Boss Insights - Tech M&A Round Up - 18th October 2019

Cority Acquires Axion Health
Toronto, ON and Broomfield, CO – 16th October 2019 - Cority, provider of environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) software, has announced its acquisition of Axion Health, Inc., provider of Employee Health software solutions for healthcare providers. This strategic acquisition solidifies Cority’s position in providing comprehensive EHSQ solutions to the global healthcare industry. The addition of Axion Health further strengthens Cority’s ability to deliver value to healthcare organizations by adding the best-in-class turnkey solution for Employee Health. Adding to Cority’s extensive group of health and safety software users in the healthcare industry, Axion Health's SaaS solution, ReadySet®, is used by over 100 hospital systems to ensure compliance, gain efficiencies, and improve employee care and wellness. “We are excited to join Cority in what is clearly to be the top global EHSQ software company,” says Gage Garby, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, Axion Health. “Both companies are in the business of serving customers by protecting workers, relieving complex regulatory burdens, and driving operational efficiencies and wellness outcomes. Together, we provide the broadest and deepest employee and occupational health SaaS solutions for the healthcare industry.”
https://www.cority.com/cority-acquires-axion-health/

VTS Announces Acquisition of PropertyCapsule
New York - 16th October 2019 - Commercial real estate leasing and asset management platform, VTS, has announced that the company has entered into an agreement to acquire PropertyCapsule, creator of marketing automation and prospecting software used by more than 50% of the top 100 retail landlords in North America. As part of the acquisition, Thomas Byrne, CEO of PropertyCapsule and former President and COO of LoopNet, will join the VTS team in the newly created position of General Manager, Retail Products and Data, where he will oversee the strategic direction and delivery of VTS’ retail product offerings. As reported by Bloomberg, a source close to the deal valued the transaction at $20 million. Although this is unconfirmed.
https://blog.vts.com/vts-is-acquiring-propertycapsule/

DigiCert Acquisition by Clearlake Capital Group and TA Associates Closes
Lehi, Utah – 16th October 2019 - DigiCert, Inc., provider of TLS/SSL, IoT and PKI solutions, has announced that private equity firms Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. and TA Associates have completed their previously announced investment in DigiCert. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. DigiCert CEO, John Merrill, said: “DigiCert is excited to work with Clearlake and TA Associates as our new lead investors, and to continue our leadership in providing the best TLS/SSL products and solutions, focused on improving and automating certificate management. We are confident in our vision for growth and the increasing value we’ll bring to our customers. Jason Werlin, a Managing Director at TA Associates, said,” TA Associates made its first investment in DigiCert seven years ago. “TA has had a front-row seat to DigiCert’s impressive rise as the industry leader in its space, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the management team to invest in and support DigiCert’s innovation and growth efforts.”
https://www.digicert.com/news/digicert-acquisition-by-clearlake-capital-group-and-ta-associates-closes/

Workfront Acquires Strategic Goals Management Startup Atiim
Silicon Slopes, Utah – 15th October 2019 - Workfront®, the first modern work management application  for enterprises, has acquired Atiim, a pioneer in enterprise goal management software. By adding the new goal management capabilities, Workfront will enable enterprises to manage organizational and individual goals, work and key results on a single platform for the first time. The acquisition is complete, effective immediately. Building on Atiim’s leadership in strategic goals management, the company will release a new Workfront Goals product in early 2020. Workfront Goals is designed to help organizations solve the essential challenge of large enterprises: aligning people and teams to effectively and efficiently achieve company objectives, using one platform to set goals, track goals, manage work, track progress, and measure results. Steven ZoBell, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Workfront, said, “With the addition of Workfront Goals, we are bringing a breakthrough in modern work management by providing the key capabilities that enterprises need to align people and their work to strategic goals and objectives, ultimately driving powerful business results.”
https://www.workfront.com/news/Workfront-Acquires-Strategic-Goals-Management-Startup-Atiim

Aptean Continues to Expand its Food ERP Capabilities with Acquisition of Linkfresh
Alpharetta, GA – 15th October 2019 - Aptean, a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, has announced the acquisition of UK-based Linkfresh, a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for the food industry. This acquisition accelerates Aptean’s move toward expansion of its diverse portfolio and geographic reach of cloud-based solutions for all segments of the food industry. It also extends Aptean’s core competencies to serve more distinct areas of the marketplace as it continues undergoing digital transformation. “Acquiring Linkfresh expands our market-leading solutions for food organizations,” said TVN Reddy, CEO of Aptean. “The addition of Linkfresh’s dedicated focus and expertise in fresh foods, as well as its strong UK footprint, solidifies Aptean’s position as a provider of choice to food and beverage companies across North Amerca and the United Kingdom.”
https://www.aptean.com/our-company/news-and-press/aptean-continues-to-expand-its-food-erp-capabilities-with-acquisition-of-linkfresh

Accenture Interactive Announces Intent to Acquire French Data Marketing Firm Sutter Mills
Paris – 11th October 2019 - Accenture has agreed to acquire Sutter Mills, a French firm that specializes in developing and executing data-driven marketing strategies for clients. The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and would be subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed. The acquisition would strengthen Accenture Interactive’s ability to help brands, in France and throughout Europe, to leverage data to deploy innovative marketing strategies. The combination of Sutter Mills’ and Accenture Interactive’s expertise would enable companies to create hyper-relevant experiences at scale across all customer touchpoints. Olivier Girard, country Managing Director of Accenture in France and the Benelux, said: “The acquisition of Sutter Mills would be a key step in our growth strategy. By helping companies better exploit data to create hyper-personalized interactions that influence consumers’ buying decisions while enabling them to measure the return on their marketing investments, we can give chief marketing officers the tools needed to demonstrate their contribution to their companies’ growth.”
https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/accenture-interactive-announces-intent-to-acquire-french-data-marketing-firm-sutter-mills.htm

Thoma Bravo Announces Recommended $3.9 Billion Cash Offer for Sophos Group plc
San Francisco and London – 14th October 2019 – Private equity investment firm, Thoma Bravo, LLC, which focuses on the software and technology-enabled services sectors, has announced that it has reached agreement with the board of directors of Sophos Group plc on the terms of a recommended cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Sophos. Listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Sophos has grown substantially through organic development as well as through strategic acquisitions and today has established itself as a leading global provider of cloud-enabled end user and network security solutions. Commenting on the Acquisition, Seth Boro, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo, said: "We are excited by the opportunity to partner with the Sophos management team and employees as we further develop Sophos as a best-in-class software franchise and nextgen security leader. The Acquisition fits with our strategy of investing in and growing software and technology businesses globally. The global cybersecurity market is evolving rapidly, driven by significant technological innovation, as cyber threats to business increase in scope and complexity. Sophos has a market-leading product portfolio, and we believe that by applying Thoma Bravo's expertise, operational framework and experience, we can support the business and accelerate its evolution and growth."
https://www.thomabravo.com/media/thoma-bravo-announces-a-recommended-cash-offer-for-sophos-group-plc

HGGC Completes Acquisition of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. for $825 Million
Woburn, Massachusetts – 11th October 2019 - Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. has announced the completion of the transaction under which HGGC, LLC, a middle market private equity firm, has acquired all of the outstanding shares of Monotype for $19.85 per share in cash, representing an aggregate equity value of approximately $825 million. Scott Landers, President and CEO of Monotype, said: “We are pleased to reach this significant milestone at Monotype, which enables us to continue building on our strategy of maximizing customer engagement in today’s digital, mobile and global landscape. As a private company with HGGC’s deep sector knowledge and operational insight, we look forward to delivering more value and a better experience for our customers as we continue to address the needs of thousands of brands and millions of creative professionals worldwide.” Rich Lawson, CEO and Co-Founder at HGGC, said, “Today marks the beginning of the next exciting chapter for Monotype. The company’s world-class culture and unique combination of design and technology perfectly position it to succeed in an evolving and demanding market. Through our partnership, we will look to further Monotype’s industry-leading reputation by pushing boundaries with next-generation font technology and creative, customer-centric solutions.”
https://www.monotype.com/press-releases/hggc-completes-acquisition-of-monotype-imaging-holdings-inc/

CivicPlus Acquires SeeClickFix 311 Citizen Request and Work Management Software
Manhattan, Kansas - 11th October 2019 - CivicPlus has announced it has acquired SeeClickFix, the provider of 311 citizen request and work management software solutions. The software helps millions of citizens request repairs in their community from their local government through its web and mobile application tools. With this acquisition, SeeClickFix will become part of CivicPlus’ integrated suite of municipal software solutions. CivicPlus’ acquisition SeeClickFix represents the combination of two impact-focused, customer-oriented organizations committed exclusively to the needs of local government. CivicPlus and SeeClickFix share a history as founder-led organizations at a time that has seen a number of software companies being acquired by private equity investors. Founder & majority owner of CivicPlus, Ward Morgan, said: “At CivicPlus, we are committed to helping local governments work better and engage their citizens through easy-to-use, multi-channel solutions. In SeeClickFix, we see a like-minded partner that is equally committed to helping people and governments build more transparent, collaborative, and engaged communities. Together, we can only become stronger, more efficient and better equipped for delivering innovative technology to the public sector.”
https://www.civicplus.com/blog/crm/civicplus-acquires-seeclickfix?hsCtaTracking=b5431350-6f2a-44d3-b676-d14191fd6f64%7C7ab36ee4-33dd-4975-be60-c65fc09164ab

VSS Completes Investment In Quatrro Business Support Services
New York – 7th October 2019 – VSS and Trivest Partners have announced the completion of their investment in Quatrro Business Support Services (QBSS), a provider of tech-enabled business process outsourcing (BPO) services. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. CM Sharma, founder of CHM Ventures and a BPO industry veteran who has now taken over as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has invested alongside VSS and Trivest to retain a minority ownership in the business. Headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, QBSS serves small and medium-sized businesses across North America and global enterprise customers across North America and Europe. Founded in 2008, the Company provides an integrated portfolio of BPO services, including accounting, finance, billing, human resources, payroll, tax, IT help desk, technical support, and other back-office services to a wide range of industries. QBSS’s customers are supported by over 750 dedicated employees and delivery centers and offices across Atlanta, Chicago, Illinois, St. Paul, Minnesota and India.
https://www.vss.com/vss-completes-investment-in-quatrro-business-support-services/

18 October 2019