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Portfolio Company News

2024-10-31
Portfolio Company News

Renta acquires Tunnel Support

Renta Group Oy (“Renta Group” or “Renta”) acquires Tunnel Support AS and Tunnel Support Sverige AB (together “Tunnel Support” or “the Company”), from Andersen Mek Verksted AS. Tunnel Support is a rental company offering specialised machinery for tunnelling infrastructure projects across Norway and Sweden. The Company is headquartered in Bergen, Norway.

With the acquisition, Renta significantly strengthens its offering and market position in the tunnelling infrastructure rental segment. Tunnel Support is a growing company with strong profitability and a modern fleet consisting of machines from high-quality OEMs. Renta’s objective, together with the management of Tunnel Support, is to seek further growth in the rental of specialised tunnelling machines, while also capturing cross-selling synergies between the Company and Renta’s general rental operations.

The acquisition was completed on 31 October 2024.

Leif-Martin Drange, Managing Director at Renta Norway, said: “Tunnel Support provides high-quality specialised equipment and has highly skilled employees. I am looking forward to joining forces and combining Tunnel Support’s expertise with Renta’s broad depot network and offering. With the acquisition, we will strengthen our overall market position and be able to provide an even more comprehensive offering to the customers of both companies.”

Kato Stien, CEO of Tunnel Support AS, said: “We are looking forward to becoming part of Renta’s professional organisation. We can utilize our specialised equipment and technical expertise while benefitting from Renta’s broad presence and digital solutions. Together, we will be able to offer a complete solution that will help our customers operate more efficiently and sustainably.”

Enquiries: ir@renta.com

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2024-10-29
Portfolio Company News

Yellow Hive makes significant move into German market with acquisition of FVB

Poortugaal, 29 October 2024 – Yellow Hive, the parent company of You Sure, Felixx® werk & inkomen, Yinco and several other speciality insurance broker brands, takes a significant first step into the German market. The insurance broker and employee benefits advisory organisation announces the acquisition of the German insurance broker FVB, specialised in brokering personal and commercial lines insurances and financial investment products, from HDI Deutschland AG. With the acquisition of FVB, Yellow Hive enters the German market and achieves full national coverage in both Germany and the Netherlands. The structure and management of FVB will largely remain unchanged and its founder, Thomas Schallenberg, will support Yellow Hive Germany as an advisor after closing. Closing is anticipated year-end and subject to German merger clearance. The transaction is intended to boost the growth and further development of Yellow Hive and FVB in Germany, both organically and through further add-on acquisitions.

In April 2024, Yellow Hive refinanced with a significant new commitment from its existing shareholder IK Partners (“IK”) to support the continued growth of the company, not just in specific Dutch regions and niche markets, but also in other European countries such as Germany and Spain. The acquisition of FVB in Germany marks the first major milestone of this growth strategy.  Following IK’s initial investment in 2020 and under the leadership of CEO Ger Knikman, Yellow Hive transformed from a local insurance broker to a national distribution platform and is now entering Germany. Benefiting from scale, the company will make additional investments in innovation and have a stronger ability to negotiate better conditions for its customers.

National coverage with local presence

FVB is a renowned insurance broker with national coverage in Germany. The company strongly believes in the importance of close personal engagement with clients, which allows the affiliated advisors, who are well-acquainted with the regions, to provide the best tailored advice. Yellow Hive sees added value in the extensive product expertise of FVB and the local knowledge of the involved advisors in various regions.

Ger Knikman, CEO and Founder of Yellow Hive, said: “In FVB, we have found a partner that pursues the same objectives in the German market as we do with our own growth targets in the Netherlands. Now that we have shifted our focus to European expansion beyond the Netherlands, FVB fits perfectly within our growth strategy. By partnering with FVB, we will work with true specialists, enabling us to expand Yellow Hive with even more expertise. We can’t wait to start to work together with this experienced team within our organisation.”

Thomas Schallenberg, Founder of FVB and Advisor to Yellow Hive Germany, commented: “Joining forces with Yellow Hive will allow FVB to continue growing as an independent insurance broker. The company has a strong record of building an integrated platform to drive sustained organic and acquisitive growth. We are excited to join forces with the team at Yellow Hive to accelerate growth together and offer a broader spectrum of products and services to our customers.”

Jens Warkentin, CEO of HDI Deutschland AG, added: “We are delighted to have secured a very good new owner for FVB in Yellow Hive. HDI Germany will of course remain present in the broker market and further strengthen exclusive sales partners in future. We have utilised the consolidation efforts in the German market to place FVB in new hands at very good conditions. I would like to thank FVB, especially Thomas Schallenberg and his team, for their commitment to the HDI brand.”  

European expansion

In the upcoming years, Yellow Hive will focus its growth strategy on Germany and Spain. In these countries, Yellow Hive intends to acquire existing service providers, underwriting companies and insurance brokers.

For more information or inquiries regarding this message, please contact:

De Bruijn PR
Marianne de Bruijn
marianne@debruijnpr.nl or 06-14441398

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2024-10-15
Portfolio Company News

Medica Group announces the appointment of new CFO

October 15, 2024 – Hastings, UK – Medica Group, the leading provider of telemedicine services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Hargreaves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Tom will be joining Medica Group in early 2025.

This strategic leadership appointment strengthens Medica’s executive team following its acquisition by IK Partners.

Tom Hargreaves joins Medica with extensive experience in high-growth technology and business services sectors, most recently serving as CFO of Auction Technology Group (ATG). At ATG, he played a pivotal role in scaling the business from $25 million in revenue to its listing on the FTSE250, delivering substantial returns for private equity investors. Prior to ATG, Tom held leadership roles at Vodafone and Yell UK, where he helped drive significant growth.

With a strong foundation in blue-chip finance and a proven track record of success in private equity-backed environments, Tom brings valuable expertise in scaling businesses, enhancing financial performance and delivering shareholder value. His ability to lead and grow companies in dynamic industries aligns with Medica’s ongoing transformation and growth strategy.

Commenting on his appointment, Tom Hargreaves said:
“I am excited to join Medica at this critical juncture in its growth journey. Having spent seven years at ATG, I am ready for a new challenge and see significant growth potential at Medica. The company’s service model, supported by its dedicated teams, has many parallels to my previous experiences, and I am eager to leverage my expertise in a high-growth environment backed by a highly regarded private equity firm like IK Partners.”

Andrew Cannon, CEO at Medica Group, added:
“We are delighted to welcome Tom Hargreaves to Medica’s leadership team. His impressive track record of delivering results in both technology and service-related organisations makes him an ideal fit for Medica as we continue to drive growth and improve lives through excellence in diagnostics and research”

Medica Group continues to play a key role in the healthcare industry by providing innovative teleradiology services to reduce imaging backlogs, improve clinical outcomes and support healthcare professionals across the UK, Ireland, and the US.

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2024-10-10
Portfolio Company News

Advania acquires UK based IT solution specialist CCS Media to further accelerate growth

Advania, a portfolio company of Goldman Sachs Alternatives and one of the largest providers of IT services in Northern Europe, has announced the acquisition of CCS Media, one of the largest independent IT solutions providers in the United Kingdom. This acquisition aligns with Advania’s strategic focus on expanding both its footprint and its capability within the UK market. The combination will enable a highly complementary solutions and services offering, providing top tier depth and breadth of expertise across an end-to-end customer-centric offering commensurate with the group’s overall strategy. It will also offer the UK midmarket a much needed fresh and comprehensive approach to IT services from a scaled provider with access to the full resources of Advania. This transaction represents a key milestone in Advania’s broader goal of becoming the leading IT services provider in Northern Europe and will further accelerate the growth of the group.

Key transaction highlights

  • Advania has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in CCS Media from management and employees. The closing of the transaction is expected during the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.
  • With the acquisition of CCS Media, and the recent acquisition of Servium in the UK, Advania will scale its existing solution operations and strengthen its opportunity to provide a differentiated and comprehensive end-to-end IT services and solutions to customers across the UK, providing a fresh approach for existing and new customer.
  • CCS Media is a fast-growing technology and solution specialist delivering IT products, solutions and services to customers across the UK with revenue of GBP 280m / SEK 3.8bn.
  • Advania is one of the largest independent providers of IT services in Northern Europe, with top tier capabilities across the full range of customer needs. Following the transaction Advania will have a combined revenue of SEK 19bn (GBP 1.4bn) and employ more than 5,000 employees across Northern Europe.
  • In the UK Advania is one of Microsoft’s most certified partners and will be able to offer these market leading capabilities to CCS customers in an integrated way.
  • The acquisition will now see Advania in the UK employing over 1,500 people at more than 20 locations providing its customers with innovative solutions and flexible procurement options, once the preserve of only the largest enterprises.
  • As the tech company with people at heart, Advania will offer even wider opportunities for employees to broaden their career opportunities and thrive in a growth environment.

The acquisition will enable new and existing customers of Advania and CCS Media to access deep and broad expertise within IT-services and to transform core business processes, optimise spend and secure operations through a single service provider. Advania UK’s class leading positioning with Microsoft as a top-tier cloud transformation and AI enablement partner, holding all six cloud solution designations, twelve specialisations and Azure Expert MSP status, combined with CCS Media’s expertise on the provision, supply, implementation and support of the broadest range of technology products offers customers a complete portfolio for digital transformation services backed by comprehensive service experience and extensive industry accreditations. In 2024 alone CCS Media have won awards from world-leading vendors including Dell, HPE, Lenovo and Logitech.

“I’m very excited to have CCS Media join forces with Advania. CCS has a strong and proven track record of growth, customer relationships and delivering cutting-edge IT solutions across the UK market. Together with the Advania UK operation, we are certain that this investment will further accelerate our growth and elevate our position in the UK market” says Hege Støre, Group CEO of Advania.

“The CCS Media Leadership Team is immensely excited to unite forces with Advania and extend an even greater depth of expertise and services to our loyal customers across the UK. CCS Media was on a journey to develop more comprehensive solution offerings for our customers and the transaction will hugely accelerate this trajectory. This acquisition will also benefit our employees, offering wider opportunities for growth and development at such an exciting time in the industry. Like Advania, people are at the heart of our business and our shared culture and customer centricity was a key driver for the deal to progress. The extensive capability of the combined business, and particularly Advania UK’s class leading partnership with Microsoft, will enable us to address a broader range of customer needs from devices & infrastructure, to strategy, cloud transformation, AI, and managed services” says Terry Betts, CEO of CCS Media

“We and our co-investment partners are very pleased to welcome CCS Media into the fast-growing Advania platform and to support the company in further scaling Advania’s operations and offering. The acquisition of CCS Media will create a differentiated and highly compelling end-to-end proposition for the UK market” says Michael Bruun, Global Co-Head of Private Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives.

For more information, please contact: 

Advania AB
Hege Støre, Group CEO
E-mail: hege.store@advania.com 
Phone: +47 901 42 548

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2024-09-2
Portfolio Company News

Renta Acquires Caro Design

Renta Group Oy (“Renta Group” or “Renta”) acquires Caro Design Sp. z o.o. (“Caro Design” or “the Company”). Caro Design is a Polish site modules rental specialist serving construction and industrial customers in the south-eastern part of Poland. On a project basis the Company also does work outside Poland. The Company is headquartered in Brzezówka, has 8 employees across three depots and annual revenues of approximately PLN 12 million.

With the acquisition, Renta adds site modules to its product offering in Poland, which is a strategic step towards building a full-service offering in Poland. Caro Design is a growing company with strong profitability and a modern fleet comprising of c. 2,000 site modules. Renta’s objective, together with the management of Caro Design, is to continue to scale the operations geographically and to capture cross-selling synergies between the Company and Renta.

The acquisition was completed on 31 August 2024.

Kari Aulasmaa, CEO of Renta Group, said: 

“Through the acquisition, Renta takes another step forward in building a full range product offering in Poland. Caro Design is an excellent platform for Renta to launch the site modules operations in Poland given its sizeable and modern fleet and talented team of professionals. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the Caro Design team and look forward to working with them.”

Kazimierz Mikrut, President of the Management Board of Caro Design, said: 

“We are incredibly happy to partner with Renta, a company sharing our ambition for continued development of the business. With the support of Renta, a rental company with a nationwide presence and advanced digital solutions, Caro Design will have good prospects for continued growth and expansion of the business. We look forward to the future collaboration.”

Enquiries: ir@renta.com

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2024-08-28
Portfolio Company News

Christine Ehnström appointed new CEO at Advisense

Kristian Bentzer has decided to leave his role as CEO and Christine Ehnström, Head of Business Area Risk, Compliance and Finance, has been appointed new CEO as of November 1, 2024.

During the past year, Advisense has continued its growth journey towards becoming a leading European Governance, Risk and Compliance firm. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, Advisense has demonstrated remarkable resilience and delivered excellent results.

“We are very pleased to appoint Christine Ehnström as new CEO. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial sector, in leading roles as COO, Head of Legal and interim CEO and with her 6 years at Advisense as Head of Business Area Risk, Compliance and Finance, member of the Group Executive Committee and the group board of directors, she has an in-depth understanding of our business. Through her appointment, we will ensure a smooth transition and continuous focus on achieving Advisense’s goals,” says Bo Magnusson, Chairman of the board.

I am honoured and excited for this opportunity to lead Advisense with its great business and exceptional people. It has been a privilege to work alongside Kristian during the past years. I very much look forward to continuing the successful growth journey Advisense has had under Kristian’s leadership, together with our talented and passionate employees. With the strong position we have as GRC firm, in a market where our expertise will continue to be in high demand, we have great opportunities ahead,” says Christine Ehnström.

Kristian Bentzer joined Advisense in 2011 and has been CEO for eight years. Under his leadership, the company has grown from 80 to 450 employees while maintaining a strong profitability. Advisense is currently operating in 8 countries, and over the past year, the company has continued to grow its revenue significantly faster than the market, maintaining a profitability of around 20%.

We’ve achieved excellent profits over the last twelve months, and our employee satisfaction is high. The company is in a strong position, and we have tremendous opportunities ahead. It has been an incredibly rewarding journey, and now I feel I am ready for a change. I’m very pleased that the board has appointed Christine to take over the role as CEO,” says Kristian Bentzer.

“Kristian has done an outstanding job. We are very pleased with the extraordinary results he has achieved and are now looking forward to continue working with him in his new capacity as a member of Advisense’s board of directors,” says Bo Magnusson.

Christine Ehnström will take over as CEO on November 1, when Kristian Bentzer will take up his new position as board member of Advisense.

For media enquiries and further information, please contact:

Kristian Bentzer, Group CEO
+46 766 35 05 07
kristian.bentzer@advisense.com

Maria Sandström Anderson, Chief Marketing Officer
+46 73 385 06 43
maria.sandstrom@advisense.com

Christine Ehnström, Head of Business Area Risk, Compliance and Finance
+46 70 343 29 61
christine.ehnstrom@advisense.com

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