studios, called Tailwind, to bolster its integrated offering. The move allows McKinney to continue to deliver a modern ecosystem for clients, with all capabilities under a single management team and P&L.

"The last few years have not only accelerated the use of social media in general, but also the time spent with user-generated content," said Joe Maglio, CEO, McKinney. "Influencers are at the core of that growth, and as a result influencer marketing is becoming a more integral part of our clients' marketing plans. Micro and mid-tier influencers in particular - August United's focus area - have been shown to drive significant engagement and impact purchase decisions, and I'm excited to bring this expertise to our client partners."

Influencer marketing was a $16.4 billion industry in 2022 and with buying power transitioning to Gen Z and Millennials, plus media consumption habits continuing to evolve, it's critical for brands to have a focused influencer strategy - both IRL and ultimately in digital worlds. All of this adds up to significant opportunity for McKinney and August United to come together and help their collective client partners realize their untapped potential.

"We started what is now August United over two decades ago, and we've always been at the forefront of digital marketing," said Margie Traylor, Co-Founder, August United. "When we refocused on influencer marketing in 2015, we knew that it would go from the fringe to the core of a brand's social media strategy. As we scaled our offering, we decided it was time to take a bigger leap forward, and after our first couple meetings with McKinney we knew that their smarts and hearts were the right fit to take our offering to the next level."

Named one of Adweek's fastest growing companies in 2019, August United has specialists across all aspects of influencer marketing. The company works with clients like Microsoft, Samsung, Nestle, Sam's Club, Petsmart and P.F. Chang's.

The acquisition will add 60 employees bringing McKinney's base close to 300 people, and will expand the agency's reach through an office in Phoenix, adding to current office locations in Durham, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York.

About McKinney

McKinney is a creative and media agency headquartered in Durham, NC, with locations in Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York. Part of the Cheil Worldwide network, McKinney's footprint gives us direct access to Main Street America while being steeped in the latest in entertainment, emerging trends, and innovation. We partner with clients — from the top marketers in the world to nonprofits — to help them realize their untapped potential.

We've been recognized by Cannes Lions, Effies, The One Show, D&AD, ANDY, CLIO, LIA, the Shortys, and The Webby Awards, among others. McKinney works with brands, across a broad range of categories, to create and implement a modern communications ecosystem. Some of our current client partners include Blue Diamond Growers, Pampers, Little Caesars, Puma Running, Stop & Shop, ESPN, Samsung, Columbia Sportswear, Sherwin-Williams and Choice Hotels International, as well as pro bono clients Urban Ministries of Durham and the Ad Council. For more information, visit mckinney.com.

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SOURCE McKinney

Netlify Acquires Gatsby Inc. to Accelerate Adoption of Composable Web Architectures

Wed Feb 08 2023

Acquisition of new Valhalla Content Hub platform provides Enterprise developers increased flexibility when building composable web experiences with any modern web framework

Gatsby web framework to remain open source for all developers to use 

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Netlify, the leading platform for modern web development, today announced that it has acquired Gatsby Inc., providers of an advanced cloud platform for web delivery and content orchestration, and creators of the open source framework Gatsby.

The acquisition of Gatsby is Netlify's latest move to support its vision of empowering developers at companies such as Twilio, Mattel and Verizon to build a better web, and comes on the heels of surpassing 3M+ developers on the Netlify platform.

"The future of the web is composable architectures. The acquisition of Gatsby not only accelerates our product roadmap, but more importantly, allows us to provide developers with increased flexibility and choice in building composable web experiences," said Matt Biilmann, CEO, Netlify. "We're excited to integrate Gatsby's cloud innovations into the Netlify platform, and open up Gatsby's content hub and source plugin ecosystem to the diverse world of modern frontend frameworks like Astro, Next, and Remix."

Gatsby first became known for its high-performance, open source, frontend framework that featured a powerful data layer and an ecosystem of high-quality content management system (CMS) plugins. On top of the framework, Gatsby built a cloud platform for building, deploying, and previewing large enterprise content sites, and have since been growing revenue at more than 100% year-over-year.

To keep the power in the hands of developers and honor its deep roots in open source, Netlify is committed to being good stewards of the Gatsby open-source project and the maintainers will join the open source group together with the creators of frameworks like Solid JS and Eleventy.

Gatsby's source plugin ecosystem - originally targeted primarily to content management systems -is also accessible to any data source that exposes an API (such as e-commerce systems like Shopify), enabling teams to easily adopt composable architectures without having to write glue code. The company has been working closely with partners and enterprise customers to deliver the new Valhalla Content Hub, which builds upon their data layer and delivers a hosted, fault-tolerant, edge-first GraphQL API.

"After years of partnering with Netlify, we are thrilled to join forces," said Zack Urlocker, CEO, Gatsby. "We share a belief in the future of composable architecture, and together, we will better be able to bring our cloud solution to enterprise teams and accelerate the adoption of composable."

Additional Resources

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About Netlify

Netlify is the platform your developers love for building highly-performant and dynamic websites, e-commerce stores and web apps. By uniting an extensive ecosystem of technologies, services and APIs into one workflow, Netlify unlocks new levels of team productivity, while saving time and money.

As pioneers of the Jamstack movement, Netlify brings together all modern web frameworks, serverless functions and edge computing into one platform to deliver unmatched user experiences. Millions of developers and businesses build with Netlify, from Fortune 500 companies like Unilever and Verizon to companies changing our digital experiences like Peloton and Twilio. Get started for free at netlify.com.

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SOURCE Netlify

GeBBS Healthcare Solutions Acquires CPa Medical Billing

Wed Mar 08 2023

Acquiring CPa Medical Billing expands GeBBS' end-to-end RCM solution offering to FQHC market.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, Inc.( ChrysCapital portfolio company) a leading provider of technology enabled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) & Risk Adjustment Solutions for Healthcare Providers and Payers, announced today the acquisition of CPa Medical Billing an East Haven, CT based provider of Revenue Cycle services to FQHCs and other multi-specialty physician groups.

The transaction expands the market, services, capabilities, and geographical footprints of both companies, enabling clients to benefit from an integrated RCM solution offering from one partner. This acquisition is part of GeBBS' growth strategy, supported by the company's investors, ChrysCapital. CPa Medical Billing clients will benefit from GeBBS' end-to-end revenue cycle management services, workflow/automation tools and large geographic footprint. Through this acquisition GeBBS Healthcare will expand its US based delivery capabilities and its RCM services portfolio to niche FQHC market.

"We are excited to partner with CPa Medical Billing to help expand our services to FQHC facilities" said Milind Godbole, CEO and Managing Director, GeBBS Healthcare. "This strategic acquisition will also assist GeBBS create major footprint in such niche market. "CPa Medical Billing clients will benefit from GeBBS' deep operating experience, technology, and scale. We welcome the CPa Medical Billing team to the GeBBS family."

GeBBS acquisition of CPa Medical Billing will create a national leader in the fully outsourced end-to-end revenue cycle services and technology market," said Carmen Pascarella, CEO, CPa Medical Billing. "GeBBS' leading edge automation solutions, large geographic footprint and its deep expertise across the entire revenue cycle paired with our FQHC expertise will establish a powerful offering for the community health center market. We are thrilled to be joining the GeBBS family."

About GeBBS

GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, a ChrysCapital portfolio company, is a KLAS rated leading provider of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services and Risk Adjustment solutions. GeBBS' innovative technology, combined with over 14000-strong global workforce, helps clients improve financial performance, adhere to compliance, and enhance the patient experience. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, GeBBS has won numerous accolades for its medical coding outsourcing and medical billing outsourcing, including being ranked in Modern Healthcare's Top 3 Largest RCM Firms, Black Book Market Research's Top 20 RCM Outsourcing Services, and Inc. 5000's fastest growing private companies in the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.gebbs.com

About CPa Medical Billing

CPa Medical Billing (CPaMB), founded in 2003, is a revenue cycle management company providing outsourced medical billing and credentialing services for outpatient medical practices with specialties including primary care, dermatology, orthopedics, optical, dental, and more. Headquartered in East Haven, CT, CPaMB has developed a niche in the FQHC marketplace where it serves as an industry leader in providing end-to-end RCM to facilities, managing the billing and reimbursement complexities involved.

For more information, press only: Contact Tyler Cowart at GeBBS Healthcare Solutions – Phone: 310-953-4444 ext. 214 Emailtyler.cowart@gebbs.com

Media Contact

Tyler Cowart, GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, 1 3109534444, tyler.cowart@gebbs.com

Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook

SOURCE GeBBS Healthcare Solutions

Uptime Acquires CNet Training, LTD part of Academia Group LTD

Wed Feb 08 2023

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominus Capital, L.P. ("Dominus") announced today that its portfolio company Uptime Institute ("Uptime"), the global digital infrastructure authority, has completed its acquisition of Academia Group Limited, and all its global subsidiaries including CNet Training, Ltd. Uptime provides assessment, certification, and consulting services for owners, operators, and users of digital infrastructure, and also provides education, accreditation, and membership network services for data center professionals and organizations.

CNet Training, located in Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk, England is an International award-winning technical education company. CNet Training has been designing and delivering professional network and data center infrastructure training programs since 1996 and has trained over 83,000 data center professionals across 45 countries.

"We are excited to join the accelerating Uptime team. CNet Training was already growing quickly, but now will have many more opportunities through further geographic expansion, and new service offerings, as a part of Uptime. As we look forward to this next phase, I want to personally thank all our clients, staff, and investors who have supported us over these past 26 + years of delivering unique value and in bringing ongoing innovation to the Digital Infrastructure Education market." said Andrew Stevens, CEO of CNet Training.

Bob Haswell, Founding Partner at Dominus Capital, added "This first acquisition for Uptime under Dominus ownership will further establish Uptime Education as the unparalleled leader in Digital Infrastructure Education around the world. Uptime is the undisputed market leader worldwide, with results-oriented solutions for both providers and consumers of services delivered through mission critical data centers, the true digital foundries, and factories of the Internet economy. The ongoing availability, resiliency, sustainability, security, and business value of these key infrastructure building blocks still overwhelmingly depend on the quality and capabilities of the workforces that operate them, and the skills, training, and education of each individual team member."

"The data center industry is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The continued, extraordinary industry expansion requires a growing and diverse workforce, however concerns over the industry's ability to attract, educate, and retain skilled technical staff persist. This acquisition will help our respective customers thrive in a rapidly changing ecosystem, by giving them access to a range of world class corporate learning and development technical education programs and technical training courses that are backed up by practical experience and specialized domain expertise." said Martin V McCarthy, CEO, Uptime.

CNet Training dramatically extends the range and depth of Uptime Education offerings and positions Uptime as the Learning & Development partner of choice around the world. The combined offerings will include solutions valuable for every point in a career for a digital infrastructure professional. This includes entry level staff, even adolescents in apprenticeships, to post graduate degrees in Data Center Leadership for savvy, long serving professionals.

Uptime continues to identify and assess potential add-on acquisitions to broaden its offering and continue to execute on its mission to help datacenter owners, operators, and tenants ensure resilient, available, sustainable, and secure digital infrastructure.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Uptime

With over a quarter century of expertise, Uptime is the world leader in data center design, construction, and operations certification and consulting. It has awarded over 2,500 certifications for datacenters in over 100 countries. Uptime has also trained and accredited over 10,000 data center professionals and operates an elite membership network for data center owners and operators. Uptime is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices in Brazil, KSA, UAE, UK, Singapore and Taiwan, and staff in 27 countries, currently servicing more than 700 active projects worldwide. For more information, please visit www.uptimeinstitute.com.

About CNet Training

CNet Training is the global leader in technical education for the digital infrastructure industry, comprising the data center and network infrastructure sectors and is the only industry dedicated education provider to award both internationally recognized qualifications and professional certifications. A significant part of CNet Training's history is the development of the highly acclaimed Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework, which offers industry professionals an opportunity to plan technical education, qualifications, and certifications to meet on-going individual and business needs.

Since CNet Training's inception in 1996, it has have delivered training across 218 delivery locations in 45 countries and in 19 time zones. Over 83,000 individuals of 153 different nationalities have accessed CNet Training's technical education. For more information, please visit https://www.cnet-training.com

About Dominus Capital, L.P.

Based in New York, Dominus Capital, a 2022 Top 50 PE Firm in the Middle Market, focuses on management-led buyouts and growth capital investments particularly in family and founder owned companies in the business services and light manufacturing sectors of the economy. Drawing on the experience, knowledge and network of its founders and a team of in-house operating executives, Dominus Capital works hand-in-hand with exceptional management teams to unlock the untapped potential of its portfolio companies. The firm takes a long-term approach to investing and has a consistent and highly successful track record of achieving significant growth at its portfolio companies. The Dominus Capital team members have executed more than 90 transactions over the past 20+ years. For more information, please visit www.dominuscap.com.

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SOURCE Dominus Capital, L.P.

thunder::tech Announces the Acquisition of Silent Partners Media Group

Wed Feb 01 2023

The move solidifies t::t as an integrated growth engine for partners in 2023

CLEVELAND, Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- thunder::tech, an integrated marketing agency headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio for over 20 years, has officially acquired Silent Partners Media Group, a New York City-founded digital design, development and production agency. The acquisition was completed in December, with the formal operations combining forces earlier this month.

"The acquisition of Silent Partners enables thunder::tech to accelerate our company's growth goals," said Jason Therrien, CEO and founder. He continued, "it allows us to continue to drive growth in our client roster while also deepening our talent, adding individuals with exceptional creative design, user experience and technical, digital skills to our accomplished team."

Silent Partners' business fits into thunder::tech's overall growth strategy, adding a solid portfolio of middle-market and enterprise clients, such as Scott's Miracle-Gro, to its existing client base. This move further establishes thunder::tech as a standout marketing agency rooted in the Great Lakes region and serving clients globally that want integrated solutions to help them transform for a connected world.

Zack Lieberman, the Founding Partner and Executive Creative Director of Silent Partners built the organization from the ground up as a partnership his clients could trust. Their name is a nod to their style: focused on treating all projects as if they were their own. "We've poured a lot of ourselves into everything we've done and taken pride from that," said Lieberman. "That's why I'm so excited by this partnership: I feel a kindred spirit with the thunder::tech team and leadership because they're as obsessed as we are with doing things "the right way" for our clients. We get to grow, but our ethos can stay sacred. thunder::tech is an excellent group of high-quality, high-character folks who genuinely care about their clients, and the groundwork we've laid will thrive with their partnership."

About thunder::tech

thunder::tech, an integrated marketing agency founded in 1999, delivers advertising, communications, branding and digital expertise to middle-market and enterprise brands worldwide. A recognized leader in the industry, thunder::tech uses a balanced approach to mix the artistry of advertising and branding with the science of data and technology.

Contact: Anne Polkinghorn

Email: 352538@email4pr.com 

Phone: 440-212-2536 

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SOURCE thunder::tech

NATIONAL ENQUIRER, GLOBE, NATIONAL EXAMINER & NATIONAL ENQUIRER UK TO BE ACQUIRED BY VINCO VENTURES AND ICON PUBLISHING JOINT VENTURE VVIP VENTURES

Tue Feb 14 2023

VVIP Ventures and a360 Media also announce exclusive 90-day window for continuing discussions on additional business collaborations

+ The first step in our highly accretive M&A growth strategy and long-term vision to become one of the largest global content publishers in the celebrity arena — Vinco will monetize and modernize these iconic world-renowned legacy brands inside its digital-first content ecosystem.

+ VVIP Ventures will continue to create and publish exclusive celebrity news and content under the banner of these brands with the help of the existing editorial team which will transition over and will leverage Vinco's cross-platform content and advertising partnerships through its existing digital platforms — including Lomotif, AdRizer, Mind Tank, Magnifi U and Honey Badger.

+ Vinco will bring the rich and prestigious 96+ year archive of content from the National Enquirer and these other publications to life across its various digital formats.

+ Vinco's management remains focused on revenues and long-term profitability with a clear objective to self-contain and in-source all revenue synergies inside the content ecosystem.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VVIP Ventures, LLC, a joint venture between Vinco Ventures, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIG) ("Vinco Ventures," "Vinco," or the "Company"), a digital media and content technologies holding company, and ICON Publishing, LLC has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with magazine publisher a360 Media, LLC to acquire in cash the National Enquirer (both U.S. and U.K. editions), the National Examiner and Globe.

The transaction includes the acquisition of all print and digital assets and owned intellectual property of the National Enquirer (both U.S. and U.K. editions), National Examiner and Globe. The editorial teams of a360 Media responsible for these publications will also join the joint venture. The acquisition brings more than 96 years of prized content into the Vinco multimedia ecosystem creating new opportunities for wide-scale exploitation through the company's digital, film, TV, digital and social divisions.

In addition to the acquisition of the National Enquirer, National Examiner and Globe, the Asset Purchase Agreement also gives VVIP Ventures the exclusive right for a 90-day period to discuss additional business collaborations with a360 Media.

The joint venture will also enter into a multi-year service agreement for publishing, financial and distribution services with a360 Media.

The closing of the acquisition is subject to certain consents and customary conditions to closing as described in the Asset Purchase Agreement. The media and entertainment team led by Tom K. Ara at DLA Piper LLP negotiated and advised VVIP Ventures on the acquisition. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP represented the sellers. Jolie Kahn, Esq., of NY, NY represented Vinco Ventures in the transaction.

COMPANY STATEMENTS

"Vinco's digital platforms and capabilities are well positioned to maximize revenues from these iconic and already profitable media brands. Our digital ecosystem will be critical in heightening the reputation and recognizability of the National Enquirer, National Examiner and Globe to a broader audience and the editorial team joining us from these publications will play an important role in these efforts. We look forward to integrating these publications into our business and continuing their legacy of success." Executive Chairman of the Board, Rod Vanderbilt said. 

"The Vinco Ventures ecosystem and digital platforms provide an opportunity for these brands to find further growth and opportunity as we continue to sharpen our focus on a360 Media's women's lifestyle and celebrity and entertainment brands, bolstered by the recent acquisitions of Bauer's US publishing business and Centennial Media. We look forward to our new partnership with Vinco and ICON as we leverage accelerate360's vast operational resources and services to provide publishing and distribution support for the acquired brands." said a360 Media President, Doug Olson.

MONETIZING OPERATIONS

We expect to unlock value in the short, medium and long term for our shareholders through in-sourcing and cost synergies. A key business within the Vinco media ecosystem that will create new monetization opportunities for the news portfolio in many ways is AdRizer, a leading publisher and analytics solution with a focus on revenue attribution, which Vinco acquired in February 2022. Vinco's AdRizer platform already services companies such as Google, Taboola, and Outbrain, and runs both real-time programmatic ad transactions and direct agreements with agencies and advertisers in its own proprietary platform. AdRizer's technology creates a virtual trading platform for publishers and advertisers allowing them to connect and use A.I. to provide the best possible advertising ROI real time. This includes display and video ads across desktops, mobile apps, mobile web, and TV.

Also cross-pollinating with the acquired media portfolio will be Mind Tank – a digital media company that operates a portfolio of different vertical brands connecting premium advertising partners to its audience. Mind Tank creates and distributes easily consumable content through social media and discovery networks across all platforms and leverages its data-driven technology solutions to help grow audiences, monetization and evolve digital ecosystems.

Other platforms in Vinco's content-centric ecosystem include Lomotif, which was recently ranked #3 in begindot.com's best TikTok alternatives (https://www.begindot.com/best-tiktok-alternatives) for sharing short viral videos, and Magnifi U, an immersive, online education platform that helps its audience develop skills, nurture strengths, and live in alignment with their purpose. Both platforms will utilize and create content to be shared on the new platforms as well as across the ecosystem to drive unique user experiences.

TV, FILM & PODCASTS

Bringing high quality content across platforms strengthens Vinco's end-to-end ability to monetize and bring to market its intellectual property in increasingly attractive new formats. Furthermore, a slate of additional brands is under development.

Vinco intends to aggressively pursue TV, film and podcast licensing partnerships, as well as creating new productions, leveraging the National Enquirer's legendary archive, in-depth investigative journalism and breaking news.

While monitoring market trends and adjusting our strategy as necessary to maintain a competitive edge, Vinco remains committed to a financially disciplined approach — executing on high-potential, profitable business acquisitions and expansions through analysis of cash flow and EBIDTA that align with our long-term vision and goals for efficient capital growth.

About ICON Publishing

Through innovation, disruption and content creation, ICON Publishing, LLC, founded by Ted Farnsworth, strives to create and monetize synergies between legacy media brands and digital media brands.

About a360 Media

Accelerate360's media group, a360 Media, includes well-known brands in celebrity/entertainment and women's lifestyle engaging millions of consumers monthly across multichannel platforms including digital, magazine, and social media channels.

About Vinco Ventures

Vinco Ventures, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIG) is focused on the development of digital media and content technologies. For more information visit Investors.vincoventures.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimers

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, Vinco as well as estimates and assumptions made by Vinco's management. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. When used in this press release the words "estimate," "expect," "intend," "believe," "plan," "anticipate," "projected," and other words or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to the applicable company identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of Vinco's management with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors relating to Vinco and its consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities, including Lomotif, AdRizer and Honey Badger, and their respective industries, financial condition, operations and results of operations. Such factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the expected benefits from Vinco's investments in Lomotif, AdRizer and Honey Badger and related growth initiatives including integration of the AdRizer platform with Lomotif and synergies between AdRizer, Lomotif and Honey Badger, and such other risks and uncertainties described more fully in documents filed by Vinco with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors discussed in Vinco's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 filed on April 15, 2022, and Vinco's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter including the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 filed on May 23, 2022, which are available at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Although Vinco believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Vinco cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, Vinco does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

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SOURCE Vinco Ventures

95 Percent Group, a Portfolio Company of Leeds Equity Partners, Acquires Tools 4 Reading

Wed Mar 08 2023

Acquisition adds Science of Reading-aligned professional learning and classroom resources to support 95 Percent Group's mission to unlock the power of literacy for all students

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 95 Percent Group (the "Company") today announced the acquisition of Tools 4 Reading, a company founded nearly 15 years ago by literacy education leader Mary E. Dahlgren, Ed.D., to provide educators with the knowledge, skills and resources to ground literacy instruction in the Science of Reading. The acquisition comes close on the heels of the Company's January acquisition of Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) from Hill Learning Center. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

"The addition of Tools 4 Reading's product suite to the 95 Percent Group phonics ecosystem will significantly grow our Science of Reading-aligned professional learning and classroom resource offerings, expanding our capacity to deliver on our mission to unlock the power of literacy for all students," said Brad Lindaas, CEO. "Schools transitioning to the Science of Reading must equip their educators with the knowledge and practice and the evidence-based tools for implementing a structured literacy program. 95 Percent Group is now the most complete source for literacy success in schools."

Scott VanHoy, Partner of Leeds Equity Partners, said "We are excited about the acquisition of Tools 4 Reading given its track record of increasing student literacy levels. The acquisition furthers the Company's mission to find opportunities to partner with the country's leading literacy education companies like Tools 4 Reading and experts like Mary Dahlgren."

Mastering effective literacy instruction requires robust professional learning. The Reading Teacher's Top 10 Tools will grow 95 Percent Group's offerings to include a comprehensive Science of Reading course designed to help teachers, administrators, and school support staff build a firm foundation in Science of Reading conceptual knowledge, including the fundamentals of phonics-based instruction. Originally developed by literacy expert Deb Glaser, Ed.D., Top 10 Tools includes 10 self-paced easy-to-use tools: knowledge, oral language, phonemes, phonics and spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, writing, read-alouds and collaboration. The course builds upon the Company's existing professional learning services designed for educators deploying its phonics ecosystem of products.

"The acquisition of Tools 4 Reading expands the depth and breadth of 95 Percent Group's content and product suite and uniquely positions the Company to teach students the specific skills they need to successfully read. We look forward to working with Mary and the team and to the continued success of Tools 4 Reading as part of 95 Percent Group," said Eric Geveda, Managing Director at Leeds Equity Partners.

Polsinelli served as legal counsel to Leeds Equity Partners. Hartzog Conger Cason served as legal counsel to Tools 4 Reading. 

About 95 Percent Group

Founded in 2005, 95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to help educators identify and address the needs of all readers. Using an approach that is aligned with structured literacy, the company focuses on providing educators with whole-class and small-group literacy solutions as well as developing foundational knowledge about The Science of Reading to deliver evidence and research-based instructional strategies. The company's professional development, diagnostic assessments, skill continua, and explicit instructional materials strengthen MTSS/RTI frameworks and ensure that students receive targeted intervention instruction to close skill gaps.

For more information, visit https://www.95percentgroup.com/.

About Tools 4 Reading

Since its founding in 2010, Tools 4 Reading has empowered educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to ground literacy instruction in the science of reading. Its resources and professional learning experiences are easy to implement and designed to improve literacy instruction. Tools 4 Reading products and training include Kid Lips, Kid Lips Instructional Guide, Sound Wall Solutions, and Phoneme/Grapheme Cards, and The Reading Teacher's Top 10 Tools.

For more information, visit https://www.tools4reading.com/.

About Leeds Equity Partners

Leeds Equity is a New York-based private equity firm dedicated exclusively to partnering with management teams in the education, training, and information services industries (the "Knowledge Industries"). The firm was founded in 1993 and currently manages over $4 billion of capital across a broad spectrum of companies within the Knowledge Industries. Leeds Equity seeks to leverage its sector-focused expertise and market insights to create long-term value for its partner companies and investors.

For additional information on Leeds Equity Partners, see http://www.leedsequity.com/.

For More Information:

Scott VanHoy

Tel. 212-835-2000

Fax: 212-835-2020

www.leedsequity.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/95-percent-group-a-portfolio-company-of-leeds-equity-partners-acquires-tools-4-reading-301752395.html

SOURCE Leeds Equity Partners, LLC

SIMS METAL ACQUIRES NORTHEAST METAL TRADERS

Sat Apr 01 2023

NEW YORK, March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sims Metal, a global leader in metal recycling, today announced that the company will acquire the commercial and operating assets of Pennsylvania-based Northeast Metal Traders (NEMT). The acquisition is anticipated to close in mid-April 2023.

NEMT, a non-ferrous scrap metal wholesaler and broker, operates a single-scale site in Philadelphia and has extensive supplier and end-consumer relationships that stretch across the eastern United States. NEMT is one of the largest copper recyclers in the U.S. They process and sell approximately 60,000 tons of non-ferrous metal per year.

The transaction consideration implies an EV/EBITDA multiple of 4.8x on a pre-synergies basis (including estimated working capital).

The NEMT acquisition is in line with the company's growth strategy, which includes the expansion of the non-ferrous business in North America (Sims Metal North America), and the allocation of growth capital expenditure toward assets that yield a minimum post-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 15 percent.

Furthermore, it is consistent with Sims Metal's purpose and meets the core strategic elements of the merger and acquisition framework – targeting businesses with operations in large markets, operating best-in-class assets with robust sales channels to an expanding customer base, and producing high-quality differentiated outputs. Disciplined capital allocation remains a focus for the business, and Sims Metal intends to fund this acquisition through recycling surplus and/or underperforming capital.

"We are very excited about this bolt-on acquisition and the opportunities it opens up for the Sims Metal North America business," said Alistair Field, managing director and chief executive officer of Sims Limited. "The Northeast brings commercial and operating synergies, as well as provides us with a significant and complementary footprint in Philadelphia."

This acquisition will substantially increase the copper volumes in the metal business, as the Northeast focuses predominantly on high-quality copper granulation. Furthermore, with the demand for copper scrap growing rapidly, it will strengthen Sims Metal's exposure to the energy transition and decarbonisation.

About Sims Metal

Founded in Sydney, in 1917, Sims Metal, has grown from being an Australian-centric company to one of the most significant metal recycling companies in the world. A division of Sims Limited, Sims Metal has bases of operation in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States where the company buys and processes recyclable ferrous and non-ferrous metal and sells the recycled material to manufacturers in 30 countries. Each year, Sims Metal recycles approximately 10 million tons of metal across its global operations. In line with their shared purpose, create a world without waste to preserve our planet, Sims Metal is preparing for, and adapting to, the significant industrial and environmental changes in society and the industry. Visit www.simsmm.com to learn more. 

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SOURCE Sims Metal

Legal GRC Platform Exterro, a Leeds Equity Portfolio Company, Announces Acquisition Of E-Discovery Provider Zapproved

Fri Jan 27 2023

Combination of Zapproved's Industry-Leading Customer Service and Exterro's Award-Winning Legal GRC Platform Will Enable Organizations to Better Manage the Complex Interconnections of E-discovery, Privacy, Legal Operations, Digital Investigations, Cybersecurity Response, and Information Governance

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exterro, a leading provider of Legal Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) software, has acquired Zapproved, a provider of e-discovery software known for its strong customer outcomes.  This acquisition is the latest step in furthering Exterro's vision to empower customers to proactively and defensibly manage their legal governance, risk and compliance obligations.  It also represents another significant strategic milestone for Exterro in its partnership with Leeds Equity Partners, which originally acquired the business in 2018 and completed a recapitalization in 2022.  Upon closing of the acquisition of Zapproved, Vista Equity Partners ("Vista") will maintain a minority stake in the combined company.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Today, Exterro offers a comprehensive solution on a single unified platform that addresses all phases of the e-discovery and forensic investigative process.  Converging market forces in privacy, digital forensics & incident response, including e-discovery have created a need for a comprehensive and unified solution that can identify, understand and manage data in a contextual manner within a consistent, defensible process that meticulously ensures and maintains data integrity.  Modern enterprises must address critical business challenges within these disciplines as quickly and cost effectively as possible, which is one of the driving forces behind Exterro's acquisition of Zapproved.

"I have known Monica Enand, President & CEO of Zapproved, since the early days of both of our companies' origins in Portland, Oregon.  Since inception, we have shared a common vision for providing market-leading software and support for our clients and partners, and the combination of Exterro and Zapproved will continue that vision by delivering enhanced value to our constituents," said Bobby Balachandran, CEO & President of Exterro.

"Zapproved's mission has always been to make our customers ridiculously successful," said Monica Enand, President & CEO, Zapproved.  "We are confident that combining Exterro's innovation engine with Zapproved's world-class customer experience brings the best of the industry together in one powerful and easy to use solution that comprehensively addresses the critical business challenges facing our customers today."

Exterro empowers legal teams to proactively and defensibly manage their Legal Governance, Risk and Compliance (Legal GRC) requirements.  Our Legal GRC software is the only comprehensive platform that automates the complex interconnections of privacy, legal operations, digital investigations, cybersecurity response, compliance, and information governance.  Thousands of legal teams around the world in corporations, law firms, managed services providers and government and law enforcement agencies trust our integrated Legal GRC platform to manage their risks and drive successful outcomes at a lower cost.

For more information, visit www.exterro.com

Founded in 2008, Zapproved builds easy-to-use e-Discovery software designed to help corporate legal teams save time, lower costs, and defensibly reduce risk.  Backed by ironclad security and unrivaled customer support, Zapproved has an unwavering commitment to keeping our 350+ corporate customers ridiculously successful.

Leeds Equity is a New York-based private equity firm dedicated exclusively to partnering with management teams in the education, training and information services industries (the "Knowledge Industries").  The Firm was founded in 1993 and currently manages over $4 billion of capital across a broad spectrum of companies within the Knowledge Industries.  Leeds Equity seeks to leverage its sector-focused expertise and market insights to create long-term value for its partner companies and investors.

For additional information on Leeds Equity, see www.leedsequity.com

Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $95 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista's investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.

For More Information:

Jacques Galante

Tel. 212-835-2000

Fax: 212-835-2020

www.leedsequity.com

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SOURCE Leeds Equity Partners, LLC