Livingbridge, the mid-market private equity firm, today announces its investment in Symphony Ventures, a global services firm focused on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Intelligent Automation.

The £3.5m series A investment will be used to fuel continued rapid expansion to meet demand for Robotic Process Automation services.

Our funding will further accelerate Symphony’s rapid growth – including a doubling of employee numbers – and continue its glo­­­­­bal expansion, increasing delivery capacity and widening product development. Symphony also welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors: Henry Alty of Livingbridge, and Bill Thomas, managing partner of Acresis – a founder advisory firm that supports Symphony on its growth and liquidity goals – joins as Chairman of the Board.

Symphony was founded in 2014 and provides consulting, implementation and managed services to enterprise clients looking to automate operational processes that are manual, repetitive, complex and time consuming through RPA and Intelligent Automation solutions. RPA can yield improvements in speed, accuracy, quality and compliance while delivering significant cost savings. Employees can be freed up to focus on more dynamic, engaging work while customers can experience higher satisfaction levels through improved interactions.

Organizations in all industries are increasingly adopting RPA for front, middle and back office functions ranging from human resources, to finance and accounting, to procurement to logistics. The RPA industry has demonstrated rapid growth in recent years and according to HfS Research, the market is expected to reach £920 million ($1.2 billion) by 2021*. Symphony was ranked the #1 RPA Pure Play Specialist by HfS Research in 2016** and recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor in 2015***. Symphony’s client portfolio includes firms in more than 21 countries in financial services, telecommunications, health care, logistics and the public sector.

Symphony’s founders have been at the forefront of work innovation for two decades as former Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) industry executives and have a combined 70+ years of market experience. The team recognized early on that automation had the potential to unleash significant value for enterprises. Led by Chief Executive Officer David Poole, Chief Strategy Officer Ian Barkin, Chief Client Officer Pascal Baker and Chief Operations Officer David Brain, Symphony has grown in just three short years into an unrivaled 120-person strong team of talented professionals worldwide, known for delivering some of the most complex and impactful RPA solutions.

Livingbridge has experience in working with high-growth technology companies, having invested in firms such as email signature software company Exclaimer, B2B connectivity and internet infrastructure provider M24Seven and field force automation software provider Kirona. The investment in Symphony Ventures uses funds from the Baronsmead Venture Trusts.

CEO David Poole said:

“We are delighted to be working with Livingbridge. We had a choice of partners and selected Livingbridge for its strong track record of helping founders achieve rapid growth, while respecting the company and the culture in place.

“Across the globe, we’re seeing exceptional demand for enterprise-grade RPA, and Livingbridge’s vision of the market proved to be one of the most strategic and insightful about how we can meet client needs and, by doing so, further accelerate Symphony’s growth and expansion.”

Henry Alty of Livingbridge said:

“Symphony Ventures has swiftly developed a strong position in the rapidly growing RPA and Intelligent Automation space, a multi-billion-pound sector we have monitored since its inception. Symphony’s impressive founding leadership team has developed a compelling proposition for its clients, and we are excited to be working with them to further accelerate Symphony’s growth.”

Symphony will use the investment to expand hiring within its core markets in the U.S., U.K. and Poland, and to extend its capabilities into new geographies. The company plans to at least double its current team size over the next 12 months. The company will also continue to invest in product development and broaden its service catalog to bring new, high-demand offerings to market. Symphony plans to introduce an innovation lab that will provide infrastructure to allow feasibility assessments of RPA and other new ecosystem technologies.

Additionally, Symphony will use the funding to address the explosive demand for RPA skills in the market by developing training programs for enterprises to scale RPA teams and train RPA developers side-by-side with the company’s experts. The funding will also support a new service category that will offer lower risk RPA-centric outsourcing solutions that create higher value for clients than traditional BPO.

Symphony works with a leading roster of RPA and Intelligent Automation software providers including Blue Prism, UiPath, NICE Systems, Kryon Systems and Celaton. The company continues to expand its digital ecosystem of tools and capabilities – responding to changing market trends – to be able to offer expanded solutions for clients.

“RPA is extremely complex and requires a unique set of process and technical skills,” said Phil Fersht, HfS Research. “Businesses understand the great benefits the technology can offer, but lack the know-how to effectively select and manage solutions so that they deliver the greatest return based on their specific goals and applications. As a result, demand for skilled expertise from RPA specialists like Symphony Ventures is unprecedented.”

*http://www.horsesforsources.com/RPA-marketsize-HfS_061017

**http://www.horsesforsources.com/RPA_pureplays_121616

***https://www.gartner.com/doc/3028319/cool-vendors-business-process-services

Acino divests its patch business to Luye Pharma Group Ltd.

Today Acino International AG and Acino Pharma AG (together “Acino”) have signed a definitive agreement with Luye Pharma Group Ltd. (“Luye”) to sell Acino’s transdermal patch and implant businesses. The divestment includes Acino’s transdermal manufacturing operations, distribution, and R&D capabilities.

The divestment is in line with Acino’s strategy of shaping the organization for growth in emerging markets and further expanding Acino’s regional commercial presence in its key markets of the Middle East and Africa, the CIS region, and Latin America.

“The divestment will allow us to focus on growth in our key markets, and we believe that Luye’s vision and strategy will further the expansion of Acino’s existing R&D and manufacturing capabilities in Miesbach. An R&D focused company like Luye will be able to leverage the high potential of our transdermal business in the best possible way in the future, including further global expansion”, says Kalle Känd, CEO at Acino. After closing, Acino will retain the marketing rights to certain transdermal patches in its strategic emerging markets.

“As we execute our international strategy, this transaction serves as an important milestone. With its innovative technology platform, focused product portfolio, loyal customer base and experienced leadership, this acquisition will significantly enhance Luye’s international capabilities and accelerate its penetration into broader therapeutic areas and geographies” said Dr. Yehong Zhang, Luye Pharma (International) CEO.

Closing is expected to occur in the second half of 2016. Approximately 200 employees in Miesbach have been informed about the divestment to Luye during a Town Hall meeting.

About Acino

Acino, a Swiss pharmaceutical company headquartered in Zurich, develops, manufactures and internationally markets well-proven and innovative pharmaceuticals in novel drug delivery forms. Acino is a leader in advanced drug delivery technologies with a focus on modified release oral forms, oral dispersible forms, transdermal systems and extended release parenterals, for which it also holds patents.

As a partner of pharmaceutical companies worldwide, Acino supplies finished in-house developed products and/or provides customized one-stop solutions from product development and registration to contract manufacturing, packaging and logistics. Under the brand “Acino Switzerland”, Acino markets Swiss-quality medicines in emerging markets with a focus on the Middle East, Africa, Russia/CIS and Latin America. More information on www.acino-pharma.com

About Luye

Luye Pharma Group Ltd. (the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries collectively the “Group” or “Luye”) focuses on developing, producing, marketing and selling innovative pharmaceutical products in four of the largest and fastest growing therapeutic areas – oncology, cardiovascular, metabolism and the central nervous system(“CNS”) therapeutic area. The Group has 30 product portfolio in the market and 21 product candidates in China and 7 product candidates overseas, among which five candidates have entered into the clinical trial stage in the United States of America (the “U.S.”) under U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules.

The Group has established production facilities and research and development (“R&D”) centers in China as well as offices in US, Malaysia and Singapore with over 3,400 employees, including over 300 R&D personnel. The Group’s products are marketed and sold in a vast majority of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the PRC, as well as a number of foreign countries and regions. The Group’s nationwide sales and distribution network enabled it to sell its products to over 10,000 hospitals in the PRC.

On 9 July 2014, the shares of the Company were listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Over the past 22 years, the Group has grown into an international pharmaceutical group with market leading position in its key therapeutic areas. With the corporate value of “Professional Technology Serves Human Health” and the corporate philosophy of “Customer Orientation, Efficiency, and Employee Achievement”, the Group is committed to providing high quality pharmaceutical products and professional services for customers and patients.

Contact

Rory Fitzpatrick

Senior Communications Manager

Phone +41 44 555 22 90

Mobile +41 76 411 7138

rory.fitzpatrick@acino-pharma.com

• EQT VII acquires Certara, the global leader in model-informed (in silico) drug development and regulatory science, focused on optimizing drug development and improving health outcomes
• Certara’s solutions help to inform and accelerate drug development and regulatory approval processes, while addressing the key efficacy, safety, productivity and commercial challenges facing the biopharma industry

• EQT VII to support Certara’s growth trajectory by leveraging EQT’s operational and financial resources, including its global network of industrial advisors and deep expertise within the healthcare and pharmaceutical services sectors

Princeton, NJ and New York, NY, July 11, 2017 – The EQT VII fund (“EQT VII”) today announced that it has agreed to acquire Certara (the “Company”), the leading provider of technology-driven decision support solutions for drug development, for an enterprise value of USD 850 million. The Company is being acquired from Arsenal Capital Partners. As part of the transaction, Arsenal Capital Partners will retain a minority ownership stake in Certara, with the Company’s current management team, led by Edmundo Muniz, MD, PhD, continuing to lead the organization, building on a multi-year track record of both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

Certara is the leading provider of model-informed drug development technology and services, as well as a best-in-class provider of regulatory science, writing, and submission management software and services. Certara’s solutions help inform the drug development and regulatory approval process and address the key efficacy, safety, productivity and commercial challenges facing the biopharma industry. The Company serves 1,200 commercial companies, 250 academic institutions and numerous regulatory agencies, across 60 countries. Certara is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey with over 500 employees globally, including key operations and senior management in Northern Europe.

Eric Liu, Partner at EQT Partners, Investment Advisor to EQT VII said: “We are deeply impressed by what the Certara management team has accomplished over the last few years. Today, Certara is the global leader in an exciting and rapidly developing market, uniquely positioned to transform the field of drug development. Under Edmundo’s leadership the Company has assembled a strong and visionary management team and a highly-talented scientific staff, while fostering a mission-driven culture and accelerating growth. We are excited to support the development of Certara through continued investment in next generation technology, further international expansion and complementary acquisitions.”

“We are excited to team up with EQT as we look toward Certara’s next phase of growth,” said Edmundo Muniz, MD, PhD and CEO of Certara. “This new strategic partnership with EQT will enable us to strengthen our core offerings as well as to capitalize on transformative next-phase growth opportunities. We are looking forward to a great partnership that will benefit our customers, our employees, and our industry.”

Centerview Partners is serving as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is serving as legal advisor to EQT VII. Jefferies LLC is serving as lead financial advisor and William Blair & Company as co-advisor to Certara. DLA Piper and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP are serving as legal advisors to Certara.

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that it has agreed to invest c.$136m in Cirtec Medical (“Cirtec”), a leading provider of outsourced medical device design, engineering and manufacturing. 3i will invest alongside management.

Cirtec is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and has been in operation for over 25 years. It operates three facilities across the United States and has over 400 employees.

The company specialises in outsourced solutions for active implantable devices in the areas of neuromodulation, drug delivery, cardiac rhythm management, ventricular assist and minimally invasive devices. Customers rely on Cirtec’s expertise to provide value-add solutions throughout the entire development cycle to help bring life-enhancing therapies to market.

Cirtec has an attractive customer base mix comprised of both traditional blue-chip OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and fast growing start-up companies.

The medical device outsourcing (MDO) market is expected to grow at a high single digit rate over the next five years, as medical device OEMs increasingly focus on core competencies of R&D and commercial initiatives. Cirtec is strategically positioned to serve the most attractive therapeutic end-markets that are set to grow at a rate beyond the broader MDO industry.

Richard Relyea, Partner at 3i, US commented:

“We are pleased to announce our investment in Cirtec. We look forward to working with the management team to build upon this strong platform for growth, in particular, leveraging our local presence and network to help accelerate the company’s expansion.”

Brian Highley, CEO, Cirtec added:

“We look forward to partnering with 3i. We feel that their approach, sector understanding and international reach makes them the right partner to support the next stage of our growth.”