Unifaun and Consignor announce merger agreement

Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway, January 7, 2021 –Unifaun, a leading Stockholm-based cloud Transport Administration Systems (“TAS”) platform, and Consignor, an Oslo-based cloud TAS platform, announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. These two leading providers of TAS software will combine to offer shippers, carriers, and parcel recipients globally best-in-class solutions for shipping and handling of goods. Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”), Unifaun’s current majority owner, has partnered with Francisco Partners, Consignor’s current majority shareholder, in the transaction to become equal shareholders in and together own a majority of the combined business.

The merger creates a prominent global provider of cloud TAS solutions, bringing together two highly complementary and scalable SaaS-based products that will benefit from the collective best-of-breed feature/functionality and greater geographic coverage. Additionally, the merger expands the combined company’s ability to address a range of TAS and other supply chain execution (“SCE”) capabilities. Building on Unifaun and Consignor’s Nordic-heritage, the combined company is poised to continue to accelerate growth globally.

“This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for our company, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Marlin, Francisco Partners, and Peter Tang Thomsen and the rest of the Consignor management team as we capitalize on this huge opportunity to drive innovation in our industry and value for our customers,” said Leif Bohlin, CEO of Unifaun. “Unifaun and Consignor have always had mutual respect for one another due to our similar passion for TAS solutions, cultures of employee development, and neighboring geographic presences. Combining our companies, along with Marlin and Francisco Partners’ ongoing commitment to supporting and empowering growth, will ensure we continue to deliver the very best solutions for our customers to help them solve transportation challenges, deliver significant cost savings, and improve efficiency and capacity utilization for years to come.”

Upon closing (which is subject to customary regulatory approval), Unifaun and Consignor will be merged into one business. Following the integration, the company will strive to offer the strongest TAS solution in the market, with an improved user experience, extensive functionality, and agile implementation and support services.

“The unification of our talented, passionate teams, as well as our local and global resources, will drive significant value to our customers and employees,” said Consignor Founder and CEO Peter Tang Thomsen. “Together we will deliver exactly what our customers have been seeking – an integrated, full-suite of TAS solution that will help our customers reduce shipping costs while improving the overall delivery experience for constituents across the logistics value chain.”

Peter Chung, a Managing Director at Marlin, added, “The TAS market has an incredible amount of potential and we believe the combined company will be better positioned to capitalize on the secular tailwinds underpinning e-commerce growth. Further, the combination of Unifaun and Consignor’s technology, talent and operational resources will substantially elevate the offering for customers who will benefit greatly from a broader range of functional capabilities, wider geographic coverage, and deeper domain knowledge and technical expertise.”

Petri Oksanen, a Partner at Francisco Partners, commented, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Marlin and the Unifaun team, and look forward to bringing together two highly complementary industry leaders to help them reach their full potential and further accelerate the combined company’s growth.”

Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Unifaun and Marlin Equity Partners are being advised by Arma Partners and EY as their financial advisors, and Plesner as legal counsel. Consignor and Francisco Partners are being advised by Raymond James as their financial advisor, and Paul Hastings LLP and Aabø-Evensen & Co as legal counsel.

About Unifaun
Unifaun provides innovative and high-quality cloud TAS solutions to carriers, shippers, and parcel recipients across the European transportation ecosystem. With an extensive partner ecosystem and carrier library, Unifaun handled more than 300 million shipments in the system in 2019. Unifaun has over 200 employees in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Poland. For more information, please visit: www.unifaun.com.

About Consignor
Consignor supports their customers delivery processes by making it simpler, quicker, and cost-effective to ship orders to customers and by making delivery a competitive advantage. Consignor provides TAS solutions, enabled through a wide-ranging carrier library, connecting shippers’ websites and warehouses with their customers. Employing more than 170 staff, Consignor serves its customers from offices in Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Bucharest, and London. For more information, please visit: www.consignor.com.

About Marlin Equity Partners
Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $7 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company's outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 170 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit: www.marlinequity.com.

About Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has raised over $24 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. The firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information, please visit franciscopartners.com.

Contacts:
Marlin Equity Partners – pspasov@marlinequity.com
Francisco Partners – press@franciscopartners.com