Recent News
November 19, 2024
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Clayton, Missouri
Q Advisors Represents T-Metrics in its Acquisition by NUSO, a Portfolio Company of McCarthy Capital
NUSO, a global provider of cloud-based communications, collaboration, and customer experience as a service for business, announced the acquisition of T-Metrics, a provider of advanced contact center solutions and communication tools for the enterprise, US Federal, State, and Local government markets. This acquisition solidifies NUSO’s commitment to delivering resilient, scalable and customizable communication solutions that empower business, government, and educational organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers, engage their employees, and stay competitive.
By integrating T-Metrics' capabilities, NUSO expands its reach and impact, offering clients contact centers with enterprise customer experience tools that meet rigorous security demands. T-Metrics is uniquely positioned in the contact center industry, delivering solutions that meet the highest government security standards in any deployment model. T-Metrics offers certified cloud-based solutions that comply with FedRAMP, StateRAMP and TXRAMP requirements, and premise-based (JITC) solutions, enabling it to serve critical government sectors and high-security industries with unmatched flexibility and security.
“The combination of NUSO and T-Metrics offers a comprehensive, customer-centered, omnichannel solution that will connect businesses, schools and governments with their customers and users. Our decision to acquire T-Metrics was made easy as we discovered the remarkable talent within the team, which aligns with our customer-experience vision,” said Matt Siemens, CEO, NUSO. “I'm excited to welcome T-Metrics employees, partners and customers to NUSO!”
Arthur Pravato, CEO of T-Metrics, added, “This partnership with NUSO accelerates our growth strategy, enhances our ability to address evolving market demands and expands our service offerings, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers. We’re excited about the value this combination offers to our clients and partners.”
NUSO’s platform, now further bolstered by T-Metrics’ technology and expertise, is committed to delivering advanced, affordable, and secure communication solutions. Clients across industries, including federal, state and local government, healthcare, and education, will benefit from the combination of NUSO's decade of cloud communications experience, T-Metrics’ proven track record of delivering robust, reliable communication infrastructures, and the combined team's high level of personalized service and solution-oriented support. This powerful combination is augmented by seamless integrations into Microsoft Teams™ and Zoom™ Phone, business reputation management tools like NUSO Brand Watch and Branded Calling ID (BCID), the industry's only inbound redundancy capability in NUSOflex, and robust text messaging solutions.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to T Metrics in connection with the transaction.
About NUSO, LLC
NUSO is a global software as a service provider of cloud collaboration, unified communications and contact center solutions designed to simplify and streamline business communications. Serving businesses in the U.S. and the U.K., NUSO’s platform is known for its resilience, inbound redundancy, and affordable, high-quality service. With a recent ISO 27001:2022 certification, NUSO is committed to providing secure and reliable communications solutions worldwide.
About T-Metrics
Founded in 1989, T-Metrics is a leading provider of contact center solutions, offering a suite of customizable tools designed to optimize customer interactions across voice, chat, email, and SMS. With a dedication to reliability, flexibility, and customer satisfaction, T-Metrics serves clients across industries, including government and healthcare, with solutions that adapt to the changing needs of modern businesses.
About Q Advisors
Q Advisors was formed in 2001 as a leading global investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors. Our team of 30 professionals, located in Denver and Munich, possess an extensive global reach, while also providing the personalized service of a boutique advisory firm. We are uniquely suited as a long-term partner in navigating a path to dynamic financial and strategic growth as we work to bring our clients best-in-class, independent advice by combining a level of commitment, operational understanding, and industry knowledge that is unmatched in the investment banking industry.
November 4, 2024
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Englewood, Colorado
Q Advisors Represents MidAtlantic Broadband in the Acquisition of its Missouri Assets by Rise Broadband, a Portfolio Company of GI Partners
Rise Broadband, a leading provider of broadband services across 16 states, today announced it has acquired MidAtlantic Broadband’s 100% fiber-to-the-home broadband/internet business in Missouri. Operating under the Yondoo Broadband brand, MidAtlantic Broadband’s business in Missouri adds almost 10,000 residential and commercial locations across eight markets in the eastern part of the State.
“We’re very excited to welcome Yondoo’s broadband customers and employees to Rise Broadband,” said Jim O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of Rise Broadband. “Our mission at Rise Broadband is to provide high-speed quality broadband service to unserved and underserved communities across the U.S. We take pride in being active, long-term partners in the local communities we serve – enabling economic growth through the connectivity we provide. We are excited to enter the Missouri market and to continue investing in providing broadband solutions across the state.”
With this acquisition, Rise Broadband will now provide service in the cities of Kahoka, Canton, La Grange, Bowling Green, Elsberry, Potosi, Belle, and Bland in Missouri. 100% of homes passed are serviceable with fiber-optic service.
“We are excited to support Rise Broadband’s continued growth with this high-quality asset that furthers our geographic expansion,” added Emily Azer, Director of GI Data Infrastructure and Bill Glennon, Principal of GI Data Infrastructure. “Since our acquisition in February 2023, Rise Broadband has been rapidly expanding its footprint through the deployment of new fiber-to-the-home networks and through the upgrade of its hybrid fixed wireless infrastructure.”
Davis Graham & Stubbs acted as legal counsel to Rise Broadband. Q Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to MidAtlanticBroadband and Foster Garvey acted as legal counsel.
About MidAtlanticBroadband
MidAtlanticBroadband provides planning, installation, and maintenance services for a broad range of next generation infrastructures such as structured cabling, fiber optic distribution plant to wireless networks to cable television plant. Additionally we offer clients unsurpassed expertise in integrated networking solutions such as routers, switches, and U.S. military secured applications.
About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is on a mission to connect communities to the world. Rise Broadband offers affordable and reliable high-speed Internet and phone services across Texas and 15 other states. Founded in 2006, Rise Broadband builds on its legacy of superior customer service by offering fast and contract-free connections via its Fixed Wireless or Fiber Internet networks. Ranked the country’s best rural internet service provider by CNET and Rolling Stone Recommends. Additional information is available at www.RiseBroadband.com.
About GI Partners
Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a private investment firm with over 150 employees and offices in San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Greenwich, Scottsdale, and London. The firm has raised more than $43 billion in capital and invests on behalf of leading institutional investors around the world through its private equity, real estate, and data infrastructure strategies. The private equity strategy invests primarily in companies in the healthcare, services and software sectors.
The real estate strategy focuses primarily on technology and life sciences properties as well as other specialized types of real estate. The data infrastructure strategy invests primarily in hard asset infrastructure businesses underpinning the digital economy.
For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.
About Q Advisors
Q Advisors was formed in 2001 as a leading global investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors. Our team of 30 professionals, located in Denver and Munich, possess an extensive global reach, while also providing the personalized service of a boutique advisory firm. We are uniquely suited as a long-term partner in navigating a path to dynamic financial and strategic growth as we work to bring our clients best-in-class, independent advice by combining a level of commitment, operational understanding, and industry knowledge that is unmatched in the investment banking industry. More information at www.qllc.com.
October 29, 2024
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Pittsfield, Massachussetts
Q Advisors Represents AccessPlus, a Subsidiary of RingSquared, in its Acquisition of Crocker Communications, Inc.
RingSquared is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of Crocker Communications, Inc. This strategic move strengthens RingSquared's position as a leading fiber broadband provider across Western Massachusetts and accelerates its mission to deliver advanced connectivity to businesses, the public sector, and residents throughout the region with both AccessPlus and Crocker Communications.
With regulatory approvals now complete, this is the third successful acquisition in recent years for the organization in central and western Massachusetts, solidifying RingSquared and AccessPlus as the dominant internet service and unified communications provider in the area. RingSquared is integrating Crocker's extensive customer base, serving around 2,000 government, education, business, and residential clients with AccessPlus. Crocker Communications provides a substantial IP backbone, serves as the exclusive internet access provider for Block Island, Rhode Island, and supplies connectivity to many of Massachusetts' educational districts and municipalities.
“Bringing Crocker Communications into the team of brands with AccessPlus allows us to offer more services to an even wider range of communities across the state. We're ready to lead the way in fiber innovation, driving growth throughout Massachusetts.” Kevin Alward, AccessPlus CEO
Crocker customers will now have access to AccessPlus' expanded business connectivity options, as well as multi-gigabit fiber broadband services, starting in Pittsfield and expanding throughout Berkshire County.
"This acquisition is a significant milestone for our growth in Massachusetts," said Kevin Alward, CEO of RingSquared. "Bringing Crocker Communications into the team of brands with AccessPlus allows us to offer more comprehensive, reliable, and scalable broadband solutions to an even wider range of communities across the state. We're ready to lead the way in fiber innovation, driving growth throughout Massachusetts."
Crocker Communications, a third-generation telecommunications provider known for its strong presence in the government and education sectors, brings additional capabilities to AccessPlus, particularly in providing high-performance connectivity to educational institutions, municipalities, and rural and underserved areas.
"We're excited about the opportunities this acquisition presents for our customers," said Matthew Crocker, President of Crocker Communications. "Our clients will benefit greatly from AccessPlus' high-speed solutions and robust network. We're eager to continue delivering the exceptional service and innovation they've come to expect from us over the years."
"Crocker's reputation for service excellence and its strong relationships in the public sector are a natural fit for our vision," added Alward. "We're committed to ensuring that every city, town, and underserved area in the region has access to world-class fiber technology."
The integration of Crocker's services into the RingSquared network enhances both organizations' ability to serve a wider range of customers with reliable, high-speed connectivity. This partnership will accelerate growth and expand access even further through collaborations with MBI and other regionally focused carriers. RingSquared will maintain Crocker Communications' presence in key public sector areas, ensuring continuity for clients while improving network performance and service quality.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to RingSquared in connection with this acquisition. They have a longstanding partnership with the RingSquared organization, having served as their advisor on all previous deals. Alongside this acquisition, RingSquared has secured additional funding from their primary lender to continue expanding in the Berkshires.
About RingSquared
RingSquared combines multiple industry-leading products together to deliver flexible and customizable communications solutions over the RingSquared Network. Built on carrier-grade facilities with local and geographically redundant architecture, RingSquared ensures every client benefits from a reliable and scalable network.
With a dedicated leadership team bringing over 75 years of combined telecommunications experience, RingSquared works with private and public businesses, including enterprise organizations, financial groups, government entities, manufacturers, a full range of Fortune 500 brands, and media agencies. We proudly serve over 25,000 valued customers and deliver millions of calls monthly.
RingSquared LLC brands include RingSquared Telecom, RingSquared International, AccessPlus, Dial800, and Kall8.
About Crocker Communications
Founded in 1963, Crocker Communications is a leading provider of telecommunications services, including business phone systems, managed Wi-Fi, and internet connectivity from 5 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Crocker serves the government, education, and municipal sectors, and is the exclusive internet provider for Block Island, Rhode Island. To learn more, visit Crocker.com.
About Q Advisors
Q Advisors was formed in 2001 as a leading global investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors. Our team of 30 professionals, located in Denver and Munich, possess an extensive global reach, while also providing the personalized service of a boutique advisory firm. We are uniquely suited as a long-term partner in navigating a path to dynamic financial and strategic growth as we work to bring our clients best-in-class, independent advice by combining a level of commitment, operational understanding, and industry knowledge that is unmatched in the investment banking industry. More information at www.qllc.com.
October 21, 2024
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Minneapolis, Minnesota
Q Advisors Represents Netrio in its Acquisition by L Squared Capital Partners
NETRIO, an IT managed services and solution provider, and SUCCESS Computer Consulting, a portfolio company of L Squared Capital Partners, today announced they are joining forces to create one of the largest full-service IT managed service providers (MSPs) in North America focused on serving small to mid-market businesses.
The new, unified organization brings together two industry leaders with more than 50 years of combined experience in managed infrastructure, cybersecurity, connectivity and cloud services. The company will leverage the strengths of both organizations to deliver enhanced technology solutions that drive innovation, efficiency, and growth for their clients, while also reducing costs and cybersecurity risks.
"Bringing together these two highly respected companies is an important next step in our mission to transform how small to mid-market organizations leverage technology to thrive in today's digital marketplace," said Mike Cromwell, Chief Revenue Officer at NETRIO. "By unifying our complementary technology expertise and capabilities, as well as our shared commitment to delivering a great customer experience, we're creating an even stronger partner for our customers as they look to modernize and compete effectively."
Serving a customer base that spans North America, the combined MSP will maintain a strong focus on providing expertise and resources to support clients' digital transformation initiatives. Specific technology offerings will include:
• Managed IT Services, including networking and connectivity, hardware and software as a service, and Microsoft 365 and Office support.
• Managed Cybersecurity, including fractional vCISO support, endpoint detection and response (EDR), managed detection and response (MDR) and security operations center (SOC).
• Cloud Services, including managed cloud, migration, and disaster recovery.
"In today's technology landscape, businesses face a wide range of platform choices across cloud, security, and productivity solutions," said Brandon Nohr, Chief Technology Officer at SUCCESS, a Minneapolis-based managed services and security firm. "By joining forces with NETRIO, we're creating an organization with the depth of expertise to help customers navigate these complex decisions and implement the right platforms to meet their specific needs. Our combined knowledge, experience and talent will enable us to serve as a trusted advisor to our clients, helping them make strategic technology investments that drive real business value."
Q Advisors served as exclusive sell-side advisor to NETRIO on this transaction.
About NETRIO
NETRIO is one of North America's fastest-growing full-service MSPs exclusively serving the IT demands of small to mid-market organizations. Since 2003, NETRIO has simplified technology management complexities, helping organizations drive innovation, efficiency and growth through managed IT services, cybersecurity solutions and cloud services. The company delivers enterprise-grade IT solutions across highly regulated industries, including financial services, healthcare and retail. Combining more than 20 years of experience with innovative technologies, NETRIO enables clients to maximize technology investments while reducing costs. For more information, visit netrio.com.
About SUCCESS Computer Consulting
SUCCESS Computer Consulting is a leader in managed IT and security services for small and medium-sized businesses in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding Twin Cities Metro area. The company has more than 30 years of experience and focuses on three main service areas: managed IT, cybersecurity and Microsoft 365. Its mission is to help clients understand how technology can work for them. For more information, visit successcomputerconsulting.com.
About L Squared Capital Partners
L Squared Capital Partners is private equity investment firm with over $2 billion of equity commitments under management and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, that seeks to make long-term investments in leading growth companies that operate in targeted sectors: Tech-Enabled Services & Software, Education Technology, and Industrial Technology & Services. L Squared’s unique investor base of family offices and institutions enables the Firm to focus on long-term value creation driven by revenue and earnings growth, not financial engineering or market timing. The principals of L Squared have worked together for over 15 years and have over 125 years of combined experience investing in growing private companies. For additional information, please visit www.LSquaredCap.com.
About Q Advisors
Q Advisors was formed in 2001 as a leading global investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors. Our team of 30 professionals, located in Denver and Munich, possess an extensive global reach, while also providing the personalized service of a boutique advisory firm. We are uniquely suited as a long-term partner in navigating a path to dynamic financial and strategic growth as we work to bring our clients best-in-class, independent advice by combining a level of commitment, operational understanding, and industry knowledge that is unmatched in the investment banking industry. More information at www.qllc.com.
August 27, 2024
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Netsurit in its Debt Financing by Sunflower Bank
Netsurit, a New York-based leading managed service provider (MSP), has announced its recently closed debt financing transaction with Sunflower Bank. This financing collaboration strengthens Netsurit’s position to support its acquisitive growth strategy. Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Netsurit in this transaction.
Netsurit has completed seven acquisitions since 2021 with each offering strong synergies, expansion into new US markets and technical expertise. This newly completed debt package with Sunflower will provide Netsurit with room to explore additional acquisitions in the managed services space.
Netsurit provides comprehensive IT solutions, including cloud migration, cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, network management and digital transformation services. Netsurit has offices in the US and South Africa and has been recognized as one of the world's top-performing MSPs by Channel Futures and CRN.
Sunflower Bank is a regional bank that offers a full range of financial products and services for personal, business, and commercial customers. The bank executes a national technology-focused sector strategy backed by a full-service suite of traditional banking and risk management products.
About Netsurit
With headquarters in New York, Netsurit is a global company that provides managed services for organizations of all sizes. Its culture is based on the tenet, "Supporting the Dreams of the Doers." Netsurit has been internationally recognized as one of the top-managed service providers since 2009. More information at www.netsurit.com.
About Sunflower Bank
A regional bank with a commercial focus, Sunflower Bank delivers highly personalized financial services to businesses and entrepreneurs. With $8.0 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024, locations across five states, and headquarters in Dallas, TX, Sunflower Bank provides a full range of banking services including personal, small business, commercial, wealth management, credit cards, home loans, and more to the communities it serves. More information is available at SunflowerBank.com.
The Netsurit client relationship is managed by the Sunflower Bank Technology, Media & Telecommunications lending group headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Sunflower Bank manages and executes on full banking relationships for national middle market technology, media and telecommunications companies. More information at www.sunflowerbank.com.
About Q Advisors
Q Advisors was formed in 2001 as a leading global investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors. Our team of 30 professionals, located in Denver and Munich, possess an extensive global reach, while also providing the personalized service of a boutique advisory firm. We are uniquely suited as a long-term partner in navigating a path to dynamic financial and strategic growth as we work to bring our clients best-in-class, independent advice by combining a level of commitment, operational understanding, and industry knowledge that is unmatched in the investment banking industry. More information at www.qllc.com.
June 24, 2024
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Quality Uptimes Services in its Acquisition by ABM
ABM Industries Incorporated (together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as “ABM” “we,” “us” or “our”) (NYSE: ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, today announced it has acquired Quality Uptime Services, Inc. (“Quality Uptime”), a prominent player in the critical power services industry for an all-cash purchase price of $119 million.
Quality Uptime, headquartered in Bethel, CT, is a leading independent uninterrupted power supply system (“UPS”) maintenance and UPS battery maintenance company providing customized preventive and emergency service programs for mission-critical data centers and other facilities nationwide. Quality Uptime and its more than 130 employees will become part of ABM’s Mission Critical Solutions group within its Technical Solutions segment. Quality Uptime will initially maintain its brand identity while leveraging ABM’s resources and expertise in electrification infrastructure and microgrids to enhance its services and reach new customers.
With the addition of Quality Uptime, ABM’s Mission Critical Solutions group will offer comprehensive and complementary critical infrastructure solutions for data centers and similar crucial facilities, including electrical testing (NETA), electrical switchgear maintenance, breaker testing, UPS service and maintenance, and battery and power distribution unit service and maintenance. These services complement ABM’s existing robust offerings in microgrid design and construction services, critical cooling, technical project management, facility engineering and cleaning services, resulting in a self-performance model that is an industry leader.
"The acquisition of Quality Uptime is expected to double ABM’s mission critical-related revenue in the first full year of ownership, driven by the surge in artificial intelligence and related investments in data center infrastructure,” said Scott Salmirs, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABM. “Consistent with our ELEVATE strategy, we believe this investment positions ABM to further participate in the long-term proliferation of data centers, which already represents a multi-billion-dollar market. The addition of Quality Uptime aligns with our vision to drive innovation and deliver comprehensive solutions to our clients, and we are excited to welcome their CEO John Raio and this talented and experienced team to ABM.”
"Joining ABM represents an exciting new chapter for us," said John Raio, Chief Executive Officer of Quality Uptime. "Our clients and team will benefit from ABM’s scale and expanded suite of services, as well as the combined expertise of both organizations. We are excited about the opportunities this combination creates and are committed to continuing our tradition of excellence and innovation in the data center industry."
About ABM
ABM (NYSE: ABM) is one of the world’s largest providers of integrated facility solutions. A driving force for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable world, ABM provides essential services and forward-looking solutions that improve the spaces and places that matter most. From curbside to rooftop, ABM provides comprehensive facility services that includes janitorial, engineering, parking, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, and mission critical solutions. ABM delivers these custom facility solutions to properties across a wide range of industries – from commercial office buildings to universities, airports, hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants and distribution centers, entertainment venues and more. Founded in 1909, ABM serves over 20,000 clients, with annualized revenue of over $8 billion and more than 100,000 team members in 350+ offices throughout the United States, United Kingdom and other international locations. For more information, visit www.abm.com.
About Quality Uptime Services
Supporting a national client base across multiple industries, Quality Uptime Services provides uninterrupted power supply system (“UPS”) and battery preventive maintenance through a team of factory-trained field service engineers. With over 9 million square feet of raised floor under contract and industry-leading customer retention, clients confidently engage Quality Uptime to maintain 100% uptime. For more information, visit www.qualityuptime.com. Follow Quality Uptime Services on X; LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive sell-side advisor to Quality Uptime Services in connection with this transaction.
April 17, 2024
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St. Louis, MO
Q Advisors Represents NUSO in its Equity Recapitalization by McCarthy Capital
NUSO, an omnichannel provider of cloud communications and collaboration solutions, recently announced a partnership with McCarthy Capital to recapitalize. The selling investors included Advantage Capital, James Goebel, and Gentsch Capital.
NUSO delivers cloud native business communication services including telephony, collaboration, contact center, messaging, compliance, and critical communication platforms throughout North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
From its beginnings as the Voice-over-IP-Service division of Sotel Systems, LLC in 2008, NUSO experienced double-digit growth and ultimately spun out as an independent cloud communications platform in 2019 with the help of an investment from leading impact investor Advantage Capital. Since its spin out, the company has grown revenues more than six-fold and expanded operations to the United Kingdom and Italy.
Jim Goebel, Chairman of Sotel Systems and former Chairman of NUSO said: “On behalf of the shareholders and directors, I want to recognize the vision and customer-centric focus of the management and employees of NUSO that created a global, award-winning communications platform. I am pleased McCarthy Capital chose to partner with NUSO’s management and employees to continue that growth and innovation.”
The establishment and growth of NUSO – and its new partnership with McCarthy Capital – was supported and facilitated by long-time investors committed to the company and its vision.
“We are thankful for the support of the investment group that enabled NUSO to transition to this next chapter,” said Matt Siemens, NUSO CEO. “Looking back to when just over 30 of us spun out in 2019 to become an independent company, we exceeded our own expectations of revenue growth while nearly tripling the number of jobs created.”
Advantage Capital initially invested in the company in 2019 and has been instrumental in its strategy and success – sharing business expansion and job growth aspirations.
“NUSO is an amazing business story, and we are pleased to have played our part,” said Louis Dubuque, Managing Director, Advantage Capital. “We always aim to invest in growth-ready businesses run by ambitious entrepreneurs with talented teams and a sound strategy. NUSO checks all the boxes. I am excited and eager to see what’s in store for the future.”
About NUSO
NUSO offers a diversified portfolio of business Cloud Communications and CPaaS enablement solutions. The company maximizes resiliency while minimizing customer costs through native control of all service layers, from the network foundation to the business application. NUSO full-stack offerings are delivered via a network of channel partners, resellers, and managed service providers with a focus on real-time frictionless service. Addressing multiple expanding business markets of all sizes, NUSO enterprise–grade, as–a–service offerings are currently available throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. For more information, visit www.nuso.cloud.
About Advantage Capital
Advantage Capital is a leading impact investment firm with an emphasis on driving capital to underserved areas. The firm provides flexible financing to growth-ready entrepreneurs and industries located in communities that often lack access to conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $4 billion in more than 900 companies to support more than 67,000 quality jobs. The firm also invests with intention in affordable housing developments and renewable energy solutions to grow economies and communities. Learn more at Advantagecap.com.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to NUSO in connection with this transaction.
February 13, 2024
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Aigent in its Acquisition by Ubiquity Global
Ubiquity, a global outsourcing provider in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, insurance, and retail/e-commerce, has successfully completed the acquisition of Aigent, a company specializing in AI-driven agent coaching, monitoring, call transcription, and post-call analytics.
Aigent's proprietary AI technology for agent coaching, monitoring, call transcription, and post-call analytics will be incorporated across Ubiquity's five TechSuites. Each suite is designed to address distinct aspects of operational efficiency and customer service, ensuring that Ubiquity continues to deliver top-tier solutions in the industry:
1. inReach: Direct customer interaction with comprehensive voice and digital channel support, self-service integrations, and AI-enabled real-time assistance.
2. inTouch: A robust agent performance management system with real-time and historical reports, proactive coaching, and valuable insights for team leads and managers.
3. inScribe: Complete omnichannel interaction recording and AI-powered analytics, ensuring quality and consistency in customer interactions.
4. inCharge: Process automation and flexible workflow modeling for optimized efficiency and compliance in operational processes.
5. inSight: AI-powered data analytics and executive dashboards supporting the TechSuites with deep operational insights and data integration capabilities.
Sagar Rajgopal, President & Chief Customer Officer of Ubiquity, reflected on the acquisition, "By integrating Aigent's AI technology into our TechSuites, we further enhance our ability to support our agents in delivering meaningful results for our clients and superior outcomes for their customers. This integration is a strategic step in strengthening our position as a leading provider of technology-driven BPO solutions."
Ubiquity is a prominent player across five continents, supporting over 350 brands in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, insurance, and retail/e-commerce. The integration of Aigent's AI technology into Ubiquity's offerings reaffirms the company's commitment to excellence, empowering brands to outsource confidently, delight customers, and carve a path for unparalleled success.
Q Advisors, a globally recognized TMT investment bank, played a pivotal role as the exclusive financial advisor to Aigent in this transaction, ensuring a seamless and strategic partnership.
February 6, 2024
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Dublin, Ireland
Q Advisors Represents Coolwave Communications in its Acquisition by Gamma Communications
Gamma Communications plc (“Gamma”), a leading technology-based provider of communication services across Europe, announces its strategic acquisition of Coolwave Communications Limited (“Coolwave”), a Brookfield portfolio company and a prominent international voice services provider. This acquisition highlights Gamma's efforts to bolster its global presence and enhance its voice services portfolio.
Coolwave provides a vital foundation for Gamma to further build its capabilities and extend its cutting-edge voice and messaging services to a broader audience. This is through the valuable international presence that Coolwave has and with the capabilities that Gamma already holds, to leverage combined strengths and opportunities to enhance voice and messaging services, ensuring customers receive the highest quality communication solutions.
Mike Mills, Director of Service Providers at Gamma, is excited about the acquisition of Coolwave and the prospects it brings for global enablement, commenting "The acquisition of Coolwave aligns perfectly with our strategy to expand our global footprint and provide world-class voice & SMS services to customers. This move enhances our competitive position and empowers us to offer even more innovative solutions."
Ronan Higgins, Commercial Director of Coolwave, added "We are thrilled to join forces with Gamma; it is a great move for Coolwave. This partnership allows us to combine our strengths, technology, and customer relationships with Gamma's resources, size, brand, and energy. Together, we can bring extra services to our customer base and deliver unparalleled voice and messaging services to businesses across the globe."
Daryl Pile, Managing Director of Gamma Business, added "The Coolwave team and capabilities are a superb complementary fit to our Service Provider team. Together we now deliver a range of internationally available services to over 400 existing customers. It will enable us to expand existing relationships and drive new ones, accelerating growth in the global voice services market."
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Coolwave Communications in connection with this transaction.
February 6, 2024
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PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Q Advisors Represents Senet in its Acquisition by Netmore Group
The acquisition of LoRaWAN operator and cloud-based network management platform provider Senet immediately establishes Netmore with a carrier-grade network in the US, adding to its strong position operating carrier-grade networks throughout the European and global IoT markets. Senet brings nearly 10 years of LoRaWAN technology development, a portfolio of public and private network offerings, integrations with several terrestrial and satellite networks, and a synergy with Netmore Group across large-scale commercial markets, including utilities, energy, enterprise, and asset tracking/logistics.
Adding to its growing footprint throughout 11 European markets, Netmore is now positioned to deliver best-of-breed connectivity services, network infrastructure management, network and device monitoring and management, radio planning, maintenance, and customer support globally.
The combined company will start with over one million connected devices under direct management and a large, contracted backlog, including one of the largest global installed bases of water utility AMI networks and contracted smart meters. Additionally, Senet has momentum in the building monitoring, track and trace, natural gas safety, and operator enablement markets, which complement existing Netmore market penetration and offer new opportunities for significant multi-protocol end-device connection growth across geographies.
Senet will continue operations as Senet, a Netmore Company, from its headquarters location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, ensuring the continuity of regional sales, service delivery, and customer success. This structure also recognizes the strong brand Senet has created as a prominent provider of LoRaWAN network services, while establishing a better, stronger Netmore Group with the resources and strategic focus to grow a global business.
“I am thrilled to announce this acquisition which reflects our ongoing commitment to become the world’s leading provider of global carrier-grade IoT connectivity. The acquisition of Senet is a very important step in Netmore’s expansion plan. After our build out of LoRaWAN in Europe, now covering 11 countries, this expansion into the US is a pivotal part of our growth strategy and aligned with our commitment to the deployment of infrastructure needed to support global business automation and sustainability initiatives. This acquisition brings together highly complementary teams, technology, and operations that position Netmore to create even more value for our customers, employees, and shareholders as we become the driving force behind the next stage of market growth,” says Ove Anebygd, CEO Netmore Group AB
“A fragmented IoT connectivity market is beginning to consolidate. Netmore, Senet investors, and leadership view the timing of this strategic acquisition as an opportunity to establish a dominant market leadership position. Now, more than ever, we are positioned to engage and execute with technology leaders, solution providers, integrators, and channel partners to drive innovation into the market and accelerate the adoption of LoRaWAN technology across markets. Our long-term commitment remains firmly rooted in delivering innovative products and exceeding customer expectations with best-in-class customer support, while building and maintaining strong relationships with the customers, partners, and suppliers across the markets we serve,” says Bruce Chatterley, CEO, Senet, Inc.
Purpose-Driven Investors
With backing from financially strong and long-term purpose-driven investors Polar Structure AB, a major shareholder in Netmore, and Fisk Ventures, a leading investor in Senet, the organization is poised to capitalize on new opportunities and drive growth for years to come.
“As majority owner and green transition partner, we are proud of our key investment in Netmore. Through our continued investments, we are determined to develop the leading IoT network for critical assets in society to become sustainable at scale. A sustainable asset is a connected asset. Our long-term ownership structure accelerates modern infrastructure development, enabling resource efficiency across sectors. It’s rewarding to be a part of this journey of transformation and growth with Netmore,” says Tobias Emanuelsson, CEO of Polar Structure AB.
“We are excited about the growth of digital transformation driven by the promise of IoT. Following recent growth in demand from the energy, utility, and enterprise sectors, the timing of this venture is strategically aligned with the next phase of the market’s evolution and creates new opportunities for customers around the world. We look forward to the ongoing innovation and ecosystem leadership to be delivered by the combined Senet and Netmore organization,” says Stephen Rose, Managing Director of Fisk Ventures.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Senet in connection with this transaction.
December 13, 2023
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University City, Missouri
Q Advisors Represents NUSO in its Acquisition of Mida Solutions
NUSO, a leading multinational service provider of proprietary cloud communications, customer experience and CPaaS enablement solutions announced the acquisition of Italian-based Mida Solutions S.r.l (Mida), a software-as-a-service provider of contact center, compliance recorder and call analytics with customers in 39 countries.
This combination enriches NUSO’s core customer experience (CX) offer to its cloud communications applications. Mida’s applications, including Contact Center and Compliance Recorder solutions, integrate to enable services and applications for environments such as Microsoft Teams™.
“We are excited to add Mida’s core capabilities around Contact Center and Compliance Recorder solutions to the NUSO portfolio,” said Matt Siemens, NUSO CEO. “Mida’s products further our reach into Microsoft Teams and other collaboration marketplaces. In addition, this move anchors NUSO directly in the global service provider and critical infrastructure markets serving transportation and emergency services. Incredibly, this acquisition also nearly doubles our software development resources.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of the NUSO family of services,” said Attilio Licciardello, Mida General Manager and Owner. “Our current partners and customers will have access to new services through the NUSO portfolio in cloud communications, network, and enablement technologies. Additionally, customers and partners can expect the same level of top-quality service.”
Mida’s contact center and compliance recorders meet the most stringent security and regulatory requirements, including GDPR, MIFID 2, and HIPAA. These solutions can be seamlessly integrated with traditional UCaaS and PBX implementations as well as Microsoft Teams and other cloud communication systems.
“NUSO’s acquisition of Mida Solutions broadens the portfolio of solutions our partners can offer their customers,” said Ryan Henley, NUSO CRO. “The integration with and extension of NUSO’s full-stack capabilities address market needs at the network, service, and application layers, driving value creation as customers move to the cloud. We are excited to add these CX capabilities to our expanding partner network and geographic reach.”
This announcement marks NUSO’s second acquisition over the past 45 days.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to NUSO in connection with this transaction.
November 21, 2023
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Atlanta, Georgia
Q Advisors Represents G12 in Acquisition by Momentum
Momentum, a leading global provider of managed services and next-gen managed network solutions, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of G12 Communications, a Seattle area-based provider of voice-enabled and Operator Connect Microsoft Teams solutions.
"This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone for Momentum. By joining forces with G12, we are poised to deliver premier voice-enabled collaboration solutions that empower organizations and the modern workforce to thrive in an increasingly digital and collaborative world,” said Todd Zittrouer, CEO of Momentum.
Momentum continues to invest in cutting-edge collaboration technologies to facilitate seamless hybrid work models and empower companies to adapt to the dynamic nature of today’s workforce. By embracing Momentum’s advanced solutions, companies are poised to modernize their work environments, create flexibility, and enhance communication to meet the diverse needs of shifting demands of the business landscape.
“We are thrilled to combine teams and expertise with Momentum and continue our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the world of voice-enabled Microsoft Teams and collaboration. This alliance empowers us to redefine the digital workplace experience, offering our clients unparalleled solutions as they navigate today’s dynamic business environment," said Rick Garcia, Co-Founder and CRO of G12 Communications.
Garcia will join the Momentum team as EVP of Modern Workplace & UC. He will help drive the vision and growth of Momentum’s collaboration and modern workplace solutions.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive sell-side advisor to G12 in connection with this transaction.
November 6, 2023
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS
Q Advisors Represents CallTower in Equity Recapitalization by BV Investment Partners
BV Investment Partners (BV), a middle-market private equity firm focused on the tech-enabled business services, software and IT services sectors, announced today an investment in CallTower, an international leader in delivering cloud-based enterprise-class communications, contact center and collaboration solutions.
Founded in 2002, CallTower enables the digital workplace by providing global enterprise cloud communications and collaboration solutions on leading platforms including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Five9, and others. CallTower is based in South Jordan, UT and serves over a million end points covering over 75 countries.
Bret England, Chief Executive Officer of CallTower, commented, “The growth of remote and hybrid workforces has driven demand for collaboration platforms and CallTower has been there to help teams stay connected. As a solution-agnostic provider aligned with best-of-breed platforms, CallTower is helping change the way people communicate around the world and get work done. We have found a like-minded partner in BV and this new relationship will help us to accelerate our growth, both organically and through acquisitions, while maintaining a healthy, well-functioning organization and providing exceptional service to our customers.”
Justin Garrison, Managing Director of BV, said, “Enterprises and their employees have made a lasting shift in how they communicate centered around modern collaboration platforms. CallTower stands to benefit from the long-term trends of cloud migration, growth in hybrid and distributed workforces, and migration towards best-of-breed platforms. Bret and the CallTower team have built an exceptional organization and we’re excited to partner with them to support and enable an ambitious growth strategy.”
Vik Raina, CEO and Managing Partner of BV, added, “Cloud communications is a $15+ billion market which is expected to grow double digits as enterprises continue to adopt collaboration platforms and switch away from legacy systems. As a solution-agnostic provider, CallTower is in a strong position as a value-add partner with large platforms as they continue to benefit from global adoption.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to CallTower.
September 27, 2023
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Atlanta, Georgia
Q Advisors Represents Fusion Connect in Latest Debt Financing
Fusion Connect, a leading global managed communications service provider (MCSP) and Microsoft Cloud Solution provider (CSP), has announced its debt refinancing with PNC Business Credit, a division of PNC Bank, N.A. This new financing replaces all the company’s existing debt obligations at par, with more favorable financial terms going forward. It strengthens Fusion Connect's financial position and equips the company with a robust foundation for driving its next phase of growth and technological innovation in delivering Microsoft services and solutions.
Fusion Connect is pioneering the future of communications with its advanced Microsoft Teams Calling Services. By seamlessly integrating Microsoft's AI and automation capabilities, the company is transforming voice into a strategic digital asset for businesses. This not only enhances communication but also provides organizations with a unique competitive advantage, turning voice into a powerful tool for insights and growth in today's digital landscape.
The financing delivers multiple benefits for Fusion Connect:
- Operational Flexibility: The new structure gives Fusion Connect access to flexible financial tools and solutions tailored to its unique business needs, enabling it to make agile decisions in a rapidly evolving market.
- Enhanced Investment Opportunities: With a fortified balance sheet, Fusion Connect can explore new investment opportunities, from acquisitions to R&D, propelling it ahead in the MCSP domain.
- Reduced Interest Burden: By optimizing its debt structure, Fusion Connect will significantly decrease its interest-related expenses, resulting in improved profitability and cash flow.
Working with PNC Bank, a leading financial institution, amplifies Fusion Connect's growth of next generation technology solutions.
Brian McClintock, CFO at Fusion Connect, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “The refinancing not only enhances our financial structure with a new level of flexibility that's invaluable in our industry, but it also allows for an acceleration of our multiyear growth strategy. With this new structure, we will continue to be below 3x levered, which is market leading in our industry.”
Brian Crotty, CEO at Fusion Connect, commented on his excitement about the refinancing, stating, “Our ability to refinance with more favorable credit terms in these challenging credit markets, underscores our ongoing success in executing on our transformation of Fusion Connect into a leading Global Management Communications Service Provider.”
Fusion Connect's new debt financing underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to its business goals, and heralds in a new chapter of accelerated growth, relentless innovation, and sustained market leadership for the company.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor and placement agent to Fusion Connect.
September 26, 2023
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Crawley, United Kingdom
Q Advisors Represents Mondago in its Acquisition by Akixi
Akixi, a leading provider of customer engagement analytics for cloud communications platforms, is pleased to announce a significant strategic investment in Mondago, a prominent provider of CRM integration solutions for communications platforms. This collaboration further strengthens both companies position in the market, combining their portfolio of value-added services attached to cloud communications platforms, and leveraging synergies that will position the combined business at the forefront of innovation.
Andrew Reilly, with his extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, along with business integration, will take on the position of CEO for the combined Akixi and Mondago company.
“Mondago share Akixi’s vision of providing a common suite of value-added services across cloud communication platforms. By combining our resources, we will deliver a richer set of capabilities to service providers with a common provisioning model, accelerating time to market. I’m looking forward to working closely with the Mondago team”. Commented Andrew Reilly, CEO at Akixi.
“Akixi and Mondago have been extremely successful in creating value-added services attached to the major cloud communications platforms. Now we are working together, there will be extensive scope to accelerate innovation, especially in the linkage of contextual information with engagement analytics. I’m personally excited by the potential of the combined business”. Commented Alex Rogers, CEO at Mondago.
“Service providers are actively exploring opportunities to support various cloud communication platforms like Teams, Webex, and Zoom, and to build portfolios of value-added services on top of them. The collaboration between Akixi and Mondago aligns perfectly with the vision of establishing a set of services that can drive incremental ARPU & differentiation in conjunction with these platforms”. Commented Matt Townend, Director of Cavell Research.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as sell-side advisor to Mondago in connection with this transaction.
August 2, 2023
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Mahwah, New Jersey
Q Advisors Represents RingSquared in Acquisition of AccessPlus Communications
RingSquared, a nationwide business voice and data solutions provider, has announced the completion of its acquisition of the telecom business of AccessPlus Communications, an established high-speed fiber and wireless service provider.
RingSquared’s newly acquired AccessPlus will retain its name and now service the greater Northeast region with fiber connectivity on a combined footprint of over 170 miles of route fiber and fixed wireless access points. The current fiber infrastructure of RingSquared and AccessPlus spans several high-density city centers in the Berkshires as well as the Capital District of New York. AccessPlus will cover most businesses immediately, with further expansion scheduled to cover the residential market.
“We’re excited to join forces with AccessPlus Communications. Doug Norton and his team’s strengths reside in the engineering, installation, and management of fiber in their existing markets. He brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge that will help enhance the advanced infrastructure of the RingSquared platform,” stated Kevin Alward, RingSquared Owner & CEO.
“The acquisition of AccessPlus Communication accelerates RingSquared’s fiber network expansion throughout the NE market. We already provide fiber Internet services in the Capital District of New York, and the addition of AccessPlus will help us roll out access solutions to a wider number of business and residential customers in our core markets,” continued Alward.
AccessPlus will combine services with RingSquared to deliver high-performance Internet and enterprise networking solutions with speeds up to 10 GB to business customers in its existing markets of Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Adams, North Adams, Great Barrington, and Springfield, Massachusetts, and Troy, New York.
In addition to fiber, RingSquared will also leverage the extensive AccessPlus fixed wireless network coverage with privately owned dedicated towers to provide customers with an unparalleled, fully redundant connectivity solution for full business continuity.
“We look forward to joining the RingSquared platform and its impressive network technology to combine and create a top-of-market fiber network with 10 GB Fiber to the Premise and wireless solutions to the Berkshires and Capital District of New York communities,” said Norton.
RingSquared has continued to invest in its network’s reliability and reach since acquiring the network assets of Troy, NY-based Cornerstone as part of the Magna5 deal in 2021. The company has also made major investments in its voice and data infrastructure including new Microsoft MetaSwitch, Ribbon SBC 7000, and Juniper Network infrastructure, creating nationwide geographic redundancy using industry-leading technology.
This will be RingSquared’s 8th transaction in eight years and the company continues to successfully execute on its “acquisition – integration – optimization” strategy.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to RingSquared in connection with this transaction. Q Advisors has a longstanding partnership with the RingSquared organization as their advisor on all previous transactions.
June 29, 2023
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Pure IP in its Acquisition by BCM One
BCM One, a leading provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services for IT leaders and resellers, announced that it has completed its acquisition of U.K.-based voice provider, Pure IP.
The acquisition will expand BCM One's NextGen Communications portfolio to serve global businesses with enterprise-grade cloud-based voice for Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex and Zoom. With a specialty in integrating voice across the ever-evolving communication platforms, systems and applications, Pure IP provides fully compliant PSTN replacement services in 47 countries and number availability in 137 countries. Pure IP is one of the original launch partners for Microsoft Operator Connect, which will further strengthen BCM One's Microsoft Teams credentials.
"Pure IP's expertise migrating enterprise customers from PBX and UCaaS platforms to Microsoft Teams is a perfect complement to the BCM One portfolio," stated Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One. "The global infrastructure and flexibility to design both Operator Connect and Direct Routing solutions reinforce our leadership position as a NextGen Communications and Managed Services provider. Additionally, Pure IP's international footprint enables us to extend our platform of services to customers worldwide."
With Pure IP, BCM One will have a robust process for overseeing global businesses' migrations to Microsoft Teams, including pre-sales planning, solution architecture, pre-sales assessment, dedicated support resources, and a managed Teams environment option.
"The BCM One and Pure IP portfolios are very complementary and will provide a compelling proposition in addressing the changing needs of businesses around the world," commented Gary Forrest, CEO of Pure IP. "The synergy between the two organizations will provide a solid foundation for future growth and benefits to our combined customers."
Pure IP marks the ninth acquisition for BCM One, further strengthening and extending its NextGen Communications solutions and positioning BCM One as a leading provider of Microsoft-Grade Teams on a global basis. With this latest acquisition, BCM One will add two international office locations in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and a ninth U.S. office location in San Francisco.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the sell-side advisor to Pure IP in connection with this transaction.
April 25, 2023
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Foxborough, Massachussets
Q Advisors Represents Storagepipe in Acquisition by Thrive
Thrive, a premier provider of Cybersecurity, Cloud and Digital Transformation Managed Services, announced today that it has acquired Storagepipe, a world-class Cloud, Data Protection, Managed Services and Cybersecurity provider based in Toronto, Ontario. The acquisition will further expand Thrive’s global presence while allowing Storagepipe clients to leverage Thrive’s next-generation managed Cybersecurity and Cloud services, all powered by a proprietary automation platform.
Since 2001, Storagepipe has been a trusted global provider of IT Infrastructure Services with a scalable multi-tenant architecture delivered from data centers in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
“Thrive is excited to welcome Storagepipe to help accelerate our rapidly expanding international footprint, especially in Toronto as a key Financial Services Hub,” said Rob Stephenson, CEO of Thrive. “Storagepipe’s growing customer base across multiple industries in the Enterprise, Mid-Market and SMB will add tremendous value to Thrive’s Managed Services, Cloud and Cybersecurity offerings in the Canadian market.”
Storagepipe offers comprehensive Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) platforms, including Disaster Recovery for VMware and Hyper-V systems and IBM I (AS/400, iSeries). The company is a Microsoft Cloud Service Provider with an extensive portfolio of Microsoft 365 services. In 2020, Storagepipe was recognized as a Veeam Impact Partner – VCSP Growth Partner of the Year and in 2021 was recognized as Veeam Service Provider of the Year in Canada.
“Storagepipe is proud to have delivered highly flexible and responsive BaaS, DRaaS and Managed Services for 20+ years with outstanding value and service using state-of-the-art technology”, said Steven Rodin, CEO and President of Storagepipe. “We are excited to join Thrive and expand its NextGen portfolio with our innovative and extensive Cloud and Disaster Recovery solutions that focus on trust, responsiveness, reliability and scalability.”
Storagepipe is Thrive’s third acquisition based outside of the U.S. since 2021, further strengthening Thrive’s global position as a leading technology provider delivering end-to-end managed services to drive secure digital transformation for small to mid-sized enterprises across multiple industries.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the sell-side advisor to Storagepipe in connection with this transaction.
March 10, 2023
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Tampa, Florida
Q Advisors Represents Viirtue in Growth Equity Financing by Ballast Point Ventures
Viirtue, an award-winning wholesale voice & unified communications as a service (“UCaaS”) provider, announced that it has raised $10.8 million in Series A funding from Ballast Point Ventures.
“We are thrilled to have the support of Ballast Point Ventures as we continue to fulfill our mission to digitize channel partners and resellers,” said Daniel Rosenrauch, who co-founded the company with Rob Finch in 2017. “Since launching Viirtue, our mission has been to provide our customers with the best possible tools and services to succeed in a rapidly evolving market.”
“We are excited to partner with Viirtue to support the development and growth of ViiBE,” said Sean Barkman, Partner at Ballast Point Ventures. “Viirtue is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving market, and we believe the Company is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory. We look forward to partnering with another great local Tampa company.”
Viirtue, a leading provider of white label cloud solutions, will utilize this investment to help expand and enhance its innovative ViiBE platform, a cloud marketplace for MSPs and service providers. ViiBE’s cloud-native, streamlined digital procurement to fulfillment software has already proven popular with its partners, and this latest injection of funding will enable Viirtue to accelerate its growth and adoption in the market. The Company is excited to take the next step in its mission to simplify the communications industry.
Q Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Viirtue in connection with this transaction.
March 7, 2023
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Hasselt, Belgium
Q Advisors Represents Westpole in the Sale of its Italian Business Unit to Cegeka
Cegeka, a leading European managed IT services provider, has announced its acquisition of Westpole Italy, an MSP providing hybrid cloud, managed network, managed security, and professional services solutions, to both public and private companies and governments in Italy.
The acquisition aims to accelerate Cegeka’s efforts of continued expansion into the Italian market, allowing the Company to deliver upon growing demand for managed services offerings within its Italian customer-base. The acquisition does not include the activities of Westpole in Belgium and financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
"Westpole Italy fits seamlessly into Cegeka's IT infrastructure, thanks to its transformation towards managed services. We see great synergistic qualities between the companies both in terms of expertise of the employees, as well as market presence," says Bart Watteeuw, Global VP Infrastructure at Cegeka. “For Cegeka, this is a new step to shape the further growth and expansion of the IT Infrastructure Business Line in Italy.”
With the acquisition of Westpole Italy, Cegeka reaches a new milestone in its globalization efforts, while supporting the Company’s broader growth strategy of providing a more robust set of managed services offerings, including hybrid cloud, managed network, and managed security solutions.
“As a result of this acquisition, Cegeka becomes a relevant IT integrator in the Italian market. In terms of IT Infrastructure, this means a duplication of our Italian activities and a strengthening in terms of skills and knowledge. The joining of forces between the two organizations ensures that we can offer our clients a broader spectrum of IT solutions," comments Stefania Donnabella, Managing Director of Cegeka Italy.
"This step also offers new opportunities for Westpole Italy's employees. At Cegeka, they get the chance to develop in a large European IT organization," she concludes.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the sell-side advisor to Westpole Italy in connection with this transaction.
March 6, 2023
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Denver, Colorado
Michael McHugh Joins Q Advisors Digital Infrastructure Practice as Managing Director
Q Advisors, a global telecom, media, and technology (TMT) investment bank, today announced that Michael McHugh has joined as Managing Director, to support the firm’s growing Digital Infrastructure and Telecom Services practice.
Mr. McHugh brings with him over 25 years of experience as an investment banker to clients in the media, communications, and entertainment industries. The appointment arrives as the firm matches increasing global demand for its services with continued growth and activity throughout the Digital Infrastructure sector
“We are excited to add another senior investment banker like Michael to Q Advisors’ growing TMT practice.”, said the firm’s founding partner, Michael Quinn. “He brings deep sector experience and a reputation as a creative problem solver to assist our current and future clients.”
Mr. McHugh joins Q Advisors from B. Riley Securities, where he led the Investment Banking Group’s media and communications practice. Prior to this, he was Head of the Media and Communications Group at Matrix Capital. Earlier in his career, Mr. McHugh held a variety of leadership roles at Waller Capital, MCG Capital and within GE Capital’s Media and Communications group as Head of the Special Situations team.
Mr. McHugh holds an MBA from Emory University where he graduated with honors, and a BSBA from the University of Richmond.
February 7, 2023
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Munich, Germany
Giuseppe Donagemma, Former President Europe of Nokia and CEO of Nokia Siemens Europe, Joins Q Advisors to Further Accelerate Growth
Q Advisors, a global telecom, media, and technology (TMT) investment bank, today announced that it has named Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Donagemma as Senior Advisor to support the firm’s growing European Digital Infrastructure, Cloud, and Managed Services practices.
Donagemma brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience to the firm, having previously held positions at leading ICT Fortune 100 corporates, including:
• President Europe, Nokia (London)
• CEO, Nokia Siemens Europe (Munich)
• Senior Vice President Head of Europe, Samsung Electronics (London).
Possessing an extensive background in leading strategic transformational M&A projects for telcos, IT managed service providers, and private equity firms, Donagemma will work alongside members of Q Advisors´ existing leadership team, including Michael Quinn, Founding Partner, and Kristian MacCarter, Managing Director Europe, to further augment Q Advisors´ latest European expansion efforts.
The appointment arrives as the firm matches increasing local demand for its services with continued growth and activity throughout the European technology and telecom sector.
“Beppe brings a rare mix of both tier one operating and strategy expertise as well as M&A know-how to the table. His experience across the communications ecosystem, with OEMs, carriers, and service providers, gives our team further depth in our core sectors, allowing us to better serve our clients not only here in Europe, but also globally”, said Kristian MacCarter, Managing Director, and Head of Europe at Q Advisors.
February 2, 2023
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Brunswick, Georgia
Q Advisors Represents LiveOak Fiber in Acquisition of Alma Telephone Company’s Fiber Network Assets in Glynn and Camden Counties
LiveOak Fiber, a regional service provider building and operating a world-class broadband network, announces its intent to acquire Glynn and Camden Counties fiber network assets from Alma Telephone Company (ATC) Broadband, a Telecommunications Company based in Alma, Georgia.
The strategic acquisition of ATC’s fiber network assets in these two counties allows LiveOak to strengthen its service delivery capabilities throughout the Golden Isles of Georgia’s Southeast coastline in Glynn and Camden County Georgia and will bring great advantages to residents and businesses in these underserved counties. Residents and Businesses can expect packages that start at 500Mbps and go up to 10 Gbps, include premium managed Wi-Fi with no contracts and no data caps. LiveOak is disrupting the market with its next-generation high-speed fiber broadband, offering internet the way it should be.
“Over the past several years, ATC has recognized the need for reliable residential broadband services in Glynn County and Camden County,” says Teddy Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of ATC Broadband. “This acquisition is a boon to the community. We are confident that LiveOak Fiber has the local resources, experience, and enthusiasm to take our network and expand it in a way that ensures both communities gain access to the best possible broadband experience.”
“The acquisition of this ATC Broadband fiber asset reinforces our commitment to serve the Golden Isles and enables LiveOak Fiber to expedite our timeline for buildout in Glynn County and expands our service area to include the businesses and residents of Camden County. We will build upon the great work of ATC by offering the highest quality Internet services and speeds in the region, coupled with superior local customer service,” adds Jody Craft, President at LiveOak Fiber.
The network assets LiveOak is acquiring from ATC were built to provide high-speed fiber network services to medical and business communities throughout Glynn and Camden Counties. Over its decades of telecommunications service experience, ATC’s robust network and pristine customer service has successfully competed against national service providers in South Georgia for many years. ATC looks forward to maintaining a portion of their customers and interests in this space and continuing to harness the healthy relationships that have made them who they are today.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to LiveOak in connection with this transaction.
December 14, 2022
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Denver, Colorado
Q Advisors Represents zLinq in Growth Equity Financing by McCarthy Capital
zLinq, the platform for Communications Lifecycle Management, has raised a Series B growth funding round. The round was led by McCarthy Capital out of their Emerging Growth Strategy.
zLinq was founded to help multi-location enterprises buy, manage, and optimize connectivity, Unified Communications, Collaboration and Contact Center solutions. zLinq was recently named the third-fastest growing company in Colorado in the small business category by the Denver Business Journal.
zLinq’s rapid growth demonstrates the evolution of an industry that has been underserved by technology for decades. “Enterprises today are shackled by poor service from providers and the legacy drag of old technologies”, said Tatiana Finkelsteyn, CEO of zLinq. “Communications is the circulatory system of every business and one of the largest IT budget categories, and it is poised for transformation in unprecedented way. zLinq plans to play a major part in this transformation by becoming a market leader through a unique combination of its business model and proprietary software. Considering the recent uncertainty of the overall technology sector, zLinq’s 300%+ growth rate over the past two years and our Series B funding from McCarthy Capital gives us the proof points and resources to begin a new phase of accelerated growth with a strong partner that shares our values.”
zLinq will use the funding to scale its operations, further invest in SaaS product development, and hire additional team members. This investment will expand the value the Company already provides its clients.
“We are excited to partner with the team at zLinq,” said BJ Hansen, Managing Director at McCarthy Capital. “zLinq has a proven track record of increasing employee efficiency and reducing communications expenditures. Their focus on several key mission critical industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services make them especially valuable to clients. We look forward to supporting zLinq’s growth and continued efforts to be the leading Communication Lifecycle Management platform.”
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive financial advisor to zLinq in connection with the transaction.
October 25, 2022
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Brussels, Belgium
Q Advisors Represents Dstny in its Acquisition of easybell
Dstny, a European leader in business communications, announced the acquisition of easybell, a cloud communication challenger in Germany that provides Cloud PBX and VoIP telephony to B2B customers. With their fully digital approach and a well distributed network of 2,000 partners, they are both fast-growing and highly competitive in the German market.
“With easybell onboard, we are not only adding Germany as a country, one of the most exciting markets in Europe. We are also adding exceptional people and talents to our group. easybell is years ahead with their digital mindset and their ability to sell products online,” says Daan De Wever, CEO of Dstny Group.
easybell stands out as an innovative and highly experienced operator of telecommunication services with a modern sales and marketing approach. The powerful combination of partner and online sales has led to a strong B2B growth. With € 28M in sales, 75 employees and fully automated processes, they are well positioned to lead the Dstny operations in Germany.
“Dstny and easybell share the same pan-European vision, and by joining Dstny, we can speed up our internationalization process significantly. We also get access to a product portfolio, which is positioning us as an innovation leader in our home markets today and tomorrow,” says Dr. Andreas Bahr, CEO of easybell.
“The previous shareholders have been looking for strategic partners to accelerate the impressive growth of easybell even further,” says Markus Hendrich, CEO of ecotel communication ag, the former majority shareholder of easybell. “From what I have learned during the process, Dstny will help easybell break into other European markets even faster, while Dstny will get presence in Germany. ecotel will remain a supplier to easybell in the long run, making the transaction beneficial for all parties involve.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Dstny in connection with this transaction.
September 1, 2022
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Sunnyvale, California
Q Advisors Represents Intrado in Acquisition of OnSIP by Ooma
Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Junction Networks Inc., doing business as OnSIP, an innovative provider of cloud-based phone and unified communications services for small and mid-sized businesses, from Intrado Corp. The transaction was completed on July 22, 2022.
OnSIP, founded in 2004, provides UCaaS solutions designed to make cloud communications approachable for small businesses – much like Ooma Office- allowing customers to utilize modern communications tools to enhance their business while streamlining deployment and ongoing management. OnSIP customers can choose between unlimited monthly plans and metered “pay as you go” plans.
Dedicated to providing white-glove customer support, OnSIP won the Excellence in Customer Service Award from Business Intelligence Group – which recognizes companies delivering distinctive customer service focused on setting up customers for success – for the fourth year in a row in 2022.
“We’re delighted to welcome OnSIP into the Ooma portfolio of business solutions,” said Eric Stang, chief executive officer of Ooma. “OnSIP serves a marquee collection of approximately 50,000 primarily small business users and is well-respected for the ease of use and flexibility of its services and strong customer support. We believe the acquisition of OnSIP is complementary to our strategy to extend our leadership in serving SMB customers and will accelerate overall growth of Ooma Business. We are also thrilled to expand our Ooma team with the addition of OnSIP’s highly experienced employees.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as sell-side advisor to Intrado in connection with the transaction.
August 24, 2022
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Fairfield, New Jersey
Q Advisors Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to 11:11 Systems in its Acquisition of Sungard Availability Services’ Cloud and Managed Services Business
11:11 Systems (“11:11”), a managed infrastructure solutions provider, today announced that it has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire Sungard Availability Services’ (“Sungard AS”) Cloud and Managed Services business. The transaction is expected to close this fall.
The Cloud Managed Service business is a sophisticated, mature cloud management practice that provides transparency, control, and compliance to blue-chip, enterprise customers utilizing hybrid and multi-cloud environments to power their businesses. As a part of this transaction, 11:11 will gain a team of highly skilled employees specializing in cloud management, customer service, AWS and Azure professional services and cybersecurity. 11:11 will also retain part of Sungard AS’ back-office and administrative teams. The transaction will expand 11:11’s footprint to 13 additional cloud points of presence.
“Sungard AS’ impressive community of enterprise cloud customers is accustomed to a technology partner that is not only expert at managing its cloud infrastructure, but also provides proven expertise in security and recovery services, and these customers will continue to enjoy those advantages with 11:11,” said Brett Diamond, CEO, 11:11. “Given these similarities, this transaction is a natural fit to enhance and strengthen our existing data center footprint, technology stack, and services.”
11:11 has a rapidly expanding global data center footprint that spans across North America, EMEA and APAC and services customers along its three core pillars of cloud, connectivity, and security. Through its prior acquisitions of iland and Green Cloud Defense, 11:11 is an established market leader in backup and disaster recovery and is one of the largest providers of IaaS services to Managed Service Providers in North America.
“Sungard AS’ expertise in providing cross-platform cloud deployments and management will contribute to our future development which includes taking compliance, scalability and availability to the next level as we help our customers manage, optimize and protect their mission critical cloud environments,” said Justin Giardina, CTO, 11:11.
11:11 is backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to 11:11 in connection with this transaction.
August 15, 2022
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Sydney, Australia
Q Advisors Represents Stilmark in Connection with its Acquisition by OMERS Infrastructure
OMERS Infrastructure today announced that OMERS investments in TPG Telecom Limited’s mobile tower and rooftop portfolio, and Stilmark, an independent Australian developer, owner and operator of mobile tower assets, have now both reached completion. Both businesses, which will have a combined footprint of 1,400 tower and rooftop sites in Australia and growing quickly, will be combined and operate as a single business under a new brand, WaveConn.
Commenting on the news, Christopher Curtain, Senior Managing Director, Asia-Pacific for OMERS Infrastructure, said: “We have developed a strong relationship with and respect for the Stilmark management team and their capabilities. The strong focus on delivering innovative and market leading solutions for mobile network operators continues to be a key part of our interest in the company. Stilmark is an excellent fit for our new Australian digital infrastructure portfolio, as it complements our recent investment in TPG’s mobile tower and rooftop portfolio.”
WaveConn will be part of OMERS Infrastructure’s growing portfolio of assets in Australia, alongside Port of Melbourne, Transgrid and FRV Australia. It will also be part of OMERS Infrastructure’s global portfolio of digital infrastructure assets, alongside Deutsche Glasfaser/inexio in Germany, and XP Fibre in France.
Since its establishment in 2013, Stilmark has delivered numerous development and build projects for TPG and Optus, growing a national portfolio and pipeline of towers, with all sites secured under long-term revenue agreements. Stilmark is currently owned by its founders, management team, family offices and US-based ATN International.
Commenting on the sale, Stilmark Chairman, Graham Bradley, said: “We are delighted that our business will be joining the OMERS Infrastructure portfolio in Australia and are excited about the opportunities this creates for our team to continue our innovation leadership in the tower market. We are proud of our activity across Asia-Pacific to support and grow our portfolio in key sectors including digital infrastructure, mobility, and the energy transition.”
Christopher added: Australia and Asia-Pacific more broadly are priority markets for OMERS Infrastructure, where we continue to see significant investment opportunities. We are delighted these transactions have closed, and we look forward to working with the new team to establish WaveConn as an innovative and customer-focused provider of critical telecommunications infrastructure in Australia.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Stilmark in connection with this transaction.
July 25, 2022
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Atlanta, Georgia
Q Advisors Represents Intrado in Connection with its Enterprise Voice and Network Transaction with Fusion Connect
Fusion Connect, a leading provider of managed security and collaboration services, and Intrado Corporation, a global leader in technology-enabled services, announced today they have signed an agreement to transition Intrado’s enterprise voice and network clients to a leading set of strategic communication services offered by Fusion Connect. The clients will benefit from Fusion Connect’s next generation communications, security, and managed network services, as well as their industry leading service guarantee.
“I’m thrilled we’ve built this partnership with Intrado to deliver our leading set of communication and network services to a wide range of Intrado enterprise clients,” said Brian Crotty, CEO at Fusion Connect. “This agreement supports our mission to be a leading global provider of security and collaboration services to mid-market and enterprise clients and enables us to extend our superior client experience to an even larger base of enterprise clients.”
Delivering a superior client experience at Fusion Connect is reinforced by the recent 2022 Bronze Stevie® Award in the Customer Service Team of the Year category and a 2022 Gold Globee Award for Customer Service and Support Team Department of the Year.
In addition to the clients who will transition to Fusion Connect, certain employees from Intrado, including account managers supporting many enterprise clients, will join the Fusion Connect family in North America and Europe, helping accelerate Fusion Connect’s growth and create account level continuity.
“This agreement allows for the strategic repositioning of our Cloud Collaboration business.”, said Rob Bellmar, President and General Manager, Strategy and Transformation, Cloud Collaboration. “It enables Intrado to focus on our current core solutions while providing continuity to our Microsoft services, VoiceMaxx CE, and Maxxis network clients in North America and EMEA.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Intrado in connection with this transaction.
July 18, 2022
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Houston, Texas
Q Advisors Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Meriplex in its Acquisition by New Majority Shareholder, Vitruvian Partners
Meriplex, a leader in managed cybersecurity, IT and SD-WAN solutions for SMB and mid-market enterprises in the United States, is pleased to announce the completion of a transaction in which Vitruvian Partners acquired a majority interest in Meriplex. Meriplex's existing shareholder Clairvest Group Inc. (TSX: CVG) (“Clairvest”) is retaining meaningful equity in Meriplex and will remain as a minority shareholder alongside the Meriplex management team led by Founder & CEO David Henley, who will continue to run the business.
Meriplex has a strong track record of industry-leading organic growth, financial performance and since 2018 has completed 13 acquisitions, expanding its reach to become a nationwide leader. EBITDA in 2022 is expected to be 10x of that achieved in 2017.
“Vitruvian Partners will help further accelerate our rapid growth, enabling us to continue to expand our nationwide footprint and capabilities to serve our customers better every day. We are excited about partnering with them and to continue our partnership with Clairvest” says David Henley, Founder & CEO of Meriplex. “I am very proud of what Meriplex has achieved over the last few years and am excited to continue growing Meriplex and our customer relationships alongside Vitruvian as our new private equity partner.”
David Nahama, Senior Partner at Vitruvian Partners, says: “We have been very impressed with the track record of growth at Meriplex and have seen the company consistently outperform, including executing multiple strategic acquisitions. Meriplex has established a nationwide leadership position in the highly attractive managed cybersecurity, IT and SD-WAN solutions markets, allowing it to deliver compelling and differentiated solutions to its customers, and underpin its attractiveness from an investment perspective. We approached David late last year and are delighted to be partnering with him, the broader Meriplex team and Clairvest on the next significant chapter of expansion and success for Meriplex.”
Luuk Remmen, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, adds: “Vitruvian Partner’s investment in Meriplex builds on our longstanding track-record and experience in cybersecurity, enterprise networking and managed services. Together with Clairvest, we believe we have significant capital and capabilities to support the growth and acquisition aspirations of Meriplex.”
“We are incredibly proud of the Meriplex team. They successfully executed an aggressive growth plan and matured the business into a national player,” says Mitch Green, Managing Director at Clairvest. “David and his team have been relentless in their pursuit of opportunities to grow and strengthen the business. We are thrilled to reinvest a meaningful equity stake into the transaction along with our management partners and welcome Vitruvian, whom we believe will be a great partner for this next stage of growth.”
Q Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Meriplex in connection with the transaction.
July 8, 2022
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Fairfield, New Jersey
Q Advisors Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor and Placement Agent to 11:11 Systems in its Acquisition of Static1
11:11 Systems (“11:11”), a managed infrastructure solutions provider, today announced the acquisition of Static1, a leader in managed network and IT infrastructure development and services. Driving increased productivity, efficiency, and security for its customers, Static1 designs, builds, runs, and optimizes IT infrastructure.
The enterprise network infrastructure market is valued at $56B as of 2021, and is expected to grow significantly over the next five years. The shifting dynamics of remote work and the increased need for bandwidth and technology to enable the migration to wireless are major factors driving the growth of the connectivity market. IT leaders must ensure applications and data are connected, anywhere, anytime, but most businesses do not have the internal resources to manage those new complex infrastructure requirements.
“Feedback from customers has shown that there is a dearth of offerings that combine cloud, connectivity and security in one platform,” said Brett Diamond, CEO, 11:11 Systems. “We are focused on providing the platform for these three core pillars while ensuring that our customers’ apps and data are always running, accessible and protected. Static1 is a natural addition to our portfolio particularly because of the team’s significant depth in connectivity. With this acquisition, we will strengthen our existing managed services and add entrenched industry expertise and relationships to our portfolio.”
Static1 is a leader in complex industries such as media, entertainment, pharmaceutical, retail, financial services, and not-for-profits. Their services span the gamut from connectivity to security management to monitoring, network, infrastructure, and SD-Wan technology. Through this acquisition, Static1’s team and technology will complement 11:11’s recent acquisitions of Unitas, Cleareon, iland and Green Cloud Defense– each of which hold market leadership positions within the cloud, connectivity, and security spaces.
“11:11 and Static1 share a vision for addressing the most pressing issues that businesses face,” adds Anthony Lobretto, President, and CTO, Static1. “This exciting step forward benefits our customers with continued best-in-class support, greater uptime, reliability, and security, all while reaping the benefits of accessing the full spectrum of purpose-driven solutions 11:11 has to offer.”
11:11 is backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor and placement agent to 11:11 Systems in connection with this transaction and related debt financing.
June 6, 2022
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Gillette, Wyoming and Chicago, Illinois
Q Advisors Represents Visionary Broadband in Strategic Equity Investment by GTCR
Visionary Broadband (“Visionary”, or the “Company”) has received a strategic investment from funds affiliated with GTCR LLC (“GTCR”), a leading private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The transaction will allow Visionary to continue investing in the construction of new fiber broadband networks throughout Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana, and will prepare Visionary for match requirements in upcoming State-led grant programs.
Headquartered in Gillette, Wyoming, Visionary is a pioneering Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) serving residential and business subscribers in the Rocky Mountain region. Founded in 1994, Visionary has grown into one of the largest and most geographically diverse ISPs in the Rocky Mountain region, serving customers through the Company’s hybrid fiber and wireless network. In partnering with GTCR, Visionary Broadband will accelerate its ongoing network expansion in order to provide fiber-to-the-premise (“FTTP”) broadband to rural and underserved communities.
“This investment accelerates our commitment to deliver reliable, state-of-the-art gigabit internet where we live, work and play. We do what we say here at Visionary, and this allows us to do even more for both existing and future Visionary customers,” said Brian Worthen, CEO of Visionary Broadband. “GTCR shares our rural broadband focus, and we are excited to partner with them at this essential time for broadband.”
“The Visionary management team has built an incredible business with deep roots in the communities they serve,” said Stephen Jeschke, Managing Director at GTCR. “We are excited to partner with an experienced and entrepreneurial management team focused on hiring local and bringing multi-gigabit fiber-based internet access to their service areas.”
Visionary is actively constructing FTTP projects in several markets in its existing footprint. The initial builds include the Wyoming communities of Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Lander, Laramie, and Lusk, and Marble, Gunnison, and Walden in Colorado. Previously, Visionary completed FTTP projects in Dayton, LaGrange, Ranchester, and Yoder in Wyoming, and in Kremmling, Colorado. The Company is deploying XGS-PON, a passive-optic networking technology capable of ten gigabits per second to every home.
Visionary plans new fiber projects in communities that desire a relationship with a broadband provider, are focused on economic development and are engaged on behalf of their citizens.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique acted as exclusive financial advisor to Visionary Broadband in connection with this transaction.
May 16, 2022
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fAIRFIELD,NEW JERSEY
Q Advisors Represents 11:11 Systems in its Acquisition of Unitas Global’s Managed Service and Cloud Assets and Cleareon Fiber Networks’ Connectivity Assets
11:11 Systems, (“11:11”), a managed infrastructure solutions provider, today announced the acquisition of certain managed service and cloud infrastructure assets from Unitas Global. The transaction includes specific managed services customers, cloud infrastructure and contracts.
It is estimated that by 2025, over 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms. With this acquisition, 11:11 adds new cloud assets and customers to its portfolio, which will serve to strengthen and deepen 11:11’s manages cloud services offerings. The addition of Unitas and Cleareon’s connectivity assets and customer contracts to the 11:11 portfolio adds a world-class base of wholesale carrier communications to 11:11’s global customer ecosystem, providing customers with the added benefit of enhancing their cloud environments by gaining access to the full spectrum of 11:11’s cloud, connectivity and security solutions delivered through the recent acquisitions of iland and Green Cloud Defense.
“We continue to make significant progress towards our mission to become the industry standard in cloud, connectivity and security solutions,” said Brett Diamond, CEO, 11:11 Systems. “These recent acquisitions including adding assets from Unitas and Cleareon not only substantively advance this mission, but also provide all of our global customers with an arsenal of new tools to ensure that their mission critical applications and data are always running, accessible and protected.”
“11:11 was the perfect choice to continue to enable and strengthen the digital journey for our valued managed service and cloud infrastructure customers,” said Todd Barrack, SVP Operations, Unitas Global. “Their innovative roadmap and dedication to customer service will ensure that our customers have everything they need to compete in the cloud era, and the fact that 11:11 is a leader in security, backups, and disaster recovery will provide critical new services to fight cybersecurity threats.”
11:11 is backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to 11:11 Systems in connection with this transaction.
April 29, 2022
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Markham, Ontario
Q Advisors Represents NetFortris in Acquisition by Sangoma
Sangoma Technologies Corporation (TSX: STC; Nasdaq: SANG) ("Sangoma" or the “Company”), a trusted leader in delivering cloud-based Communications as a Service solutions for companies of all sizes, today announced it has acquired NetFortris Corporation (“NetFortris”). This acquisition further accelerates Sangoma into the upper echelon of SaaS communications providers and extends our industry leading suite of cloud services with new MSP capabilities, thereby delivering even more ‘one stop shopping’ for our customers and providing larger ‘share of wallet’ for Sangoma.
NetFortris provides UCaaS and cloud-based, fully managed MSP (managed service provider) solutions for businesses of all sizes and across all industries. They have approximately 250 employees and four primary offices in Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Manila. In addition to NetFortris’ UCaaS offering, their MSP product line delivers all the mission critical communications services that customers need to complement their ‘as a Service’ applications, such as managed network security, managed SD-WAN, managed network access, monitoring, etc. These MSP services are built upon a highly integrated, end-to-end managed network, backed up by an expert 24/7 network engineering team. NetFortris has over 6,000 customers in North America, over 60,000 seats, with very low customer concentration, and generates expected annualized revenue of just over USD $50 million.
“A critical part of our existing strategy, and of our competitive differentiation, involves providing customers with the widest set of cloud communications services in our industry, avoiding the need for them to buy five different services from five different vendors,” said Bill Wignall, President, and CEO of Sangoma. “The acquisition of NetFortris further extends that strategy in such a perfectly natural manner. Not only can customers already get from Sangoma all the ‘aaS’ products they use today, but now they will also be able to obtain all the other cloud-based MSP services they know they need, such as managed network security, managed access, and managed SD-WAN. This truly is ‘one stop shopping’ for our customers, and it taps into that very important new trend that so many of us in the industry see starting to emerge. I am most excited about this acquisition, our eleventh in eleven years, because it demonstrates our innovative, unique, forward-looking vision and it continues to push Sangoma ahead in the market, further differentiating us from the competition.”
Q Advisors, a telecom, media, and technology global investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to NetFortris in connection with this transaction.
March 9, 2022
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Flowroute in Acquisition of Assets by BCM One
BCM One, a leading provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services for IT leaders and resellers, announced today that it has acquired the assets of Flowroute from Intrado Corporation. Flowroute, one of the original software-centric carriers, created the Flowroute HyperNetwork™ that fulfills reliable, carrier-grade demands with programmability, automation and scale of cloud computing. This marks BCM One’s third acquisition in the SIP Trunking space, adding to BCM One’s portfolio of automated solutions for channel partners, dealers and end users, and is part of the company’s continued investment in NextGen Communications. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Flowroute provides a cloud-based communications platform that enables communication service providers, value-added resellers, and enterprises to quickly and easily provision and turn up voice and messaging services for cloud-based operators and migrate premise-based communication systems to VoIP. Flowroute’s advanced APIs, tools, and portal with best-of-breed automation and SMS capabilities build on the foundation for communications platform as a service (CPaaS).
“We’re thrilled to have Flowroute join the growing BCM One family,” stated Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One. “The rich APIs and web portal round out our offerings for businesses. Our clients will rely on this for advanced functionality without undue complexity. It further cements BCM One’s position as a leading provider of advanced SIP solutions.”
This marks BCM One’s eighth acquisition as part of its continued investment as a next-generation communications and managed service company and platform. Additionally, with Flowroute based in Seattle, this move will strengthen BCM One’s West Coast presence.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as financial advisor to Flowroute in connection with the transaction.
March 4, 2022
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London, United Kingdom
Q Advisors Brings Noteworthy Speaker Lineup to Cloud Comms Summit London 2022
Q Advisors announces its co-sponsorship and participation at the industry-leading Cloud Comms Summit London, held by the Cavell Group, Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London, St. Paul’s. The company serves as event co-sponsors with Acuity Advisors, an investment banking firm headquartered in London, England.
This year’s summit is set to be the largest service provider event in Europe and will bring together the most significant players in today’s Cloud Communication and Collaboration Sectors for a day of insights and networking with experts and thought leaders.
The Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors leadership teams will be holding several speaking sessions throughout the event to discuss key M&A strategy and trends from the front lines of this year's most sought-after deal activity within the European Cloud Communications and Collaboration sectors.
3:15pm-3:45pm: Private Equity Panel
"Maximizing Opportunity in Today's Cloud Comms M&A Landscape"
Hosted By: Marcus Allchurch, Managing Partner, Acuity Advisors
Panelists: Michael Quinn, Founding Partner, Q Advisors | Aylesh Patel, Investment Director, LDC | Jonathan Ma, Partner, Inflexion Private Equity
3:45pm-4:15pm: Fireside Chat
"The Next Frontier for M&A in the Cloud Space: The CEO's Guide to Building a Successful Cloud Comms & CX Platform”
Hosted By: Jordan Rupar, Managing Director, Q Advisors
Panelists: Damian Hansen, Co-Founder & Director, Mission Labs | Bart Delgado, Managing Director, Akixi
4:15pm-4:45pm: M&A Forum
"Avoiding Red Flags in and Preparing for Due Diligence"
Speakers: Kristian MacCarter, Managing Director, Q Advisors | Matthew Townsend, Executive Director, Cavell Group
March 3, 2022
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Salt Lake City, Utah & Rochester, New York
Q Advisors Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor and Placement Agent in Connection with CallTower’s Acquisition of OneStream Networks
CallTower, an international leader in the delivery of cloud-based enterprise-class unified communications, contact center and collaboration solutions, announced today the acquisition of OneStream Networks, a Rochester, New York-based global leader in voice solutions.
This acquisition provides additional innovative communication pathways to existing and future CallTower customers to deliver a broader range of global communications solutions and services. The combination of OneStream’s international, in-region Microsoft Teams Direct Routing capabilities with CallTower’s existing Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams creates a robust global cloud solution complete with international data centers, increased service offerings and a superior customer experience.
Since its inception in 2002, CallTower has evolved into a leading international cloud-based, enterprise-class Unified Communications, Contact Center, and Collaboration solutions provider for growing organizations in over 100 countries and 6,000 cities globally with local calling. Together, CallTower and OneStream Networks will support over 750,000 users spanning eleven data centers across the US, Europe, and Asia.
"The acquisition of OneStream Networks creates an exciting and strategic opportunity for our customers and partners, and growth plan by providing multiple international enterprise communication solutions," said CallTower's Chief Executive Officer, Bret England.
"The combination of CallTower and OneStream builds upon our existing resources to give our customer base a comprehensive solution that effectively implements, integrates and supports their communication needs. We are excited to welcome OneStream employees to the CallTower family and look forward to a quick transition process as we turn our focus to developing further innovative global solutions while maintaining a best-in-class customer experience”.
Q Advisors, a telecom, media, and technology global investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor and placement agent in connection with CallTower’s acquisition of OneStream Networks and relevant financing by Boundary Street Capital.
February 17, 2022
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Crawley, United Kingdom
Q Advisors Represents Akixi in Equity Recapitalization by Axiom Equity and True North Advisory
Akixi, a leading call analytics software provider, has announced a growth investment from Axiom Equity, a B2B SaaS investor, and True North Advisory, a premier trusted advisor to enterprise B2B companies.
Akixi provides businesses with a cloud-based analytics platform helping companies transform how they track and understand their business communications. Since its founding in 2008, Akixi has demonstrated rapid growth across the UK and US, building trusted partnerships with over 600 of the world’s leading B2B telecom and IT providers delivering Akixi services to over 7000 customer sites worldwide. The growth equity investment will be used to support further international expansion and product innovation.
Axiom Equity is leading the investment, alongside True North Advisory who join as strategic partners. True North Advisory’s partners include Mike Tessler and Scott Hoffbauer, the founders and former management team of BroadSoft, Inc.
Craig Decker, who previously led BroadSoft in EMEA, and subsequently led the Cisco Worldwide Cloud and Hosted Group following Cisco’s $2bn acquisition of BroadSoft in 2018, joins Akixi as Chief Executive Officer. Craig will drive and deliver on the company’s global expansion plans, and comments, “Akixi has seen impressive growth over recent years, and I’m hugely excited to be leading the team which will collectively implement the company’s growth strategy as we embark on the next chapter for Akixi.”
Bart Delgado, Co-founder of Akixi, also commented, “The combined resources of Axiom and True North provide the rocket fuel that will see Akixi into the future, as we extend our leading analytics solutions deeper into international markets.”
Ed Fraser of Axiom Equity added, “We look forward to supporting Akixi as it continues to build world-class software and analytics products. Our partnership with Craig Decker and the True North team will help Akixi unlock some exciting new growth opportunities.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Akixi in connection with the transaction.
February 8, 2022
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San Antonio, Texas
Q Advisors Represents NextLevel Internet in its Acquisition by Digerati
Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI) (“Digerati” or the “Company”), a provider of cloud services specializing in UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions for the small to medium-sized business (“SMB”) market, is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of San Diego-based NextLevel Internet, Inc. (“NextLevel”), a leading provider of cloud communication and broadband solutions tailored for the SMB market.
The acquisition of NextLevel expands the Company’s growing nationwide footprint and adds a strong West Coast presence with nearly 1,000 SMB clients in California. On a consolidated basis and as a result of this acquisition, Digerati’s operating subsidiaries will now serve over 4,000 business customers and approximately 45,000 users. With the acquisition of NextLevel, based upon annualized results for the quarter ending October 31, 2021, the Company expects its operating subsidiaries in aggregate will generate approximately $31.5 million in annual revenue. In addition, the NextLevel acquisition is expected to have a positive impact on the consolidated EBITDA and operating income of the Company during FY2022.
“We’re excited about the NextLevel transaction, our largest acquisition to-date that delivers scale as we continue working towards our corporate goal of uplisting to Nasdaq or NYSE American,” said Arthur L. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Digerati. “By uniting our companies’ shared vision of providing exceptional client experiences and an amazing corporate culture, we will be well positioned to continue executing on our growth strategy. We particularly like the success and expertise that NextLevel brings in the area of broadband services and the delivery of digital oxygen to the business market.”
Derek Gietzen, President of NextLevel, stated, “We could not have found a better partner than the Digerati Team. We are excited about the synergies that exist across the operating subsidiaries and all of the future opportunities this business combination provides for the NextLevel Team.”
Q Advisors, a TMT global investment banking boutique, acted as the financial advisor to NextLevel.
January 26, 2022
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Q Advisors and Unreasonable Group Announce Strategic Partnership
Q Advisors and Unreasonable Group today announced a new strategic partnership to support high growth ventures tackling social, financial and environmental challenges and help scale their solutions globally.
Leveraging Unreasonable Group’s immersive programs, media arm, and global network of industry thought leaders and Q Advisors’ deep expertise in supporting high growth technology entrepreneurs, the partnership will help drive resources to accelerate growth for ventures focused on developing new frontier technological solutions that are solving social and environmental challenges globally, as well as help them reach a broader array of stakeholders.
The partnership comes at a time when demand for sustainable impact investments continues to increase, having grown exponentially over the past decade. The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment and Global Sustainable Investing Alliance reported that sustainable investing assets reached nearly $12 trillion in 2018 in the U.S. and $30 trillion globally.
Additionally as part of the alliance, Pratibha Vuppuluri, Managing Director of Global Portfolio, Unreasonable, will join Q Advisors’ Advisory Board. In her current role, Vuppuluri is responsible for building relationships across the impact sponsor ecosystem and Unreasonable's portfolio of companies.
“The ability to help socially focused tech and telecom companies and their founders grow and attract the appropriate investors is important to our firm and we look forward to working with the Unreasonable Group and their ecosystem of companies,” stated Michael Quinn, founding partner at Q Advisors.
Daniel Epstein, Founder and CEO, Unreasonable Group said, “We are excited to be partnering with Q Advisors. The sustainable impact investment ecosystem is witnessing unprecedented growth and demand and we see incredible opportunities for innovation within this space. There could be no better time to partner with Q Advisors who are focussed on innovation - we are thrilled to be working together to help ventures achieve success through our combined expertise and experience.”
January 12, 2022
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San Mateo, California
Q Advisors Represents Bridgepointe Technologies in Equity Recapitalization by Charlesbank Capital Partners
Bridgepointe Technologies, a leading IT strategy firm that provides unbiased solutions to help midmarket and enterprise companies meet their technology needs, today announced a strategic growth investment from Charlesbank Capital Partners. Bridgepointe raised more than $100 million in total as part of the transaction. The capital will be used to fuel continued growth including partner recruitment and enablement, service and brand expansion, and the addition of key personnel. The investment will also provide significant capital to fund acquisitions.
Based in San Mateo, CA, Bridgepointe was founded in 2002 on the principle that businesses need a strategic partner and advocate when procuring, implementing, and maintaining IT services and infrastructure. The Company's IT Strategists offer business leaders direct access to a large portfolio of vendor-agnostic solutions, employing a six-step model that starts with getting to know a client's business, challenges, and goals, and culminates in recommendations and support around supplier selection.
"As businesses are contending with the future of work, IT teams have never needed a trusted partner more for strategic guidance and tactical assistance," said Scott Evars, Bridgepointe Co-Founder. "Growing demand for our services in key areas like UCaaS, CCaaS, Data Centers, Cloud, SD-WAN and Security, means now is the time for us to maximize our growth potential. With this investment, we'll be able to fast-track customer adoption and partner recruitment, as well as enhance our offerings."
"We are proud of our accomplishments since the day we started Bridgepointe, and our mission will not change," said Brian Miller, Bridgepointe Co-Founder. "We're the market leader in helping clients find the signal in the noise and make the right technology choices at the right price. Charlesbank's strategic investment will enable us to aggressively seek out partners who do the same and to double down on supporting our customers, IT Strategists and suppliers."
"Buyers of technology today can be easily overwhelmed by a vast range of choices, solutions and integrations, and Bridgepointe's IT Strategists serve a crucial role in helping businesses save time, money and stress," said Pedro Vaz, Managing Director at Charlesbank. "We see great potential for Bridgepointe in this highly fragmented market as traditional solutions move to the cloud and the Company continues to expand its core areas of focus. We look forward to helping Bridgepointe build on its reputation and brand to capitalize on these exciting market opportunities."
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Bridgepointe in connection with the transaction.
December 22, 2021
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St. Louis, Missouri
Q Advisors Represents BCM One in Equity Recapitalization by Thompson Street Capital Partners
Thompson Street Capital Partners (“TSCP”), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, has announced the closing of its first Continuation Fund capitalized by AlpInvest and a leading group of limited partners.
The Continuation Fund was established to acquire Revenue Management Solutions (“RMS”) and BCM One Holdings, Inc (“BCM One”). The transaction closed with a combined enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion and the Continuation Fund includes substantial additional capital to drive organic growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions at both companies.
The transaction was led by AlpInvest, a subsidiary of Carlyle Global Investment Solutions, and supported by a diverse group of high-quality investors, including both TSCP Fund IV and Fund V limited and general partners. The transaction includes significant equity contributions from the founders and management of both companies. BCM One, a TSCP Fund V investment, delivers managed services to support unified communications, network management and optimization, and other technical services to more than 20,000 customers and channel partners.
“Establishing our first continuation fund represents a significant event for Thompson Street Capital Partners,” said Bob Dunn, Managing Partner of TSCP. “BCM One and RMS are two of the best-performing portfolio companies in TSCP’s twenty-year history and we are excited to continue our partnership with both businesses through this vehicle.”
Geoff Bloss, BCM One’s CEO said, “The resources TSCP provides has allowed us to better assist our customers in managing complex, scalable technologies to meet their network needs while remaining focused on our own prospects for growth. We’re excited about their additional support and our ability to position ourselves for continued success moving forward as a leading managed service provider around its Next Gen Communication offerings.”
Brian Kornmann, Managing Director at TSCP, added “We are grateful to AlpInvest and all the investors who supported this effort. We have been fortunate to partner with RMS and BCM One and look forward to working closely with the executive teams and founders of the businesses to continue to aggressively pursue, and execute on, growth strategies to continue the strong performance of both businesses.”
Garrett Hall, Managing Director at AlpInvest said, “We are excited to expand our partnership with Thompson Street Capital Partners and support two exceptional companies in their continued value creation on behalf of new and existing investors.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as financial advisor to BCM One in connection with the transaction.
December 16, 2021
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Fairfield, New Jersey
Q Advisors Represents 11:11 Systems in its Acquisition of iland
11:11 Systems (“11:11”), a managed infrastructure solutions provider, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire iland, the award-winning global cloud service provider of secure and compliant hosting for infrastructure (IaaS), disaster recovery (DRaaS), and backup as a service (BaaS).
iland complements 11:11’s recent closing of its Green Cloud Defense acquisition. The combination of the three organizations will enable 11:11 to deliver the full spectrum of connectivity, cloud, and security solution sets across Channel, SMB, and Enterprise. It will provide 11:11 with an unmatched go-to-market engine and expand 11:11’s reach by adding a new global data footprint.
“The acquisition of iland is a major step in unifying all aspects of connectivity, cloud, and security to fast-track our company growth across all three solution pillars,” says Brett Diamond, CEO of 11:11 Systems. “iland is core to our strategy to become the leading managed infrastructure solutions provider, driving growth by providing a single source for customers.”
“Joining 11:11 Systems will create a pathway to rapidly provide our customers with meaningful new connectivity and security offerings,” comments Scott Sparvero, CEO and co-founder, and Brian Ussher, President, and co-founder of iland. “Aligning iland and 11:11 Systems visions will address our customers’ need to simplify the management of their infrastructure into the hands of a few trusted vendors, so they can focus on more pressing initiatives like their mission-critical applications, edge computing, and AI.”
11:11 is backed by Tiger Infrastructure Partners, a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as financial advisor to 11:11 Systems in connection with this transaction.
November 9, 2021
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Mahwah, New Jersey
Q Advisors Represents Magna5 Telecom in its Acquisition by RingSquared
International Telecom LLC (“ITL”), an industry leader in managed voice, analytics, and data solutions, has announced the close of its previously announced deal to acquire the Magna5 Telecom business from Magna5 Global. The newly acquired Magna5 Telecom business will join ITL’s other communication-focused brands, Dial800 and Kall8. ITL is becoming one of the leading communications platform companies with revenue approaching $100MM and processing over 8 billion phone calls annually.
The addition of Magna5 Telecom’s suite of products and services to ITL’s existing offerings provides thousands of customers with comprehensive end-to-end communications, all from one trusted provider. “ITL’s core company focus is about delivering superior connectivity, data analytics, and voice technology. We look forward to adding new services and making them available to all ITL clients,” Kevin Alward, CEO of International Telcom LLC, remarked.
Key infrastructure work has already started to improve and enhance network reliability and performance. New switching facilities with Ribbon’s Sonus 7000 platform and Microsoft’s Metaswitch have been deployed in a geographically redundant architecture in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington. VeloCloud infrastructure will also be expanded to continue increasing the SD-WAN offerings for clients.
ITL will now serve over 30,000 customers. Existing Dial800 and Kall8 platforms will be available to all Magna5 Telecom customers looking to round out their business networks with call tracking software, built-in AI analytics, an industry-leading database of 800 and vanity phone numbers, customizable call routing, and more. Magna5 Telecom’s services, including SaaS, CCaaS, UCaaS, and SD-WAN, will be expanded and available to all customers.
Magna5 Telecom customers’ products, services, and support will continue as normal with the Magna5 Telecom business soon to be re-branded to RingSquared, encompassing all ITL’s suite of managed voice, data, and key communication solutions.
“We welcome the Magna5 Telecom clients,” Alward says, “and anticipate creating many great business opportunities and furthering these relationships going forward.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as financial advisor to Magna5 Telecom in connection with this transaction.
October 27, 2021
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Denver, Colorado
Q Advisors Celebrates 20th Anniversary Milestone
On behalf of my partners-
It makes me tremendously proud to announce that we have reached a significant company milestone in celebrating our 20th anniversary this month. I take this occasion to sincerely thank our clients, employees, partners, families, and friends for being a significant part of the Q Advisors journey. Our success would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our team and the trust placed in us by our clients.
Q Advisors began as a small firm in 2001, focused on delivering a unique investment banking experience centered on developing long term client relationships by providing in-depth operational experience and unparalleled involvement and attention from senior team members. This approach propelled Q Advisors into its current position as one of the world’s foremost TMT investment banking boutiques. Q Advisors is now the leading global cloud and managed services investment bank, by number of transactions consummated in the sector, and a significant player in the telecom infrastructure and communications sector with total transaction value exceeding $18 billion. This past year especially has been one to celebrate -- with Q Advisors closing a record number of over 23 major transactions and opening new offices in Munich and Amsterdam.
We are immensely grateful to our clients and their investors who entrusted us with the challenges of navigating incredibly sophisticated and complicated cross-border business transactions over the last two decades. With our expanding presence in Europe, four global offices, and our partnerships with U.K. investment bank Acuity Advisors and the Cavell Group, Q Advisors is superbly positioned to sustain and build its position as a leader in the investment banking world. We are dedicated to growing our client partnerships and working together toward strategic and financial success for years to come.
Q Advisors thanks each member of its outstanding team for playing a critical role in all that we have accomplished. We have sustained and grown this business because of your talent, enthusiasm, and support; we shall forever remain indebted to your individual contributions to our firm.
Sincerely,
Michael Quinn, Founding Partner, Q Advisors
October 19, 2021
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San Francisco, California
Q Advisors Represents Koopid in its Acquisition by Dialpad
Dialpad Inc., the industry leader in AI-powered communication and collaboration, today announced its acquisition of Koopid, the premier AI-driven platform for an omnichannel customer experience (CX). The addition of Koopid technology will bring comprehensive omnichannel support, including chat, messaging, self-service, and social media, to Dialpad Contact Center. Koopid will seamlessly integrate with Dialpad Voice Intelligence (Vi™) to optimize CX through easy-to-use digital engagement and empower brands to differentiate with personalized customer service.
“The Age of the Customer has transitioned into The Experience Age where the customer, employee and end user experience is now the great differentiator.” said Craig Walker, CEO, Dialpad. “The legacy on-premises providers, along with the first generation of cloud platforms, curb their customers’ ability to meet the rapidly changing needs of the modern consumer. Koopid digital engagement technology, as well as our recent acquisition of Kare Knowledgeware, will help Dialpad lead this industry from the front with innovative solutions for the complexities of tomorrow.”
With the acquisition of Koopid, Dialpad will offer a superior omnichannel experience enabling companies to improve digital engagement with customers and build brand loyalty. The Koopid CX platform enables brands to deliver a modern, connected, and personalized customer experience within and across all digital channels. Koopid technology simplifies customer-to-company engagement and offers a broad spectrum of channels, empowering the customer to initiate contact through any channel. The infusion of Koopid’s omnichannel technology with Dialpad AI will offer companies a 360-degree view of customer interactions and synchronize conversations across all channels to boost CX by eliminating account detail repetition by the customer.
“Koopid is thrilled to join Dialpad, the fastest-growing and most innovative company in the combined Unified Communications as a Service and Contact Center as a Service space,” said Dr. Venky Krishnaswamy, CEO and co-founder of Koopid. “The contact center software industry is wide open for disruption and will be led by only the most forward-thinking organizations offering complete, cutting-edge solutions. We anticipate a bright future together and look forward to leading CCaaS innovation as part of the Dialpad team.”
“Dialpad is building agile and flexible cloud contact center solutions for the next generation of forward-thinking customer service providers and Koopid is a key piece to enhance our offering,” continued Walker. “The addition of Koopid’s revolutionary technology brings full omnichannel support to Dialpad Contact Center and offers Dialpad customers the most advanced AI-powered cloud solutions in the contact center industry.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as financial advisor to Koopid in connection with this transaction.
October 5, 2021
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Fairfield, New Jersey
Q Advisors Represents Green Cloud Defense in its Acquisition by 11:11 Systems
Green Cloud Defense (“Green Cloud”), one of the largest independent channel-only cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers in the United States, has announced it has entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by 11:11 Systems, a Tiger Infrastructure Partners- backed managed infrastructure solutions provider. The acquisition aims to power Green Cloud’s national channel partner network with Managed Network Connectivity solutions and is expected to be final by the end of the year.
Green Cloud Defense delivers customized cloud and security solutions through Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Value-Added Resellers (VARs). In addition to providing IaaS capabilities to its customers, Green Cloud also offers backup and disaster recovery solutions, DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) and fully managed security services with a multi-layered approach. Founded in 2011, Green Cloud Defense has since expanded to own data centers in Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, Houston, TX, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN and Phoenix, AZ.
In March 2021, Green Cloud acquired Cascade Defense, a full-service managed security service provider (MSSP), expanding its security portfolio with managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and a Security Operating Center-as-a-service (SOCaaS). In addition to several national awards and accolades, Green Cloud Defense was included in Inc. 500, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies, consecutively for five years.
“11:11 Systems has a clear vision for a new model that empowers customers with a fully automated, integrated, and managed network infrastructure platform,” says Keith Coker, co-founder and CEO of Green Cloud. “We know this is the solution we seek to support our partners in delivering best-in-class services to their clients. We look forward to this tremendous opportunity to continue to grow our value as part of 11:11 Systems.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment bank, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Green Cloud in the transaction.
August 25, 2021
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Richardson, Texas
Q Advisors Represents Telestax in its Acquisition by Mavenir
Mavenir, the global leader in mobile messaging and business messaging monetization solutions for service providers, announced today that it has acquired Telestax Inc., a leading global CPaaS enablement and application provider to the communications industry.
This acquisition enhances Mavenir Engage, Mavenir’s omni-channel messaging monetization and customer engagement platform, by enabling flexibility, specialization, and innovation in a SaaS model to better compete in the new digital economy while meeting the needs of businesses of all sizes across a broad spectrum of industry verticals.
“Communication Platforms are becoming a key differentiator for service providers,” said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO, Mavenir. “They will unlock enterprise value in 5G with API enablement for different verticals such as IoT, Smart Cities, Automotive and provide turnkey applications for logistics, fleet mgmt., AI/ML chatbots, voice biometrics verification, immersive commerce/entertainment and many other use cases.”
“CPaaS is the key enabling technology for our Mavenir Engage service to position Communications Service Providers (CSPs) at the forefront of the digital engagement landscape.” said Ian Maclean, SVP/GM Cloud Services at Mavenir, “With this acquisition, Mavenir is lowering the barrier of entry and democratizing business messaging for businesses of all sizes to implement conversational commerce experiences.”
Clark Peterson, Chairman, Cloud Communications Alliance, said: “Telestax has been a key partner to help drive the transformation of the CPaaS industry. Being part of the Mavenir family brings the breadth of portfolio to add new capabilities and further advance innovative customer offerings in Cloud Communications.”
Jean Deruelle, co-founder and CTO, Telestax, said: “From our roots as an Open-Source communications disruptor that defined the CPaaS Enablement Market with the Restcomm API framework, we are incredibly excited to join forces and combine our capabilities with Mavenir’s extensive 5G and omnichannel messaging portfolio in the next step of our journey to keep helping carriers globally define the future of business communications.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Telestax.
July 22, 2021
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St. Louis, Missouri
Q Advisors Represents WCS in its Acquisition by Thompson Street Capital Partners Platform BCM One
Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, announced today that they have acquired Wholesale Carrier Services (WCS), a Coral Springs, Florida-based owner and operator of a facilities-based IP-enabled voice and data network.
Geoff Bloss, BCM One’s CEO said, “WCS is a natural fit and there are tremendous synergies with our solutions portfolio and family-like culture. Their carrier-grade network, worldwide presence in 500+ cities and channel focus align with our continuing investments in those areas.”
WCS’s product line – which includes UCaaS, business connectivity and managed services – complements BCM One’s core NextGen Communications and Managed Services solutions. This acquisition expands BCM One’s global presence into the Asia Pacific region, and enhances support for the channel partners and businesses it serves.
“We’ve seen BCM One achieve tremendous growth over the past couple of years,” added Chris Barton, President & CEO of WCS. “We’re excited to join forces and play a role in furthering the company’s solution, channel, and geographic expansion.”
Clayton Milburn of TSCP stated, “The acquisition of WCS serves as a great addition to BCM One and supports the strategic vision for the platform that we share with the executive team and founders.”
Founded in 1992, BCM One is a leading managed solutions provider offering businesses a one-stop shop for integrated technology needs. Now serving more than 19,000 customers worldwide, BCM One offers a variety of solutions supporting businesses’ critical network infrastructure – unified communications, SIP Trunking and UCaaS services, SDWAN, cloud, security and connectivity solutions.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to WCS. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
July 20, 2021
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Stockholm, Sweden
Q Advisors Represents Mitel in the Sale of its Telepo Division to Destiny
Mitel, a global leader in business communications, completed today the sale of its Telepo division to Brussels-based, Destiny NV, Europe’s largest cloud communication and services platform provider. Telepo, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is a leading cloud software provider offering Unified Communications-as-a-Service (‘UCaaS’) and Fixed Mobile Convergence (‘FMC’) solutions to Service Providers. Following last month’s acquisition of Sweden-based Soluno BC, the acquisition of Telepo will further solidify Destiny, backed by Apax France, as a market leader within the European cloud communication space.
Founded in 2004, Telepo offers UCaaS and FMC solutions to Service Providers throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, growing to serve over 2 million end users. Telepo was designed from initial inception as a complete end-to-end, multi-tenant solution with fixed mobile convergence and ease of use as the top priorities. Telepo differentiates in the market as a mobile-centric cloud platform, purpose-built for mobile operators and Service Providers to target SMEs and enterprises with innovative cloud solutions and offering a significant number of API integrations that enable maximum flexibility.
"This is an important and transformational step for Telepo and its Service Provider partners, and I could not be more excited with the synergies between our companies. This marks the start of an incredible new chapter in our journey as a win-win for both companies. Destiny will be able to standardize on Telepo as own IP for the group-wide platform to drive consistency and future growth. The Telepo team will benefit from Destiny's strategy and resources to accelerate innovation and enhance their offering portfolio directly benefiting our Service Provider partners to compete and win in their markets. I am delighted with this acquisition and the benefits it brings to all the stakeholders in our ecosystem. I very much look forward to working with Daan and his team, and I know we will make a winning combination", said Rami Houbby, General Manager at Telepo.
The combined Destiny group will comprise of more than 600 employees in six countries (Belgium, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and UK), and is expected to generate a turnover of €170m in 2021.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Mitel in connection with this transaction.
July 8, 2021
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Q Advisors Represents Brodynt in its Acquisition by Expereo
Expereo, a leading global provider of managed Internet, SD-WAN, SASE, and Cloud Access solutions, announced that it has agreed to acquire Barcelona-based Brodynt, a global provider of managed Internet and SD-WAN services . This acquisition further strengthens Expereo’s position in providing managed services solutions to its global enterprise customer base and service provider partner community.
This news follows Expereo’s acquisitions of several other leading managed services providers over the past year including GlobalInternet, Comsave, and Videns IT Services, solidifying Expereo’s position in leading the worldwide transformation to software-defined and internet-based networking. With the full support of majority investor, leading international growth capital and buyout firm, Vitruvian Partners, and minority investor, Paris-based Apax Partners SAS, Expereo intends to continue its acquisition strategy.
“Expereo brings additional reach, leading digital user and operations platform, and complementary SD-WAN and SASE experience that our customers and partners will greatly benefit from,” says Marcus Munoz, Brodynt Co-CEO. “We have built a great customer and partner base, as well as a superb team supporting them,” adds Marc Mateo, Brodynt Co-CEO. “I am excited to see this integrated into Expereo, enabling faster expansion and adding broader capabilities as the market very rapidly transforms with internet services now being core to global enterprise connectivity networks; Expereo brings the scale to do so efficiently.”
“It is all about scale and delivering world-class customer experience,” says Irwin Fouwels, CEO Expereo. “Where our ability to effectively source, manage, and improve performance of any type of internet-based networking service anywhere in the world complemented traditional wide-area-network technology, we are now effectively replacing such legacy solutions. Overlaying our own cloud fabric and digital customer interface takes an internet-based solution to the next level in terms of performance and experience – we are excited to bring this to Brodynt’s customers and partners.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Brodynt in connection with the transaction.
June 27, 2021
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New York, New York
Q Advisors Represents Telco Experts in its Acquisition by Evergreen Services Group
Leading voice and data telecommunications provider, Telco Experts, announced today its acquisition by Evergreen Services Group, a family of leading managed IT businesses. This transaction is Evergreen’s 27th investment since its founding in late 2017. Following the acquisition, Telco Experts will continue to operate independently but transition leadership to Alex Green who is joining as CEO. Eric Klein, former CEO, and co-founder will help with the transition before ultimately parting with the company.
Headquartered in New York, NY, Telco Experts provides a wide array of customized voice, data, and IP products to thousands of companies nationwide. Evergreen saw both a cross-sell opportunity within Evergreen’s current MSPs as well as an exciting opportunity to grow Telco Experts’ partner program.
“The Evergreen acquisition is exciting to me personally, as I have always envisioned Telco Experts as an extension to companies’ existing IT teams. Evergreen’s current MSP portfolio and plan to continue purchasing MSPs allows Telco to do what it does best while giving customers what they want, which is a one stop shop for all their voice, data, and IT needs. In addition, with this strategic acquisition, the employees that helped make Telco Experts what it is today can continue to be an integral part of the future growth strategy,” said Eric Klein, Telco Experts’ Co-founder.
“Eric and Adam have built an incredible business in Telco Experts by focusing on customer service and building a great team” said Jeff Totten, Evergreen’s CEO. “We look forward to supporting Telco Experts’ continued growth and commitment to its customers, channel partners and team. We have enjoyed working with Eric and Adam since our first interaction and we’re excited to expand on what they have built.”
Telco Experts follows Evergreen’s acquisition of 26 managed service providers since 2018. Evergreen continues to actively invest in leading IT service providers throughout North America, where it can serve as a long-term capital partner and support future growth. Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Telco Experts.
June 21, 2021
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Brussels, Belgium
Q Advisors Represents Destiny in its Acquisition of Soluno
Destiny NV, Europe’s largest cloud communication and services platform provider, announced its acquisition of Sweden-based Soluno BC. By adding Soluno to the Apax France-backed Destiny group, this transaction establishes a new leading market force within the European cloud communication space.
This leap will trigger further investment in developing an innovative, market leading, SME-focused and scalable cloud communication and services platform provider. With deployment across all channels in both existing markets and new countries, this strategic acquisition provides Destiny with an unparalleled competitive advantage.
“This is the next level of Destiny’s big play to own the European cloud communication space. Our combined forces give us own IP, technology that is easy to adopt, use and integrate, great partners, talented local teams and ambition to invest in further developing our innovative and market leading UCaaS platform for SME’s, today and tomorrow”, said Daan de Wever, Destiny CEO.
Soluno was announced to be recognized as one of the top 20 leaders in growth and industry innovation by Frost & Sullivan in the 2020 UCaaS Frost Radar™ report. The two companies becoming one, was a more than logical choice. The acquisition gives Destiny an instantly strong position in Sweden and leads to globalization for Soluno.
“Soluno has constantly generated strong organic growth by providing our channels and end customers with innovation that enables easy to use and future proof business communications - today. By joining the Destiny family, our European vision is already a reality, and we will together transform the European UCaaS market”, commented Patrik Sörqvist, CEO of Soluno.
The combined Destiny group will comprise of more than 600 employees in 6 countries (Belgium, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and UK), and is expected to generate a turnover of €170m in 2021.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Destiny in connection with this transaction.
June 21, 2021
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Saintes, Belgium
Q Advisors Represents ALLOcloud in its Acquisition by Telavox
Swedish cloud communications company, Telavox, announced further European expansion following its acquisition of ALLOcloud, a provider of advanced cloud communications and collaboration solutions in Belgium and France. This acquisition will unlock an attractive opportunity to further improve Telavox’s position in the French and Belgian markets.
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, with sales offices in France and software development and technical support in Tunisia. ALLOcloud is a tech-centric and young organization with strong technical talent, as shown by its proprietary platform. Through a shared mission to offer businesses, service providers, and operators a best-in-class cloud communications product, ALLOcloud’s addition to the Telavox family of European companies makes for a promising partnership.
“The first thing that strikes one when you meet the people at ALLOcloud is the fantastic culture of the company: open, inclusive, and driven with a strong focus on people and customers. It has led to developing several innovative cloud features that we want to offer all Telavox partners and customers. We hope to build upon and accelerate ALLOcloud’s strong position in the Belgian market, with the help of the Telavox platform as the market advances”, says Viktor Karlsson, founder and CEO of Telavox.
“ALLOcloud has successfully been offering cloud telephony and collaboration services in Belgium and France since 2012 with a strong technology focus on software integration. Merging with Telavox is an amazing opportunity for our partners and their customers to expand their offering with one of the most advanced communication platforms in the world. The Nordics is one of the most advanced regions for Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) adoption, and Telavox is the undisputed leader there. We’re excited to be part of co-shaping the European market for UCaaS with this powerful alliance!”, said Jacques Gripekoven, CEO of ALLOcloud.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to ALLOcloud in connection with this transaction.
April 20, 2021
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New York
Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors Represent Innoveo in its Equity Financing by Paulson & Co
Innoveo, a leading provider of enterprise no-code solutions, announced the completion of its equity financing after a highly successful year in 2020.
Paulson & Co. Inc., founded by John A. Paulson, and an affiliate fund of Michael E. Tennenbaum are first-time investors in Innoveo and will join Everstone Capital, one of Asia's premier investment firms focused on cross-border North America – Asia investments as well as domestic investments in India and Southeast Asia, and the management team as shareholders. The proceeds will primarily be used to grow the sales team and marketing activity to expand upon strategic partnership opportunities. Funding will also be allocated to further enhance Innoveo's product offerings by accelerating platform development and R&D - extending capabilities to be a top contender within the highly competitive technology sphere.
Since its acquisition by iSource and Everstone Capital in 2018, Innoveo has become a mature and lean organization, delivering multiple enterprise solutions to Tier 1 insurance carriers based on its market-leading no-code platform-as-a-service offering, Innoveo Skye®, and launching new products such as Innoveo eBro and Innoveo Cyber, while substantially revamping its sales capability. In a testament to its growth, Innoveo has acquired multiple new marquee customers, more than doubled contracted recurring revenues, and built an impressive deal pipeline, which expanded fourfold from a year ago.
With a strong increase in subscription revenue in 2020, the company is well-positioned to further accelerate its growth in 2021. Recently mentioned in Forrester’s Now Tech: General-Purpose Low-Code Development Platforms, Q1 2021 report, Innoveo has cemented its position as a front-runner amongst emerging global technology providers, revolutionizing how enterprise applications are created.
Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors, members of a global TMT investment banking alliance, acted as the exclusive financial advisors to Innoveo.
April 19, 2021
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Global Banking Finance & Review - The Impact of a Disruptive Year: Six Emerging Cybersecurity Themes for 2021
In this Global Banking Finance & Review article, Q Advisors discusses emerging trends in cybersecurity, and how these themes will have a profound impact on the M&A landscape as a result of how enterprises address security moving forward.
The cybersecurity problem is far from being solved with new threat vectors surfacing every day. Heightened demand for solutions will continue to drive investment and M&A activity by cloud providers and legacy security and IT vendors as buyers. As security infrastructure becomes a growing concern, MSSPs are positioned to capitalize on the demand from secure connectivity services, including endpoint protection, access control, analytics, and security monitoring within distributed network environments. These providers will become active as both buyers and sellers on the M&A front. Organizations will be securing and protecting all software, regardless of where it is found. Because of this, hybrid and cloud security platforms will be a technology focus, and we will see acquisitions increase in both the traditional and cloud native realms.
April 18, 2021
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Now Available: Consolidation or Marginalization - What’s Next for Cloud Comms and Collaboration Presentation
Recently, Michael Quinn, Founding Partner of Q Advisors, discussed the effects of consolidation and marginalization on the cloud communications and collaboration ecosystems at the Cloud Communications Alliance April event.
To view the entire presentation, click here.
March 31, 2021
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Markham, Ontario
Q Advisors Represents Star2Star in its Acquisition by Sangoma
Sangoma Technologies Corporation (“Sangoma”) (TSXV: STC), a trusted leader in delivering cloud-based Communications-as-a-Service (“CaaS”) solutions, announced that it has completed its previously reported acquisition of all of the shares of StarBlue Inc. (the parent company of Star2Star Communications, LLC, (“Star2Star”)) from Star2Star Holdings, LLC and Blue Face Holdings Limited.
“Customers today are demanding an integrated buying experience for all their communications needs and the combination of Sangoma and Star2Star will satisfy that need with the broadest set of cloud-native CaaS and related solutions in the industry,” said Bill Wignall, President and CEO of Sangoma. “This transaction ensures we can meet any customer’s preference, be it for purely cloud solutions, on-premise deployments, or a hybrid combination, all the way from small businesses to large enterprises. For many years, we have consciously pursued a strategy to transform Sangoma from a product business to one of the communications industry’s leading SaaS companies. This deal is incredibly exciting not only because it will generate scale in a growing, consolidating space, but also because by combining with Star2Star we will have completed our long-term evolution into a leading cloud services company, one with annual revenue approaching $250 million.”
Star2Star, based in Sarasota, Florida, is a privately-held leading provider of full-spectrum, internally developed, cloud-native communications services delivered via a high availability, multi-tenant platform. Star2Star targets the highest value market segments in business communications, including mid-market and enterprise size customers, through solutions that enable digital transformation. Star2Star's offerings include a comprehensive suite of voice, contact center, collaboration, integration, video meetings, Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), and Desktop as a Service solutions that work on any device from PC's to desk phones to mobile softphones, all accessible from anywhere.
“We are thrilled to combine forces with Sangoma because we have so many complementary strengths,” said Norman Worthington, founder and CEO at Star2Star. I’ve come to genuinely appreciate Bill’s vision for our combined companies in how we share a view on how to profitably grow in this exciting market, a viewpoint that’s unique in our industry. Sangoma was the perfect fit for us because they identified and appreciated our talented team, loyal customers and unique go to market approach."
Star2Star has a differentiated channel approach, employing over 650 active partners across multiple types of channels, from resellers and interconnects, to managed services providers and enterprise technology partners to wholesale and white label distributors.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, represented Star2Star in connection with this transaction.
March 30, 2021
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Now Available On-Demand: Q Advisors Cloud Comms Summit Europe Fireside Chat
Q Advisors recently attended and co-sponsored the Cloud Comms Summit Europe, hosted by the Cavell Group. As part of their strategic global alliance, Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors presented as silver co-sponsors. The two firms participated on the fireside chat: “How to Prepare Your Business for M&A.”
Watch the entire replay here.
March 17, 2021
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Q Advisors Joins Cloud Comms Summit Europe
Q Advisors announces its co-sponsorship and participation at the industry-leading Cloud Comms Summit Europe, held by the Cavell Group, March 17-18, 2021. The company serves as silver co-sponsors with Acuity Advisors, an investment banking firm headquartered in London, England.
The two firms will also be speaking on the fireside chat: “How to Prepare Your Business for M&A” on March 17 at 10:40 am EST. Q Advisors Managing Director Andy Monroe will join Acuity Advisor Partner Marcus Allchurch and Cavell Group Executive Director Matthew Townend.
March 9, 2021
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Denver, Colorado
Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors Represent Mission Labs in its Acquisition by Gamma Communications
Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors, members of a global TMT investment banking alliance, announced the joint representation of acting as the exclusive financial advisors to Mission Labs Limited (“Mission Labs”), a leading provider of Unified Communications as a Service (“UCaaS”) and Contact Center as a Service Solutions (“CCaaS”) to enterprises and the public sector in the United Kingdom, in connection with its sale to Gamma Communications plc (“Gamma”), a leading U.K. and European Cloud and Communications provider.
Gamma provides robust, innovative, and secure market-leading cloud-based services, including SIP Trunking and Hosted PBX, to enable organizations to communicate, collaborate, and offer a better customer experience. Mission Labs is a UCaaS technology business known for creating technologically advanced solutions and delivering great service to its customers and partners. This acquisition gives Gamma additional capabilities in the rapidly evolving Cloud Communications and CCaaS markets.
“We hired Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors for their deep knowledge of the cloud and managed services sectors, particularly around Contact Center and UCaaS, and their ability to understand the strategy of all the global players in the space,” commented Damian Hansen, CEO and Founder of Mission Labs. “We are excited for our new relationship with Gamma and could not be more pleased with the financial and strategic outcome for Mission Labs, our stakeholders, and employees. It was great working with advisors who listened to our objectives, first and foremost, and were able to secure an industry-leading multiple for our business.”
“We were honored to be chosen by Mission Labs and their investors, and working with them was a great experience leading to an industry-leading multiple in the CCaaS space,” said Michael Quinn, Founding Partner at Q Advisors. “Our first transaction with our new alliance partner, Acuity, was an exciting accomplishment and produced a great result for our mutual client.”
“Together with Q Advisors, we are proud to have supported Mission Labs on their sale to Gamma, with one of the highest valuations achieved in the contact center sector. This transaction in the Telecoms, Cloud, and Managed Services space has firmly established Acuity’s U.S. alliance with Q Advisors,” said Richard Baker, Managing Partner at Acuity Advisors.
Q Advisors, the leading global cloud and managed service investment bank in the sector, has closed more than 160 deals in the U.S. and Europe to date. This transaction marks the team’s 30th cloud transaction in Europe and 3rd opposite Gamma plc.
February 10, 2021
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Greenville, South Carolina
Q Advisors Represents Green Cloud Technologies in its Acquisition of Cascade Defense
Green Cloud Technologies (“Green Cloud”), a cloud technology solutions provider, has reached a definitive agreement to purchase Cascade Defense, a full-service managed security service provider (MSSP) in Spokane, Washington. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, and it will strengthen and expand Green Cloud’s security product portfolio.
As one of the largest independent channel-only cloud IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) providers in the country that sells cloud infrastructure to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Value-Added Resellers (VARs), Green Cloud is committed to providing over 650 partners with advanced cybersecurity solutions. With Cascade’s technology and expertise, Green Cloud is obtaining a Fortinet MSSP Expert partner and a full-service Security Operations Center (SOC). In conjunction with the acquisition, Green Cloud will be rolling out fully managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software and a SOC as-a-service (SOCaaS) to their MSP partner ecosystem.
“Cascade Defense will accelerate our vision to better detect and respond to cyber threats and significantly strengthen our security capabilities,” said Keith Coker, CEO and cofounder of Green Cloud. “Cascade is the perfect fit for Green Cloud as we both share a passion and commitment to innovation and best-in-class technology and resources to compete in the rapidly growing security space.”
“Green Cloud has committed to expanding our product offering by investing in our people and processes,” added Steve Sims, co-founder of Cascade Defense and newly appointed VP of Security and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Green Cloud. “This is an exciting time for our customers and the Cascade Defense team.”
Q Advisors, a leading Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) investment banking boutique, acted as financial advisor to Green Cloud for this transaction.
Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Green Cloud was founded in 2011, and today, the company has 70 employees and operates six world-class data centers in Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, Houston, TX, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN and Phoenix, AZ. The acquisition of Cascade Defense will give the company an additional office in Spokane, Washington.
February 1, 2021
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Q Advisors Talks to JSA TV about the Outlook for M&A Global Transactions
In a recent one-on-one interview with JSA TV, Q Advisors’ Managing Director, Dan Kenney, discussed the company's recent historical milestone, its continued European expansion with a new office in Munich, and its optimistic M&A market outlook for the year ahead.
“2020 was a tough year for many both personally and from a business perspective. We feel extremely fortunate to be focused on the TMT sector. As a firm, Q Advisors was able to close 17 deals in 2020, which is a record number for us over our 20-year history. We’ve also seen an acceleration in annual closed transactions for our firm in Europe. Because of this, we recently opened a new office in Munich and hired a new Managing Director, Kristian MacCarter, who will be spearheading the continued growth in that region,” said Kenney.
January 31, 2021
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Broomfield, Colorado & San Diego, CA
Q Advisors Represents Absolute Performance in its Recapitalization by Seaside Equity Partners
Q Advisors is pleased to announce that Absolute Performance, Inc. (“API”), based in Broomfield, CO, has been recapitalized by Seaside Equity Partners (“Seaside”), a private equity firm based in San Diego, CA. API is an established provider of end-to-end managed IT infrastructure solutions to mid-market and enterprise customers. Seaside’s partnership with API will support accelerated organic growth as well as an active M&A strategy.
API offers 24/7 monitoring, private/public cloud migration and management, IT outsourcing, managed security services, compliance and software / modernization services across a diversity of attractive sectors including accounts receivable management, financial services, and diversified industrials. Additionally, API operates scalable, fully-redundant private cloud environments at Tier 3 data centers in Chicago and Louisville. For more information, visit www.absolute-performance.com.
Q Advisors LLC, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Absolute Performance, Inc.
About Seaside: Based in San Diego, Seaside Equity Partners is a growth-oriented private equity firm that seeks to provide capital, resources and strategic support to leading mission-critical-services businesses with more than $10 million of revenues that are headquartered in the Western United States. For more information, visit www.seasideequity.com.
January 5, 2021
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St. Louis, Missouri
Q Advisors Advises Thompson Street Capital Partners on its Acquisition of SkySwitch
Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, announced today its acquisition of SkySwitch, a leading white-label hosted VoIP provider based in Tampa, Florida. The Company, which offers white label next generation communications solutions to more than 500 managed solutions providers and other resellers, represents a major investment by BCM One to grow its next generation voice solutions.
Q Advisors assisted TSCP in its evaluation and acquisition of SkySwitch. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
BCM One will expand its geographical footprint to Florida as a result of the transaction and plans to keep the executive management team of SkySwitch, led by Blake McKeeby, Corey Stoker, Frank Babusik, William Brister and Jayson Jones, in place to continue to grow and support BCM One’s hosted voice offering products to both its current direct customers and its 1,000 channel partners.
Louie Holmes and Eric Hernaez will continue to provide consulting services to the Company post-closing. Mark Amick, BCM One’s Group President, NextGen Communications, will assume responsibility for integrating SkySwitch into the BCM One product portfolio.
Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One, said, “Under TSCP’s ownership, BCM One has made several strategic investments designed to grow and support BCM One’s product offerings. The acquisition of SkySwitch is a major step toward increasing our presence in the hosted voice market and will bring additional products and revenue opportunities to our valued customers and channel partners.”
Said Brian Kornmann, TSCP Managing Director, “BCM One’s acquisition of SkySwitch is another step in the continuing evolution of the Company founded by Frank Ahearn, John Cunningham and Jay Monaghan during our partnership with BCM One. We are excited about this, our fifth acquisition in support of the platform, and continue to seek out compelling acquisitions to further grow BCM One.”
December 2, 2020
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Q Advisors Represents Ribbon Communications in Its Sale of Kandy to American Virtual Cloud Technologies
Ribbon Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: RBBN) and American Virtual Cloud Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVCT) today announced that they have completed the previously announced acquisition of Kandy Communications (Kandy) by AVCT.
Kandy complements AVCT's April 2020 acquisition of Stratos Management Systems, Inc. (dba Computex Technology Solutions) by providing a full suite of UCaaS, CCaaS, and CPaaS products to serve the rapidly growing cloud communications market. Customers today demand a highly reliable, secure, and scalable communications platform along with a world class customer experience.
AVCtechnologies offers end-to-end services spanning from managed IT solutions, managed services, and cloud communications, delivered by certified experts to provide exceptional white glove customer experience to business customers, service providers, independent software vendors, and system integrators. AVCtechnologies is now positioned as a premier white label provider of choice for UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS.
"We are very pleased to welcome Kandy to the AVCtechnologies family," said Xavier Williams, Chief Executive Officer of AVCtechnologies. Williams added, "Kandy will be our linchpin, enabling us to provide carrier grade, global cloud communications that address the needs of medium and large enterprises. As the velocity of public, hybrid, and private cloud communications continues, we are in a fortunate position to be able to focus on execution while competitors in our space need to concentrate on platform capabilities, global expansion and improved customer experience. Kandy's world class, globally-deployed, carrier grade, white-labeled proprietary communications platform gives AVCtechnologies the ability to solve customer communication needs. Kandy's platform, significant growth trajectory, and global marquee customer and partner base, including AT&T, City of Los Angeles, IBM, and Etisalat (the largest telecom provider in the UAE), accelerates our go to market plans and enables us to expand our award-winning portfolio."
Bruce McClelland, Ribbon's CEO, stated, "We are impressed with the depth of talent and vision of the AVCtechnologies' management team and believe that with the addition of the innovative Kandy team, the company will continue to provide excellent service to channel partners and customers. We are confident that AVCT is poised to unlock additional value with Kandy, and we are excited to be a shareholder of the Company."
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Ribbon’s Kandy Communications.
December 1, 2020
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Munich, Germany
Q Advisors Continues European Expansion with New Office in Munich and Appoints Kristian MacCarter as Managing Director
Q Advisors, a global telecom, media, and technology (TMT) investment banking boutique, announces today that it will continue to expand its European presence with a new office in Munich, Germany. The expansion arrives as the firm matches expanding local demand for its services with continued growth and activity throughout the European technology and telecom sector.
Kristian MacCarter, Managing Director, Q Advisors, will be leading the newest European expansion efforts alongside an established team, including Michael Quinn, Founding Partner, Q Advisors. MacCarter, who combines 10+ years of investment banking experience in both the U.S. and Europe, will pair local experience with an extensive M&A, private placement, and recapitalization track record.
“The next step in our expansion process was critically considered after witnessing a steady progression of deal activity in Europe, and we are thrilled to welcome Kristian back to Q Advisors,” states Michael Quinn. “We are prepared to grow globally and meet the demand for this increased activity, with a local team and presence in place. Kristian is the ideal candidate to lead this effort given his international track record and knowledge of local markets in both the U.S. and Europe.”
“I’m excited to take on the role as Managing Director and to spearhead the expansion in Munich and Europe,” comments MacCarter. “The office opening is critical in our effort to continue supporting digitalization themes across Europe and in the U.K.”
Q Advisors has acted as financial advisor to several clients in Europe, including:
● Destiny management team in its recapitalization by Apax Partners
● Swyx in its acquisition by Waterland
● STARFACE in its recapitalization by Maxburg Capital Partners
● VozTelecom in its acquisition by Gamma Communications
● Centile in its acquisition by Swyx and Within Reach Group
● Motto Communications in its acquisition by Destiny
● ONI in its acquisition by Gigas
● Dean One in its acquisition by Gamma Communications
For more information on Q Advisors, please visit www.qllc.com or contact Kristian MacCarter at maccarter@qllc.com.
November 17, 2020
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Q Advisors Represents Atlantic Metro in its Acquisition by 365 Data Centers
365 Data Centers, a leading provider of network-centric colocation and other Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions, announces its acquisition of Atlantic Metro Communications, which provides tailored colocation, network and cloud services to large and mid-size enterprises. While continuing to build 365's presence in the data-intensive northeast corridor, the transaction solidifies 365's position as one of the largest, privately held IaaS providers in the Eastern U.S.
The acquisition adds a data center facility in Herndon, Virginia, along with partner-operated colocation space and available power in northern Virginia and Los Angeles. The transaction delivers 65 additional network points-of-presence (PoPs), particularly in the Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Virginia metro markets and several international locations. The deal also contributes cloud platforms in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Miami and Los Angeles. 365 is now positioned to serve customers at its 13 redundantly interconnected data centers and five additional partner-operated facilities, and from 86 PoPs and seven cloud platform locations.
"This transaction is a milestone event for both companies," says Bob DeSantis, Chief Executive Officer of 365 Data Centers. "365's acquisition of a highly respected business with a track record of providing customers with high touch, hybrid infrastructure solutions is a tribute to Atlantic Metro's management and employees, who will become part of the 365 team. For 365, this acquisition expands our geographic and infrastructure footprint, complements our existing IaaS offerings, and significantly increases our customer base, revenue, and cash flow - all of which greatly benefits our customers. 365 remains strategically disciplined with a focus on network-centric colocation assets and complementary network and virtual services in edge markets within the northeast quadrant of the United States, Tennessee and Florida."
Atlantic Metro's founders and key leaders will join the 365 executive team, reporting to DeSantis. Stephen Klenert has been named 365's Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions & Implementation; James Cornman becomes 365's Chief Technology Officer; and Steve Oakie joins 365 as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing. "The product knowledge and expertise of these industry veterans will be invaluable as we quickly integrate into one, robust 365 brand," comments DeSantis.
"Since 2011, we've built a company that we're very proud of and did it without a lot of capital," says Matthew Lombardi, CEO of Atlantic Metro. "This transaction will enable continued growth through increased investment in infrastructure and managed services. 365 has a talented team of experienced investors, operators, and technologists who share our vision and bring enterprise-scale resources. This combined technology platform provides 365 with an advantage at an exciting time in our industry."
The Atlantic Metro acquisition continues 365's rapid growth trend. Over the last year, the company acquired colocation businesses and facilities in New Jersey and Long Island. Last month, 365 announced that Stonecourt Capital acquired a majority stake in the company and original investors Lumerity Capital and Longboat Advisors reinvested into the new partnership. That transaction provided 365 with substantial financial resources to fund its internal and external growth strategies.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Atlantic Metro. Shipman & Goodwin LLP and Polsinelli PC served as legal counsel to 365, and Ferdinand IP served as legal counsel to Atlantic Metro. Affiliated funds and accounts of Cerberus Business Finance, Everberg Capital, and ORIX Corporation USA's Special Opportunities Group provided financing for the transaction.
November 1, 2020
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Global Fintech Series - The Future Face of Cloud Native Computing
In thisGlobal Fintech Series article, Q Advisors discusses the impact of cloud native computing and the role of container-based applications.
In the evolution of computing, we are on the precipice of what many call The Fourth Wave. At the outset computers utilized a mainframe, then moved to client-server computing architectures in the 1990s. Third came server virtualization, as we have seen for the last decade of flourishing VMware. Now, digital transformationis driving the adoption of a new application development and deployment approach: cloud native, a burgeoning IT revolution. This ultra-modern IT approach is enabled by powerful new technology known as containers, an approach to operating system virtualization where applications can move easily from developer to testing to production. Perhaps more importantly, containers move seamlessly from machine to cloud, a major upgrade over current virtual machine setups. As we will see, the ramifications of cloud native computing in the form of container-based applications are significant.
June 1, 2020
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Leading Investment Banks Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors Form Strategic Alliance
Q Advisors and Acuity Advisors, both leading TMT investment banks, have announced the formation of a strategic alliance designed to give current and future clients access to enhanced investment banking services with an extended reach into Europe and North America.
The partnership, focused on the Infrastructure, Cloud and Managed Services, and Software sectors, sees two very complementary businesses collaborating to create a truly global telecom and technology practice.
“Q Advisors is thrilled to be able to supplement our European office in Amsterdam with a deeper presence that Acuity Advisors provides,” states Michael Quinn, Founding Partner at Q Advisors. “We were searching for a bank with a similar long-term client focus and the required technology capability and we found that in Acuity.”
“Acuity Advisors was looking to broaden our U.S. presence in the Infrastructure, Cloud and Managed Services and Software sectors. The partnership with Q Advisors allows us to do just that,” adds Richard Baker, Managing Partner at Acuity Advisors. “Both of our firms have a very similar operating philosophy and a client-first mentality.”
The two firms will kick off the strategic alliance at the Cloud Comms Summit Invest, a virtual M&A roundtable on June 11, which is hosted by the Cavell Group.
For more information on Q Advisors, please visit www.qllc.com or contact the Q Advisors team. For more information on Acuity Advisors, please visit www.acuity.co.uk or contact the Acuity team.
May 29, 2020
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Q Advisors Speaks with Reorg About Increased Remote Services M&A and COVID-19 Impact
Dmitry Netis, Managing Director at Q Advisors, sits down with Reorg and weighs in on the acceleration of remote services M&A amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on R&D timelines.
Read the full article from Reorg, including views from other industry advisors, here.
May 26, 2020
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Telecom Ramblings Industry Spotlight - Q Advisors on Cloud Native Trends
Rob Powell, Editor of Telecom Ramblings, recently profiled Dmitry Netis, Managing Director, Business Development at Q Advisors, for an Industry Spotlight focusing on trends, such as cloud native computing and DevOps, our post-COVID-19 world and how it is shifting user behavior and enterprise workflows, cloud native technologies that are seeing a surge in investments, and the role that traditional managed service providers play in this developing ecosystem, including the potential for M&A.
Read the full article for Q Advisors’ insights and analysis.
May 14, 2020
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Q Advisors Speaks With UC Today to Discuss Why Communication is Key to Cash Flow During COVID-19
UC Today's Rob Scott hosts Q Advisors to discuss why cash is king, why Communication is critical to survival, Q Advisors' perspective on the market and more.
Listen to the full discussion here.
April 9, 2020
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Spain
Q Advisors Represents VozTelecom in Its Acquisition by Gamma Communications
Gamma Communications plc (“Gamma”), a leading technology-based provider of communications services to the business markets in the U.K. and the Netherlands, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of a Spain-based cloud communications and collaboration provider VozTelecom OIGAA360, S.A.
This is an important step in the execution of Gamma’s European expansion strategy, which identified Spain as one of its key target geographies.
VozTelecom is the largest cloud communications and collaboration provider in Spain aside from the major fixed line and mobile network operators. The company provides service to end users directly and through a network of wholesale partners, franchisees and dealers. Like Gamma, VozTelecom has an excellent reputation for delivery through a well-established partner channel.
Q Advisors, a leading global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to VozTelecom in connection with this transaction.
April 6, 2020
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St. Louis, Missouri
Q Advisors Represents nexVortex in Its Acquisition by Thompson Street Capital Partners
Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, announced today that they have acquired nexVortex, a Herndon, Virginia-based provider of managed network SIP trunking services to more than 6,000 customers – bringing the total of BCM One customers to 17,000.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to nexVortex. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Geoff Bloss, BCM One’s CEO said, “The opportunity to acquire nexVortex (www.nexvortex.com) presented a compelling opportunity for BCM One to grow its industry-leading SIP platform and continue to aggressively expand its managed services footprint. We are excited to continue growing the business Wes Rogers and Fred Fromm founded and developed.”
As part of the acquisition, BCM One expands its market area to include offices in Herndon, Virginia and Grand Rapids, Michigan. These new BCM One offices will be managed by Lita Miller and Mike Nowak – current employees of nexVortex – respectively.
April 1, 2020
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Connectivity Business - Q Advisors Talks Cloud Native Tech Acceleration as a Result of Pandemic
Dmitry Netis, Managing Director of Business Development at Q Advisors, spoke with Jason Rainbow of Connectivity Business and provided insights into an accelerated cloud native shift due to increased remote work and virtual connection. Netis says this shift will drive more consolidation in the cloud communications market. Netis spoke on this and other long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the entire article here.
February 12, 2020
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Los Angeles, California
Q Advisors Represents TPx in Its Acquisition by Siris Capital Group
TPx Communications, the premier managed services provider, whose award-winning product line includes unified communications, contact center, managed security, managed WAN, other managed IT services, and network connectivity solutions, today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition by affiliates of Siris Capital Group, LLC (“Siris”), a leading private equity firm focused on investing and driving value creation in technology and telecommunications companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as a financial and strategic advisor to TPx Communications in connection with the transaction.
February 1, 2020
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Q Advisors Represents Apax Partners SAS and Destiny Founders in Recapitalization Transaction
Q Advisors announced today that it acted as exclusive financial advisor to Apax Partners SAS (“Apax”), a Paris-based European leader in private equity, in connection with its acquisition of Destiny from its controlling shareholder, Mentha Capital. Q Advisors also assisted the Destiny management team in structuring the go-forward transaction with Apax. Destiny is a leading pan-European cloud communications and managed services solutions provider serving innovative companies in Belgium and the Netherlands and, with the contemporaneous closing of the acquisition of Open IP, also in France. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Apax Partners SAS and to the Destiny Founders in connection with the transaction.
January 27, 2020
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Q Advisors Represents Blueface in Its Acquisition by Comcast
0Comcast announced it has completed the acquisition of Blueface® – a Dublin, Ireland-based global technology provider and leader in unified communications solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Blueface in connection with the transaction.
January 15, 2020
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Denver, Colorado
Q Advisors Announces Multiple Team Member Promotions
Q Advisors, a global telecom, media, and technology (TMT) investment banking boutique, announces today that the firm has promoted four key team members to further the firm’s global growth and continued success.
Hayley Hughes Morabito promoted to Vice President. Morabito joined Q Advisors in 2014 and has executed mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings and strategic advisory for clients across the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) industries with an emphasis on the cloud communications, managed services, and digital media sectors.
Dominick Robusto, CFA, promoted to Vice President. Robusto joined Q Advisors in 2019. He has successfully completed several mergers and acquisitions and financings for TMT industry clients. Robusto specializes in transactions focused on digital broadband, wireless, and fiber sectors, as well as software and hardware technologies related to the Internet of Things (IoT).
Wes Faulkenberry promoted to Senior Associate. Faulkenberry joined Q Advisors in 2018 and has been working with the team on mergers and acquisitions and strategic advisory assignments for Q Advisors’ TMT clients. He will play a more prominent role leading client relationships and strategy utilizing his unique financial expertise.
Austin Foster promoted to Associate. Foster joined Q Advisors in 2018. He brings a wide range of experience and insight to his new position due to his extensive work with mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financings in the TMT industry with a focus on enterprise software, fiber infrastructure, and managed services.
“Hayley, Dominick, Wes and Austin have been vital to the growth of Q Advisors, and we are proud to recognize their contributions to our firm’s success with these promotions,” comments Michael Quinn, Founding Partner at Q Advisors. “We are confident they will be even more effective in their new roles as Q Advisors continues to expand its global footprint.”
In addition to its M&A practice, Q Advisors’ capital markets and private placement team have extensive experience on both sides of financing transactions, having served as advisors with industry-leading financing institutions. The team has also raised significant equity and debt capital in founding and managing operating companies. This unique blend of advisory and operating experience enables Q Advisors to bring real-world solutions to financing strategies. As owners who know what it’s like to live with the terms of growth or recapitalization financing, Q Advisors is uniquely skilled at structuring institutional debt, equity, and hybrid financing to public and private companies in the telecom, media, and technology sectors.
January 1, 2020
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Q Advisors and TMT Finance Discuss the Future of the European Cloud and UCaaS Dealmaking
In this interview with TMT Finance, Q Advisors Partner Michael Quinn shares his insights on the future of the European cloud and UCaaS landscape, including his prediction that Europe will experience significant consolidation over the next 36 months in both the UCaaS and MSP spaces. Quinn also discusses how Q Advisors continues to solidify its position in the European market and why it’s increasingly imperative for communications infrastructure and cloud companies to be selective when choosing new sponsors and partners.
January 1, 2020
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Washington, D.C.
Cloud Comms Summit – Q Advisors Provides Insight on Building Shareholder Value in a Cloud Communications Business
Q Advisors Partner Gerry DeHaven lent his expertise on a panel at the Cloud Comms Summit recently in Washington, D.C. The panel, entitled “How to Build Shareholder Value in a Cloud Comms Business,'' was moderated by Matt Townend, Director of Research for the Cavell Group, which provides in-depth analysis of the cloud communications market.
The group’s signature series of events, the Cloud Comms Summit, offers the opportunity to learn from the experts in the cloud communications space and engage in top-notch networking. The Summit is held in partnership with the Cloud Communications Alliance.
This year’s summit proved to be invaluable in offering various expert industry insights. Mr. DeHaven was joined on the panel by Dmitry Netis, Managing Director/Senior Analyst, Technology Equity at Dmitry Netis & Company; Jeremy Segal, Vice President Corporate Development for LogMeIn; Todd Zittrouer, CEO at Momentum Telecom; and Catharine Trebnick, Senior Research Analyst for Dougherty & Company.
Mr. DeHaven shared his insights on current trends in M&A and their impact on shareholder value, as evidenced by the numerous transactions Q Advisors has completed in North America and Europe over the last year. He discussed lessons learned and offered his advice to service providers.
“The M&A landscape for cloud comm providers is rapidly changing. We see increasing interest and value for companies that have evolved their product mix and have had demonstrable success moving up-market to serve larger enterprises. We’re seeing more activity in Europe as adoption rates accelerate there. Proprietary platforms continue to achieve higher valuations. For third-party resellers, a strategic commitment to contact center, CPaaS, analytics, mobility and SD-WAN is critical and will significantly impact valuations moving forward.” - Gerry DeHaven.
Q Advisors is a global boutique investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multinationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors.
July 20, 2019
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Q Advisors Establishes Amsterdam Presence to Meet Increasing Activity in European Cloud and Managed Services Sector
Q Advisors, a global boutique investment bank serving public and private companies, PE firms, entrepreneurs and large multi-nationals in the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) sectors, announces today that it will be establishing its European presence in Amsterdam to provide enhanced support to its existing and prospective global clients. The presence in Amsterdam comes as the firm has witnessed significant growth and consolidation in the European cloud and managed services sector, as well as the need for strategic financial support services throughout the region. Q Advisors founding partner, Michael Quinn, will manage the firm’s presence, which will commence in September.
“We have seen and have been involved in a significant number of European cloud and managed services deals over the last 12 months,” comments Quinn. “Establishing a presence in Amsterdam is a natural and logical extension of the critical services Q Advisors has provided to our European clients over the last year and we are looking forward to continuing to meet this need.”
With a number of deals already completed, Q Advisors is currently working on many additional mandates in Europe. Q Advisors acted as financial advisor in these recent transactions:
STARFACE in its recapitalization by funds advised by Maxburg Capital Partners
Dean One in its acquisition by Gamma Communications
Centile in its acquisition by Swyx and Within Reach Group
Swyx Solutions in its acquisition by Waterland
Mtel in its acquisition by EvolveIP
Motto in its acquisition by Destiny
In addition to its M&A practice, Q Advisors’ capital markets and private placement team has extensive experience on both sides of financing transactions, having served as advisors with industry-leading financing institutions. The team has also raised significant equity and debt capital in founding and managing operating companies. This unique blend of advisory and operating experience enables Q Advisors to bring real-world solutions to financing strategies. As owners who know what it’s like to live with the terms of growth or recapitalization financing, Q Advisors is uniquely skilled at structuring institutional debt, equity, and hybrid financing to public and private companies in the telecom, media, and technology sectors.
July 19, 2019
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Authority Magazine - A Recognized Top Female Executive, Q Advisors’ Jordan Rupar, Discusses How the Chances of Promotion Come with Performance and Visibility
Vice President Jordan Rupar discusses why women should focus on being themselves and doing exceptional work, allowing themselves to be bold with ideas and not holding back expressing these ideas in a room full of men. Jordan joined Q Advisors in 2012. During this time, she has executed numerous mergers and acquisitions, equity financings and strategic advisory assignments for clients across the telecom, media, and technology (TMT) industries with a particularly deep focus on cloud communications, software and technology, and other emerging growth sectors.
July 10, 2019
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Fierce Wireless - Industry Voices: Network Sharing Signals a Path to the Future
In this Fierce Wireless exclusive, Q Advisors provides insight into why wireless players - from tower companies to mobile network operators (MNOs) - are re-evaluating their role and value proposition within an evolving communications infrastructure landscape, driven by several sector developments such as the emergence of 5G, continuing consolidation, and technological shifts.
May 20, 2019
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Los Angeles, California
Q Advisors Represents DeCurtis Corporation in Its Recapitalization by Shamrock Capital
DeCurtis Corporation, a leading technology software solution provider focused on the enhancement of guest experiences and property management, received a strategic control investment from Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
DeCurtis Corporation provides software solutions across the cruise line, theme park, hospitality, restaurant and related industries where high-quality technology is critical to sustainable growth. The DeCurtis Experience Platform (DXP) is an end-to-end, enterprise grade software solution that enables location and proximity-based services to assist in operational efficiency, experience enhancement and customer engagement. A few areas currently covered by the current iteration of the DXP are: activity and voyage reservations, free-flow embarkation and disembarkation modules, e-mustering, food & beverage reservations and ordering, table management, wayfinding, cabin / housekeeping notifications, kid activity and safety solutions, and numerous guest services applications.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to DeCurtis Corporation in connection with the transaction.
May 14, 2019
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TalkingHeadz Podcast: Q Advisors Discusses Mergers and Acquisitions in the UCaaS and Cloud Managed Services Sector
Q Advisors, the leading global telecom, media & technology boutique investment bank, discusses the M&A landscape in the cloud and managed services space, new transactions and more in this TalkingHeadz podcast.
Listen to the full podcast here.
May 9, 2019
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Q Advisors Represents STARFACE in Its Recapitalization by Funds Advised by Maxburg Capital Partners
STARFACE GmbH has been recapitalized by funds advised by financial investor Maxburg Capital Partners. The transaction with the Munich-based investment company enables the owner-managed provider of unified communications & collaboration (UCC) solutions to accelerate growth and sets the course for further international expansion of the STARFACE brand. Management maintains significant ownership in the Company and operations of the business and management team personnel remain unchanged.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to STARFACE in connection with the transaction.
April 4, 2019
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Atlanta, Georgia
Q Advisors Represents Metro Optical in Its Acquisition by Momentum Telecom
Momentum Telecom, a premier provider of cloud voice, network services and unified communications solutions today announced that it has completed its transaction to acquire Metro Optical Solutions. Metro Optical is a leading provider of managed network, data and internet solutions to enterprise and carrier customers globally.
"We are thrilled to welcome Metro Optical employees and customers to the Momentum Telecom family," said Todd Zittrouer, CEO at Momentum Telecom. "The acquisition of Metro Optical represents another important step in the execution of our growth strategy and further positions Momentum Telecom as a leader in the UCaaS market."
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP served as legal counsel to Momentum in connection with this transaction. Q Advisors, a TMT global investment banking boutique, acted as financial advisor to Metro Optical.
February 7, 2019
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Telecom Reseller (Podcast) - Q Advisors on Guiding Cloud Leaders on Finance and M&A
Q Advisors is a boutique investment bank with insight into the global communications and technology M&A landscape and is widely recognized as the premier investment bank in the cloud space. In this podcast, Q Advisors discusses the company’s capabilities and track record with communications and technology companies exploring M&A and raising capital.
Listen to the full Telecom Reseller podcast here.
February 5, 2019
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Q Advisors Represents Four Winds Interactive in its Recapitalization by Vista Equity Partners
Four Winds Interactive LLC. (FWI), the leading software provider for enterprise-grade visual communications, today announced a strategic partnership with Vista Equity Partners, a leading investment firm focused on software, data and technology-enabled businesses. Vista collaborates with management teams to foster operational excellence, paving the way for sustainable growth opportunities, innovation, and impact in the markets they serve.
With its proprietary, enterprise-grade platform and robust data integrations, FWI is well positioned within the rapidly growing visual communications market, offering an intuitive cloud management interface, a flexible authoring tool, cross-platform support, and a wide range of powerful, vertically-tailored applications. FWI’s solutions provide enterprises with a scalable and secure solution to engage their audiences.
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to FWI in connection with the transaction.
Read the full announcement here.
December 13, 2018
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Framingham, Massachusetts
Q Advisors Represents SwiftReach Networks in its Acquisition by Rave Mobile Safety
Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), a trusted partner for safety software protecting millions of individuals, today announced the acquisition of SwiftReach Networks (SwiftReach), a leading provider of emergency notification and incident management solutions. The combination of Rave and SwiftReach will provide wide-ranging capabilities and unmatched infrastructure to ensure optimal communications under the most demanding circumstances.
Todd Piett, CEO of Rave, said, “The addition of SwiftReach and its FCC-licensed carrier class network gives us best-in-class message delivery, which provides customers with unmatched service levels. Rave is most needed by our customers during emergencies and we continue to protect them by leading the way in reliability.”
The combined company will serve nearly 5,000 customers across state and local public safety agencies, education and health care organizations, utilities, federal agencies, and a wide spectrum of corporate clients.
Q Advisors LLC, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to SwiftReach and its shareholders in connection with this transaction.
November 29, 2018
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Radnor, Pennsylvania
Q Advisors Represents SpeedConnect in its Strategic Sale
NewSpring, a family of private equity strategies, announced that NewSpring Mezzanine ("NewSpring"), the Firm’s dedicated mezzanine strategy, has successfully exited SpeedConnect, LLC (“SpeedConnect”).
SpeedConnect was exited through a strategic sale, resulting in the Company selling off a portion of its assets to a large global telecom operator, while remaining an independently operated entity. SpeedConnect was founded in 2001 and provides internet services to homes and business throughout ten states in the Midwest.
Q Advisors LLC, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to SpeedConnect in connection with this transaction.
About SpeedConnect
SpeedConnect provides wireless and satellite internet, phone and DISH® television. They connect you where you live and play. SpeedConnect supports the small towns and rural communities that make our country flourish. Your choice to live and work next to nature does not mean that you have to be disconnected from the rest of the world. Whether you want to share family photos with faraway relatives, watch or read the daily news or relax to watch the latest episode of your favorite show — they are here to connect you to the services you need. At SpeedConnect, providing services to the heart of America is why they come to work each day. SpeedConnect serves homes and businesses in Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Texas and Arizona. For more information, visit www.speedconnect.com.
October 31, 2018
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Denver, Colorado
Connectivity Business: Why the time is right for TMT businesses to explore strategic options
Connectivity Business interviewed Q Advisors’ Managing Director for insight on the TMT market.
October 2, 2018
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Amstelveen, Netherlands
Q Advisors Represents Dean One in its Acquisition by Gamma Communications
The UK publicly-traded telecom and internet provider, Gamma Communications plc (Gamma) (AIM: GAMA), has acquired DX Groep BV (dba Dean One), based in the Netherlands. This transaction coincides with Gamma’s broader European ambitions to expand its market leadership position across the continent. Dean One has experienced enormous growth in the Dutch market in recent years and is now entering a new phase as part of an international telecom and cloud services provider.
As part of the transaction, Willem van Ingen has been appointed as CEO and Bas van de Heuvel as COO of Dean One. The acquisition marks the establishment of Gamma in the Netherlands and kick-starts the Company’s broader European roll-up initiative in the cloud communications space. Klaas Bottema and Frank Caris from Dean One will join the management of Gamma in Europe and will focus on expanding its footprint over the broader European region.
Q Advisors LLC, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Dean One and its shareholders in connection with this transaction.
October 1, 2018
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Q Advisors Represents Meriplex Communications in its Equity Recapitalization by Clairvest Group
Meriplex Communications, Ltd. (Meriplex), a managed solutions provider specializing in delivering intelligent network solutions, cloud enablement and managed services for the enterprise market, announced today that it has partnered with Clairvest Group, Inc. (Clairvest) to help accelerate its growth trajectory. Meriplex’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, David Henley, will retain a significant ownership interest alongside Clairvest.
Meriplex’s entrepreneurial leadership and strong track record for success aligns with Clairvest’s core values, providing an attractive partnership for both parties. Meriplex will continue to embrace its mission of developing lasting customer relationships, while striving to become the service provider of choice for the enterprise market by delivering quality customer experiences utilizing automation, technology, and an engaged workforce.
Q Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Meriplex in connection with the transaction.
September 26, 2018
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Telecom Ramblings: Vonage adds more “Tools to the Toolbox” and Potentially Further Distances itself from BroadSoft-Cisco
Vonage unveiled its largest acquisition to date, acquiring NewVoiceMedia for $350M in cash. NewVoiceMedia presents a dynamic new edge to Vonage’s already extensive CPaaS, UCaaS, and managed video offerings with its cloud-based contact center solutions and further extends Vonage’s client base with an additional 700+ mid-market and enterprise customers. The purchase price represents a 3.8x multiple on expected 2019 revenue, with projected synergies from G&A savings and cross-selling of $10M by year-end 2019, according to Vonage’s press release.
Vonage’s M&A strategy is based on its reported 2014 goal of becoming the clear frontrunner in cloud communications for business. This acquisition, including several others before it, highlights the Company’s attempt to diversify its offerings, adeptly using its cash to offer a full managed solution, including UCaaS, CPaaS, and now contact center, that is more comprehensive than any of its competitors.
The more interesting angle of the NewVoiceMedia acquisition is that it further distances Vonage from the BroadSoft-Cisco ecosystem. What will be interesting to watch is whether Vonage will cap its BroadSoft license purchases and/or migrate existing customers to Vonage Business.
September 4, 2018
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Q Advisors Represents Hudson Fiber Network in its Acquisition by ExteNet Systems
ExteNet Systems, the largest private developer, owner and operator of distributed networks enabling advanced mobile and broadband connectivity across the United States, announced the completion of its acquisition of Hudson Fiber Network (HFN).
“The combination of ExteNet and Hudson Fiber ensures a comprehensive set of outdoor, in-building and enterprise connectivity solutions for service providers, property owners and enterprise clients,” commented Brett Diamond, CEO, Hudson Fiber Network. “I am looking forward to joining ExteNet’s management team and leveraging their purpose-built fiber network, people and resources to serve our growing customer base better.”
Q Advisors, a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as the financial advisor to Hudson Fiber Network.
August 28, 2017
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Q Advisors Represents IFX Networks in its Acquisition by Ufinet Telecom
Q Advisors is pleased to announce that IFX Networks LLC (“IFX”) has been acquired by Ufinet Telecom ("Ufinet"), a Spanish wholesale telecom operator with network across Latin America (“LATAM”) and Europe. IFX is a leading provider of managed network and cloud solutions and services to enterprise, government, and carrier customers in LATAM. The combined organization will create a managed services market leader across LATAM and Europe.
IFX offers the most expansive proprietary Tier I IP network in LATAM with primary locations across Colombia, Argentina, and Chile. The Company is one of LATAM’s only pan-regional managed services providers offering high performance data transit, cloud networking, and MPLS solutions. For more information, visit www.ifxnetworks.com
Q Advisors LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to IFX Networks LLC.
About Ufinet: Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Ufinet is a neutral wholesale telecom provider offering data connectivity primarily through an extensive fiber optic network in Spain and LATAM. Ufinet offers a mix of network solutions including lit and dark fiber as well as satellite services. The Company is backed by Cinven Limited, a European private equity fund. For more information, visit www.ufinet.com
Disclaimer
No fee or compensation was paid to any person making a testimonial contained herein. The testimonials included may not be representative of the experience of other clients. Testimonials are not a guarantee of future performance or success.
©2023, Q Advisors LLC.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
No fee or compensation was paid to any person making a testimonial contained herein. The testimonials included may not be representative of the experience of other clients. Testimonials are not a guarantee of future performance or success.
©2022, Q Advisors LLC.
All rights reserved.