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M&A Deal Summary

Thoma Bravo Acquires Excelligence Learning

On December 19, 2006, private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired retailer Excelligence Learning from Chicago Growth Partners

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Thoma Bravo’s 1st transaction in the Retail sector.
  • This is Thoma Bravo’s 11th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Thoma Bravo’s 3rd transaction in California.
Investment Fate
  • Excelligence Learning was sold to a consortium of financial buyers in 2011.
  • Excelligence Learning was sold to a financial buyer in 2015.
  • Excelligence Learning was sold to a financial buyer in 2015.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2006-12-19
Target Excelligence Learning
Sector Retail
Buyer(s) Thoma Bravo
Sellers(s) Chicago Growth Partners
Deal Type Secondary Buyout

Target

Excelligence Learning

Monterey, California, United States
Excelligence Learning is a developer, manufacturer, distributor, and multi-channel retailer of educational products. The company provides a full-line selection of branded, private label, and proprietary products across several categories, including arts and crafts, infant and toddler, active play, dramatic play, furniture and equipment, math, language, and science. Excelligence Learning was formed in 1985 and is headquartered in Monterey, California.

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Buyer(S) 1

Buyer

Thoma Bravo

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1980
PE ASSETS 127.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Thoma Bravo is a private equity firm that primarily invests in or acquires US-based middle-market businesses. While Thoma Bravo will consider a variety of transaction situations, including take-privates, buyouts, carve-outs, recapitalizations, and growth equity financings, the Firm has a special interest in tech consolidation opportunities. Target companies generally have a history of profitability with EBITDA of at least $20 million. The Firm's equity commitment size range is $100 to $750 million. Sectors of interest include enterprise and infrastructure software, education, distribution, financial services and consumer goods/services. The Firm will not invest in new inventions or technologies, developmental products or services, start-ups, biotech, motion pictures, distressed businesses, oil/gas, or real estate. Thoma Bravo was formerly known as Thoma Cressey Bravo and before that Golder Thoma & Co. The Firm was originally formed in 1980 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 11 of 141
Sector (Retail) 1 of 1
Type (Secondary Buyout) 2 of 33
State (California) 3 of 31
Country (United States) 11 of 122
Year (2006) 4 of 4
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2006-11-02 Vision Solutions

Irvine, California, United States

Vision Solutions is a provider of information availability software and services for Windows, Linux, IBM Power Systems and Cloud Computing markets. Vision Solutions was founded in 1990 and is based in Irvine, California.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-06-25 Embarcadero Technologies

San Francisco, California, United States

Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. provides professional grade database management tools for designing, developing and managing databases and the data they contain. More than 12,000 customers worldwide and over 90% of Fortune 100 companies rely on the company's cross-platform tools to reduce complexity, improve productivity and strengthen security in their database applications.

Buy $200M

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

Chicago Growth Partners

Chicago, Illinois, United States
Category Growth Capital Firm
Founded 2004
PE ASSETS 1.2B USD
Size Large
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Chicago Growth Partners LLC (CGP) was a Chicago-based based private equity firm that provided expansion and buyout capital to middle-market companies generating sales of $15 to $150 million. CGP sought to invest in business services, consumer services, healthcare products/services, and industrial companies. CGP was formed in 2004 as a spin-off of William Blair Capital Partners, the investment group of investment bank William Blair. In 2014, the Firm ceased operations.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 10 of 34
Sector (Retail) 1 of 1
Type (Secondary Buyout) 3 of 8
State (California) 3 of 10
Country (United States) 8 of 31
Year (2006) 2 of 2
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2006-09-07 Paramount Services

Sterling, Virginia, United States

Paramount Services is a provider of kitchen and bath renovations for the REIT industry. Paramount Services was founded in 1998 and is based in Sterling, Virginia.

Buy $66M
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-01-01 Footprint Solutions

Lisle, Illinois, United States

Footprint Solutions is a provider of end-to-end merchandising logistics services for leading retailers and brand marketers on a national basis. footprint provides unparalleled service no matter the size of the project – from in-store service needs to installation or removal of displays, signage, roll-outs and remodels, new store, build-out, merchandising, and comprehensive reporting. Footprint Solutions is based in Lisle, Illinois.

Buy -
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