Private Equity
Volaris Group, an operating group of Constellation Software Inc, has acquired Netadmin Systems. No financial terms were released. Based in Linköping, Sweden, Netadmin is a provider of operational support system solutions which help communication service providers build and operate their networks and meet service levels. Toronto-based Constellation acquires, manages and builds vertical market software businesses. Publicly listed in 2006, it remains a portfolio investment of OMERS Private Equity.
2 min read · 17 September 2015
Doxim Inc has bought Roler Data Transfer Services Inc, a Mississauga, Ontario-based provider of electronic document composition, processing, delivery and archiving services. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Doxim, a provider of customer engagement software for the financial services industry, said the acquisition adds to its customer base and will ensure better service. Based in Markham, Ontario, the company received a majority investment last year from Strattam Capital, a technology-focused U.S. private equity firm.
3 min read · 17 September 2015
Canadian specialty finance firm Difference Capital Financial (DCF) has sold its majority interest in WG Ltd, which operates as WorldGaming, a Toronto-based online gaming platform that facilitates tournaments, leagues and gaming ladders for the competitive gaming community. The buyer was Cineplex Inc (TSX: CGX), which is investing US$10 million to obtain an 80 percent stake in WorldGaming. Cineplex will invest an additional US$5 million to expand the business, DCF said. DCF, which will retain a small equity stake in the company, expects to receive $6.4 million from the deal.
2 min read · 17 September 2015
European telecoms group Altice will become a major force in the lucrative U.S. cable market after it agreed to buy fourth-largest operator Cablevision shares in a deal worth US$17.7 billion, Reuters reported. Altice, which acquired regional cable group Suddenlink in May, will fund the deal partly with equity from Suddenlink's backers, BC Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
4 min read · 17 September 2015
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan has agreed to acquire a 30 percent interest in OGF, a funeral services provider in France, from Pamplona Capital Management. No financial terms were disclosed. Ontario Teachers said it plans to increase the size of its stake in OGF to 40 percent over time. The initial deal is expect to close this month. Founded 170 years ago, OGF operates a network of 1,000 branches, 468 funeral homes, 53 crematoria, and a brands portfolio from its headquarters in Paris. Pamplona, an alternative investments firm based in London, will remain the majority investor in the business.
4 min read · 17 September 2015
The infrastructure investment program of Canadian private markets investor Northleaf Capital Partners has raised more than $1.5 billion in committed capital. Two funds, Northleaf Infrastructure Capital Partners I, an OECD-focused vehicle, and a North American mid-market fund designed for a leading Canadian institutional investor, accounted for the capital raised. Toronto-based Northleaf has also added to its infrastructure team. It recently hired Matthew Woodeson as managing director, and Dimitrios Siomos as director, head of infrastructure asset management. The firm said it is marketing its second OECD fund, Northleaf Infrastructure Capital Partners II, which will see an initial close in the fourth quarter.
4 min read · 17 September 2015
ARB Midstream LLC has expanded into Canada with its acquisition of Sunwest Energy Canada Ltd, a crude oil marketing and trading company based in Calgary. No financial terms were disclosed. Sunwest, which was established in 2004, will now operate under the new name of ARB Midstream Logistics Canada ULC. ARB, a Denver, Colorado-based midstream energy business, funded the deal in part by an equity commitment from its private equity backer, BV Natural Resources. The latter is an affiliate of Ball Ventures LLC, a U.S. real estate development, investment and lending company.
3 min read · 16 September 2015
WSP Global Inc (TSX: WSP) has raised about $345 million through a bought deal offering and a private placement. The latter involved a raise of approximately $144 million from existing shareholders the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. The proceeds of the two transactions will be used to help finance WSP's purchase of MMM Group Ltd, a Canadian engineering consulting business, for $425 million. It was previously reported that the Caisse was investing in the acquisition. As a result of the private placement, CPPIB and the Caisse now hold about 17.8 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of Montréal-based WSP's issued and outstanding shares.
6 min read · 16 September 2015
HIG Growth Partners, an affiliate of U.S. private equity firm HIG Capital, has made an investment in Go2mobi, a Victoria, British Columbia-based provider of mobile advertising solutions to brands, agencies and self-serve clients. The deal, the value of which was not disclosed, will see HIG partner with the company's co-founders, CEO Gavin Aitken and President Tom Desaulniers, to support Go2mobi's continued growth and technology development in the cross-screen programmatic space. Go2mobi, which conducts sales from offices in New York, San Francisco and Vancouver, plans to target new opportunities in Canada, the United States and around the world.
4 min read · 16 September 2015
Sysomos Inc, a portfolio company of OMERS Private Equity, has acquired gazeMetrix, an image recognition and visual listening platform based in Mountain View, California. No financial terms were published. Sysomos, which earlier this year acquired Expion LLC, said the deal will allow it to help brands and agencies capitalize on opportunities presented in the visual social web. Launched in 2012 through startup accelerator 500 Startups, gazeMetrix was venture-backed. Sysomos, a Toronto-based social intelligence business, was spun out of OMERS' portfolio company Marketwired Inc in February. OMERS has committed to support its global growth strategy.
4 min read · 16 September 2015
