LONDON – April 29, 2019 – H.I.G. WhiteHorse, a credit affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over €26 billion of equity capital under management announced today that it has provided a growth capital solution to Risparmio Casa, a leading Italian drugstore chain based in Pomezia, Italy.

Established over 30 years ago by the Battistelli family, the company has exhibited strong growth and industry-leading performance with 2018 revenues in excess of 350 million Euros. Risparmio Casa operates over 100 locations with an average area of more than 2,500 sqm, resulting in a dominant presence in Northern and Central Italy and Sardinia. Its leadership is grounded on a commercial strategy of every-day affordable prices and a unique and broad product assortment, offering its customer base a wide range of personal care, household and non-food products.

With this transaction, H.I.G. will support the Battistelli family in continuing to strengthen the company’s leading position in the Italian drugstore industry and achieve its growth plans.

Guido Lorenzi, Principal at H.I.G. WhiteHorse, commented: “This transaction demonstrates H.I.G. WhiteHorse’s willingness to invest in and support leading Italian companies in cooperation with entrepreneurial families. H.I.G. is delighted to partner with Risparmio Casa and the Battistelli family, committing its resources, experience and network to support the next stage of growth of the company”.

Fabio Battistelli, co-founder of Risparmio Casa, commented: “We have built Risparmio Casa into one of the most established players in the Italian retail drugstore market and are looking forward to further consolidating our leadership position and strengthening our company”.

Stefano Battistelli, co-founder of Risparmio Casa, commented: “We welcome H.I.G. WhiteHorse into Risparmio Casa, which will be instrumental in supporting the next phase of our growth, building upon our existing strengths and value proposition”.

About H.I.G. WhiteHorse
H.I.G. WhiteHorse is the credit affiliate of H.I.G. Capital focused on providing flexible debt financing solutions to middle market companies in Europe and the United States. Operating a broad investment mandate, H.I.G. WhiteHorse provides unitranche, senior and subordinated debt capital for refinancings, growth capital, acquisitions, buyouts, and balance sheet recapitalizations. Credit facilities typically range from €10 million to €75 million for companies with revenues of €40 million or more. For more information, please refer to the WhiteHorse website at: www.higeurope.com/whitehorse.

About H.I.G. Capital
H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over €26 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with European offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and U.S and Latin American offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Stamford, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach:

1. H.I.G.’s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses.
2. H.I.G.’s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance.
3. H.I.G.’s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices.

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of €30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

* Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.

Contact:

Guido Lorenzi
Principal
glorenzi@higcapital.com

H.I.G. WhiteHorse
10 Grosvenor Street
London W1K 4QB
United Kingdom
P. +44 (0) 20 7318 5700
F. +44 (0) 20 7318 5749
www.higeurope.com/whitehorse

([Hong Kong, 29 April 2019) Private equity arm of CITIC Capital Holdings Limited (“CITIC Capital”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Hangzhou UCO Cosmetics, Ltd., ( “UCO” or “the Company”) from Qingdao KingKing Applied Chemistry Co., Ltd (SZ:002094). This carve-out was completed in partnership with the existing UCO management team, who will continue to lead the Company in its next phase of growth. This is the seventh carve-out deals CITIC Capital has completed within two years (Note 1).
Established in 2010, UCO is a leading digital marketing and e-commerce service provider focusing on the beauty and personal care sector in China. Over the years, UCO has become an indispensable business partner for global and local brands, providing innovative, end-to-end digital solutions and best-in-class e-commerce services that enable the brands to build and grow their business online.

Hanxi ZHAO, Senior Managing Director of CITIC Capital, says: “The beauty sector is one of the fastest growing consumer sectors with e-commerce being the growth engine for many of the global and local beauty brands in the China market. UCO is known for its deep understanding of digital and e-commerce, innovative and technology-enabled solutions, and dedication in quality service. We are very excited to become the partner of Arthur and his talented and passionate management team to continue to build UCO as an instrumental player in the beauty eco-system.”

Arthur CHANG, founder and CEO of UCO, says: “UCO has always strived to be the ultimate, long-term business partner for global beauty brands in China. The management team is committed to continuing to innovate, provide best-in-class services and solutions for our customers, and create pleasant shopping experience for our consumers. With the support from CITIC Capital, we are confident that we will take UCO to the next level together.”

Haiwen & Partners served as legal counsel to CITIC Capital. Bank of China, acting as Mandated Lead Arranger, and China Merchants Bank as Joint Lead Arranger, provided acquisition financing to CITIC Capital and UCO.
Note 1: Recently completed carve-out deals include sauce maker Amoy Food, McDonald’s
business in Mainland China and Hong Kong, sexual wellness company LifeStyles, Wall Street
English, financial information database operator Global Marketing Intelligence Division,
leading supply chain pooling solution provider China Merchants Loscam.

About CITIC Capital Holdings Limited
Founded in 2002, CITIC Capital is an alternative investment management and advisory
company. The firm manages over USD25 billion of capital across 100 funds and investment
products through its multi-asset class platform covering private equity, real estate, structured
investment & finance, and asset management. CITIC Capital has over 160 portfolio companies
that span 11 sectors and employ over 850,000 people around the world.
CITIC Capital’s private equity arm, CITIC Capital Partners, focused on control buyout
opportunities globally, has completed over 60 investments in the past years in China, Japan,
U.S. and Europe. The private equity arm currently manages USD7.3 billion of committed
capital.

For more information, please visit www.citiccapital.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Cindy TAM
Director, Corporate Relations
CITIC Capital Holdings Limited
Tel: +852 3710 6813
cindytam@citiccapital.com

Shanghai, China – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has acquired a 10% stake in Luolai Lifestyle Technology Co., Ltd., a home textile company in China. Equity for the investment came from Carlyle Asia Partners V, Carlyle’s flagship $6.55 billion Asia fund focused on buyout and strategic investments across a range of sectors in Asia Pacific.

Founded in 1992, Luolai is a top player in China’s home textile industry. The company engages in the research and development, design, manufacture and sale of home textile products. Over the past 20 years, Luolai has established a retail network with almost 3,000 stores across 31 provinces and cities in China. It operates under its own brands, such as LUOLAI and LOVO, and has acquired and served as an agent for approximately 20 brands. Luolai was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in September 2009 (SZSE stock code: 002293).

Jason Xue, President of Luolai, said, “We are delighted to partner with Carlyle and look forward to leveraging the advantages of its global network and deep industry experience. We will work closely with Carlyle to execute new business strategies, further expand and grow our online and offline businesses, and capture future growth opportunities in China’s home textile industry.”

Nina Gong, Managing Director of Carlyle’s Asia Buyout advisory team, said, “Luolai is China’s top home textile provider with a strong and complimentary brand portfolio with high-quality products and an extensive store network. We believe that rising disposable income in China and the ‘consumption upgrade’ process will continue to deliver healthy growth in the home textile industry and for Luolai. We will leverage our expertise and portfolio in the consumer and industrial sectors to help the company expand its store network, enhance supply chain efficiency and brand equity.”

As one of the first and most active international private equity investors in China, Carlyle has invested more than US$9 billion of equity in over 100 transactions in China as of December 31, 2018.

* * * * *

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $216 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2018, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,650 people in 31 offices across six continents.

Press Contact:

The Carlyle Group

Tammy Li
Phone: +852 2878 5236
Email: tammy.li@carlyle.com

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Linda Pui
Phone: +852 3103 0118/ +852 9700 0178
Email: linda.pui@citigatedewerogerson.com

HONG  KONG and BEIJING—17 April 2019 — TPG, a leading global alternative asset firm,  today announced that it has led a consortium of investors and reached a  definitive agreement to invest in APM Monaco (“APM” or “The Company”), a  leading contemporary jewellery brand, synonymous with the  chic of Monaco and South of France lifestyle. The brand originated in Monaco  and successfully grew a global footprint with a significant presence in Asia.  TPG and its partners will together acquire 30% of the company from its existing  shareholders. TPG is investing in APM through TPG Capital Asia, the firm’s  Asia-focused private equity platform. China Synergy is an investment platform  jointly set-up by TPG and CICC Capital, and Trail is a Paris-based European  private equity investment firm. The transaction is expected to close in a few  months. Additional terms were not disclosed.

“APM  Monaco’s team is proud and look forward to writing a new chapter of our brand  history. TPG Consortium is the ideal leading global partner to continue to  develop our contemporary luxury vision,” said Philippe Prette, founder and CEO  of APM. “TPG’s unique expertise in growing iconic brands and their belief in  our innovative products and business model makes them an excellent partner to  work with, and at the same time, China Synergy and Trail bring their respective  strengths in China and Europe. We look forward to the opportunities that lie  ahead of us as we expand domestically and globally optimizing our strengths  with their expertise while keeping the strong identity and values of the brand”.

APM started  as an original design manufacturer (ODM) for leading European distributors 37 years  ago. The Company relocated productions to China in 1992 and launched its own  jewelry brand APM Monaco 20 years later. Headquartered in Hong Kong, APM  combines contemporary luxury with fast retailing, two best-performing  categories, capitalizing on strong demand from an upcoming generation and  increasing lifestyle spending in China. With its in-house design experts, APM  is a pioneer in the fashion jewelry space with strong product innovation. By  the end of 2018, APM had approximately 200 stores in 26 countries.

“The  founders and management team of APM have successfully built a fashionable brand  that resonates well with consumers and has a loyal following. We are impressed  by the Company’s creativity, vision for the luxury industry, and values,” said  Chang Sun, Managing Partner, TPG China. “As investors, we are excited by the  opportunity to partner with dynamic entrepreneurs like Philippe to bring their  vision to the next level and look forward to working with the Company’s  management team to accelerate growth by leveraging our global resources. We are  also very happy to partner with China Synergy and Trail to accomplish this  deal.”

“This  is a perfect demonstration of the power of partnership,” said Ding Wei, CEO of  CICC Capital, “TPG, China Synergy, and Trail each contributes distinctive  competitive advantages and collectively bring irreplaceable value to the Company.”

“APM  Monaco’s transformation from a European company into an Asian-focused market  leader has been highly successful”, said Xavier Marin, Managing Partner of Trail.  “As the European member of the consortium, we are thrilled to partner with  Philippe and the whole management team to bring APM Monaco into the premier  global jewelry brand position.”

2019  marks TPG’s 25th year investing in Asia, since establishing its first  regionally-dedicated fund in 1994. Comprised of approximately 50 investment  professionals, the TPG Asia team pursues investments in a broad range of  industries, with a significant focus on consumer, financial services,  healthcare, and TMT/new economy.  Across  platforms, TPG has significant experience partnering with strong consumer  brands to build and scale their businesses. Select current and past investments  include Anastasia Beverly Hills, Cirque du Soleil, Ducati, Lenskart, Rodan +  Fields, and Viking Cruises, etc.

Natixis  acted as the exclusive financial advisor to APM Monaco on this transaction. LPA-CGR  and Paul Weiss acted as joint counsel of APM Monaco. Cleary Gottlieb Steen  & Hamilton acted as the legal advisor for the Consortium.

About TPG

TPG  is a leading global alternative asset firm founded in 1992 with more than $104  billion of assets under management and offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston,  Dallas, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow,  Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Singapore. TPG’s investment  platforms are across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity,  growth equity, real estate, credit, and public equity. TPG aims to build  dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting  discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and  performance of its portfolio. For more information, visit www.tpg.com.

About China Synergy

China  Synergy is an investment platform set-up jointly by TPG, the leading global  alternative asset firm, and CICC Capital. This platform targets investment  opportunities both in China and overseas that will benefit from the key trends  in the Chinese economy, underpinned by the sponsors’ strong cross-border  investment and business development capabilities.

CICC  Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation,  has become a leading private equity brand in China, and a significant player to  promote the transformation of Chinese economy.

About Trail

Trail is an independent European private equity investment  firm with over €750 million cumulated capital managed to date. With its two  strategic partners, Silk Road Fund and CICC, China’s preeminent investment  bank, Trail has set-up a first-of-its-kind investment platform across Europe  and Asia. Trail’s team helps high performing small and mid-size European  companies scaling up in size, scope and geographical boundaries with a specific  focus on China.  Trail is committed to  long-term, responsible and value-creating investment. It has three offices in  Paris, Luxembourg and Beijing.

Media Contacts

For TPG
Tracy Hu
thu@tpg.com

For CICC
Sherry Tan
tans@cicc.com.cn

For Trail
Christelle Alamichel
calamichel@gmail.com

Ports Group, a market-leading total supplier of technology and services for management, monitoring and protection of brands and digital assets, has signed an agreement to acquire all shares in ABE Partners.

The acquisition is a part of Ports Group’s growth strategy and fortifies the company’s position in southern Sweden.

ABE Partners is a company operating in the same business area as Ports Group and offer their clients valuable domain name and trademark solutions.

For further information, please contact

Louise Nilsson

Partner & CEO

---

Phone: +46 8 459 67 63

Mobile: +46 70 950 95 50

Email: louise.nilsson@priveq.se

Following a successful transformation of Ball Group, which produces and sells plus-size women’s clothing, Axcel has entered into an agreement to sell the business to a German private equity fund and can therefore close Axcel III.

With more than 100 concept stores in Northern Europe and the online platform zizzi.dk, Ball Group is among the fastest-growing brands in the international plus-size segment in Europe. The company posted revenue of just under DKK 600 million in the last financial year.

“The strategy has been to move from having several brands to being a focused retailer with its own stores and a significant online position. We’ve trimmed the business and focused on developing Zizzi, and we now have the right combination of an inviting store universe and a strong, fully integrated e-commerce platform. We’ve built a scalable business that has achieved 70% top-line growth over the last three years,” says Kuno Kildetoft, CEO of Ball Group.

“We’re working on being customer focused and have so far rolled out our international store and online universe in nine countries, primarily in Northern Europe. There has been high growth across channels, and we’ve been particularly successful in accelerating the development of our online platform. I’m now looking forward to seeing this positive development continue with the new owner and would like to thank Axcel for their help in bringing us so far,” Kuno Kildetoft finishes.

Asbjørn Mosgaard Hyldgaard, who has been responsible for the investment at Axcel since the standard sizes were divested in 2016, is also pleased with the management’s achievements and that new ownership is now in place:

“The fact that we’re now selling shows that we’ve been able to execute our plan to transform Ball Group into a leading player in the niche market for plus-size fashion. The results over the last three years are testimony to the outstanding job done by Kuno Kildetoft and his team, which has fully met our expectations. As owners, we’re very happy to see Ball Group continue its journey with its new owner and wish them all the best for the future.”

Ball Group is the 11th and final exit from Axcel’s third fund, which was established in 2005.

“It is with great satisfaction that we’re now closing Axcel III, which overall has been one of the stand-out performers among the European funds started in 2005,” says Christian Schmidt-Jacobsen, Managing Partner at Axcel.

Axcel and Ball Group were advised by Deloitte and Plesner.

About Ball Group
Ball Group was founded in 1988 as a privately owned company. In 2007, the business was purchased by the Danish private equity firm Axcel, which in 2016 decided to focus exclusively on the Zizzi brand, targeting the plus-size segment. Accordingly, the other brands were divested. The stores were run on a franchise model until 2018, when the remaining franchise stores were acquired by Ball Group.
Approximately 150 employees work at the company’s head office in Billund, Denmark.

About Axcel
Founded in 1994, Axcel is a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies and has a broad base of both Nordic and international investors. Axcel has raised five funds with total committed capital of jst over EUR 2.0 billion. These funds have made 53 platform investments, with almost 100 major add-on investments and 43 exits. Axcel currently owns 10 companies with combined annual revenue of around EUR 930 million and some 4,000 employees.

PARTNERSHIP WILL FUEL Q MIXERS’ CONTINUED GROWTH
Paris, April 4th , 2019 – Eurazeo, a leading global investment firm with approximately €17 billion in assets
under management, is pleased to announce it has completed an investment in Q Mixers, a premium
carbonated mixer brand based in New York. This marks Eurazeo Brands’ fourth investment since May 2017,
and its first investment within food and beverage. In partnership with founders Jordan Silbert and Ben Karlin,
Eurazeo Brands has invested $40 million in Q Mixers, joining existing investors including First Beverage
Ventures.

Born in a Brooklyn kitchen in 2007, Q Mixers elevates the cocktail with mixers crafted to a high standard of
quality and sophistication. Q mixers pair the best ingredients with high carbonation to deliver a truly
spectacular drinking experience together with spirits or non-alcoholic alternatives. Today, Q Mixers is the
fastest-growing premium mixer brand in the United States, and the number one mixer brand among top
bartenders. Q Mixers come in a variety of innovative and classic flavors all made without artificial sweeteners
and are proudly served in thousands of the country’s leading restaurants, bars, and hotels. Consumers can
purchase Q mixers directly at grocery retailers nationwide.
Jordan Silbert, CEO and Founder of Q Mixers stated, “Over the past 12 years we have built an incredible
community that shares a fundamental vision: your mixer should be as great as your spirit. Together with
Eurazeo Brands we will build this company into the mixer brand of choice.”

“The US premium mixer market has reached an inflection point,” said Ben Karlin, President and CoFounder of Q Mixers. “Our growth is rapid and accelerating – but we are in the early stages of disrupting a category long dominated by brands that don’t resonate with today’s discerning drinkers. Premium penetration in mixers substantially lags spirits, and we expect high growth in the years ahead. We look forward to working with Eurazeo Brands and tapping into their expertise to scale our business and establish category leadership globally.”

Eurazeo Brands will provide Q Mixers with proven brand building, operating, and category expertise. The
investment proceeds will be used to accelerate Q’s marketing activities, including the continued development
of a strong consumer and influencer community, and to support Q’s rapid expansion within both the grocery
and on-premise channels.

As part of Eurazeo Brands’ investment in Q Mixers, Jim Goldman, senior advisor to Eurazeo and a seasoned
food and beverage executive with 30 plus years of experience building and leading brands, and George
Birman, a member of the Eurazeo Brands investment team, will join Q Mixers’ Board of Directors.
Jill Granoff, CEO of Eurazeo Brands, said, “Q has established itself early on as a differentiated and exciting
brand led by passionate and entrepreneurial founders and highly experienced sales leadership. Given the
tremendous growth opportunity within this category, we are excited to be partnering with Q and to be making
the first of multiple food and beverage investments at Eurazeo Brands.”
Eurazeo Brands aims to invest a total of $800 million in high potential U.S. and European consumer
companies with differentiated brands across a wide range of verticals including beauty, fashion, home,
wellness, leisure and food.

About Q Mixers
Q makes the world’s best carbonated mixers – spectacular beverages crafted with authentic ingredients, more carbonation and much less sugar to perfectly complement the world’s finest spirits and non-alcoholic alternatives. Our tonic water, ginger beer and other flavors are proudly carried by thousands of America’s best restaurants, bars and retailers including Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, Total Wine and Amazon. For more information please visit Qmixers.com. Follow on social media: @Qmixers, #HIGHBALLR.

About Eurazeo
Eurazeo is a leading global investment company, with a diversified portfolio of €17 billion in assets under management,
including nearly €11 billion from third parties, invested in over 300 companies. With its considerable private equity, venture capital, real estate, private debt and fund of funds expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its 235 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term.
• Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and
Madrid.

• Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.
• ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA
ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA

Tokyo, Japan – Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to invest in TOKIWA Corporation (TOKIWA), a global cosmetics company engaging in the research, development and manufacturing of cosmetic products through a strategic business and capital alliance.

Headquartered in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, TOKIWA has been established for more than 70 years and is well-known for its innovations in cosmetic formulations and componentry. TOKIWA has advanced research and development capabilities with more than 400 patents worldwide, and is a supplier to prominent beauty brands around the world. A steady supply of high-quality products and its agility to respond to rapidly growing market demand has enabled TOKIWA to develop a strong reputation among its business partners. The company is also well positioned to benefit from the rising demand and admiration for safe, quality “Made in Japan” cosmetic products, fuelled by a booming tourism market.

Through the alliance, TOKIWA will work with Carlyle to establish itself as a global leader in the cosmetics manufacturing industry. Carlyle will leverage its in-depth knowledge of the cosmetics and consumer industries, corporate management skills, as well as its global network, to support TOKIWA’s marketing efforts and brand positioning in the growing global cosmetics market and lay the foundations for the company’s business expansion. Carlyle will help TOKIWA and its partners achieve further growth, deliver value to consumers, and support TOKIWA to become a “valuable global company that can continue sustained, long-term growth” as indicated in the company‘s philosophy.

Hitomi Hibino, Executive Vice President of TOKIWA, said, “Since our founding, we have continued to change and innovate. With ‘Sustainable Innovation’ as our motto, we have always strived to turn our customers’ confidence into lasting trust. We are pleased to work with Carlyle, which has a proven record in Japan and will add impetus to our organization’s initiatives.”

Yusuke Watanabe, Director of the Carlyle Japan advisory team, said, “We are very pleased to have been chosen as TOKIWA’s strategic partner. We will work to enhance TOKIWA’s business operations, assist its marketing efforts, and expedite the company’s domestic and overseas expansion. We look forward to working with TOKIWA as the company continues to create ’beauty, emotion and joy‘ for its customers around the world.”

Equity for this transaction will come from Carlyle Japan Partners III, L.P., Carlyle‘s third buyout fund in Japan. As one of the first global players to enter the Japanese market, Carlyle has engaged in investment activities in Japan since 2000, with 25 investments.

Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Carlyle, while Nishimura & Asahi is acting as legal advisor.

* * * * *

About TOKIWA Corporation

Company Overview

Name

TOKIWA Corporation

Establishment

July, 23, 1948

Head Office

3-20, Momoyamacho, Nakatsugawa, Gifu

Business Description

Research, development and manufacturing of cosmetics (for detail, please refer to the website:

https://www.tokiwa-corp.com/)

Key Subsidiaries

TOKIWA HOLDINGS AMERICA, INC. (US)

TOKIWA COSMETICS AMERICA, LLC. (US)

KUNSHAN TOKIWA COSMETICS CO., LTD. (China)

TOKIWA SUBIC CORPORATION (Philippines)

SONAX CORPORATION (headquartered in Saitama, Japan)

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. With $216 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2018, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,650 people in 31 offices across six continents.

The Carlyle Group is the only global investment firm that has dedicated Japan buyout funds denominated in Japanese yen. Carlyle’s Japan buyout funds, which have made 25 investments in Japan, have experience supporting Japanese companies’ business expansion overseas, enhancing their operational efficiency and strengthening their management infrastructure.

Press Contact:

The Carlyle Group
Tammy Li
Phone: +852 2878 5236
Email: tammy.li@carlyle.com

Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Japan
Yusuke Yamanaka, +81 (0)3-5793-2388
Abi Sekimitsu, +81(0)3-5791-8725
E-mail: CarlylePress.Tokyo@ogilvy.com

PARIS, NEW YORK, LONDON, March 28th, 2019 – Bain Capital Private Equity, a leading global private investment firm, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Maesa, a global beauty brand incubator supplying leading retailers and beauty companies operating worldwide. Under this joint ownership of Bain Capital Private Equity and Maesa’s co-founders and management, the company will enter the next phase of its growth strategy.

Surpassing competition, Maesa has grown to be the leading global provider of beauty brand incubation and strategic outsourcing. By housing vertically integrated Marketing, Design, Engineering, Product Development and operations, Maesa provides customers unsurpassed speed to market providing exclusive products across the beauty industry including haircare, colour cosmetics, personal care and fragrance. Identifying white space opportunity globally, Maesa has incubated the creation of successful exclusive brands such as Kristin Ess Hair Care and Flower Beauty and partners with a wide range of retailers including Walmart, Target, Sephora, AS Watson, Ulta, Dollar General and H&M. It is Maesa’s unique model that combines the disciplines of designers, beauty merchants, consumer marketing and custom packaging development, which provides a truly differentiated and integrated service to its clients.

“We believe that Bain Capital Private Equity is the right partner to help us take Maesa into its next phase of growth as a global beauty supplier and beauty brand incubator” said Julien Saada & Gregory Mager, Co-Founders of Maesa. “Bain Capital Private Equity has a unique understanding and confidence in our long-term growth strategy, culture and people, bringing valuable global reach and expertise which will support us in our future growth plans”.

Bain Capital Private Equity has a distinguished track record of investing in and partnering with founders and management teams to accelerate the growth of companies. Its consumer and retail investments have included Bugaboo, Maisons du Monde, Sundial Brands, Virgin Voyages and Canada Goose. “The Bain Capital team has a long and successful history of working with founders to support the growth of differentiated business models that are leading change across their sectors,” said Nigel Walder, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity.

“Greg, Julien and the management team have built a remarkable business. We could not be more excited to partner with Maesa to continue to develop this innovative brand creation approach in an evolving beauty landscape.” said Miray Topay, a Principal at Bain Capital Private Equity.

Maesa is headquartered in New York, NY, USA and Levallois-Perret, France. Founded in 1997, Maesa has grown over the last 22 years to over 300 employees across seven offices globally and generates approximately over $230m in global annual sales. The founders and the management team of Maesa remain substantial shareholders alongside Bain Capital Private Equity and will continue to focus on driving the growth of the business, investing in leadership and developing talent. Andera Partners, a minority shareholder, will be selling its investment as part of the transaction. The team at Maesa thank Andera for their support.

The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to complete in the first half of this year.

Maesa was advised by Financo. Bain Capital Private Equity was advised by Lazard and RBC Capital Markets.

About Maesa
Founded in 1997, Maesa is a global beauty brand incubator supplying leading retailers and beauty companies operating worldwide. Maesa designs and manufactures exclusive brands and private labels for mass, drug and specialty retailers and provide outsourcing solutions to beauty brands. In combining design, beauty merchant and production expertise under one roof, Maesa is a driving force in beauty brand incubation. For more information visit www.maesa.com.

About Bain Capital Private Equity
Bain Capital Private Equity (www.baincapitalprivateequity.com) has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since its founding in 1984. Bain Capital Private Equity’s global team of approximately 240
investment professionals creates value for its portfolio companies through its global platform and depth of expertise in key vertical industries including healthcare, consumer/retail, financial and business services, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. Bain Capital has 19 offices on four continents. The firm has made primary or add-on investments in more than 760 companies since its inception. In addition to private equity, Bain Capital invests across asset classes including credit, public equity and venture capital, managing approximately $105 billion in total and leveraging the firm’s shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus. For more information, visit www.baincapitalprivateequity.com.