Home / Deals / Arma Partners advises WebPros, a leading provider of web hosting automation software, on its sale to CVC

Arma Partners advises WebPros, a leading provider of web hosting automation software, on its sale to CVC
Dec 2019
(a portfolio company of Oakley Capital)
acquired by
$1,550 million
  • Sector: Infrastructure Software & Cybersecurity
  • Deal Type: Private Equity Deals
  • Engagement type: Sellside
  • Size: $1,550 million
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Arma Partners is pleased to announce that it has acted as exclusive financial advisor to WebPros, a portfolio company of Oakley Capital, on its sale to CVC. Oakley Capital and other existing shareholders will invest alongside CVC as minority partners to benefit from long-term growth opportunities and new product developments. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Oakley Capital originally invested in WebPros in 2017 and subsequently completed six acquisitions to create a product portfolio that addresses the full end-to-end customer lifecycle for shared hosting providers. WebPros now employs over 450 people across four continents and supports customers across the globe.

CVC brings a complementary skillset and deep relevant expertise to support the strategic vision of the business to build the leading global SaaS hosting platform for server management.

The transaction underscores Arma Partners’ consistent track record of successfully executing landmark transactions on behalf of leading Private Equity investors, having advised on five £1bn+ deals in the last two years, including acting for TA Associates on the recapitalisation of The Access Group, Hg on the recapitalisation of IRIS, EQT on the acquisition of SUSE and General Atlantic on the partial realisation of its holding in Argus Media.

  • WebPros is the leading provider of web hosting automation software, boasting the largest web hosting ecosystem globally after AWS
  • The Company employs c.450 employees and its product portfolio covers the entire server management value chain for hosting providers and web professionals, including web hosting administration, billing and automation
  • WebPros has achieved attractive growth rates and best-in-class financial metrics, supported by its user-friendly product interface and its sticky customer base
  • It serves 2,800+ hosting partners and c.33m users in over 220 countries worldwide
  • CVC is a leading private equity firm with a total secured commitments to date of over $129bn across its private equity and credit strategy divisions
  • Founded in 1981, CVC has a network of 24 offices and over 500 employees throughout Europe, Asia and US
  • CVC currently manages c.$83bn of assets and has investments in 73 companies worldwide, which account for a total annual turnover of c.$100bn and more than 300,000 employees
  • CVC invests in businesses with enterprise value of between €500m and €5bn across Western Europe, APAC and  North America
  • Current fund details: CVC European Equity Partners VII ($18.6bn)
  • Oakley Capital originally invested in WebPros in 2017 and completed six acquisitions to create a product portfolio which addresses the full end-to-end customer lifecycle for hosting providers and web professionals
  • WebPros was seeking a partner to support the business in its next phase of growth, help execute on its product roadmap and unlock significant synergies following recent acquisitions
  • CVC brings a complementary skillset and deep relevant expertise to support the strategic vision of the business to build the leading global SaaS hosting platform for server management
  • Arma assisted the Company with strategic positioning, preparation of marketing materials, financial modelling, diligence support and negotiation of the key transaction terms, all of which was achieved within an accelerated timeframe
  • Arma carefully shortlisted and pre-qualified the most credible PE buyers before launching a tailored process and ensured that attention was focused on the most motivated credible buyers at all stages
  • While due diligence work accelerated ahead of the planned timetable, Arma ensured that the Company was prepared and the competitive dynamic was maintained throughout by sharing information on an expedited basis
  • The transaction underscores Arma Partners’ consistent track record of successfully executing landmark billion plus transactions on behalf of leading financial sponsors
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