BDA Partners is pleased to announce that its client, Acuity Knowledge Partners (“Acuity”), portfolio company of Equistone Partners (“Equistone”), has acquired Cians Analytics Pvt Ltd (“Cians”). Acuity is a leading provider of high-value research, analytics, and business intelligence services, catering to investment banks, private equity funds, and other financial institutions.
The acquisition represents the first bolt-on made by Acuity since its buyout by Equistone, a leading European mid-market private equity investor, in 2019. Following the acquisition, all Cians employees will join the Acuity workforce, taking its global headcount to over 5,500 employees.
Cians operates in the same space as Acuity, and the acquisition will help consolidate its leading position in the financial services outsourcing market. The transaction will further expand Acuity’s client base of top-tier financial firms, including but not limited to investment banks, private equity funds and hedge funds, and also help expand its service offering.
BDA was the exclusive financial advisor to Acuity and its shareholders. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Manoj Balwani, Managing Director and Head of Technology, India, said: “Cians is a specialised player for Investment Research and Analytics Services in the BFSI vertical. It is a synergistic asset for Acuity, to help multiply growth, consolidate delivery footprint in India, and strengthen its presence in the US market. This transaction highlights the trust global sponsors place in BDA to help their portfolio companies accelerate growth.”
Jonathan Aiken, Managing Director and Head of London, added: “This transaction represents a continuing trend of sponsor portfolio company internationalisation that BDA, by virtue of our pan-Asian footprint, is well placed to support. The outsourced services corridor between Europe and India will continue to accelerate.”
BDA Deal team
Manoj Balwani, Managing Director, Mumbai
Jonathan Aiken, CFA, Managing Director, Head of London
Milap Maru, Vice President, Mumbai
Dzung Le, Vice President, London
About Acuity Knowledge Partners
Acuity Knowledge Partners is a leading research, analytics, and business intelligence consultant to the financial services sector. The company’s network of analysts and industry experts, combined with advanced data and technology, supports over 420 financial institutions and consulting companies worldwide to operate more efficiently and unlock their human capital, driving revenues higher and transforming operations. It specialises in investment banking, investment research, private equity and consulting, and commercial lending. Acuity is headquartered in London and operates from nine locations worldwide. In 2019, the company was established as a separate business from Moody’s Corporation through its acquisition from Equistone Partners. www.acuitykp.com
About Equistone Partners Europe
Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe’s leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on the change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €200m+ of equity in various businesses. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2.8bn hard cap in March 2018, and has recently launched the Equistone Reinvestment Fund, with a mandate to make minority re-investments alongside new sponsors following a portfolio company exit from one of its main buyout funds. Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. www.equistonepe.com
About Cians Analytics Private Limited
Cians Analytics was founded in 2009 by Anmol Bhandari and Aman Chowdhury, to provide high-quality, cost-effective research and analytical support for global investment banks, private equity funds, corporations, and portfolio companies allowing them to do more with their time and significantly reduce operating costs. Cians supports financial clients across the entire transaction spectrum from initial investment screening, business and financial due diligence, and market entry/market sizing to post-closing portfolio company/market update maintenance work. The Cians Analytics workforce – known for its industry-leading employee retention rate – is composed of individuals who yield the highest calibre expertise in investment banking and research, equity research, and general business research and analytics. Cians’ value proposition lies in the flexibility of its engagement model, allowing clients to have total control, adding capability and operating capacity while ultimately lowering costs. www.ciansanalytics.com
About BDA Partners
BDA Partners is the global investment banking advisor for Asia. We are a premium provider of Asia-related advice to sophisticated clients globally, with over 25 years’ experience advising on cross-border M&A, capital raising, and financial restructuring. We provide global reach with our teams in New York and London, and true regional depth through our seven Asian offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo. BDA has deep expertise in the Chemicals, Consumer & Retail, Health, Industrials, Services and Technology sectors. We work relentlessly to earn our clients’ trust by delivering insightful advice and outstanding outcomes.
BDA Partners has strategic partnerships with William Blair, a premier global investment banking business, and with DBJ (Development Bank of Japan), a Japanese Government-owned bank with US$150bn of assets. bdapartners.com
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