Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is to acquire Ellie Mae, a cloud-based platform provider for the mortgage finance industry from private equity firm Thoma Bravo in a deal valued at approximately USD11 billion. The deal, following ICE’s acquisition of a majority stake in MERS in 2016, and the remainder in 2018, and the acquisition of Simplifile in 2019, establishes ICE, through its growing ICE Mortgage Services network, as a leading provider of end-to-end electronic workflow solutions serving the evolving US residential mortgage industry. Ellie Mae, based in Pleasanton, California with approximately 1,700 employees, was founded in 1997 with a mission to automate and

MiddleGround Capital has acquired majority ownership of Dura Automotive Systems from Bardin Hill Investment Partners. This is MiddleGround’s sixth platform acquisition made from its first fund, which closed in August 2019.Dura is a global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered automotive systems. It operates through its mechatronics, lightweight structures and exterior trim segments, making products such as shift-by-wire actuators, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicle (BEV) battery trays, mechatronic control systems and aluminium roof rails. Dura supplies leading automotive OEMs and Tier one partners worldwide, with a presence on more than 300 platforms across all light vehicle and powertrain types.

Private equity funds managed by Blackstone are to acquire Ancestry from Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira, and other equity holders for a total enterprise value of USD4.7 billion. Current Ancestry investor GIC will continue to retain a significant minority stake in the company. This transaction represents the first control acquisition for Blackstone’s eighth vintage of its flagship private equity vehicle. Ancestry is specialist in digital family history services, operating in more than 30 countries with more than three million paying subscribers across its Ancestry online properties and more than USD1 billion in annual revenue. The company harnesses the information found

Private equity-backed property, site and people protection specialist Orbis Protect has made its first acquisition following a strong period of growth despite the UK-wide lockdown.The business employs more than 400 staff across 19 UK depots, working with clients across the private and public sectors. Its services include vacant property management – deep-cleaning, repairing and securing vacant properties ready for re-occupation, as well as site security for commercial offices, construction and other vulnerable sites through its monitoring services. It also offers a lone worker monitoring solution, supporting 35,000 workers annually with personalised alarm services.   The deal will see Orbis Protect

Arkessa, an IoT connectivity provider backed by mid-market private equity firm ECI Partners since 2018, has continued its global expansion with the acquisition of Sim Services, a Netherlands-based connectivity services provider. The acquisition will allow Arkessa to strengthen its presence in the Netherlands and will help it reach its goal to ‘future proof’ customers’ connections to the Internet of Things.    Arkessa offers world-wide, world-class cellular connectivity services that make it easy to design, deploy and manage IoT devices securely, efficiently, and at scale, regardless of application or business model. Arkessa provides global coverage, competitive rates, and world-leading technical support, providing