2
September 2024
Oakley Capital Investments
Limited
Oakley Capital Investments
Limited1 ("OCI") is pleased to announce that Oakley
Capital Fund IV2 ("Fund IV") has
reached an agreement to sell its stake in Ocean Technologies Group
("OTG"), a leading independent software provider to the maritime
industry.
The exit is anticipated to generate
a gross return of c.2.7x MM to Fund IV.
The transaction was broadly in line
with OTG's carrying value as at 31 March 2024. OCI's look-through
share of proceeds is anticipated to be
c.£50 million.
Further details on the transaction
can be found in the below announcement from Oakley
Capital3.
Oakley Capital agrees sale of
Ocean Technologies Group to Lloyd's Register
Oakley Capital, a leading
pan-European private equity investor, is pleased to announce that
Oakley Capital Fund IV has agreed to sell
its majority stake in Ocean Technologies Group ("OTG") to Lloyd's
Register, a global professional services group specialising in
marine engineering and technology.
Under Oakley's ownership, OTG has
generated strong revenue and EBITDA growth and has been transformed
from an e-learning specialist to become a leading global provider
of human capital management and operational software to the
maritime industry. Today, it provides mission-critical training,
compliance, operational and HR software to c.17,000 vessels and
over one million seafarers, helping to ensure compliance, drive
performance and increase efficiency.
Oakley invested in the business in
2019 through the parallel acquisition and combination of two
e-learning providers to the maritime industry, Seagull and
Videotel, demonstrating its ability to execute complex
transactions. Oakley saw the opportunity to combine the two
companies' product development and technical resources and to
increase investment in software solutions to better serve the
multiple needs of a maritime industry undergoing rapid digital
transformation.
In addition to the original
combination of Seagull and Videotel, OTG has completed several
strategic acquisitions, strengthening its position in learning
& assessment, and increasing its addressable market by
diversifying its product offering into new verticals, offering
significant cross-selling opportunities. At the same time, Oakley
has supported OTG in its technology transition, in recruiting an
experienced management team with a blend of maritime and software
expertise, and in developing a global, data driven
organisation.
Oakley Capital co-Founder and Managing Partner Peter Dubens
said: "We have helped to transform
OTG from a single product solution into a diversified,
best-in-class platform and partner to the shipping industry, and a
small but critical enabler for sea transport and trade. We look
forward to seeing OTG's continuing growth now as part of Lloyd's
Register. Our successful partnership with OTG reinforces our track
record in the SaaS space. It demonstrates our ability to leverage
M&A opportunities to help software businesses grow and
diversify into new markets, and to drive technological and
organisational change that delivers transformational
growth."
Lloyd's Register CEO Nick Brown said:
"This is a really transformative acquisition for
Lloyd's Register and our clients. For over 260 years we have
provided trusted advice on the safety and performance of assets and
vessels. The purchase of maritime voyage solutions provider
OneOcean in 2022 gave us the digital capability to support and
optimise the safe and compliant operations of vessels and now with
the acquisition of OTG following its successful transformation
under Oakley, we will be able to provide a strategic approach to
attracting, developing, managing and retaining maritime
professionals at sea and ashore."
- ends
-
For
further information please contact:
Oakley Capital Limited
+44 20 7766 6900
Steven Tredget
Greenbrook
+44 20 7952 2000
Rob White / Michael
Russell
Deutsche Numis (Financial Adviser
& Broker)
+44 20 7260 1000
Nathan Brown / Matt Goss
Notes:
LEI Number:
213800KW6MZUK12CQ815
1 About
Oakley Capital Investments Limited ("OCI")
OCI is a Specialist Fund Segment
("SFS") traded investment vehicle that aims to provide
shareholders with consistent long-term capital growth in excess of
the FTSE All-Share Index by providing liquid access to private
equity returns through investment in the Oakley Funds.
A video introduction to OCI is
available at https://oakleycapitalinvestments.com/videos/
The contents of the OCI website are
not incorporated into, and do not form part of, this
announcement.
2 The Oakley
Funds
Oakley Capital Private Equity II,
Oakley Capital Private Equity III, Oakley Capital IV, Oakley
Capital V, Oakley Capital Origin and Oakley Capital Origin II are
unlisted lower-mid to mid-market private equity funds that aim to
provide investors with significant long-term capital appreciation.
The investment strategy of the Funds is to focus on buy-out
opportunities in industries with the potential for growth,
consolidation and performance improvement. The Oakley family of
funds also includes Oakley PROfounders Fund III and Oakley Touring
Venture Fund, which are venture capital funds focused on
investments in entrepreneur-led, disruptive, technology led
companies.
For more information on the Oakley
Fund strategies in which OCI invests, please
click here.
3 Oakley Capital, the
Investment Adviser
Founded in 2002, Oakley Capital
Limited has demonstrated the repeated ability to source attractive
growth assets at attractive prices. To do this it relies on its
sector and regional expertise, its ability to tackle transaction
complexity and its deal generating entrepreneur network.
Important information
Specialist Fund Segment securities
are not admitted to the Official List of the Financial Conduct
Authority. Therefore, the Company has not been required to satisfy
the eligibility criteria for admission to listing on the Official
List and is not required to comply with the Financial Conduct
Authority's Listing Rules.
The Specialist Fund Segment is
intended for institutional, professional, professionally advised
and knowledgeable investors who understand, or who have been
advised of, the potential risk from investing in companies admitted
to the Specialist Fund Segment.
This announcement may include
"forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements are
statements regarding the Company's objectives, intentions, beliefs
or current expectations with respect to, amongst other things, the
Company's financial position, business strategy, results of
operations, liquidity, prospects and growth. Forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties because they
relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not
occur in the future. Accordingly the Company's actual future
financial results, operational performance and achievements may
differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the
statements. Given these uncertainties, prospective investors are
cautioned not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements, which speak only as at the date of this announcement.
The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to
reflect actual results or any change in the Company's expectations
with regard to them or any change in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statements are based unless
required to do so by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000,
the Listing Rules or Prospectus Regulation Rules of the Financial
Conduct Authority or other applicable laws, regulations or
rules.