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Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

Apax

Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

  • Benify to be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex. Together, Benefex and Benify will offer enhanced product and services capabilities to customers globally
  • Complementary geographic footprints improve ability to serve customers in the fragmented benefits administration and employee engagement software segment

Zellis Group (or the “Company”), a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) providing HR, payroll, and benefits administration software, today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Benify, a provider of employee benefits administration software, from Vitruvian Partners. As part of the transaction, Benify will be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex, and Vitruvian Partners will become a minority investor in Zellis Group alongside the Apax Funds.

Together, Benefex and Benify will create a leading global benefits, reward, recognition, and employee engagement software provider with an enhanced value proposition to customers globally. Benefex and Benify are highly complementary, and this acquisition creates a truly global solution, powered by an expanded geographic network, a strengthened product portfolio, and a broader range of services. The combination will allow customers to benefit from a deeper suite of platform integrations across HR, Payroll and Benefit Carriers. This acquisition comes at a time when global employers are accelerating investment in technology to create a single global experience across benefits and reward, underpinned by a focus on eliminating administration and ensuring compliance.

Benefex was acquired by the Zellis Group in 2018, and has since experienced rapid global growth, powering exceptional employee experiences for customers through its modern benefits management, brokering, and engagement offerings.

Founded in 2004, Benify is a pioneer of benefits administration software services and today offers best-in-class benefits and total rewards solutions via a globally enabled SaaS platform. Following a long-term growth investment programme under Vitruvian ownership since 2011, Benify has evolved from a Sweden-focussed business into a global business within its field.

Combined, Benefex and Benify will support c.3,000 companies across more than 100 countries to transform and align the experiences of more than 5 million employees through their modern benefits, wellbeing, broking, rewards and recognition, and communications offerings. Together, the two businesses will be better able to enhance employee experiences across the globe.

Matt Macri-Waller, CEO of Benefex said: “We’re excited by the opportunity that this combination provides for new and crucially current customers of both Benify and Benefex. Together we share a common goal of powering a truly global and exceptional employee experience for our customers and this acquisition develops the global capabilities of our products and services, whilst bringing together the depth of talent that sits across both organisations.”

John Petter, CEO of Zellis Group, added: “This represents an exciting next chapter for the Zellis Group and is an early demonstration of the commitment of the Apax Funds to our continued growth.”

Joakim Alm, CEO of Benify commented: “We look forward to joining Zellis Group and Benefex to create a leading player in HCM software. By combining our respective strengths, we will further expand our products, services and value to our customers and their employees. The transaction is a testament to Benify’s track record of achieving profitable growth through delivering world class solutions to our customers and the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are grateful for the support we have received from Vitruvian in accelerating our international growth journey over the past decade.”

Adam Garson, Principal at Apax, said: “When the Apax Funds invested in the Zellis Group, we identified an opportunity to accelerate the growth of Benefex and help establish the business as a leading provider in the large, fragmented, and growing global benefits administration software segment. The combination with Benify is an important milestone in this growth journey and we look forward to working with the teams at Zellis Group, Benefex, and Benify as the two companies come together.”

Jussi Wuoristo, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, said: “We are delighted with Benify’s remarkable growth journey to date which has been made possible thanks to the continued commitment of the Benify management team, its founders and its employees over the years. Since our investment, Benify has organically multiplied in size many times over and thus emerged as a strong global player in its field. We are excited to be able to continue our support to the company as a minority shareholder of Zellis Group and are highly enthusiastic about the road ahead.”

Zellis Group was advised by Arma Partners, Evercore, and Kirkland & Ellis. Benify and Vitruvian were advised by Deutsche Bank and Bird & Bird. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

Apax

Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

  • Benify to be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex. Together, Benefex and Benify will offer enhanced product and services capabilities to customers globally
  • Complementary geographic footprints improve ability to serve customers in the fragmented benefits administration and employee engagement software segment

Zellis Group (or the “Company”), a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) providing HR, payroll, and benefits administration software, today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Benify, a provider of employee benefits administration software, from Vitruvian Partners. As part of the transaction, Benify will be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex, and Vitruvian Partners will become a minority investor in Zellis Group alongside the Apax Funds.

Together, Benefex and Benify will create a leading global benefits, reward, recognition, and employee engagement software provider with an enhanced value proposition to customers globally. Benefex and Benify are highly complementary, and this acquisition creates a truly global solution, powered by an expanded geographic network, a strengthened product portfolio, and a broader range of services. The combination will allow customers to benefit from a deeper suite of platform integrations across HR, Payroll and Benefit Carriers. This acquisition comes at a time when global employers are accelerating investment in technology to create a single global experience across benefits and reward, underpinned by a focus on eliminating administration and ensuring compliance.

Benefex was acquired by the Zellis Group in 2018, and has since experienced rapid global growth, powering exceptional employee experiences for customers through its modern benefits management, brokering, and engagement offerings.

Founded in 2004, Benify is a pioneer of benefits administration software services and today offers best-in-class benefits and total rewards solutions via a globally enabled SaaS platform. Following a long-term growth investment programme under Vitruvian ownership since 2011, Benify has evolved from a Sweden-focussed business into a global business within its field.

Combined, Benefex and Benify will support c.3,000 companies across more than 100 countries to transform and align the experiences of more than 5 million employees through their modern benefits, wellbeing, broking, rewards and recognition, and communications offerings. Together, the two businesses will be better able to enhance employee experiences across the globe.

Matt Macri-Waller, CEO of Benefex said: “We’re excited by the opportunity that this combination provides for new and crucially current customers of both Benify and Benefex. Together we share a common goal of powering a truly global and exceptional employee experience for our customers and this acquisition develops the global capabilities of our products and services, whilst bringing together the depth of talent that sits across both organisations.”

John Petter, CEO of Zellis Group, added: “This represents an exciting next chapter for the Zellis Group and is an early demonstration of the commitment of the Apax Funds to our continued growth.”

Joakim Alm, CEO of Benify commented: “We look forward to joining Zellis Group and Benefex to create a leading player in HCM software. By combining our respective strengths, we will further expand our products, services and value to our customers and their employees. The transaction is a testament to Benify’s track record of achieving profitable growth through delivering world class solutions to our customers and the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are grateful for the support we have received from Vitruvian in accelerating our international growth journey over the past decade.”

Adam Garson, Principal at Apax, said: “When the Apax Funds invested in the Zellis Group, we identified an opportunity to accelerate the growth of Benefex and help establish the business as a leading provider in the large, fragmented, and growing global benefits administration software segment. The combination with Benify is an important milestone in this growth journey and we look forward to working with the teams at Zellis Group, Benefex, and Benify as the two companies come together.”

Jussi Wuoristo, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, said: “We are delighted with Benify’s remarkable growth journey to date which has been made possible thanks to the continued commitment of the Benify management team, its founders and its employees over the years. Since our investment, Benify has organically multiplied in size many times over and thus emerged as a strong global player in its field. We are excited to be able to continue our support to the company as a minority shareholder of Zellis Group and are highly enthusiastic about the road ahead.”

Zellis Group was advised by Arma Partners, Evercore, and Kirkland & Ellis. Benify and Vitruvian were advised by Deutsche Bank and Bird & Bird. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

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Apax

Zellis Group agrees to acquire Benify in transformational global benefits software combination

  • Benify to be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex. Together, Benefex and Benify will offer enhanced product and services capabilities to customers globally
  • Complementary geographic footprints improve ability to serve customers in the fragmented benefits administration and employee engagement software segment

Zellis Group (or the “Company”), a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”) providing HR, payroll, and benefits administration software, today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Benify, a provider of employee benefits administration software, from Vitruvian Partners. As part of the transaction, Benify will be combined with Zellis Group’s benefits administration and employee engagement software business, Benefex, and Vitruvian Partners will become a minority investor in Zellis Group alongside the Apax Funds.

Together, Benefex and Benify will create a leading global benefits, reward, recognition, and employee engagement software provider with an enhanced value proposition to customers globally. Benefex and Benify are highly complementary, and this acquisition creates a truly global solution, powered by an expanded geographic network, a strengthened product portfolio, and a broader range of services. The combination will allow customers to benefit from a deeper suite of platform integrations across HR, Payroll and Benefit Carriers. This acquisition comes at a time when global employers are accelerating investment in technology to create a single global experience across benefits and reward, underpinned by a focus on eliminating administration and ensuring compliance.

Benefex was acquired by the Zellis Group in 2018, and has since experienced rapid global growth, powering exceptional employee experiences for customers through its modern benefits management, brokering, and engagement offerings.

Founded in 2004, Benify is a pioneer of benefits administration software services and today offers best-in-class benefits and total rewards solutions via a globally enabled SaaS platform. Following a long-term growth investment programme under Vitruvian ownership since 2011, Benify has evolved from a Sweden-focussed business into a global business within its field.

Combined, Benefex and Benify will support c.3,000 companies across more than 100 countries to transform and align the experiences of more than 5 million employees through their modern benefits, wellbeing, broking, rewards and recognition, and communications offerings. Together, the two businesses will be better able to enhance employee experiences across the globe.

Matt Macri-Waller, CEO of Benefex said: “We’re excited by the opportunity that this combination provides for new and crucially current customers of both Benify and Benefex. Together we share a common goal of powering a truly global and exceptional employee experience for our customers and this acquisition develops the global capabilities of our products and services, whilst bringing together the depth of talent that sits across both organisations.”

John Petter, CEO of Zellis Group, added: “This represents an exciting next chapter for the Zellis Group and is an early demonstration of the commitment of the Apax Funds to our continued growth.”

Joakim Alm, CEO of Benify commented: “We look forward to joining Zellis Group and Benefex to create a leading player in HCM software. By combining our respective strengths, we will further expand our products, services and value to our customers and their employees. The transaction is a testament to Benify’s track record of achieving profitable growth through delivering world class solutions to our customers and the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are grateful for the support we have received from Vitruvian in accelerating our international growth journey over the past decade.”

Adam Garson, Principal at Apax, said: “When the Apax Funds invested in the Zellis Group, we identified an opportunity to accelerate the growth of Benefex and help establish the business as a leading provider in the large, fragmented, and growing global benefits administration software segment. The combination with Benify is an important milestone in this growth journey and we look forward to working with the teams at Zellis Group, Benefex, and Benify as the two companies come together.”

Jussi Wuoristo, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, said: “We are delighted with Benify’s remarkable growth journey to date which has been made possible thanks to the continued commitment of the Benify management team, its founders and its employees over the years. Since our investment, Benify has organically multiplied in size many times over and thus emerged as a strong global player in its field. We are excited to be able to continue our support to the company as a minority shareholder of Zellis Group and are highly enthusiastic about the road ahead.”

Zellis Group was advised by Arma Partners, Evercore, and Kirkland & Ellis. Benify and Vitruvian were advised by Deutsche Bank and Bird & Bird. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Aryza acquires Axcess Consulting

Pollenstreet

Pollen Street Capital are pleased to announce that Aryza has acquired Axcess Consulting Pty Ltd (“Axcess”), an Australian headquartered provider of loan management software to blue chip financial services companies across Australia, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Asia and North America.

Founded in Geelong in 1991, the Axcess platform is a scalable SaaS offering designed to help banks, non-bank lenders, and debt purchasers manage loan origination, underwriting, servicing and investment portfolio management using a single consolidated platform.

Aryza’s acquisition of Axcess will expand its reach in the APAC region, a geography with significant potential for further expansion and cross-selling of Aryza’s broader lending and debt management software solutions. Axcess and its customers will benefit from being part of the Aryza group, tapping into the product innovation within Aryza’s existing loan management software division as well as the group’s global reach.

The transaction, which is Aryza’s 11th acquisition since 2018, supports its mission to be the leading global provider of software solutions across the entire credit-debt lifecycle. Aryza has built a strong end-to-end proposition targeting administratively intense, regulated and data driven processes across lending and debt management, delivering significant gains in efficiency and effectiveness for its clients.

Colin Brown, CEO at Aryza, commented:

“This strategic move aligns perfectly with our mission to expand our global footprint and deliver innovative financial solutions to a wider audience. Axcess Consulting’s expertise and local market knowledge complement Aryza’s technological capabilities, creating a powerful synergy that will enhance our service offerings and provide greater value to our clients. We look forward to driving growth and innovation in the financial services industry across Australia.”

Anastasia Kovaleva, Partner at Pollen Street Capital, added:

“We are pleased to welcome Axcess to the Aryza group and to add a high-calibre name to our footprint in the APAC region, which we see as an exciting opportunity for further growth. Axcess brings 30+ years of experience in LMS in the region, enhancing Aryza’s product offering and customer reach. The acquisition is a continuation of Aryza’s strategy to become a global leader in automating processes across the credit cycle.”

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Rentvine Raises $74M of Growth Capital from Mainsail Partners

Mainsail partners

Growth capital to support continued innovation of Rentvine’s property management software platform

Estero, FL – August 26, 2024 – Rentvine, a property management software platform serving the long-term residential property rental market, announced it has raised $74 million in growth capital from Mainsail Partners. The investment will help enable the company to further enhance the property manager experience through ongoing product innovation and excellent customer service. Additionally, Rentvine plans to continue expanding its product suite to better serve all stakeholders, including residents, property owners, and vendors.

As the core system of record for professional property management companies, Rentvine offers a comprehensive suite of features, including powerful trust accounting, maintenance management, leasing workflows, tenant screening, inbound and outbound payments, insurance, and owner and vendor management. Rentvine also offers an open Restful API to ensure interoperability and flexibility, allowing customers to integrate various tools and services seamlessly. Designed to be a flexible and robust end-to-end solution, Rentvine’s platform is known for being user-friendly, fast, and reliable.

“After more than 20 years in property management, we set out to create software that the industry not only deserves but also trusts and loves using daily,” said Dave Borden, co-founder and CEO of Rentvine. “Mainsail’s extensive experience in PropTech and their ability to help scale vertical SaaS platforms will support us as we continue transforming property management companies.”

“The property management community has long sought a flexible, centralized solution that not only enhances operational efficiency but also scales as their client base grows,” said Gavin Turner, co-founder and Managing Partner at Mainsail Partners. “Given Dave and Jon’s firsthand experience in the property management industry, it’s no surprise that they’ve answered this need with a modern, integrated suite of solutions specifically designed to support that growth.”

“This partnership with Mainsail will empower us to realize our vision of delivering superior property management software—software that customers enthusiastically recommend to their peers, that employees are proud to support, and that offers long-term value to the entire property management community,” said Jonathan Ewen, co-founder and President of Rentvine. “Mainsail’s industry experience and operational resources will be highly valuable as we enter the next phase of growth for our product, company, and customers.”

Croft & Bender acted as the exclusive financial advisor and DLA Piper served as legal counsel to Rentvine. Morris, Manning & Martin served as legal counsel to Mainsail Partners.

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Serent-Backed Avionté Acquires AkkenCloud, a Staffing Software Company

Serent Capital

August 26, 2024

 

Avionté announced its acquisition of AkkenCloud, a staffing software company, fortifying Avionté’s position as a leader in end-to-end enterprise staffing platforms. AkkenCloud clients will benefit from Avionté’s full suite of staffing platform technologies, which includes a complete front and back office, a robust mobile talent application, and a powerful VMS, all supported by Avionté’s dedicated customer service team.

“We are thrilled to welcome AkkenCloud customers and employees to the Avionté community, which will expand our dedicated team of associates and the more than 1,000 staffing agencies leveraging Avionté’s enterprise staffing platform,” said Rishabh Mehrotra, CEO of Avionté. “By partnering with Avionté, the team at AkkenCloud is working to ensure its customers will stay ahead with our end-to-end staffing platform, which delivers all the resources, stability, and security required for long-term growth.”

The acquisition underscores growing industry consolidation as smaller staffing software providers find it increasingly difficult to invest in the technology, security, and support required to remain competitive. Rapidly evolving employer buying patterns and talent work preferences are pressuring staffing agencies to offer complete workforce solutions that meet client expectations for speed, compliance, and flexibility. As such, successful staffing firms require software partners that have the scale and expertise to keep pace with the latest trends in AI, security, platform automation, and mobile capabilities.

“As I considered the best partner for AkkenCloud, Avionté was the right choice for customers and employees alike,” said Giridhar Akkineni, founder and CEO of AkkenCloud. “Given the investment required to succeed in staffing software today, we saw that AkkenCloud could no longer compete as an independent company. With Avionté, AkkenCloud customers will have access to the most innovative solutions on the market and the resources to help them grow, scale, and succeed now and in the future. I am excited to introduce our customers and employees to the Avionté community.”

Avionté is committed to ensuring the success of all AkkenCloud clients and will work closely with each of them to determine the most suitable timeline for transitioning to Avionté’s enterprise staffing platform. Akkineni will take an active role to help ensure the successful transition of AkkenCloud customers to the Avionté platform. AkkenCloud employees will be recognized as part of Avionté effective immediately. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Added Mehrotra, “Avionté is committed to helping staffing agencies navigate the evolving staffing software market via the most innovative and robust solutions available. Our acquisition of AkkenCloud is a testament to that commitment. We anticipate more market consolidation as smaller staffing software companies struggle to compete in this new reality.”

About Avionté

Avionté is a proven leader in enterprise staffing platforms, providing a comprehensive end-to-end, cloud-based technology solution designed for scalability and growth. The Avionté platform delivers a complete front and back office, a robust mobile talent application, and a powerful VMS. With a single staffing platform, agencies can now manage the entire supply chain of labor, from employer to agency to talent and back. Learn more at https://www.avionte.com.

Serent Capital invests in growing businesses that have developed compelling solutions that address their customers’ needs. As those businesses grow and evolve, the opportunities and challenges that they face change with them. Principals at Serent Capital have firsthand experience at capturing those opportunities and navigating these difficulties through their experiences as CEOs, strategic advisors, and board members to successful growing businesses. By bringing its expertise and capital to bear, Serent seeks to help growing businesses thrive. Learn more about our portfolio companies.

Other News at Serent Capital

At Serent Capital, we work hard to create effective and longstanding growth with all our portfolio companies. Here’s what we’ve been up to recently.

Disclaimer:

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Serent Capital or any company in which Serent Capital or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Serent Capital does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Serent Capital’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision.
Executive endorsements of Serent Capital are for illustrative purposes, designed to attract business development contacts, and should not be construed as a client or investor testimonial of Serent Capital’s investment advisory services. All such endorsements are from current or former portfolio company leadership about Serent Capital’s ability to provide services to their companies. Certain executives are also investors in Serent Capital’s investment vehicle(s), and as such, there is an inherent conflict in that those executives have an incentive to provide favorable reviews of Serent Capital’s business practices for the benefit of the investment vehicles that they hold a personal ownership interest in. Serent Capital has not, directly or indirectly, paid any compensation to such individuals for their endorsements.
Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Serent Capital undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

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Serent Capital Announces the Acquisition of Spa Software Leader Book4Time by Agilysys

Serent Capital

 

Serent Capital, a growth-focused private equity firm investing in founder-led B2B SaaS and technology companies, announced today that its portfolio company, Book4Time, a leading provider of spa management SaaS software, has been acquired by Agilysys, a global leader in hospitality software solutions and services.

Book4Time’s innovative cloud-based platform has established itself as a premier solution for hotel and resort spas, enabling operators to manage appointments, staff, and inventory seamlessly while enhancing the guest experience and providing comprehensive corporate reporting. Founded in 2004, Book4Time has become the go-to choice for leading wellness hospitality organizations and is trusted by customers in over 100 countries. Serent Capital’s strategic growth investment in 2020 was instrumental in supporting Book4Time’s continued expansion and extending its global reach.

“Our partnership with Serent has been pivotal in enabling us to scale our operations and enhance our product offerings. Their strategic guidance allowed us to better serve our clients and solidify our leadership in the wellness hospitality industry. We are grateful for their collaboration and look forward to continuing our journey of innovation in the hospitality industry as a part of Agilysys,” said Roger Sholanki, CEO of Book4Time.

“From the beginning, we recognized Book4Time’s potential to revolutionize spa management technology. It has been rewarding to see them expand their global reach and deliver exceptional client experiences. We look forward to watching the continued growth and success of the merged business unit in the hospitality industry.” said Lance Fenton, Partner at Serent Capital.

Serent Capital has a robust track record in the hospitality market, having invested in over 15 hospitality tech companies in the last decade. To learn more about Serent’s partnership with hospitality companies, visit Serent Capital Hospitality and Travel.

Serent Capital invests in growing businesses that have developed compelling solutions that address their customers’ needs. As those businesses grow and evolve, the opportunities and challenges that they face change with them. Principals at Serent Capital have firsthand experience at capturing those opportunities and navigating these difficulties through their experiences as CEOs, strategic advisors, and board members to successful growing businesses. By bringing its expertise and capital to bear, Serent seeks to help growing businesses thrive. Learn more about our portfolio companies.

Other News at Serent Capital

At Serent Capital, we work hard to create effective and longstanding growth with all our portfolio companies. Here’s what we’ve been up to recently.

Disclaimer:

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Serent Capital or any company in which Serent Capital or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Serent Capital does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Serent Capital’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision.
Executive endorsements of Serent Capital are for illustrative purposes, designed to attract business development contacts, and should not be construed as a client or investor testimonial of Serent Capital’s investment advisory services. All such endorsements are from current or former portfolio company leadership about Serent Capital’s ability to provide services to their companies. Certain executives are also investors in Serent Capital’s investment vehicle(s), and as such, there is an inherent conflict in that those executives have an incentive to provide favorable reviews of Serent Capital’s business practices for the benefit of the investment vehicles that they hold a personal ownership interest in. Serent Capital has not, directly or indirectly, paid any compensation to such individuals for their endorsements.
Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Serent Capital undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

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EQT to invest in Compass to accelerate company’s innovation and education software solutions

eqt

EQT invests in Compass through the MMG fund

Compass (or the “Company”), a leading K-12 vertical SaaS software company, and EQT, a purpose-driven global investment organization, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which EQT will invest in the Company to support its ongoing growth, product development and innovation.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Compass is a full-suite, cloud-based school management platform for the K-12 education market. Compass is today used by more than 3,000 schools and over 4 million parents, teachers, and students, and has recently expanded to provide its innovative education solutions to users in Ireland and the UK. Compass offers a variety of management solutions for individual state schools, private independent schools, enterprise education dioceses and State and Territory education departments.

With EQT’s backing, Compass is poised to continue growing in Australia and its key markets at a time when schools are actively modernizing their systems and transitioning to the cloud. Against this backdrop, Compass is well positioned to see even greater adoption of its suite of more than 40 modules and embedded payments offerings.

Group CEO and Founder John de la Motte – who continues as a significant shareholder in the Company – said: “Compass is investing heavily to further develop the platform with a focus on analytics, learning, assessment, and timetabling — each of which are rapidly gaining traction in schools. The partnership with EQT, which brings to Compass its deep expertise supporting education and technology businesses globally, will support us in accelerating growth. We anticipate EQT’s support will even better enable Compass to expand internationally, pursue selective M&A opportunities, and accelerate hiring to bring forward some key projects.”

EQT’s investment in Compass further underscores its commitment to advancing both the global education and technology sectors. To date, EQT has made more than 60 platform investments across these sectors, with an aggregate valuation exceeding USD 65 billion, reflecting its dedication to developing innovative solutions for students, parents, teachers, and the broader technology landscape.

Nicholas Macksey, Partner in the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team and head of the Mid-Market Growth strategy, said: “Compass is a standout leader in the education software space, and we have been consistently impressed by the company’s dedication to supporting meaningful education outcomes and exceptional user experiences for educators and parents. Compass extends EQT’s track record of supporting technology solutions that strategically align with our investment themes, enabling us to leverage our deep insights to enhance and drive innovation in key sectors. We look forward to working closely with John and Compass’ talented team to accelerate Compass’ mission of creating lasting value in the educational field.”

EQT invests in Compass through the BPEA EQT Mid-Market Growth Partnership (the “MMG Fund”). EQT’s MMG strategy is a natural extension of EQT’s established large-cap buyout platform in Asia Pacific, and leverages EQT’s pan-Asian presence to implement key initiatives within its portfolio. EQT has been a prolific investor in the software and tech services sector in Asia through its MMG and large-cap strategies, and Compass adds to its portfolio which includes, but is not limited to, Quantios, HRBrain, and WSO2.

As part of the transaction, Advent Partners will exit its investment in Compass, which was initiated six years ago. Robert Radcliffe Smith, Managing Partner at Advent Partners, stated: “It has been incredibly rewarding to be part of Compass’ growth journey, expanding from 1,000 schools in Melbourne to 3,000 schools across Australia, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. This achievement is a tribute to John and the Compass team for building a business that now has millions of passionate teachers, students, and parents who use the product every day. Compass is now arguably the world’s leading SaaS Student Information System.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals. Further details of the transaction are not disclosed.

Contact
Alex Beashel, Compass Education, +61 466 308 667, media@compass.education
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

About

About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 246 billion in total assets under management (EUR 133 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About Compass:
Compass helps school communities simplify complexity with an all-in-one school management system. Featuring more than 40 connected, time-saving tools, schools can unlock productivity across attendance, payments, assessments, wellbeing and more. Compass powers 3,000+ government, catholic and independent schools in Australia, UK and Ireland to enrich their education experience by streamlining administrative workflow and enhancing community engagement.

Our vision is to reduce the administrative burden on staff and give teachers time to focus on the important things: helping learning thrive. For more information visitCompass Education or follow Compass onLinkedIn.

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Main announces majority investment in Intelligent Document Processing software provider Whitevision

Main Capital Partners

Main Capital Partners announces the acquisition of a majority stake in Whitevision, a leading Dutch provider of Intelligent Document Processing software solutions.

Together with Main, Whitevision will pursue a strategy to further enrich its product offering and expand internationally to become a leading player in the European market.

Whitevision, founded in 2005 and based in Breda (The Netherlands), is a developer and provider of software solutions to process documents in a digital and efficient manner. The company assists organizations in automatically collecting, recognizing, matching and approving documents. Whitevision consequently provides substantial efficiency gains for organizations by automating the document processing workflows.

Whitevision provides its modern software solutions to more than 1,600 customers across various document-heavy verticals, including the construction & installation, professional services, technology, logistics and the automotive industry. With Whitevision’s SaaS platform, more than 18 million documents are processed each year, leading to significant time savings across its customer base.

Strong ambitions for growth and product innovation

Whitevision and Main will aim to accelerate the company’s growth, both in the Netherlands, its home market, as well as in the rest of Europe. The company has already initiated the first steps in its internationalization strategy. Whitevision aims to significantly accelerate this ambition on the back of an effective direct go-to-market strategy and utilization of its strong partner network, while relying on the knowledge and network provided by Main’s deep market coverage in various European regions such as the DACH and Nordics. Next to the ambition to penetrate new markets, Whitevision and Main will also invest in the further expansion of the company’s product suite to enhance the value proposition for new and existing customers even more.

Frank de Wit, CEO of Whitevision: “We are delighted to announce the partnership with Main. After nearly 20 years of building a stable foundation with more than 1,600 customers and 25,000 users, we are entering a new phase of growth with this partnership. This will allow us to realize our growth ambitions even faster! Together with Main and the Whitevision team, we can enable even more organizations to benefit from our smart solutions for processing incoming documents. In parallel, we can invest even more in smart and new technologies to further expand our leading position in the rapidly changing market.”

For Main, the acquisition marks a next strategic step in a market they have a great level of expertise and experience in. Sjoerd Aarts, Managing Partner at Main Capital Partners: “Intelligent Document Processing and the broader markets of Enterprise Information Management and Business Process Management are domains in which Main has developed a great level of expertise. The increasing need for the digitization and automation of processes, as well as cross-border eProcurement opportunities, are expected to drive the growth of this market in the upcoming years. Main has been in contact with Frank for a long time already and is impressed by the company he has built. We are very excited to assist Frank and Whitevision’s experienced management team as a strategic partner in the company’s next stage of national and international expansion, both organically and through a buy-and-build strategy.”

We are very excited to assist Frank and Whitevision’s experienced management team as a strategic partner in the company’s next stage of national and international expansion, both organically and through a buy-and-build strategy.

– Sjoerd Aarts, Managing Partner and Head of Benelux at Main Capital Partners

About

Whitevision

Whitevision, founded in 2005 and based in Breda (The Netherlands), is a developer and provider of software solutions to process documents in a digital and efficient manner. With its software, Whitevision helps its customers attain significant efficiencies through workflow automation related to the invoice booking process. The company is active in many different verticals but is a particularly prominent player in the construction & installation, professional services, technology, logistics and the automotive sectors. In total, the company serves over 1,600 customers, for which it processes over 18 million documents on an annual basis.

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Blackstone Acquires Majority Stake in Leading Hotel Accounting Software and Services Provider M3

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Blackstone

Growth investment made in partnership with Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)

New York, NY and Atlanta, GA – August 15, 2024 – M3, LLC (“M3”), voted the number-one hospitality accounting software in North America, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for a majority investment from Blackstone Growth and affiliated funds (collectively “Blackstone”). The investment will help to accelerate the company’s growth by enhancing new product expansion and supporting the adoption of M3’s software, which enables hotel operators to run more efficiently and effectively. AAHOA, representing nearly 20,000 hotel owners and 60% of hotels across the United States, will make its first ever strategic investment alongside Blackstone.

Founded in 1998 by hospitality industry veteran John McKibbon to address the accounting needs of his own family’s hotel management company, M3 has grown into a leading hospitality-focused back-office accounting software platform that serves as the system-of-record for financial data for more than a thousand hotel operators and management companies today. It currently offers technological solutions including accounting, labor management and business intelligence to more than 8,000 properties across North America. M3 has ranked as the nation’s number-one hotel accounting software and financial reporting provider by HotelTech Report for the past four years.

John McKibbon, Founder of M3, said: “Blackstone’s background in hospitality made them the natural choice as our first equity partner. Together, we look forward to propelling our innovation and growth to best serve our customers in an era of continued technological advancement.”

Ramzi Ramsey, a Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “M3 has become a leading finance and accounting software platform for countless independent and family owned hotel operators, as well as some of the largest hotel management companies, that have relied on its technology to support the professionalization and scale of their businesses. As M3’s first institutional capital partner, we’re excited to harness Blackstone’s deep expertise and network within the real estate and technology sectors to help enhance its product offering to better serve new and existing companies as M3 continues to grow.”

Allen Read and Casi Johnson, CEO and President of M3, said: “For over 25 years, M3 has been focused on delivering a comprehensive solution while providing world class support to our customers. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serving our customers and are thrilled to partner with Blackstone to continue to scale our vision, team, and culture.”

Kevin Chang, a Principal at Blackstone, said: “M3 has built an enviable market position thanks to its robust technology and customer-centric approach. We are eager to build upon this strong foundation and support M3 in its next phase of growth and expansion in the broader hospitality market.”

Miraj S. Patel, AAHOA Chairman, said: “AAHOA is excited to make its first strategic investment alongside Blackstone, a move that will significantly benefit our members and the entire hospitality industry. This partnership with M3 will bring AAHOA Members access to advanced technology and innovative solutions that can enhance operational efficiency and drive growth. We are committed to empowering our members with the tools and resources needed to succeed in an evolving market, and this collaboration marks a pivotal step toward achieving that goal.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Carlton Fields, P.A., served as legal counsel to M3 and Houlihan Lokey has provided certain assistance to M3 in connection with the transaction. Evercore served as exclusive financial advisor to Blackstone and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Blackstone.

About M3
Built by hoteliers exclusively for hoteliers, M3 is a robust cloud-based financial platform and services company serving over 8,000 properties across North America’s hospitality industry helping drive cost savings, revenue enhancement, and business insight. After over 25 years in business, M3 touts a 95 percent customer retention rate. Used by over 1,000 management groups and owner-operators and hotels of all sizes, the platform works seamlessly with other key systems and tools in the hospitality industry. It offers robust accounting and financial analysis across entire portfolios with optional operations and time management features. M3’s Professional Services team provides on-demand accounting and bookkeeping support for hotels and portfolios of any size by offering a full range of customized accounting solutions that can scale with a hotelier’s needs. Privately held and employee-owned, M3 continues to constantly enhance products and services with regular releases and updates. “M3”, “CoreSelect”, “M3 Concierge”, and “Accounting Core” are all trademarks owned by M3; all other marks are owned by their respective owners.  For more information, visit www.m3as.com.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

About AAHOA
AAHOA is the largest hotel owner’s association in the world, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA’s 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. More than 1 million employees work at AAHOA Member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA’s mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement.

Contact

Blackstone
Mariel Seidman-Gati
mariel.seidmangati@blackstone.com
(917) 698-1674

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