M&A Deal Summary

Centerbridge Partners and Berkshire Partners Acquire AHEAD

On September 2, 2020, asset manager Centerbridge Partners and private equity firm Berkshire Partners acquired information technology company AHEAD from Court Square Capital Partners

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Centerbridge Partners’ 1st and Berkshire Partners’ 5th transaction in the Information Technology sector.
  • This is Centerbridge Partners’ 31st and Berkshire Partners’ 72nd transaction in the United States.
  • This is Centerbridge Partners’ 4th and Berkshire Partners’ 5th transaction in Illinois.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2020-09-02
Target AHEAD
Sector Information Technology
Buyer(s) Centerbridge Partners
Berkshire Partners
Sellers(s) Court Square Capital Partners
Deal Type Secondary Buyout

Target

AHEAD

Chicago, Illinois, United States
AHEAD is a consulting company that helps enterprises transform how and where they run applications and infrastructure. AHEAD creates tailored cloud solutions for enterprises at all stages of the cloud journey. AHEAD was founded in 2007 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

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Buyer(S) 2

Buyer

Centerbridge Partners

New York, New York, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Asset Manager
Founded 2005
PE ASSETS 38.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Centerbridge Partners is a mega-sized private equity firm focused primarily on distressed/special situations in North America and Europe. In addition to making control investments, Centerbridge also maintains funds for non-control credit investments. Centerbridge was formed in 2005 and is based in New York City.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 38 of 47
Sector (Information Technology) 1 of 1
Type (Secondary Buyout) 21 of 27
State (Illinois) 4 of 5
Country (United States) 31 of 39
Year (2020) 2 of 6
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-08-13 SpeedCast

Houston, Texas, United States

Speedcast is a provider of remote communications and IT services in the world. Speedcast’s fully managed service is delivered via a leading global, multi-access technology, multi-band and multi-orbit network of 70+ satellites, and an interconnecting global terrestrial network, bolstered by extensive on-the-ground local support from 40+ countries. This global “network of networks” allows customers to fully rely on the most robust, integrated infrastructure available in the market for their mission-critical applications. Speedcast is uniquely positioned as a strategic business partner, tailoring communications, IT, and digital solutions to meet unique customer needs and enable business transformation. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 2,000 customers in more than 140 countries in sectors such as Maritime, Energy, Mining, Enterprise, Media, Cruise, NGOs and Government. Speedcast was formed in 1989 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-09-03 Auxmoney

Dusseldorf, Germany

Auxmoney is an online credit marketplace. Auxmoney was founded in 2007 and is based in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Buy -
Buyer

Berkshire Partners

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1984
PE ASSETS 16.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Berkshire Partners is a private equity firm focused on investing in businesses with strong management and that lead their respective markets. Berkshire will consider investments in both public and private companies. Prospective transactions for private companies include leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital financings, and privatizations. Public company transactions include take-privates, PIPEs, and equity stakes. Berkshire generally looks to invest $150 to $500 million of equity capital per transaction in companies valued up to $2 billion. Sectors of interest include industrial manufacturing, consumer products, retailing, transportation, communications and business services. Berkshire Partners was formed in 1984 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 83 of 100
Sector (Information Technology) 5 of 6
Type (Secondary Buyout) 16 of 21
State (Illinois) 5 of 5
Country (United States) 72 of 88
Year (2020) 3 of 7
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-07-31 Vet Strategy

Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

Vet Strategy is a provider of Veterinary practice management services partnering with veterinarians and enabling them to focus on practicing first-rate medicine. Vet Strategy is based in Scarborough, Ontario.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-09-09 El Dorado Foods

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

El Dorado Foods is a platform to invest in and build a portfolio of Latin-inspired food and beverage brands. El Dorado Foods is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Buy -

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

Court Square Capital Partners

New York, New York, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1968
PE ASSETS 7.7B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Court Square Capital Partners (CSCP) is a generalist private equity firm that seeks middle market company investments across the US. CSCP looks to partner with management teams to accelerate revenue growth and improve operating efficiency. Sectors of interest include business services, building products, chemicals, consumer products, food products/services, healthcare, aerospace/defense, manufacturing, media, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. Court Square Capital Partners was formerly known as Citigroup Venture Capital Equity Partners. The Group spun out of Citigroup and became independent in 2006. CSCP is based in New York City.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 46 of 56
Sector (Information Technology) 7 of 8
Type (Secondary Buyout) 13 of 18
State (Illinois) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 43 of 53
Year (2020) 2 of 3
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-08-04 RailPros

Irving, Texas, United States

RailPros is a provider of outsourced safety management, design & engineering, inspection, site & program management, utility observation, and training services to rail operators, utilities, state DOTs and contractors working adjacent to rail infrastructure. RailPros has over 700 professionals across 14 offices and serves customers nationwide. RailPros was founded in 2000 and is based in Irving, Texas.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2020-11-03 Veregy

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Veregy is an OEM agnostic energy services company that designs and implements energy-efficient facility improvements primarily for K-12 schools and municipal customers. The Company’s service offerings include energy efficiency solutions, engineering services, design and construction solutions, distributed and renewable energy, smart buildings and system integrations, and ongoing services and maintenance. Veregy was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Buy -
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