Astorg to acquire Anaqua from Insight Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners
Astorg has entered into an agreement to acquire the majority of shares in Anaqua from funds under the management of Insight Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners. Headquartered in Boston, Anaqua is the global leader in providing integrated end-to-end intellectual property management software (IPMS) to the world’s largest corporations.
The acquisition follows a longstanding dialogue with Anaqua as well as several years of research into the intellectual property services industry, where Astorg believes innovation will continue to drive growth and global consolidation. It also marks Astorg’s first transaction in the United States and represents a milestone in the continued development of Astorg.
Anaqua was founded in 2004 to commercialize software developed by corporate IP practitioners from Ford and British American Tobacco, addressing a market need for IP enterprise software. The Company later acquired SGA2 to complement its core IP management software with patent annuity and trademark renewal payment services. Since late 2015, Anaqua has accelerated the execution of its global growth strategy by acquiring and integrating talent, expertise, technology, and data through a number of acquisitions, including ideaPoint, AcclaimIP, and Lecorpio.
Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua, said “Astorg will be a great partner going forward and this strengthens Anaqua’s capacity to pursue strategic growth initiatives. This is a clear vote of confidence in Anaqua’s direction, products, services, people, and clients.”
François de Mitry, Partner at Astorg, commented “Anaqua has an impressive track record of delivering consistent growth and driving innovation in the industry. We are delighted to join forces with an outstanding management team led by Bob.”
Michael Beetz, Director at Astorg, added “Anaqua is the recognized global leader of Intellectual Property Management Software. Its advanced software solution and seamless integration across the IP lifecycle creates a superior user experience that is trusted by the most valuable global IP holders. We look forward to supporting management in their ambitious plan to further develop the company.”
Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary clearance from relevant competition and regulatory authorities.
Anaqua
Anaqua is a premium provider of integrated, end-to-end innovation and intellectual property (IP) management solutions, serving 50% of the top 25 U.S. patent filers, 50% of the top 25 global brands, and a growing number of the most prestigious, forward-looking law firms. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across Europe and Asia. Anaqua’s IP platform is used by nearly one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators globally. Its solution suite merges best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create one intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations.
For additional information on Anaqua, please visit www.anaqua.com.
Astorg
Astorg is an independent private equity group with over €8 billion of assets under management. Astorg seeks to partner with entrepreneurial management teams to acquire global companies and create value through the provision of strategic guidance, experienced governance and adequate capital. Astorg enjoys a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective, and a lean decision-making body enhancing its reactivity. Though not specialized, Astorg has gathered valuable industry expertise in software, healthcare, business-to-business professional services and technology-based industrial companies. Astorg has offices in London, Paris, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Milan.
For further information about Astorg: www.astorg.com.
Insight Venture Partners
Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight currently has over $20 billion of assets under management and has cumulatively invested in more than 300 companies worldwide. Its mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight Venture Partners encourage a culture around a core belief: growth equals opportunity.
For further information about Insight Venture Partners: www.insightpartners.com.
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