M&A Deal Summary

Permira and Spectrum Equity Acquire Knot Worldwide

On September 25, 2018, private equity firms Permira and Spectrum Equity acquired internet software and services company Knot Worldwide for 933M USD

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Permira’s 8th and Spectrum Equity’s 21st transaction in the Internet Software and Services sector.
  • This is Permira’s 39th and Spectrum Equity’s 3rd largest (disclosed) transaction.
  • This is Permira’s 25th and Spectrum Equity’s 63rd transaction in the United States.
  • This is Permira’s 2nd and Spectrum Equity’s 3rd transaction in Maryland.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2018-09-25
Target Knot Worldwide
Sector Internet Software and Services
Buyer(s) Permira
Spectrum Equity
Deal Type Going Private
Deal Value 933M USD

Target

Knot Worldwide

Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
Knot Worldwide is a consumer internet and media company devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing couples and new parents with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Knot Worldwide was formed in 1996 and is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

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Buyer(S) 2

Buyer

Permira

London, United Kingdom

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1985
PE ASSETS 75.0B EUR
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Permira is a mega-sized private equity firm that targets large company investments around the world. Permira invests to support acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, take-privates, turnarounds, and growth buyouts. Areas of interest include healthcare, financial services, chemicals, consumer products and services, industrial products and services, technology, media, and telecom. Permira will consider opportunities in Europe, Asia, and North America. Permira was formed in 1985 and has offices in Menlo Park, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, London, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Stockholm, Tokyo, Guernsey and New York City.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 120 of 159
Sector (Internet Software and Services) 8 of 19
Type (Going Private) 9 of 15
State (Maryland) 2 of 2
Country (United States) 25 of 44
Year (2018) 6 of 11
Size (of disclosed) 39 of 61
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-09-25 WeddingWire

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

WeddingWire is a global online marketplace, connecting consumers with local wedding professionals and a suite of comprehensive tools that make wedding planning easier. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire helps 13 million couples every month find the right team of wedding professionals to personalize and pull off their special day. Consumers around the world are able to read more Permira VI G.P. Limited than 4 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a directory of over 400,000 vendors. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio serves couples and wedding professionals across 15 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The company has more than 950 employees and is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., with international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-10-12 AllTrails

San Francisco, California, United States

AllTrails is a digital guide to the outdoors. AllTrails helps people explore the outdoors with the largest collection of detailed, hand-curated trail maps as well as trail reviews and photos crowdsourced from its community of over 9 million hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners. AllTrails was founded in 2010 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Buy -
Buyer

Spectrum Equity

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1994
PE ASSETS 8.2B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Focused
DESCRIPTION

Spectrum Equity Management L.P. is a private equity investor focused on service businesses. Spectrum specifically targets established businesses in the media, communications, IT, information, and business services industries. The Firm looks to commit $25 to $150 million of equity capital per transaction and focuses on opportunities throughout North America and Western Europe. Prospective transaction situations include leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, acquisition financings, and secondary purchases. Spectrum Equity Investors was formed in 1994 and has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Menlo Park, California.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 72 of 102
Sector (Internet Software and Services) 21 of 37
Type (Going Private) 5 of 5
State (Maryland) 3 of 4
Country (United States) 63 of 89
Year (2018) 4 of 6
Size (of disclosed) 3 of 10
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-09-25 WeddingWire

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

WeddingWire is a global online marketplace, connecting consumers with local wedding professionals and a suite of comprehensive tools that make wedding planning easier. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire helps 13 million couples every month find the right team of wedding professionals to personalize and pull off their special day. Consumers around the world are able to read more Permira VI G.P. Limited than 4 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a directory of over 400,000 vendors. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio serves couples and wedding professionals across 15 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The company has more than 950 employees and is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., with international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2018-09-26 SurveyMonkey

San Mateo, California, United States

SurveyMonkey specializes in online surveys and forms that empowers people with the insights they need to make decisions with speed and confidence. SurveyMonkey's intuitive feedback management platform connects millions of users worldwide with real-time AI-powered insights that drive meaningful decisions. SurveyMonkey was founded in 1999 and is based in Palo Alto, California.

Sell -
Mergr

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