Bridgepoint

We’re pleased to announce that the Bridgepoint funds have agreed the exit of their investment in Vitamin Well Group, the high-growth functional food and beverage business. We’re proud to have been part of the remarkable growth and transformation that Vitamin Well has achieved, with revenue increasing twelvefold during our eight-year partnership, and the company expanding from 50 employees in 2016 to 500 employees today. The Bridgepoint funds will retain a significant minority stake in the business with a compelling opportunity for substantial value creation in the years ahead. We look forward to continuing to work with Vitamin Well and welcome Cinven as a new lead investor to help support the company’s continued global expansion. Congratulations to everyone involved during Bridgepoint’s partnership with Vitamin Well, including Johan Dahlfors, Martin Janson, Johan Gustafsson, Christopher Bley, Benoit Alteirac, Moritz Jacoby and Lina Sadovskaja. Read more in our press release here: https://lnkd.in/eHQpXYR8

Today, we published our 2024 half-year results ahead of market expectations, with strong underlying profit growth on the back of robust investment performance, successful fundraising and good capital deployment. AUM totalled €42.7bn at 30 June 2024 and €67.3bn pro forma for the combination with ECP. Looking ahead, with an encouraging pipeline of strong exits and signs of increasing transaction activity, we are upgrading our outlook. The medium-term growth prospects for private markets are exciting and we are confident in Bridgepoint’s long-term strategic opportunity.   Summary highlights: Bridgepoint standalone vs six months ended 30 June 2023: • 25% increase in underlying management fees to £156.0m • 44% increase in fee-related earnings to £61.8m; • 92% increase in performance-related earnings to £24.4m • 55% increase in underlying EBITDA to £86.2m • Across private equity and credit, transactions agreed in H1 2024 will return €2.1bn to LPs, the strongest period for capital returns since H1 2022 • Strong start to fundraising for BDC V with over €1bn closed by 30 June 2024 Updated guidance (including ECP): • 2024 guidance increased for management fees, FRE margin (around 37%) and PRE as a percentage of total income (c.25%), which also positively impacts 2025. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eh6YacPn

🤔 What does the future of talent in private markets look like? 🤔 To answer this, we recently hosted 46 brilliant students at our London office for the annual Bridgepoint Insights Week. This programme brings together bright young minds, challenging and equipping them with a deeper understanding of the vibrant worlds of private equity and credit, while offering a comprehensive overview of Bridgepoint's role in the industry.   Throughout the week, students participated in: 🗣️  Engaging presentations from expert teams across the firm 🛠️ Hands-on, practical case study exercises 🧠 Skill-building workshops, tailored toward supporting entry into our industry 🤝 Valuable networking opportunities with Bridgepoint colleagues Their enthusiasm and curiosity were truly inspiring. We’re very proud to play a part in shaping the next generation of investment talent. Thanks to everyone who made this week a success!    #Bridgepoint #PrivateEquity #PrivateCredit #FutureLeaders

Thank you to Greenhouse Sports and students from St Paul’s Way Trust School, who recently joined Hamish Grant and team in our offices for an enriching afternoon learning about potential careers in the industry.   We’re proud of the continued efforts of Bridgepoint colleagues to give back to local communities and widen access to the financial services industry 🙌

Congratulations to the Equativ team on today’s acquisition of Sharethrough, one of the world’s premier independent omnichannel ad exchanges.   This new partnership establishes one of the largest marketplaces for advertising globally – spanning 18 countries and with a combined net recurring revenue above $200M – to address advertisers and media owners’ needs for greater efficiency and innovation at scale.   This pivotal merger is another significant step forward for Equativ, a Bridgepoint portfolio company, as it continues to grow into one of the top Supply Side Platforms (SSP) worldwide.    #Bridgepoint #Equativ #Sharethrough #Advertising

We were delighted to see David Nicault, Partner & Sector Head Technology at Bridgepoint, and Dominic Gallello, Managing Director Digital, sharing insights on tech-driven value creation at SuperReturn in Berlin last week.   David illuminated the impact potential of technology on value creation and the investment landscape, highlighting that: 🤝 Many Bridgepoint portfolio companies remain focused on implementing the latest advances in generative AI and cybersecurity, as well as finalising their transition to cloud-based service models. With the support of Bridgepoint’s growth-oriented platform and highly specialised team, David explained, such companies have a golden opportunity to move beyond Europe and become global leaders. 👩💻 From an investment perspective, particularly exciting opportunities exist in RegTech and Employee Experience market segments. Take Bridgepoint's recent acquisition of LumApps for example – a company at the forefront of innovation, as employees increasingly demand the same flawless digital experience as consumers.   Meanwhile, Dominic spoke to the role of digital transformation in PE, discussing strategies for how to leverage digital, data and AI to create value in portfolio companies. This included a deep dive on the digitisation of Bridgepoint Europe portfolio company Infinigate Group, as it continues to evolve into a digitally enabled cyber and cloud champion🛜   Congrats to David and Dominic for representing Bridgepoint on such a prestigious stage! 👏   #Bridgepoint #SuperReturn #Leadership #Innovation #Technology #PrivateEquity

📣 Abion has today announced its acquisition of LANE IP LIMITED, a UK-based intellectual property (IP) protection company 📣 The acquisition enables Abion to better serve its customers, by broadening the firm's service platform and footprint in key growth markets. Another exciting milestone in Abion’s journey to establish itself as the global market leader in brand protection services, with the support of Bridgepoint. #Bridgepoint #Abion #LaneIP #Acquisition

We were delighted to hold our fourth Conference on Leadership last week, part of Bridgepoint’s Leaders Development Programme for rising talent.   Colleagues from our global network came together for this three-day conference, fostering valuable connections and networking opportunities while honing their personal leadership skills.   The programme explored different styles of high-performance leadership, with presentations from a series of distinguished speakers, including:   🧠 Transformational leadership and performance psychology with world-renowned practitioners, Jim Lawless and Jamil Qureshi 🪧 High-impact leadership in politics and the voluntary sector, with the UK’s first-ever female Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, and renowned disability rights campaigner and charity leader, Ruth Owen OBE 💭 Personal reflections on leadership journeys within Bridgepoint, with Angeles Garcia-Poveda, Non-Executive Director, and Adam Jones, Group CFO and COO   Thank you to all of our speakers, and to the future leaders of this year’s cohort.    #Leadership #HighPerformance #Learning #Talent #Networking

Congratulations to the team at DataExpert on the acquisition of Mediarecovery and Safesqr, announced today.   This new partnership brings together three innovative European companies at the forefront of improving cybersecurity and fighting cybercrime and fraud internationally.   Another exciting step for DataExpert, as it continues its evolution into one of Europe’s premier technology and knowledge partners in the field of cybercrime and cybersecurity.   #Bridgepoint #DataExpert #Cybercrime #Cybersecurity

With best-in-class technology and the ability to innovate ahead of the wider market, LumApps utilises an AI-powered platform that integrates with enterprise software, business apps and HR resources, making it easier for employees to work, communicate and collaborate.  Learn more on how AI is shaping the business from LumApp’s Founder and CEO Sébastien Ricard and Founder and CTO Elie Mélois, and Bridgepoint’s David Nicault and Nadia CID in the video below. By leveraging our strong European presence and sector expertise in supporting global growth, we are excited to back LumApps in delivering on its mission to become the leading full employee engagement platform.