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Keystone Capital’s portfolio company, MERGE, has completed the acquisition of the Sandbox Group (Sandbox), an independent, full-service, strategic and digital agency based in Chicago. The combination forms one of the largest independent agencies in North America with more than 600 employees in seven locations across the United States and Canada.
Keystone initially acquired MERGE, a premium creative technology agency, in December 2018. The Company’s capabilities include business & digital strategy, marketing execution, analytics, experience design, technology development, and media services. MERGE delivers customer engagement solutions across market sectors with specific expertise in healthcare and financial services. MERGE is headquartered in Chicago
C5 Capital, a specialist investment firm that exclusively invests in the secure data ecosystem, including cybersecurity, AI, cloud and space has appointed James Coats as its Director of Fund Operations globally.He has more than 20 years’ experience in operational roles at private equity and hedge funds across Europe and will be focused on leading the administration of C5 funds and GP board management.
Among the firms he has worked for in a distinguished career are Bank of New York, Artemis Fund Managers, Thames River & Nevsky Capital and MSK Capital Partners.
Coats, whose most recent position was Head of Investment
Stone-Goff Partners has sold NAS Recruitment Innovation (NAS) to M3 USA, a leader in healthcare digital solutions for hospitals, health systems, and physicians.NAS is a leader in recruitment advertising, marketing, and digital services, offering a proprietary technology platform, ACTIVATE, which enhances candidate engagement, maximises SEO, and offers robust analytics for clients. In 2019, the ACTIVATE platform provided a superior experience to more than 25 million candidates in their job searches. NAS also provides Media Services including employment branding, programmatic buying, social outreach, and digital marketing. The Company is based in Cleveland, Ohio and serves hundreds of clients throughout the US
Graycliff Partners has sold NAL Group, a provider of last mile logistics and on-premise installation services, to CRST International, Inc. NAL Group primarily serves large ecommerce and omnichannel retailers, providing a full suite of final mile delivery, installation and assembly, and complementary support services across North America.
Graycliff first invested in NAL Group in October 2016. Graycliff teamed with management to identify and execute growth initiatives and in 2018 led the company through a transformative acquisition. Graycliff worked with the team to successfully integrate the businesses and drive customer, service offering and geographic expansion. The merger created a combined company capable
Actis, an investor of private capital into global emerging markets, is establishing a USD250 million pan-African data centre platform.The buy and build platform will comprise of independently owned, carrier neutral, data centres across key African markets. The first of these investments has now completed, with Actis taking a controlling stake in Nigeria’s leading, independent, co-location business, Rack Centre.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest data centre market outside South Africa and provides a launchpad for the platform’s further expansion.
Rack Centre owns and operates a certified Tier III data centre in Lagos. It has the largest installed capacity in West
ESO has provided a EUR20.0 million Senior Secured Loan to WERU Group, a portfolio company of funds advised by HIG Capital. The loan proceeds will be used to refinance existing facilities as well as support WERU Group’s further growth plans.
“We are very happy in supporting a true German market leader backed by a high-quality sponsor. We are also very pleased in leveraging our capabilities in completing the first transaction out of our European Lending Fund I providing SMEs with Senior Secured Capital Solutions,” says Christian Fritsch, Partner at ESO.
Klaas Reineke, Managing Director at HIG Capital, says: “The
Fourshore Partners (Fourshore) has acquired North State Acceptance (NSA), a specialty finance company that purchases and services retail instalment sales contracts from automobile dealerships.NSA is a leading provider of indirect subprime auto financing and direct consumer loans, enabling emerging credit consumers in Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to purchase automobiles or obtain financing through a network of dedicated independent auto dealers and 12 branch locations. Led by long-term industry veterans, North State utilises an effective business model leveraging branch locations to ensure rigorous underwriting, efficient servicing and collections, and attractive asset and financial performance through multiple economic cycles.
“We are excited
HIG Growth Partners (HIG), the dedicated growth capital investment affiliate of HIG Capital, has completed the sale of its portfolio company, Scuf Gaming (SCUF) to Corsair Components, Inc. SCUF is a designer, manufacturer, and e-commerce platform for sales of advanced feature, customised gaming controllers and accessories for use on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Headquartered outside Atlanta, Georgia, SCUF created the high-performance, customized console controller category by challenging and redefining the way gamers use their hands. Inventing many features to increase hand-use, improve controller ergonomics and enhance performance, SCUF is about improving the user experience. Since its founding in 2011, SCUF has
Prospect Hill Growth Partners, a private equity firm focused on operational value creation in middle-market growth companies, has acquired a majority interest in Fitness Ventures. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Fitness Ventures is one of the fastest growing franchisees in the Crunch Fitness system. Founded in 2016, the Company currently owns and operates Crunch Fitness locations throughout eight states in the US with several more in development. Founder Brian Hibbard will retain a substantial investment in the business and continue to lead the company as its Chief Executive Officer. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.
“The team from Prospect Hill
Argand Partners, a New York- and San Francisco-based private equity firm, has agreed to acquire Midwest Can Company and Container Specialties.
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