Priveq divests Ports Group to Bridgepoint

Priveq Investment Fund IV (”Priveq”) has, together with the other owners, signed an agreement to divest House of Ports Holding AB (”Ports Group”) to Bridgepoint Development Capital (”Bridgepoint”). During Priveq’s holding period, the company has grown from being a pioneering Swedish brand protection company to now having established itself in Europe with an ambition to become one of the world’s leading Brand Protection companies.

Ports Group is a fast-growing and profitable company in the Brand Protection and IP management segment. As an ICANN-accredited registrar with a wide offer within Brand Protection, the company offers a 360-degree, full service global protection for the entire brand. Central to the company's offering is the in-house developed software platform Ports Management, which ties together the portfolio of intellectual property rights for an optimal overview and automated management of customers' brand safety.

During Priveq’s holding period, Ports Group has changed its business and revenue model from mainly consulting services to a subscription model. The transformation has taken place during profitability and with an increase in turnover from approximately SEK 100m to approximately SEK 350m. The company has also increased its geographical coverage from Sweden to now include large parts of the Nordics, UK, Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkey and Latin America. Ports Group is headquartered in Gothenburg with approximately 130 employees.

“Priveq is very proud to have contributed to creating a solid platform with strong management for continued future growth. We wish both management and Bridgepoint the best of luck on the continued growth journey.” says Louise Nilsson, Partner and Investment manager at Priveq Advisory AB, advisor to Priveq Investment Fund IV.

"Together with Magdalena and the rest of the management team, Priveq has focused on creating a strong strategic platform and management has delivered extremely well on it with organic growth under high efficiency while a number of selective acquisitions strengthened the product portfolio and increased the geographical presence." says Henrik Jatko, Partner and Investment manager at Priveq Advisory AB, advisor to Priveq Investment Fund IV.

"I am very pleased to have been part of the Priveq family and together we have created the conditions for continued strong growth. We will now continue that journey together with Bridgepoint.” says Magdalena Bonde, CEO Ports Group.

EY Corporate Finance has acted as a financial advisor and Setterwalls Advokatbyrå as legal advisor to Ports Group and the sellers.

For more information, please contact:

Louise Nilsson, Managing Partner Priveq
+46 709 50 95 50
louise.nilsson(a)priveq.se

Magdalena Bonde, CEO Ports Group
+46 76 112 00 48
magdalena.bonde(a)portsgroup.com

About Ports Group
Ports Group is a fast-growing and profitable platform-based IP and domain services provider. Ports Group has a unique position in the market with 25 years of experience in digitalization as an ICANN-accredited registrar and a comprehensive Brand Protection package including software and services within Domain Management, Trademark Management, and Web Security. Proactive protection through Ports Group's monitoring services secures the customer's intellectual property and exclusive rights. Central to what Ports offer is the software platform Ports Management, which brings together the portfolio of holdings, giving an optimal overview and automated management. The platform manages domains, brand holdings, and web security products. For more information, please visit www.portsgroup.com.