Private Equity
Toronto-based online talent assessment platform Kira Talent has secured $1.2 million in seed-stage funding. Canadian venture capital firm Relay Ventures led the follow-on round with participation from other investors, including new investor the Business Development Bank of Canada and existing angel investors, such as Joe Canavan, Anthony Lacavera, Sam Duboc, John Kelleher and Roger Martin. Update: Kira said proceeds will be used to refine its Kira Academic platform, which allows post-secondary institutions to evaluate applicants through the use of timed video and written response questions. The company was founded in 2012.
3 min read · 11 March 2015
Allied Global Holdings Inc has bought Alliance iCommunications, a London, Ontario-based provider of inbound and outbound call centre services. The financial terms of the transaction were not released. Allied Global, a supplier of accounts receivable management services and call centre solutions, said that as a result of the acquisition, the company now has nine call centres in four countries. Headquartered in New Market, Ontario, Allied Global is a portfolio investment of Canadian private equity firm Fulcrum Capital Partners. It was acquired in January 2007.
2 min read · 05 March 2015
Canadian private equity firm Clairvest Group has made a US$25.6 million investment in Winters Bros Waste Systems of Long Island Holdings LLC. The investment support's the company's recently announced acquisition of waste management assets of Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. Winters Bros of Long Island provides collection services and operates a network of transfer and recycling facilities across Long Island, New York. Clairvest's investment represents its third partnership with Joe and Sean Winters who, together with their family, are the company's principal shareholders. Last July, Clairvest raised $600 million for its fifth fund, Clairvest Equity Partners V LP.
3 min read · 04 March 2015
Quickplay Media Inc, a portfolio company of U.S. private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, has purchased Roundbox Inc, a provider of cloud-enabled solutions and software that optimize video and data-intensive applications. The value of the acquisition was not disclosed. The Toronto-based Quickplay, a mobile video platform, said the deal will enable an array of new services for customers. Based in Florham Park, New Jersey, Roundbox has been been backed by a number of U.S. venture capital firms, including Core Capital Partners, Greenspring Associates, Polaris Venture Partners and RRE Ventures. Madison Dearborn acquired Quickplay in July 2012.
4 min read · 04 March 2015
In early 2013, Canadian content marketing startup Pressly generated buzz when it raised $1.5 million in a first-time financing. This week Pressly took another step on its growth path, closing a $2.1 million follow-on financing that was led by Canadian venture capital firm Gibraltar Ventures and that was joined by existing investors iNovia Capital and OMERS Ventures.
2 min read · 04 March 2015
British private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have agreed to sell a portfolio of 90 aircraft of AWAS Aviation Capital Ltd to Macquarie Group. The deal is valued at US$4 billion and is expected to be finalized within 12 months. Terra Firma and CPPIB invested in AWAS, a Dublin, Ireland-based aircraft leasing company, in 2006. Terra Firma owns a 75 percent stake in AWAS, while CPPIB owns a 25 percent stake. Following the sale to Macquarie, the company will continue to own a diversified portfolio of more than 200 modern aircraft and has plans to continue growing its fleet.
5 min read · 03 March 2015
Brookfield Cold Storage, created two years ago in a corporate carve-out deal by the private equity group of Brookfield Asset Management, has completed its first add-on acquisition. The company has entered the market in Atlantic Canada through its buy of Nova Cold Storage, a Halifax-based provider of refrigerated warehousing, handling and third party logistics for food producers.
2 min read · 03 March 2015
ChipCare Corp has secured $5.045 million in a Series A round, bringing its total funding to date to $8.3 million. The latest deal was led by U.S.-based Puffin Partners and was joined by new and existing investors, including MaRS Innovation, Maple Leaf Angels, Winfield Venture Group, Epic Capital, and a number of angel investors. Based in Toronto, ChipCare has developed a handheld, blood-testing platform for HIV and other infectious and non-communicable diseases. Its technology, which is currently being commercialized, is targeted to remote health settings. The company's first HIV-related test, which aims to link people with HIV with treatments, is expected to hit the market late next year.
4 min read · 03 March 2015
Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins and Fondaction CSN have joined forces to acquire ATIS Group, a manufacturer of doors and windows based in Longueuil, Québec. The acquisition's value was not published. The deal was done in partnership with company management, including Robert Doyon, who will stay on as president and CEO. Atis, which was formerly backed by U.S. private equity firm Cyprium Partners, said the new partnership will support its recently launched five-year strategic growth plan. Founded in 2004 with the acquisition of Laflamme Doors and Windows and Solarcan Doors and Windows, Atis reports having $200 million in revenue.
4 min read · 26 February 2015
Canadian private equity firm TorQuest Partners has partnered with management and co-investors to acquire a majority stake in Envirosystems Inc. The deal's financial terms were not disclosed. Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Envirosystems is a provider of industrial and environmental services with locations across North America. The seller in the deal was Thornridge Holdings Ltd, a private investment firm located in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Envirosystems said the partnership with TorQuest will bring capital and expertise to its continued organic and acquisition-based growth. The TorQuest investment is the fourth to date for TorQuest Partners Fund III, which closed at $535 million in 2013.
3 min read · 26 February 2015
