Francisco Partners
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Private equity |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founders | David Stanton, Dipanjan Deb, Benjamin Ball, Neil Garfinkel, Sanford R. "Sandy" Robertson |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Dipanjan Deb, CEO Ezra Perlman, Co-President Deep Shah, Co-President |
| AUM | $14 billion |
Number of employees | 35 investment professionals |
| Website | www |
Francisco Partners is an American private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in technology and technology-enabled services businesses. Francisco Partners Management LLC was founded in August 1999. As of 2016, it was based in San Francisco and London.[1] From its inception until 2017, the firm raised over $14 billion in committed capital across four funds and built an investment portfolio including over 85 companies.[2]
History
Francisco was founded in 1999 as the emergence of dedicated technology buyout firms began.[3] The founders of the firm came from a group of private equity firms including TPG Capital, together with the founder of technology-focused investment bank Robertson Stephens.
In 2017, Francisco Partners was named Private Equity Firm of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine.[4]
Investments
Francisco Partners specializes in financing divisional buyouts, "take privates" of public companies, sponsored mergers and acquisitions, growth equity financing, recapitalizations, and restructurings. It prefers to invest in mature or maturing technology and technology-related companies. The firm invests in software, internet, healthcare technology, communications, hardware and technology services. It prefers to invest in companies with enterprise values ranging from $25 million to $2 billion. The firm makes equity investments ranging from less than $25 million to over $500 million. It typically acquires a majority or controlling stake in its portfolio companies, but will be a minority investor with board of director representation.
Francisco Partners has more than 30 active portfolio companies. Francisco has acquired former venture capital-backed companies as well as many divisions of large conglomerates and IT companies worldwide.[5]
In 2016, Francisco Partners' portfolio company NSO Group was accused of helping governments hack smartphones and persecute human rights activists.[1] It was also criticized for investing in direct competitors, WatchGuard and SonicWall, a practice frowned upon in the private equity industry.[6]
Francisco Partners has invested in or purchased the following companies:[7]
| Company Name | Status |
|---|---|
| aconex | Exited |
| ADERANT | Exited |
| AdvancedMD Software | Exited |
| Aesynt | Exited |
| AKQA | Exited |
| Allston Trading | Current |
| AMI Semiconductor | Exited |
| API Healthcare | Exited |
| Attachmate | Exited |
| Attenti | Exited |
| Avalon | Current |
| Avangate | Current |
| Barracuda Networks | Current |
| Betterment | Current |
| Blue Coat | Exited |
| City Index | Current |
| C-MAC MicroTechnology | Exited |
| Dell Software[8] | Current |
| Comodo[9] | Current |
| Corsair | Current |
| CrossMatch | Current |
| CoverMyMeds | Current |
| Dextrys | Current |
| ClickSoftware Technologies[10] | Current |
| EFJohnson | Exited |
| efront | Exited |
| Ex Libris Group | Exited |
| Foundation 9 Entertainment | Exited |
| FrontRange Solutions | Exited |
| Grass Valley | Exited |
| GXS | Exited |
| Healthland | Current |
| Hypercom | Exited |
| ichor systems | Current |
| K2 | Current |
| BluJay Solutions | Current |
| Legerity | Exited |
| Lumata | Current |
| LYNX Medical Systems | Exited |
| masternaut | Exited |
| Metaswitch Networks | Current |
| Metrologic Instruments | Exited |
| Minicom | Exited |
| Mitel Networks | Current |
| NexTech EMR & PM | Current |
| NextTraq | Exited |
| NPTest | Exited |
| NSO Group | Current[11] |
| Numonyx | Exited |
| OfficeTiger | Exited |
| PayLease | Current |
| paymetric | Current |
| Plex Systems | Current |
| Primavera | Exited |
| Procera Networks | Current |
| Prosper | Current |
| Quadramed | Exited |
| Quantros | Current |
| R2Net | Exited |
| RedPrairie | Exited |
| Sandvine | Current[12] |
| SintecMedia | Current |
| Smart Focus | Current |
| SMART Modular Technologies | Exited |
| SmartBear Software[13] | Current |
| Source Photonics | Current |
| Specific Media | Exited |
| Therapeutic Research Center | Current |
| T-System | Current |
| Ultra Clean Technology | Exited |
| Vendavo | Current |
| Verifone | Current[14] |
| WatchGuard | Current |
| Webtrends | Current |
| XcelleNet | Exited |
References
- ^ a b Thomas Fox-Brewster (August 25, 2016). "Everything We Know About NSO Group: The Professional Spies Who Hacked iPhones With A Single Text".
- ^ "Francisco Partners - About". www.franciscopartners.com. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
- ^ http://www.edn.com/Home/PrintView?contentItemId=4359902
- ^ "Francisco Partners earns Private Equity Firm of the Year". Mergers & Acquisitions. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ Bring Us Your Small, Unloved Start-Ups. May 15, 2004
- ^ Gillian Tan (July 12, 2016). "How's This for a Private Equity Conflict?".
- ^ http://www.franciscopartners.com/investments
- ^ "Francisco Partners and Elliott Management to Acquire the Dell Software Group". DELL. 20 June 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ "Francisco Partners Announces Acquisition of Comodo’s Certificate Authority (SSL) Business". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ Chen, Angela (30 April 2015). "ClickSoftware to Be Bought by Francisco Partners for $438 Million". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ "Secretive cyber warfare firm NSO Group explores sale: sources". Reuters. November 2, 2015.
- ^ Pender, Terry (2017-07-17). "Sandvine accepts $562M takeover bid". TheRecord.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
- ^ Martin, Dylan. "Boston Startups That Were Acquired or Shut Down in May". BostInno. BostInno. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ "Francisco Partners to Take VeriFone Private for $3.4 Billion". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ADVANCED MICRO TO SELL MOST OF COMMUNICATIONS UNIT. New York Times, May 23, 2000
- G.E. Is Selling Off Most of Electronic Commerce Business. New York Times, June 25, 2002
- Citing a Tight Bond Market, G.E. Makes a Loan to a Buyer. New York Times, September 28, 2002
- Francisco Partners to sell Aesynt for $275m. Pitchbook, November 2, 2015
External links
- Francisco Partners (company website)
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