I've been a business reporter for a while. I've covered Wall Street, venture capital and now private equity. I'm always looking for a scoop or something to talk about. I'm the eternal optimist and am still waiting for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. Yes, I believe.
Ship Supply International, a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital, has acquired Universal Maritime Inc. Financial terms weren’t announced. Universal Maritime, of Harbor City, California, provides port logistics services and products including deck & engine supplies, provisions, cabin essentials and bonded goods.
4 min read · 05 April 2018
GMS Inc said April 5 that it agreed to buy WSB Titan for $627 million. Sellers include Titan’s current management and TorQuest Partners. Titan, of Toronto, is a gypsum specialty dealer serving the residential, commercial, and institutional markets.
9 min read · 05 April 2018
CoinList said April 5 that it raised $9.2 million its initial funding round. Investors include Polychain Capital, Digital Currency Group, FBG Capital, Libertus Capital, Blockchain Capital, CoinFund and Electric Capital. The $9.2 million includes funds previously raised from Accomplice and Protocol Labs. CoinList is a technology platform that aims to connect accredited investors with vetted blockchain projects.
3 min read · 05 April 2018
FusionZONE Automotive LLC, a portfolio company of Primus Capital, said April 4 that it’s buying MotorWebs Inc. Financial terms weren’t announced. MotorWebs, of Seattle, is web design company that specializes in the creation and management of car dealership websites.
3 min read · 05 April 2018
Zilingo has raised $54 million in a Series C led by Sofina, Burda Principal Investments and Sequoia Capital India. Amadeus Capital joined in the round as a new investor. All existing investors participated in the round including Tim Draper, SIG, Venturra, Beenext, Manik Arora and others. Zilingo, of Singapore, is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle marketplace.
6 min read · 05 April 2018
2 min read · 04 April 2018
IfOnly said April 4 that it raised a Series D funding led by Mastercard. Financial terms weren’t announced. Hyatt Hotels Corp, Sotheby’s, NEA, Founder’s Fund, Khosla Ventures, and TriplePoint Capital also participated in the round. IfOnly, of San Francisco, provides access to experiences that benefit worthy causes.
3 min read · 04 April 2018
Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC said April 4 that it has acquired a majority of The State Group Inc and The State Group Industrial (USA) Ltd. Financial terms weren’t announced. Yellow Point Equity Partners is a minority investor in the deal. State Group, of Toronto, provides electrical and mechanical trade services to clients in industries such as power generation, automotive, oil and gas, communications, metals and transportation. Cowen provided financial advice to The State Group, while Houlihan Lokey acted as financial adviser to Blue Wolf.
4 min read · 04 April 2018
U.S. regulators forced SoftBank to give up day-to-day control over Fortress Investment Group before it would approve its $3.3 billion buy of the PE business last year, the Financial Times reported. SoftBank has limited say in how Fortress manages its $38 billion in assets, the story said.
1 min read · 04 April 2018
La Colombe has hired Moelis & Co to explore fundraising options, including a sale, Bloomberg reported. La Colombe, a premium coffee brand backed by Hamdi Ulukaya, is seeking a valuation north of $1 billion and is open to selling a minority or majority stake, the story said. Ulukaya is the founder of Chobani yogurt; he invested in La Colombe in 2015 and owns a majority.
1 min read · 04 April 2018
