Anaqua to be acquired by Nordic Capital, a leading technology & payments private equity investor

Nordic Capital announced it has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a controlling interest in Anaqua from its existing shareholders led by Astorg

BOSTON, Nov. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anaqua, a leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services, today announces that Nordic Capital, an experienced private equity investor in Technology & Payments globally, has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a controlling interest in Anaqua from its existing shareholders led by Astorg. As part of this transaction, Nordic Capital would become the controlling shareholder of Anaqua, succeeding Astorg, who has been the primary investor in Anaqua since 2019, and has supported Anaqua’s strong and consistent growth over the past five years.

This acquisition would represent a strategic investment focused on driving continued growth, supporting Anaqua’s global expansion and further strengthening its market position by continuing to enhance its best-in-class software and its operational capabilities. This announcement comes during the organization’s 20th year of delivering software-led IP management solutions. Anaqua’s differentiated platforms, AQX® and PATTSY WAVE®, combine best-practice workflows, data analytics, foreign filings, and patent and trademark renewal payments, all embedded in an intelligent ecosystem to streamline operations, inform strategy and empower decision-making around customers’ valuable IP portfolios.

Nordic Capital has over 20 years of experience accelerating the growth of innovative technology companies and would be set to leverage its deep sub-sector and operational knowledge to create value and boost Anaqua’s ambitious plans. It has made 33 technology investments in companies with an aggregate enterprise value of circa EUR 26 billion, with a long history of investing in partnerships with owners, founders and management.

"Nordic Capital shares our vision of a software-led IP management platform, making them the ideal partner for our next phase of growth. Their deep sector experience, successful history of investing in software companies and vast global network would help us continue to transform the IP management industry,” commented Bob Romeo, CEO at Anaqua. “Nordic Capital would enable us to accelerate our global expansion, enhance our technology-driven solutions and drive operational excellence, all of which would be for the ultimate benefit of our clients,” added Justin Crotty, COO at Anaqua.

“Nordic Capital has closely followed Anaqua’s impressive progress and would be pleased to invest in a leader in IP management and innovation technology. This partnership would align with our commitment to supporting companies that drive industry transformation and would fit perfectly with Nordic Capital’s technology investment strategy. We look forward to supporting Anaqua in its next phase of growth, helping them to expand their global footprint further and establishing the leading IP management platform for innovation-driven industries,” stated Fredrik Näslund, Partner and Head of Technology & Payments, at Nordic Capital Advisors.

“We are proud of our successful partnership with Anaqua, marking our first investment in the United States. Over the past five years, we have valued our close collaboration with Bob, Justin and the entire team, undertaking together a transformative journey of growth. We look forward to seeing Anaqua continue to thrive in its next chapter,” concluded François de Mitry, CIO, Astorg.

Definitive agreements for the acquisition would be entered into after information and consultation with employee representative bodies. The transaction would be subject to customary regulatory approvals and would be expected to close by Q1 2025.

Arma Partners and Jefferies acted as exclusive financial advisors and Latham & Watkins acted as legal advisor to Astorg and Anaqua on this transaction. William Blair acted as financial advisor to Nordic Capital.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated technology solutions and services for the management of intellectual property (IP). Anaqua's AQX® and PATTSY WAVE® IP management solutions combine best practice workflows with big data analytics and technology-enabled services to create an intelligent environment that informs IP strategies, enables IP decisions and streamlines IP processes. Today, nearly half of the 100 largest U.S. patent applicants and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide, use Anaqua's solutions. Over two million IP executives, lawyers, paralegals, administrators and innovators use the platform for their IP management. The company is headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, please visit anaqua.com or LinkedIn.

About Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a leading sector-specialist private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and Services & Industrial Tech. Key regions are Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested EUR 26 billion in close to 150 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital XI with EUR 9.0 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and South Korea. www.nordiccapital.com.

“Nordic Capital” refers to, depending on the context, any, or all, Nordic Capital branded entities, vehicles, structures, and associated entities. The general partners and/or delegated portfolio managers of Nordic Capital’s entities and vehicles are advised by several non-discretionary sub-advisory entities, any or all of which are referred to as “Nordic Capital Advisors”.

About Astorg
Astorg is a leading pan-European private equity firm with over €24 billion of assets under management. Astorg works with entrepreneurs and management teams to acquire market leading global companies headquartered in Europe or the US, providing them with the strategic guidance, governance and capital they need to achieve their growth goals. Enjoying a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective and a lean decision-making body, Astorg has valuable industry expertise in healthcare, software, technology, business services and technology-based industrial companies. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Astorg has offices in London, Paris, New York, Frankfurt, and Milan. www.astorg.com

Press contacts:
Nordic Capital
Elin Ljung
Managing Director, Head of Communications & Sustainability
+46 70-866 10 40
elin.ljung@nordiccapital.com

US media contact – Brunswick Group
nordiccapitalus@brunswickgroup.com

Company Contact:
Nancy Hegarty
VP, Marketing
Anaqua
617-375-2655
nhegarty@anaqua.com