Uncategorized – Page 6

CAPITON EXITS PREMIUM TEXTILE MANUFACTURER POLI-TAPE GROUP TO BITBURGER HOLDING

POLI-TAPE is a globally leading, innovative manufacturer of premium textile transfer foils and foils for plotting, lamination and digital printing. POLI-TAPE Klebefolien GmbH in Remagen and its subsidiaries in the USA and Italy are part of the POLI-TAPE Group.

The company has enjoyed constant growth over recent years. Following extensive investment, primarily in production, turnover has been increased by more than 50% during capiton’s period of involvement.

capiton acquired a minority interest in the POLI-TAPE Group in March 2011.

With the transaction now been signed, capiton is selling its shareholding in the POLI-TAPE Group to Bitburger Holding. The transaction is still subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities. The parties have also agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction.

INNOVA INVESTS IN POLSKIE EPLATNOSCI

Innova Capital, a leading Central European private equity firm, together with its partner, OPTeam, which is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, has invested in Polskie ePłatności (“PeP”). Thus, PeP will become a platform for the consolidation of the electronic payments sector in Poland. The transaction is another important investment by Innova in new technologies and financial services.

“In our investment strategy, we are consistently increasing our commitment in entities with a distinct technology DNA and a market position that opens the route for expansion and rapid growth. FinTech, a sector which combines financial services with state-of-the-art technologies, is not only a sector with a positive outlook, but also a well-known terrain for us. We have successfully made investments in the electronic payments market in such companies as Polcard (now FirstData), Euronet and Provus. PeP is a company in which we can see similar potential,” says Krzysztof Kulig, Managing Partner, Innova Capital.

“We believe our experience and equity commitment will support PeP’s management board in implementing an ambitious growth strategy. We also want to consolidate further entities into a strong group” says Marcin Drozdowski, Managing Director, Innova Capital.

After the transaction closing and the capital injection into the company, within the framework of their strategic partnership, Innova and OPTeam will actively support the management board of PeP in the consolidation of the electronic payments market, both through further acquisitions and organic growth.

“PeP is one of the pioneers of the electronic payments market. The company was one of the precursors, launching contactless payments in Poland and has a significant share of the market. I believe that, together with Innova Capital, we shall create an entity that will soon become a leading clearing agent and the undisputed leader of e-payments in Poland,” emphasizes Wacław Szary, President of the Management Board of OPTeam S.A.

INNOVA AWARDED AT INVESTMENT FORUM & PRIVATE EQUITY GALA

Another edition of the prestigious “Investment Forum & Private Equity Awards Gala” conference, bringing together the leaders of investment markets, took place on June 6 at the Westin hotel in Warsaw. For the seventh time the leading representatives of the private equity sector discussed the future of the sector and the most important issues for Polish companies and investors. The conference was organized by Executive Club under the patronage of the Polish Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.

The conference gained the status of the most important event on investments and Private Equity in Poland and has been attracting leaders of investment markets, top management of the largest Polish companies, as well as investors and entrepreneurs for years. The invited speakers, most renowned representatives of the industry, debated among others, on the possibilities of acquiring capital for global development and long-range perspectives for the export directions of domestic companies.

The results of the fifth edition of the “Private Equity Diamonds” Competition in 2016 gave Innova Capital two prizes in the following categories:

PE Portfolio Company of 2015– Grupa Wirtualna Polska

Fund of the Year 2015– Innova Capital

INNOVA EXITS BATHROOM MARBLE PRODUCER MARMITE TO CRANEMERE LTD

On 12 May 2016 Innova together with other minority shareholders sold their stakes in Marmite – the leading European cast marble sanitary ware manufacturer – to Cranemere Ltd. in one of the biggest deals in Poland this year.

Innova purchased a controlling stake in gfx_logo Marmite from its founder Roger Johansson, in 2010. Under the leadership of CEO Robert Rutkowski and his team, the Company pursued its strategy of European expansion, product and material innovation and operating improvements, further extending its leadership position on the European market.

Business transformation and founder succession

During its holding period Innova helped steer through the transition from founder to a world-class management team. During 2010-2016 Marmite built a pan-European sales force, improved productivity and capacity in its Poznan production plant, and developed a top-class design capability recognized by the international iF, Red Dot and AꞋDesign Awards.

With ca. EUR 50m of annual sales and the majority of its products sold for export, Marmite is the leading European producer of cast marble sanitary ware and the only supplier capable of meeting the highest standards of the largest and most demanding European customers in terms of volume, quality and just-in-time delivery. “Marmite is a truly world class company, headquartered here in Poland. We are delighted.” said Olivier Weddrien – Head of Cranemere’s European activities. “Innova seeks high-value-added manufacturing businesses that can establish leadership not just in Poland, but across Europe. We are therefore very proud of what has been achieved by Marmite” responds Rob Conn, Innova’s Founding Partner.

This is the 9th Founder Succession deal in which Innova takes a majority stake and partners with business founders to build their company “to the next level”. “Innova was my partner of choice, and I am very happy with our partnership and what has been achieved over the last five years”, said Roger Johansson, Marmite’s founder.

Exit

Cranemere Ltd. purchased a 100% stake in the Company.

About Marmite

Marmite is the leading European manufacturer of washbasins, shower trays and bathtubs made of cast marble. The company brings together natural mineral materials, sophisticated technology and develops efficient cast marble innovations. Marmite has 40 years of industry experience, hires over 550 employees and uses its 7 fully organized production lines with a total capacity of 1.4m units/year to manufacture products for more than 200 clients from nearly 40 different countries.

LIVINGBRIDGE INVESTS IN TELECOMS SPECIALIST SOUTHERN COMMUNICATIONS

Livingbridge dials up investment in telecoms specialist

Livingbridge has invested in Southern Communications, one of the UK’s oldest telecoms firms which can trace its roots back to 1965.

Today, Southern Communications provides
SME businesses across the UK with a range of services including fixed-line, data, mobile and cloud based services alongside sale, installation and maintenance of telephone systems.

Over the past three years, Southern Communications has completed the acquisition of eight businesses, transforming itself into one of the UK’s largest providers of business-to-business telecoms services in the UK with turnover of over £30 million, over 6,600 business customers and a workforce of over 160 employees operating from four locations in the UK.

Livingbridge have taken a minority stake in the business and, following the investment, will work with the management team to help grow the customer base, introduce new product lines and services and execute strategic acquisitions to augment the firm’s organic growth plans.

As part of the transaction, the business has also secured a new, £36 million loan facility from Santander and HSBC. In addition, David Goldie, former CEO of TalkTalk, will join the business as Chairman and work alongside Paul Bradford, CEO, who originally joined the Group in 1995 and led a management buyout of the firm in 2002.

Livingbridge is an experienced TMT investor and Southern Communications will join a portfolio which includes IT and managed services provider CableCom, internet services provider Metronet and call recording software business Redbox Recorders..

Paul Bradford, CEO, Southern Communications, said: “I am really excited about working with both Livingbridge and David Goldie to continue the Southern Communications journey. David brings with him significant experience having acquired over 40 businesses during his time at TalkTalk and, alongside the investment from Livingbridge, I feel like we have secured the perfect team to drive our ongoing development. This investment will provide us with significant firepower to acquire complimentary businesses as we seek to build on the strong momentum we have generated and move towards our stated aim of doubling in size over the next three to five years.”

Matthew Caffrey at Livingbridge said: “Southern Communications has a strong and consistent track record of both organic and acquisitive growth and has a fantastically well positioned product portfolio to service SMEs IT service and telecommunications needs. They are a real market leader in their field with recurring revenues of more than 90% and an industry leading customer retention rate. We’re looking forward to working with Paul and the team and helping them build on the strong progress the business has made to date.”