Fintech PR

BPEA EQT to commence Tender Offer to privatize Benesse Holdings, Inc. in partnership with its founding family

Published

1 year ago

November 10, 2023

TOKYO, Nov. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — EQT is pleased to announce that BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII (“BPEA EQT”) has agreed to partner with the founding family of Benesse Holdings, Inc. (“Benesse”, or the “Company”, ticker symbol: TSE 9783) to commence a Tender Offer to privatize the Company. Benesse is Japan’s leading education and nursing care provider and is listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Company’s board of directors has approved the Tender Offer and recommends that shareholders tender into the Tender Offer, once commenced.

Headquartered in Okayama, Japan, Benesse is Japan’s largest provider of education services for all ages and is a household brand within the domestic education sector. Moreover, the Company is also the largest operator of fee-paying nursing care homes in Japan and operates over 350 facilities nationwide. Benesse has over 16,000 employees and JPY 411.8 billion (USD 2.7 billion) in net sales as of FY March 2023.

Japan’s education sector is growing, driven by an increasing demand for adult training and reskilling of its labor force, as well as increased demand for eLearning modalities in the K-12 segment. The nursing care sector is also growing, driven by demographic tailwinds of Japan’s aging population. Together with the founding family, EQT aims to further accelerate Benesse’s growth, leveraging its vast experience from developing education and elderly care platforms worldwide.

With this transaction, BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII is expected to be 40-45 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication).

Please note that the commencement and consummation of the Tender Offer are subject to conditions.

Contact
EQT Press Office, [email protected]

Regulations on Solicitation

This press release is intended to provide information relating to the Tender Offer to the public and has not been prepared for the purpose of soliciting an offer to sell shares. If shareholders wish to make an offer to sell their shares, they should first read the Tender Offer Explanation Statement concerning the Tender Offer and make an offer to sell their shares at their own discretion. This press release shall neither be, nor constitute a part of, an offer to sell or purchase, or solicitation to sell or purchase, any securities, and neither this press release (or a part of this press release) nor its distribution shall be interpreted to constitute the basis of any agreement in relation to the Tender Offer, and this press release may not be relied upon at the time of entering into any such agreement.

US Regulations

The Tender Offer shall be implemented in compliance with the procedures and information disclosure standards provided by the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan, which procedures and standards are not necessarily identical to the procedures and information disclosure standards applied in the United States. Specifically, Section 13(e) or Section 14(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended; “Securities Exchange Act”) or the rules promulgated under such Sections do not apply to the Tender Offer, and the Tender Offer is not necessarily in compliance with the procedures and standards thereunder. Any financial information in this press release has been prepared based on Japanese generally accepted accounting principles and may not necessarily be directly comparable to financial statements of companies in the United States. Also, because the tender offeror and the Company are corporations incorporated outside the U.S. and their directors are non-U.S. residents, it may be difficult to exercise rights or demands against them that can be claimed based on U.S. securities laws. In addition, shareholders may not be permitted to commence any legal procedures in courts outside the U.S. against non-U.S. corporations or their directors based on a breach of U.S. securities laws. Furthermore, U.S. courts are not necessarily granted jurisdiction over non-U.S. corporations or their directors.

The financial advisors of the tender offeror or the Company, and the tender offer agent and their respective affiliates may, within their ordinary course of business, purchase, or conduct any act toward the purchase of, the shares of the Company for their own account or for their customers’ accounts outside the Tender Offer prior to the commencement of, or during, the period of the Tender Offer in accordance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5(b) under the Securities Exchange Act to the extent permissible under the financial instruments and exchange laws and other applicable laws and regulations in Japan. If any information concerning such purchase is disclosed in Japan, the disclosure of such information will be made in the United States in a similar manner.

The tender offeror and its affiliates may purchase, or conduct any act toward the purchase of, the shares of the Company prior to the commencement of the Tender Offer in accordance with the requirements of Rule 14e-5(b) under the Securities Exchange Act to the extent permissible under the financial instruments and exchange laws and other applicable laws and regulations in Japan, and to the extent described in this press release. If any information concerning such purchase is disclosed in Japan, the disclosure of such information will be made in the United States in a similar manner.

If shareholders exercise their right to demand purchase of shares less than one unit in accordance with the Companies Act, the Company may purchase its own shares during the tender offer period in accordance with legal procedures.

All the procedures in connection with the Tender Offer shall be taken in the Japanese language. While a part or all of the documents in connection with the Tender Offer may be prepared in English, the Japanese documents shall prevail in case of any discrepancies between Japanese documents and corresponding English documents.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. The actual results may be grossly different from the projections implied or expressly stated as “forward-looking statements” due to known or unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors. None of the tender offeror, the Company or any of their respective affiliates assures that such express or implied projections set forth herein as “forward-looking statements” will eventually prove to be correct. “Forward-looking statements” contained herein were prepared based on the information available to the tender offeror as of the date of this press release and, unless required by laws and regulations, neither the tender offeror nor its related parties including related companies shall have the obligation to update or correct the statements made herein in order to reflect the future events or circumstances.

Other National Regulations

Some countries or regions may impose restrictions on the announcement, issue or distribution of this press release. In such cases, please take note of such restrictions and comply with them. In countries or regions where the implementation of the Tender Offer is illegal, even upon receiving this press release, such receipt shall not constitute a solicitation of an offer to sell or an offer to buy shares relating to the Tender Offer and shall be deemed a distribution of materials for informative purposes only.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/87/3873218/2421453.pdf	Press Release BPEA EQT, Benesse 231110 Advertisement
https://news.cision.com/eqt/i/benesse,c3237860	Benesse

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bpea-eqt-to-commence-tender-offer-to-privatize-benesse-holdings-inc-in-partnership-with-its-founding-family-301984434.html

Fintech PR

Protecht launches advanced controls management solution

Published

10 minutes ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

SYDNEY, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Protecht Group, a global leader in enterprise risk management solutions, has released its innovative controls management solution. This cutting-edge tool empowers organizations to design, implement, and maintain a robust controls framework, streamlining compliance and enhancing operational efficiency.

Protecht’s controls management solution addresses the challenges faced by risk and compliance leaders in managing controls across complex regulatory environments. By integrating controls management into the organization’s broader ERM framework, the solution provides a centralized approach to mitigate risks, achieve compliance, and enable organizations to focus on strategic growth.

As organizations face increasing regulatory pressures, the need for a unified, efficient approach to controls management has never been greater. Many businesses struggle with fragmented processes, duplicated efforts across frameworks, and limited visibility into controls effectiveness. Protecht’s controls management solution simplifies these complexities by providing a single source of truth for controls assurance activities.

Key features of Protecht’s controls management solution

Centralized controls library: Offers a single repository for all control data, tailored to align with organizational needs and regulatory frameworks.
Simplified control testing: Streamlines the testing process with pre-built templates, automated scheduling, and real-time tracking of progress and results.
Framework library: Enables seamless mapping between controls and multiple regulatory standards to eliminate redundancies and simplify compliance efforts.
Advanced reporting and dashboards: Provides real-time insights into control effectiveness and areas requiring improvement, ensuring confidence in decision-making and risk management strategies.

“Protecht’s Controls Management solution simplifies the way organizations handle compliance and risk assurance,” says Damien Stevens, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Protecht. “By integrating controls into the broader enterprise risk framework, we provide our customers with the tools they need to mitigate risks, optimize efficiency, and align their control environments with their strategic objectives.”

Supporting resources

To help organizations maximize the benefits of the new solution, Protecht offers a range of resources, including:

Live webinars showcasing the solution’s capabilities for risk and IT professionals alike
Product tours showing how the solution lets you solve specific controls-related problems
A comprehensive eBook on building effective controls frameworks
Opportunities to book a demo and see the solution in action

Find out more and download a brochure at www.protechtgroup.com/solutions/controls-management

About Protecht Group

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in London and Los Angeles, Protecht Group provides innovative risk management solutions, including the Protecht ERM platform. Trusted by organizations across government, financial services, education, and other industries, Protecht empowers businesses to manage risk holistically, transitioning from spreadsheets and manual processes to efficient, integrated systems.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/protecht-launches-advanced-controls-management-solution-302315104.html

Fintech PR

Robert Rahman Joins Dinosaur Group Holdings to Head its New Global Corporate Credit Securities Market Unit in the US, Europe & Asia

Published

1 hour ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

robert-rahman-joins-dinosaur-group-holdings-to-head-its-new-global-corporate-credit-securities-market-unit-in-the-us,-europe-&-asia

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dinosaur Financial Group LLC. (DFG), a New York based Investment Firm and Dinosaur Merchant Bank Ltd. (DMBL), a London based Institutional Brokerage announced the joining of Robert Rahman as the Global Head of the newly created Global Corporate Credit Securities (GCCS) unit.

Dinosaur Group’s new GCCS initiative seeks to provide clients with an alternative to the bulge bracket that will not compete with clients and seeks to offer those clients, a partner that can deliver reliable and trustworthy execution capabilities in a difficult liquidity backdrop. Robert’s new unit will complement the firm’s existing global footprint in Fixed Income.

Robert will oversee the sales, trading, and research business globally for Corporate Investment Grade, High Yield, Distressed, Stressed, Special Situations, Levered Loans, Re-Org Equities, Trade Claims, Private Credit and Converts within the GCCS unit.

Before Dinosaur, he was the Head of High Yield, Distressed and Loans within the capital markets division of Oppenheimer and Co (OPY) where he worked for the last 16 years. He has also been a senior member of Morgan Stanley’s High Yield sales team and has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of Institutional Credit. Robert started his career as a Credit Analyst within Salmon Brothers revered “Corporate Bond Research” team and at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette’s “Leveraged Finance Research” team.

Announcing his appointment, Glenn Grossman, CEO, Dinosaur Group said, “Robert’s deep client and issuer relationships along with his previous success in leading and building global credit teams will help the group to provide institutional clients with an additional liquidity platform for one stop credit trading across the world. We are very excited to see the new business grow under his leadership.”

Elliot Grossman, Managing Director added, “With Robert’s leadership, the group seeks to help institutional investors by providing capital to help facilitate trades versus being another riskless agency credit shop.”

Speaking about joining the Dinosaur group and his plans for the new business, Robert said, “I was attracted to the group given its established track record of providing client solutions in Fixed Income, globally for the past 25 years. My focus will be to provide institutional investors with an enhanced global liquidity platform for the US, European and Asian markets. I look forward to building this business at DFG.”

He also stated, “Sourcing trading block paper is nuanced and requires deep and long-standing client relationships from the trader, analyst, PM and CIO level. The new team will look to gain Fixed Income clients’ trust, add value and provide liquidity while so many competitors retrench.”

About Dinosaur Group Holdings

Dinosaur Group Holdings (DGH) is the holding company for Dinosaur Financial Group LLC. (DFG), an investment firm registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC, Dinosaur Merchant Bank Ltd. (regulated by the FCA) and New York-based SEC-registered investment firm DCM Advisors, LLC.

Deploying a team of approximately 150 professionals, the overall organization provides global execution services, financing and advisory expertise/insights for equities, fixed income, commodities and derivatives, investment management as well as a suite of investment banking services providing financial solutions and capital markets execution to the middle market client base, both domestically and globally. Clients and counterparties spanning six continents are primarily institutions, family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and corporations. Dinosaur Group takes pride in the business’ stable management, strong compliance, solid operations, and diverse talent.

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Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2566971/Dinosaur_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/robert-rahman-joins-dinosaur-group-holdings-to-head-its-new-global-corporate-credit-securities-market-unit-in-the-us-europe–asia-302315687.html

Fintech PR

New GitLaw platform makes creating legal documents free and fast

Published

2 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

BIRMINGHAM, England, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Each year 32% of small businesses experience a legal issue but only 25% of these are able to access professional help. Of those who did engage lawyers, many had to draw on personal savings just to meet fees. The current legal system is unaffordable with the balance tipped against those without vast financial resources.

GitLaw.co, launching this week, is looking to change that. GitLaw has published hundreds of legal document templates which are entirely free to download or customize through its platform. GitLaw is built by a group of tech entrepreneurs including Nick Holzherr who previously founded Whisk.com, a software platform acquired by Samsung in 2019.

GitLaw’s name is inspired by Git technology and open source software development. This collaborative model allows legal documents to be freely available to use, modify or share, with complete version history transparency. GitLaw’s vision is to create a collaborative open source community for legal documents. GitLaw’s specialized features help users efficiently customize and finalize legal templates. Users can submit templates as well as suggest changes to existing documents, resulting in free community-driven standards for legal documents.

The service is initially targeted at small businesses in the US and UK. “As a startup founder I have first hand experience of having to navigate legal battles without budgets for lawyers and I wish I’d had something like GitLaw – a reliable repository of free legal documents” said Nick Holzherr, one of the founders of GitLaw. “We already have 300 documents that cover key contract types like NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements), Employment Agreements and Privacy Policies, and we hope the community will continue to provide more documents”. Most of the documents on GitLaw today are created and contributed by reputable law firms, lawyers, investors and organizations.

While the platform targets the 400m global small businesses first, the company has a mission to bring GitLaw to wider audiences. “In the medium term I hope we’ll be able to cover a lot more areas of law like civil law.
Longer term, I can envision GitLaw being used to support the creation of national laws, enabling citizens to contribute, provide feedback, and transparently track every change made to their legislation.” said Holzherr.

GitLaw is free to use and available at www.gitlaw.co

Pictures available at https://gitlaw.co/press

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-gitlaw-platform-makes-creating-legal-documents-free-and-fast-302315630.html