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SPACs take 2020 by storm and change the IPO game for the long haul, Providence CEO Jonathan Nelson to move into executive chairman role, New Jersey eyes fee savings in separate accounts with BlackRock, Neuberger Berman and Asia Alts
 
Thursday, October 01, 2020
 
 
Morning!

SPACs are the new market move on everyone's mind. As of Sept 30, 185 special purpose acquisition companies are sitting on more than $58 billion of dry powder, writes Sarah Pringle in an in-depth look at the rise of SPACs today.

“When we first put ourselves on file in 2013, SPACs were not cool. SPACs were the skunk at the garden party,” says Dan Hennessy, chairman and CEO of Hennessy Capital, a SPAC sponsor whose fourth vehicle in August completed a merger with Canoo, an electric vehicle maker.

What's pushing the SPAC phenomenon, a strategy once reserved for private equity executives who couldn't raise a traditional fund? Well, strong equity markets have helped. GPs have also found another option to raise capital, collect fees and invest in new companies.

“Every person on the planet cares,” one leading SPAC underwriter tells us. “Every bank has a ‘SPAC guy’. Even every big PE firm. Every law firm is focused on it. You have grandmothers sitting in their house trading SPACs with their pandemic money.”

Read our cover story here and or on PE Hub.
 
 
 
Top Scoops
 
Providence Equity Partners CEO and founder Jonathan Nelson will move into an executive chairman role effective January 2021, the firm said in a statement. The move is part of a succession that will see Davis Noell and David Phillips as senior managing directors and co-heads of North America. Karim Tabet and Andrew Tisdale will become senior managing directors and co-heads of Europe, while John Hahn, head of the firm's London office, will retire. Read the news here on PE Hub.
 
 
 
Have a great day! Reach me with your thoughts, tips, gossip, whatever at cwitkowsky@buyoutsinsider.com, on Twitter or find me on LinkedIn.

HOUSEKEEPING: Deadline extension! Invitation to Perspectives 2021

In its ninth year, Perspectives is Buyouts's annual study of how institutional investors will approach private equity over the coming year. If you are an institutional investor, your participation in the study is greatly appreciated.

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE. Deadline to participate: 03 October, 2020

Participating takes less than 10 minutes (I promise!) and in return you will be provided with a complimentary copy of the full results of the study. A $5 donation to UNICEF will be made for every completed set of responses, with your answers remaining strictly anonymous. For any questions, please email Nicole Douglas, Head of Investor Research: nicole.d@peimedia.com
 
 
 
 
Premium
 
 
 
 
SPACs take 2020 by storm and change the IPO game for the long haul
The new and improved SPAC has proven irresistible for many investors and companies yearning to go public, but are investors being taken for a ride? More...
 
Ardian buys stake in interior construction company Acousti for $100m-plus
The PE firm acquired roughly 60 percent of Acousti Engineering. More...
 
New Jersey eyes fee savings in separate accounts with BlackRock, Neuberger Berman and Asia Alts
The $75bn pension fund will use the accounts to harness the resources of all three firms to evaluate opportunities in the aftermath of the covid market disruption. More...
 
 
 
LACERS is latest LP to face post-covid benchmarking woes
The $19.2bn pension's consultant stressed that the PE program's apparent under-performance is due to public market volatility, a common issue faced by LPs. More...
 
Edtech sector has sights set on graduating with large exits
Investor interest in edtech is expected to continue in a post-pandemic world, according to Tory Patterson of edtech-focused Owl Ventures, who says that we will soon see some good IPO candidates. More...
 
Foodtech investing surges, accelerated by the coronavirus
The latest evidence comes from Scrum Ventures, which has launched a studio. More...
 
 
 
 
PE Deals
Sponsored by
 
NXT Capital
 
 
 
 
SK Capital completes acquisition of specialty polymers business of Baker Hughes, renamed NuCera
NuCera also announced the appointment of Steve McKeown as CEO and Shawn Ham as CFO.  More...
 
Cairngorm Capital-backed Grant & Stone adds on 3Counties Timber & Building Supplies
The acquisition was triggered by 3Counties' owners' succession planning. More...
 
LFM Capital invests in Diamabrush
LFM managing director Dan Shockley, director Conner Harris, managing director Chris Lin and senior associate Wilson Ren worked on the deal. More...
 
 
 
LFM invests in Diamabrush
LFM Capital has made an investment in Madison Heights, Michigan-based Diamabrush, a maker of abrasive brushes and replacement blades. More...
 
Argonne backs Schill Grounds Management
Argonne Capital Group has made a controlling investment in Cleveland-based Schill Grounds Management, a commercial landscaping company. More...
 
Serent Capital invests in Actionstep
Serent Capital has invested in Actionstep, a cloud-based legal practice management system founded in New Zealand. More...
 
Aksia to buy Alignium
Aksia has agreed to acquire Chicago-based Alignium LLC, which provides specialist real estate investment advisory services. More...
 
Argand completes Cherry buyout
Argand Partners LP has closed the buyout of Cherry, a German maker of high-precision keyboard switch technology for PC gaming and professional use computing peripheral products. More...
 
CAI Capital Partners invests in CMT Engineering Laboratories
CAI Capital Partners has invested in CMT Engineering Laboratories, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based provider of civil and geotechnical engineering services, including land surveying, construction material testing and inspection. More...
 
PE-backed GardaWorld hikes up bid for rival G4S: Reuters
Montreal-based security company GardaWorld has increased its offer for British rival G4S, which rejected an earlier proposal, according to a Reuters report. More...
 
Ardian to buy Acousti
Ardian has agreed to acquire Florida-based Acousti Engineering, a specialty contractor of interior systems for commercial and institutional buildings. No financial terms were disclosed. PRESS RELEASE New York, September 30, 2020 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, today announced that its North America Direct Buyouts team reached agreement to acquire Acousti Engineering Company of [] More...
 
EHP invests in NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals
Enhanced Healthcare Partners has made an investment in NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals, a provider of integrated healthcare for patients with acute psychiatric disorders and complex medical and neurological disorders. More...
 
 
 
VC News
 
 
 
 
Bykea takes in Series B
Bykea, a Pakistan-based on-demand transport and logistics platform, has raised a Series B funding round that brings the total tally to $22 million. More...
 
Black Dog acquires interest in OnPlate Technologies
Black Dog Venture Partners has acquired a 50 percent stake in OnPlate Technologies, a Montreal-based concierge, waiter, menu and payment processing app. More...
 
Crosslink Capital targets $275m for ninth fund
Crosslink Capital is seeking to raise $275 million for its ninth fund, according to an SEC filing. More...
 
ShipBob amasses $68m Series D
Chicago-based ShipBob, a fulfillment solutions provider for e-commerce businesses, has secured $68 million in Series D funding, according to a blog post on its site. More...
 
Medical device company Siren gathers $9m
Siren, a medical device company, has raised $9 million in funding. More...
 
Invetx procures $10.25m
Boston-based Invetx, a provider of protein-based therapeutics for animal health, has raised $10.25 million in funding. More...
 
Elevate Security scores $8.25m
Elevate Security, a human risk management platform, has secured $8.25 million in funding. More...
 
Neuron Mobility pulls in $12m
Neuron Mobility, an e-scooter startup, has raised $12 million in funding, according to an announcement on its site. More...
 
Coralogix nets $25m Series B
Coralogix, a log analytics platform, has raised $25 million in Series B funding. More...
 
Papaya Global lands $40m Series B
Papaya Global, a people and payroll platform, has secured $40 million in Series B funding, according to a blog post on its site. More...
 
VTEX snags $225m Series D
VTEX, an integrated commerce-marketplace-OMS platform, has raised $225 million in Series D funding. More...
 
Peter Thiel’s Palantir goes public: CNN.com
Palantir, the data company founded by Peter Thiel, has gone public after listing its reference price at $7.25 per share, reported CNN.com. More...
 
JME Ventures leads seed round for Emjoy
Barcelona-based Emjoy, an intimate wellbeing startup, has secured $3 million in seed funding. More...
 
VC-backed Phenom acquires HR tech firm My Ally
Phenom, a provider of talent experience management solutions, has acquired My Ally, an AI-based HR tech company. More...
 
Bamboo Systems inks $7m
Bamboo Systems, an Arm-only server vendor, has raised $7 million in funding. More...
 
Venture-backed Lane buys proptech company eServus
Lane has acquired Toronto-based eServus, a provider of concierge and tenant engagement services to the real estate industry. More...
 
Adlumin grabs $6m Series A
Washington, D.C.-based Adlumin, a security and compliance automation platform in the financial sector for institutions, has raised $6 million in Series A funding. More...
 
Fintech company Facet Wealth picks up $25m Series B
Facet Wealth, a fintech company, has raised $25 million in Series B funding. More...
 
Strigo fetches $8m Series A
Strigo, which helps provide customer training for software companies, has secured $8 million in Series A financing. More...
 
Sonoma Biotherapeutics rakes in Series A
South San Francisco and Seattle-based Sonoma Biotherapeutics, a developer of regulatory T-cell therapies for autoimmune and degenerative diseases, has raised $30 million from investors in its Series A financing, bringing the total to $70 million. More...
 
General Atlantic backs RRVL
General Atlantic is investing $498.31 million in RRVL, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. More...
 
BEGiN nabs $50m Series C
BEGiN, the creator of early learning program HOMER, has raised $50 million in Series C funding. More...
 
 
 
Credit
 
 
 
 
Five Points, Graycliff make unitranche investment in Alitus’s acquisition of ATRO Engineered Systems
Five Points and Graycliff made the investments through their credit funds.  More...
 
Specialty Dental Brands secures $74m from Oxford Finance
Oxford Finance has provided a $74 million credit facility and revolving line of credit to Specialty Dental Brands, a dental services organization focused on pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and oral surgery. More...
 
 
 
Firms and Funds
 
 
 
 
Strategic Value Partners closes dislocation fund on more than $1.65bn
The fund has already deployed 25 percent of its capital, including in investments in European logistics company Swissport and U.S. roofing and drainage products maker OmniMax International. More...
 
FirePower Capital secures C$250m for private credit strategy
FirePower Capital, a Canadian mid-market private debt and private equity firm, has secured a more than C$250 million commitment. More...
 
Ocean Link garners over $490.7m for sophomore fund
Ocean Link Partners has raised over $490.7 million for its second fund, according to an SEC filing. More...
 
 
 
People Moves
 
 
 
 
AE Industrial Partners promotes five
The firm promoted Trey Bivins, Jeffrey Hart and Bryan McElwee to principals from vice presidents, and Tyler Letarte and Andrew McElhinney to vice presidents from senior associates.  More...
 
Auctus Capital hires five senior executives, merges Monolith Global Partners
John Ellsworth and Chad White, co-founders of Monolith, merged the firm with Auctus and joined as managing director and director, respectively. More...
 
Ardian Infrastructure taps Echave as financing head
Ardian Infrastructure has appointed Joseba Echave as head of financing. More...
 
Providence appoints CEO Nelson as exec chair
Providence Equity Partners has named CEO and founder Jonathan Nelson as executive chairman. More...
 
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