Pegasus Capital Advisors Finalizes Control Investment in Yanzi Networks

Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. (“Pegasus” or the “Firm”), a private equity firm providing strategic growth capital to middle-market companies focused on the sustainability and wellness sectors, announced today a control investment in Yanzi Networks AB (“Yanzi”), a Swedish Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) solutions provider for the Smart Building market. Yanzi has developed an open, fast, robust, and evolutionary software and networking platform for IoT and is collaborating with the industry’s largest vendors to deliver value to real estate owners and facility management companies that wish to enter the world of smart buildings. Yanzi will use the proceeds to fund the continued development of its product suite and further expand its operations globally, notably with the opening of a North American headquarters. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Predictive analytics are a game changer, where businesses can in real-time optimize their resources and workforce to make their whole operation more cost effective. The workplace of the future is driven by enterprise assets, facility management and workforce optimization solutions. Yanzi has already partnered with multiple global ICT industry leaders to craft case studies that show how their software, data and analytics are already creating smarter, safer, more cost-effective office spaces.

“We view Yanzi as a cornerstone of our built environment strategy which looks to leverage new technologies to create healthy, energy efficient and sustainable indoor environments,” said Joel Haney, a Principal at Pegasus and Co-Chair of the Built Environment Committee. “With its seasoned and talented management team and innovative, proprietary technology, Yanzi was an ideal addition to our portfolio and a platform through which we can partner with other leading businesses addressing significant inefficiencies in the real estate industry.”

The Yanzi platform collects a wide variety of data in real-time including occupancy / motion, ambient noise, temperature, light, and air quality. As a result, Yanzi empowers its customers to create attractive, sustainable working environments by optimizing space, improving indoor climate and saving energy, as well as increase productivity and efficiency of their employees. Yanzi’s IoT platform is secure and easy to install, leading to significant customer uptake and growth.

“Yanzi’s partnership with Pegasus is precisely what we need to scale up our business and take charge of the market,” said Ulf Wretskog, CEO of Yanzi. “With Pegasus onboard, we can bring our technology leadership to the future, and broaden our operations. Pegasus is committed to Yanzi as a company and highly knowledgeable of our industry. I’m thrilled to have them as a partner.”

Yanzi Networks has teamed up with leading players within the global ICT and facility management industries to showcase how to easily install a mesh of sensors and deploy them in a range of third-party analytics platforms such as Microsoft Azure and IBM Watson. The array of Yanzi Networks sensors is automatically configured, and in just a few hours it can be installed in a full-sized office and be up and running, with sensor data being transferred to an implementation where tenants can easily monitor data. With this data companies can adjust cooling and heating systems, lighting, and regulate cleaning crews - optimizing workflow, workspace and workforce.

“Yanzi is the first investment for our Built Environment Committee because they address two of the biggest challenges businesses face today: real estate costs and employee wellbeing. Yanzi’s secure network helps businesses maximize real estate utilization while improving employee health and productivity simultaneously,” said Pete Scarpelli, Operating Advisor and Built Environment Committee Co-Chair at Pegasus Capital Advisors. Scarpelli was also elected to serve as Chairman of the Board at Yanzi Networks.

Yanzi’s existing investor, The Sixth National Pension Fund of Sweden (“AP6”), participated in the financing round and will retain a significant minority-stake in the business.

About Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.:

Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. is a private equity firm founded and led by Craig Cogut. Since inception in 1996, Pegasus has invested across five private equity funds and currently manages approximately $1.9 billion in assets. The Firm invests in companies within the sustainability and wellness sectors that are seeking strategic growth capital.