Kpler, a provider of technology-led data, analytics, and market insight, recently announced it has agreed on a “strategic” growth investment led by Five Arrows and Insight Partners.
The two firms will “invest over $200 million in Kpler, representing a minority stake in the company.”
The investment is “the first external fundraising initiative for Kpler, which has been bootstrapped since its foundation in 2014.”
In doubling its Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in the last 18 months and conducting two self-funded acquisitions (ClipperData & JBC Energy) since last September, the company claims to “have positioned itself as a leading firm in the next generation data & analytics space.”
Kpler with its new partners has ambitions “to further fulfil its mission to facilitate efficient and sustainable trade within physical commodities, the Energy Transition, and adjacent markets.”
To achieve its strategic objectives, the company will “rely on organic and inorganic growth with more acquisitions being considered.” It also “intends to hire over 100 staff in the coming months.”
François Cazor, CEO, Kpler stated:
“This partnership is an important step forward in Kpler’s history. With Five Arrows and Insight Partners, we are confident we have found the best sponsors to accelerate our development now and in the long run. Our respective visions and values are very well aligned.”
Jean-Daniel Bertoncini, Co-Head, Five Arrows Growth Capital remarked:
“Kpler is recognised as the standard for next generation data & analytics in the commodity and shipping markets by the most sophisticated players in the industry. Bootstrapped since inception, their success is a testament to the product obsession of its team and continuous investments in cutting-edge technology and quality of service. We are delighted to partner with François Cazor, Jean Maynier, and the talented Kpler team, together with Insight Partners, to facilitate further efficient and sustainable trade.”
AJ Malhotra, MD at Insight Partners said:
“Kpler is upending the global trade industry with technology that makes the shipping and commodity markets more sustainable and efficient. With their revolutionary solutions, thousands of customers can leverage data and analytics to make better-informed business and trading decisions. Insight Partners is thrilled to partner with Francois Cazor, Jean Maynier, and the entire Kpler team, as well as Five Arrows, on this exciting step forward in the company’s growth journey.”
Houlihan Lokey “acted as financial advisor and Cooley acted as legal advisor to Kpler for this transaction.”
As noted in a release, Kpler is “a fast-growing company on a mission to facilitate sustainable and efficient trade, to meet the changing needs of our world.”
From numerous disparate and unstructured sources, Kpler “creates technology-led data, analytics, and insight, that bring transparency to dynamic markets characterized by opaque and incomplete information, such as commodity markets.”
Kpler delivers its unique offering “through technology solutions built in an agile and inventive way, enabling market professionals to make informed and timely trading decisions.”
Headquartered in Brussels, Kpler employs 200 people “across the world.”
With assets under management of approximately €4.9 billion, Five Arrows corporate private equity “is part of Rothschild & Co’s Merchant Banking business which manages over €18 billion globally, with offices in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles and Luxembourg.”
Five Arrows focuses on investing in companies “with highly defensible market positions; strong management teams; business models with high visibility of organic unit volume growth and strong unit economics; as well as multiple operational levers that can be used to unlock latent value.”
Sectors are “limited to data and software, technology-enabled business services and healthcare sectors.”
As mentioned in the update, Insight Partners is “a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries.”
With the closing of the firm’s recent fundraise, Fund XII, as of February 24, 2022, Insight Partners’ regulatory assets under management “is over $90 billion.”
Insight Partners has “invested in more than 600 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO.”
Headquartered in New York City, Insight “has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto.”
Insight’s mission is “to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success.”
Insight Partners “meets great software leaders where they are in their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO.”