19 April 2018
The investment will accelerate growth and international expansion
London and Helsinki, April 19, 2018: The Apax Digital Fund, a growth equity fund advised by global private equity advisory firm Apax Partners, today announces the acquisition of a majority stake in leading Finnish digital transformation company Solita from Vaaka Partners. Solita management will acquire a minority stake in the business, alongside the Apax Digital Fund. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.
Solita is a digital transformation company driven by data and human insight. The company provides a range of services, including strategic consulting, service design, artificial intelligence, analytics, and managed cloud services, to its fast-growing international client roster. The company was founded in 1996 and employs more than 650 digital specialists across Finland, Sweden, Singapore, and Estonia.
The investment from the Apax Digital Fund will enable Solita to boost growth in its native Finland and accelerate its international expansion, both organically and through potential acquisitions.
Jari Niska, President and CEO of Solita, commented: “We are highly committed to be our customers’ trusted advisor on their transformation journey towards a better future, and are proud of our company’s accomplishments to date, which include a near tripling of our team and revenue over the last five years. We are especially happy to have achieved this while nurturing a unique and inspiring culture. We are now delighted to partner with the Apax Digital Fund as we embark on the next stage of Solita’s growth and believe their team’s insight and experience with other leading digital transformation companies will be invaluable as we continue to expand our business.”
“We are hugely excited to partner with Solita, the leader in digital transformation in Finland, and support Jari and his talented team in developing a pan-Nordic champion,” said Mark Beith, Managing Director of Apax Digital. “Solita has an outstanding end-to-end offering, with worldclass, cross-functional teams helping customers all the way – from crafting their strategy and designing their architecture to developing cutting-edge software and integrating best-in-class data and analytics.”
Marcelo Gigliani, Managing Partner of Apax Digital, said, “The world’s most successful companies are increasingly embracing agile technology solutions to address their digital transformations and enhance their competitive advantages. Solita has a long and proven track record in supporting its clients’ digital efforts, through its unwavering focus on innovation, excellence, and people. We aim to leverage Apax’s deep experience investing in leading global digital services companies to accelerate Solita’s growth plans.”
The investment in Solita is the Apax Funds’ tenth IT services investment. Previous notable investments in the sector include Wizeline (an Apax Digital Fund investment), GlobalLogic, ThoughtWorks, EVRY, Engineering, and Zensar.
About Solita
Solita is a digital transformation company driven by data and human insight. We create culture, services and tech solutions that help us reinvent businesses and society for the better. Our services range from strategic consulting to service design, digital development, data, AI & analytics and managed cloud services. Established in 1996, Solita employs 650 digital business specialists in Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, Singapore, Stockholm and Tallinn. For further information, please visit https://www.solita.fi.
About Apax Digital
Apax Digital advises the Apax Digital Fund, which specializes in growth equity and buyout investments in high-growth enterprise software, internet, and technology-enabled services companies worldwide. Apax Digital leverages Apax Partners’ deep tech investing expertise, global platform, and specialized operating experts, to enable technology companies and their management teams to accelerate the achievement of their full potential. For further information, please visit http://digital.apax.com.
Over its more than 35-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of over $50 billion. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For further information about Apax Partners, please visit http://apax.com.
Press contacts:
Solita
Jari Niska, CEO, Solita | +358 40 524 6400 | jari.niska@solita.fi
Media: Minna Pinola | +358 40 5166 024 | minna.pinola@solita.fi
Apax Partners
Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | andrew.kenny@apax.com
UK Media: Matthew Goodman / James Madsen, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | apax@greenbrookpr.com
USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst | +1 212-521 4854 | todd.fogarty@kekst.com
