William Blair News
BlueCat Has Agreed to be Acquired by Audax Group
William Blair & Company acted as the lead financial advisor to BlueCat, a portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC (MDP) in connection with its pending acquisition by Audax Group.
Read moreWilliam Blair Expands Equity Capital Markets Group, Adding Managing Director in New York
William Blair announced today that it has expanded its equity capital markets team with the addition of Derek Caracciola.
Read moreAnne Frank Art Contest Spotlights Empowering Stories of Youth
The annual Anne Frank art contest sponsored by William Blair featured a storytelling competition for young people across Germany to share their stories of what concerns them most about living in today’s world, one filled with vast challenges and intolerance.
Read moreApax Partners has Agreed to Acquire EcoOnline
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Apax Partners in connection with its pending recommended cash tender offer to acquire EcoOnline.
Read moreLeanTaaS has Agreed to be Acquired by Bain Capital Private Equity
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to LeanTaaS, a portfolio company of Insight Partners and Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, in connection with its pending sale to Bain Capital Private Equity.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Macro Highlights From the 42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference
In this Economics Weekly we present some of our own macro highlights we have drawn from the event, including commentary from the companies themselves, which in the current environment largely centered on three major themes.
Read moreMyCase Has Been Acquired by AffiniPay
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to MyCase, a portfolio company of Apax Partners, in connection with its acquisition by AffiniPay, a portfolio company of TA Associates and the parent company of LawPay.
Read moreWilliam Blair Strengthens Private Capital Advisory Practice
William Blair today announced the addition of Tom Marking to the Private Capital Advisory investment banking practice. Marking joins as a director in New York, where he will work with clients on secondary solutions and direct equity capital-raising.
Read moreAlnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY $131.52), the premier commercial-stage siRNA therapeutics company. Alnylam has four approved therapies and over eight additional candidates in clinical development.
Read moreWilliam Blair Hosts 42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference
William Blair & Company, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today commenced its 42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference, a four-day event featuring more than 320 public and private companies.
Read moreCelebrating Asian/Pacific American Month With Chicago Sinfonietta's Mei-Ann Chen
Taiwanese American conductor Mei-Ann Chen led a spirited talk with William Blair colleagues at the firm’s Asian/Pacific American heritage month celebration on embracing cultural differences.
Read moreHaymaker Acquisition Corp. III has Merged With Biote
William Blair served as financial advisor and capital markets advisor to Haymaker Acquisition Corp. III (NASDAQ: HYAC), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in connection with its merger with Biote.
Read moreAtlantic Aviation has Divested its Stuart, FL Location to APP Jet Center
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Atlantic Aviation, a portfolio company of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), in connection with the divestiture of their Stuart, FL location to APP Jet Center, a portfolio company of Ridgewood Infrastructure.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Profits, P/Es, and Inflation
With weaker earnings growth the next potential hurdle for market participants, in this Economics Weekly, we look at both the current earnings picture and what has happened to earnings during past economic downturns, as well as what happens if inflation truly is now structurally higher.
Read moreMÜPRO has Agreed to be Acquired by IK Partners
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to MÜPRO, a portfolio company of Perusa in connection with its pending sale to IK Partners.
Read moreCCS Fundraising Has Received an Investment and Senior Secured Credit Facilities
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to CCS Fundraising, in connection with its investment from Abry Partners and a debt recapitalization from PNC Bank.
Read moreWilliam Blair Private Capital Markets Remains Highly Active in 2022
William Blair’s leading Private Capital Markets group has followed up a highly successful 2021 with several notable transactions across a range of industries.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Housing Market Is Cooling
In this Economics Weekly, we take a snapshot of the housing market with the view that activity will continue to moderate, though a major collapse seems unlikely.
Read moreAlchemer Has Received a Majority Investment From KKR
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Alchemer in connection with an investment from KKR.
Read moreQuentic Has Agreed to be Acquired by AMCS
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Quentic, a portfolio company of One Peak, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, and High-Tech Gründerfonds, in connection with its pending sale to AMCS, a portfolio company of Insight, Clearlake, Highland Europe and Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.
Read more42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference
William Blair & Company, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, will host its 42nd Annual Growth Stock Conference June 6-9 in Chicago.
Read moreCordenPharma Has Agreed to be Acquired by Astorg
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to International Chemical Investors Group in connection with its pending sale of its portfolio company, CordenPharma, to Astorg.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Taking Stock (of Recent Market Volatility)
In this Economics Weekly, we present some thoughts about the current market volatility, with the view that as long as financial conditions continue to tighten and the risk of recession is rising, markets will remain volatile.
Read moreResults Driven by Trust and Collaboration
William Blair’s strong results in recent years have been directly tied to our people and our unique culture. That culture is built on trust, collaboration, and creating opportunities for our clients and each other.
Read moreCentury Therapeutics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Century Therapeutics, Inc. (IPSC $9.04), a biotechnology company focused on developing allogeneic iPSC-derived cellular immunotherapies, including CAR-NK and CAR-T cell therapies, for the treatment of cancer.
Read moreFour Considerations for Clients Seeking Liquidity
If you are an advisor to family- and founder-owned businesses, your clients face more opportunities for generating liquidity and transitioning their businesses than ever before.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Beware of a Stronger Dollar
In this Economics Weekly we discuss the dollar’s recent behavior.
Read moreVivian Lin Thurston Contextualizes Dual-Listings
William Blair Investment Management’s Vivian Lin Thurston comments on the implications of Chinese companies pursuing dual-listings.
Read moreThe Surgical Company Has Agreed to Sell its Distribution Activities in France and Benelux to Duomed Group
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to The Surgical Company, in connection with the pending sale of its distribution activities in France and Benelux to Duomed Group, a portfolio company of G Square Capital.
Read moreWilliam Blair Expands Financial Sponsor Offering With Private Capital Advisory
The practice expands William Blair’s robust financial sponsor advisory platform to provide financial sponsor clients with highly relevant and differentiated strategic advice and offer them fund placement, direct corporate capital-raising (directs and co-invests), and secondary solutions on a global basis.
Read moreBeth Satterfield Delivers Keynote to “Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A”
Firm COO Beth Satterfield served as the keynote speaker at Mergers & Acquisitions magazine’s annual “Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A” event.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Inflation Recap
Outside of the geopolitical arena, inflation continues to be the No. 1 problem for the global economy today.
Read moreValiantys Has Agreed to be Acquired by Keensight Capital
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Valiantys in connection with its pending sale to Keensight Capital.
Read moreElastic N.V.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Elastic N.V. (ESTC $82.73), a provider of observability, enterprise search, and security solutions.
Read moreCarton Pack Has Been Acquired by A&M Capital Europe
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to the shareholders of Carton Pack S.p.A., a portfolio company of 21 Invest, in connection with its sale to A&M Capital Europe.
Read moreDadeSystems Has Been Acquired by Versapay
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to DadeSystems, a portfolio company of Ten Coves Capital, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, Fifth Third Capital Partners and Ocean Azul Partners, in connection with its sale to Versapay, a portfolio company of Great Hill Partners.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The U.S. Consumer – As Good as It Gets?
In many ways, consumers’ situation is the best that it has been in decades, yet there is an increasing amount of angst building up around their near-term future condition.
Read moreStormTrap Has Been Acquired by PSP Capital
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to StormTrap, a portfolio company of Warren Equity Partners, in connection with its sale to PSP Capital.
Read moreSierra Wireless, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sierra Wireless, Inc. (SWIR $16.45), a preferred IoT solutions provider that combines edge devices (e.g., cellular routers/gateways and modules), connectivity services, software, security, and a secure cloud platform to simplify IoT deployments.
Read moreCarpe Data Has Agreed to Receive a Strategic Growth Investment from Thomas H. Lee Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Carpe Data in connection with its pending investment from Thomas H. Lee Partners.
Read moreDatwyler Has Agreed to Acquire QSR
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Datwyler Holding AG (SWX:DAE) in connection with its pending acquisition of QSR from Q Holding Company, a portfolio company of 3i Group plc.
Read moreC&K Switches Has Agreed to be Acquired by Littelfuse
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to C&K Switches, an affiliated portfolio company of Sun European Partners, LLP, in connection with its pending sale to Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ:LFUS).
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Interest Cost and the Corporate Debt Burden
With the advent of a new Fed tightening cycle, a key question for investors will be what impact higher interest rates might have on a firm’s net interest expense and corporate profitability.
Read moreRevecore has Been Acquired by GrowthCurve Capital
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Revecore, a portfolio company of Riverside Partners, in connection with its sale to GrowthCurve Capital.
Read moreGeometric Results Has Agreed to be Acquired by PRO Unlimited
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Geometric Results, a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity, in connection with its pending sale to PRO Unlimited, a portfolio company of EQT Partners and Harvest Partners.
Read moreCourageous Conversations Explores Solutions to Sustain the Climate
World-renowned environmental scientist Dr. Jonathan Foley inspired and enlightened colleagues on new solutions to sustain the climate, ecosystems, and natural resources during William Blair’s Courageous Conversations talk.
Read moreThomas H. Lee Partners Has Agreed to Acquire Intelligent Medical Objects
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Thomas H. Lee Partners in connection with the pending acquisition of Intelligent Medical Objects, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Equity Market Versus the Bond Market
In this Economics Weekly, we discuss the seeming disconnect between the bond and equity markets and what this may be telling us with regard to future growth.
Read moreEagle Pharmaceuticals Has Agreed to Acquire Acacia Pharma
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGRX) in connection with its pending acquisition of Acacia Pharma Group plc (EURONEXT: ACPH) by way of a scheme of arrangement for €94.7 million ($104 million) in cash and Eagle Pharmaceuticals stock.
Read moreEMPWR Has Acquired Noble Foods
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to EMPWR, a portfolio company of Waterland Private Equity, in connection with its acquisition of Noble Foods Nutrition, Inc (Noble Foods).
Read morePexco Has Been Acquired by Odyssey Investment Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Pexco, a portfolio company of AEA Investors, in connection with its sale to Odyssey Investment Partners.
Read moreHawthorne Global Aviation Services has been Acquired by NOVA Infrastructure and Wafra
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Hawthorne Global Aviation Services (Hawthorne), a portfolio company of NexPhase Capital, in connection with its sale to NOVA Infrastructure Management and Wafra Real Assets & Infrastructure.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Volatility Looks Set to Remain High
There are three main issues eating away at financial markets at the moment: war, commodity price volatility, and the Fed and/or high oil prices could induce a recession.
Read moreReaction Biology has been Acquired by Cobepa
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Reaction Biology in connection with its sale to Cobepa.
Read moreAlpaca Audiology has been Acquired by Sonova Holdings AG
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Alpaca Audiology in connection with its sale to Sonova Holdings AG.
Read moreMister Car Wash, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Mister Car Wash, Inc. (MCW $14.55), the largest car wash brand in the United States, with approximately 400 sites.
Read moreFeminist Gloria Steinem Captivates Inspiring Women Event
Social activist, humanitarian, and writer Gloria Steinem shared her vast experiences over five decades as a leader of the women’s movement at William Blair’s Inspiring Women event held on International Women’s Day March 8.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Food Problem
In this Economics Weekly, we look at the food issue, who is the most vulnerable to the effects of the current conflict, and what impact this might have on inflation in the United States.
Read moreCurrencies Direct has Agreed to Receive a Strategic Investment from Blackstone
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Currencies Direct, a portfolio company of Corsair and Palamon Capital Partners, in connection with its strategic investment from funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities.
Read moreBrickell Biotech, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Brickell Biotech, Inc. (BBI $0.21), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to treat autoimmune, inflammatory, and other debilitating diseases.
Read moreBRC Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of BRC Inc. (BRCC $17.43), the parent company of Black Rifle Coffee Company, a rapidly growing omnichannel premium coffee brand across the direct-to-consumer (DTC), wholesale, and retail channels.
Read moreAva Security has Been Acquired by Motorola Solutions
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Ava Security Limited and its majority shareholder, Ubon Partners, in connection with its sale to Motorola Solutions.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Escalating Conflict in Ukraine
We discussed the Ukraine situation several weeks ago in this Economics Weekly, and this week we delve a little further into some of the potential implications in light of the escalation of hostilities.
Read moreLeYa has Agreed to Be Acquired by Infinitas Learning
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to LeYa, S.A. in connection with its pending sale to Infinitas Learning Holding B.V.
Read moreExperity has Been Acquired by GTCR
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Experity Inc., a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus, in connection with its sale to GTCR.
Read moreLightspeed Systems has Received a Strategic Growth Investment from Genstar Capital
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Lightspeed Systems in connection with its strategic growth investment from Genstar Capital, joining existing investor Madison Dearborn Partners.
Read morePro-Vac has Been Acquired by Gallant Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Pro-Vac, a portfolio company of RLJ Equity Partners, in connection with its sale to Gallant Capital Partners.
Read moreArcellx, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Arcellx, Inc. (ACLX $16.97), a clinical-stage company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class adaptive immune cell therapies that can be readily activated and reprogrammed.
Read moreU.S. Navy Ret. Rear Admiral Speaks at Black History Month Event
Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Stephen Evans shared his amazing story of growing up in the small town of Beaufort, South Carolina, to becoming one of the Navy’s highest-ranking officers during William Blair’s Black History Month event.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The M&A Landscape in 2022
Both the structural and near-term cyclical trends in M&A are the topic of this Economics Weekly, with the view that activity is likely to remain robust, though we will not see a repeat of 2021’s level of activity, and risks are tilted to the downside.
Read moreIntellia Therapeutics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA $95.86), a clinical-stage genome-editing company focused on using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to create in vivo and ex vivo therapies for diseases with high unmet need.
Read moreWilliam Blair Partners With Notre Dame to Advance Women in Investing
William Blair was thrilled to support the University of Notre Dame annual Women’s Investing Summit. The keynote speaker was Olga Bitel, a global strategist for the firm’s investment management team.
Read moreWilliam Blair’s Legal Services & Technology Leadership Strengthens in 2021
William Blair is playing a leading role in driving dealmaking activity and delivering exceptional outcomes for some of the most influential names in the space.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Thinking About Quantitative Tightening
At the January FOMC meeting, the Fed announced that it is keen to “significantly” shrink the size of its balance sheet.
Read moreBigBear.ai Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (BBAI $5.20), a provider of data analytics and IT solutions for the U.S. government.
Read morePronoKal Group Has Agreed to Be Acquired by Nestlé Health Science
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to PronoKal Group, a portfolio company of Abac Capital, in connection with its pending sale to Nestlé Health Science (NHSc).
Read moreWilliam Blair Hosts Chicago Financial Women’s Alliance Career Event
William Blair’s Women’s Alliance hosted the Chicago Financial Women’s Alliance to kick off its 2022 career series featuring insights on defining success and embracing challenges from leaders in the financial industry.
Read morePredica Has Been Acquired by SoftwareONE
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Predica in connection with its acquisition by SoftwareONE Holding AG (SWX:SWON).
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Are Recession Risks Rising?
In this Economics Weekly, we highlight some of the key indicators that we will be paying attention to as this debate increasingly gets underway.
Read moreSvendsen Sport Has Been Acquired by Pure Fishing
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Svendsen Sport, a portfolio company of Maj Invest Equity, in connection with its sale to Pure Fishing, a portfolio company of Sycamore Partners.
Read moreSight Sciences, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sight Sciences, Inc. (SGHT $14.62).
Read moreWilliam Blair Announces Beth Satterfield as COO
William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team and named Beth Satterfield to the newly created position of chief operating officer.
Read moreFive9, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Five9, Inc. (FIVN $120.60), which provides cloud contact center technology and solutions to businesses of all sizes.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Ukraine Only Adds More Risk and Uncertainty to the Market Outlook
In this Economics Weekly we focus on the rising tensions between Russia and the Ukraine and how equity markets have responded to wars in the past.
Read moreEckhart Holdings has Been Acquired by Arsenal Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Eckhart Holdings, Inc., a portfolio company of LFM Capital, in connection with its sale to Arsenal Capital Partners.
Read moreCyxtera Technologies, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Cyxtera Technologies, Inc. (CYXT $11.56), a global carrier-neutral data center operator focused on retail colocation and interconnection services.
Read moreBirchStreet Systems Has Received a Strategic Growth Investment from Parthenon Capital
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to BirchStreet Systems, a portfolio company of Serent Capital, in connection with its strategic growth investment from Parthenon Capital.
Read moreCove Hill Partners Has Made a Strategic Investment in myDigitalOffice
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Cove Hill Partners in connection with its strategic investment in MyDigitalOffice Holdings, Inc.
Read moreCorsair has Acquired Aurora Payments
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Corsair, in connection with its acquisition of Aurora Payments.
Read moreChomps Has Received a Minority Investment from Stride Consumer Partners
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to We Are The Chompians, LLC in connection with its minority investment from Stride Consumer Partners LLC.
Read moreKohler Has Acquired Curtis Instruments
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Kohler Co. in connection with its acquisition of Curtis Instruments.
Read moreSpecialized Elevator Has Merged with 3Phase Elevator
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Specialized Elevator and CIVC Partners in connection with its merger with 3Phase Elevator, a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Equities and the Tightening Cycle
What do short- and longer-term interest rates on the rise mean for the stock market?
Read more2022 Top Stock Recommendations
Each year, the Equity Research Group's individual sector groups—consumer; financial services and technology; global industrial infrastructure; global services; healthcare; and technology, media, and communications—provide an outlook for the year ahead.
Read moreWilliam Blair Names New Partners for 2022
Congratulations to our newest William Blair partners around the globe!
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Fed and Inflation—A Narrative Recap
In this Economics Weekly, we reexamine the current inflation debate, with the view that we still expect inflation to moderate over the coming year to around 2.5%-3% and then drift a little lower in 2023.
Read moreWilliam Blair Experiences Record Growth, Elects Brent Gledhill CEO
Gledhill assumes the leadership role as William Blair celebrates a record year for client impact and firmwide growth in 2021.
Read moreLightspeed Systems Has Acquired CatchOn
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Lightspeed Systems, a portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners, in connection with its acquisition of CatchOn, an affiliate of ENA.
Read moreLINQ Has Received a Strategic Growth Investment from Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to LINQ, a portfolio company of Banneker Partners, in connection with its investment from Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.
Read moreWilliam Blair Teams Up With Wrap Up London to Spread Warmth During the Holidays
For the 11th straight year, William Blair teamed up with the Wrap Up London campaign to support the group’s annual coat drive during the holiday season.
Read moreMinistry Brands Has Received a Majority Investment From Reverence Capital Partners
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to Ministry Brands in connection with its majority investment from Reverence Capital Partners.
Read moreCastlight Health and Vera Whole Health to Combine
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Castlight Health, Inc. (NYSE: CSLT) with its pending combination with Vera Whole Health, Inc and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
Read morePharm-Olam Has Merged with CATO SMS
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Pharm-Olam in connection to its merger with CATO SMS, a portfolio company of Water Street Healthcare Partners and JLL Partners.
Read moreWilliam Blair’s Healthcare Services Group Completes a Record Year
Dealmaking activity in the healthcare services sector was brisk in 2021—and William Blair’s healthcare services investment banking team has been at the center of this activity.
Read moreCvent Holding Corp.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Cvent Holding Corp. (CVT $8.05), a leading provider of cloud-based event management software.
Read moreSamsara Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Samsara Inc. (IOT $22.99). Samsara helps companies digitize their physical operations through its connected operations cloud, which ingests internet of things (IoT) data and provides actionable insights.
Read moreBionomics Limited: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Bionomics Limited (BNOX $11.52), a clinical-stage biopharma company based in Australia with U.S. operations developing small-molecule ion channel modulators to treat central nervous system disorders.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: What Happens to 10-Year Yields Around the Start of Fed Tightening Cycles
In this Economics Weekly, we look at the 10-year yields, what drives them, and what might be causing them to rise today.
Read moreNorwood Medical Has Been Acquired by Heraeus
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Norwood Medical in connection with its sale to Heraeus.
Read moreCorcentric has Agreed to Merge with North Mountain Merger Corp.
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Corcentric in its pending merger with North Mountain Merger Corp (NASDAQ: NMMC), announced on December 10, 2021, and acted as co-placement agent to North Mountain in the PIPE financing undertaken in connection with the pending merger.
Read moreThe Beauty Health Company: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of The Beauty Health Company (SKIN $21.64). The company is a market leader in beauty health through its core asset, HydraFacial.
Read moreNkarta, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Nkarta, Inc. (NKTX $14.27), a clinical-stage company focused on the development and commercialization of genetically engineered allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapies for the treatment of cancer.
Read moreScott McLaughlin Joins William Blair as Head of Equities
William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today announced that Scott McLaughlin has been named head of equities.
Read moreCardiovascular Medicine, P.C. Has Been Acquired by Webster Equity Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Cardiovascular Medicine, P.C. in connection with its sale to Webster Equity Partners.
Read moreCardiff Oncology, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Cardiff Oncology, Inc. (CRDF $6.43), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that leverages deep insights into synthetic lethality through PLK1 inhibition in cancers. The company is advancing three clinical programs in parallel in colorectal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Read moreRitedose Has Agreed to be Acquired by Novo Holdings
William Blair in conjunction with its Asian affiliate, BDA Partners acted as exclusive financial advisors to The Ritedose Corporation, an AGIC Capital portfolio company, in connection with its pending sale to Novo Holdings.
Read moreP3 Health Partners Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of P3 Health Partners Inc. (PIII $6.49), a physician-led and technology-enabled advanced primary care partner, working with independent provider groups to enable their transformation to risk-based payment models.
Read moreHashiCorp, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of HashiCorp, Inc. (HCP $90.54), which provides infrastructure automation software solutions to enterprises around the world.
Read moreCSG Systems International, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of CSG Systems International, Inc. (CSGS $55.18), a revenue and customer management, customer engagement, and monetization solution provider that enables clients to monetize relationships with the end-customer.
Read moreLandec’s Eat Smart™ Business and Related Assets Have Been Acquired by Taylor Farms
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Landec Corporation (NasdaqGS: LNDC) on the divestiture of its Eat Smart business.
Read moreAlsoEnergy Has Agreed to be Acquired by Stem
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to AlsoEnergy, a portfolio company of Clairvest Group in connection with its pending sale to Stem, Inc. (NYSE: STEM).
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Short- and Long-Term Short Rate Debate
In this Economics Weekly we tackle the terminal rate debate, with the view that for policy to become restrictive, real rates have historically had to rise above the real neutral rate of interest—a rate that is well above today’s market rate expectations.
Read moreRESA Power Has Been Acquired by Investcorp
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to RESA Power, a portfolio company of Blue Sea Capital, in connection with its sale from Blue Sea Capital to Investcorp.
Read moreWilliam Blair Acted as Lead Advisor to Convergint Technologies
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to Convergint Technologies, a portfolio company of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES), in connection with its equity sale from a fund managed by Ares’ Private Equity Group and other existing shareholders to Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. and funds managed by Harvest Partners, LP.
Read moreAquaCentral Has Been Acquired by SRS Distribution
William Blair acted as the lead financial advisor to AquaCentral, a portfolio company of Tenex Capital Management, in connection with its sale to Heritage Pool Supply Group.
Read moreLightBay Capital Has Made a Growth Investment in Burton
William Blair acted as the financial advisor to LightBay Capital in connection with its growth investment in Burton. Burton is a leading provider of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services.
Read moreCorza Medical Has Acquired Katena Products
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Corza Medical, a GTCR portfolio company, in connection with their acquisition of Katena Products.
Read moreSweetgreen, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sweetgreen, Inc. (SG $30.46). Sweetgreen is a rapidly growing category leader in healthy fast-casual restaurants, featuring a digitally led customer service model alongside a farm-to-table plant-forward menu.
Read moreUserTesting, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of UserTesting, Inc. (USER $8.13), which provides customers with a leading software platform for human insights and video-first user feedback.
Read moreBraze, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Braze, Inc. (BRZE $66.95). Braze is a leading customer engagement platform that deploys a streaming data architecture to orchestrate, personalize, and deliver marketing campaigns to customers.
Read moreLindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (LIND $16.11), which provides expedition cruising and adventure travel experiences. The company’s land- and sea-based itineraries are crafted for travelers seeking premium, immersive, and up-close encounters with wildlife, nature, history, and culture.
Read moreBusinessolver Received a Majority Investment from Stone Point Capital
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Businessolver, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus and JMI Equity, in connection with its majority investment from Stone Point Capital.
Read moreHealthy Way Forward Talk Features Inflation, Economic Outlook
William Blair’s Olga Bitel and Richard de Chazal joined clients virtually for an insightful conversation on how inflation and economic policy could impact growth and investments in the coming year.
Read moreOrbit Irrigation Has Agreed to be Acquired by Husqvarna Group
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Orbit Irrigation, a portfolio company of Platinum Equity, in connection with its pending sale to Husqvarna Group (OM: HUSQ B) for approximately $480 million.
Read moreHalo Technology Has Been Acquired by Amphenol
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Halo Technology, a portfolio company of Inflexion Private Equity Partners, in connection with its sale to Amphenol.
Read moreWeave Communications, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Weave Communications, Inc. (WEAV $16.68), which provides a unified communications and customer engagement platform augmented by industry-vertical-specific functionality designed for small and midsize businesses, or SMBs.
Read moreWilliam Blair Continues Investment Banking Growth With Addition of Managing Director in Chicago
William Blair today announced the addition of Jim Conniff as a managing director in the firm’s investment banking group.
Read moreBackblaze, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Backblaze, Inc. (BLZE $21.86), which provides cloud storage and computer backup services.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: 2022 Outlook Shifting into the Midcycle
In this Economics Weekly, we discuss the outlook for growth, inflation, monetary policy, and financial market performance.
Read moreH.I.G. Capital Has Made a Strategic Growth Investment in 3Pillar Global
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to H.I.G. Capital in connection with its strategic growth investment in 3Pillar Global, a leader in the digital transformation sector.
Read moreNorth West Rubber Has Been Acquired by TorQuest Partners
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to North West Rubber (NWR) in connection with its sale to TorQuest Partners.
Read moreOsmosis Has Been Acquired by Elsevier
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Knowledge Diffusion, Inc. in connection with its sale to Elsevier, part of RELX.
Read moreThe Real Good Food Company, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of The Real Good Food Company, Inc. (RGF $8.46), a rapidly growing company that innovates, produces, and sells on-trend branded frozen foods.
Read moreWilliam Blair Expands Global Community Partners Program
William Blair is proud to announce the expansion of its Global Community Partners program to 22 new partnerships, continuing its decade-long, employee-led philanthropic program that began in Chicago.
Read moreArhaus, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Arhaus, Inc. (ARHS $10.18), one of the fastest-growing retailers in the premium home furnishings market.
Read moreAllbirds, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Allbirds, Inc. (BIRD $20.29), a fast-growing footwear and apparel lifestyle brand featuring products made from naturally derived materials.
Read moreNerdWallet, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of NerdWallet, Inc. (NRDS $22.59), a personal finance company with a presence in the United States and internationally. NerdWallet offers users personalized insights on a variety of finance-related topics, such as loans, credit cards, refinancing, and more.
Read moreRefrigiWear Has Been Recapitalized by Sentinel Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to RefrigiWear in connection with its recapitalization by Sentinel Capital Partners.
Read moreUdemy, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Udemy, Inc. (UDMY $30.97), an open-source learning content provider for both individual learners and businesses.
Read moreHireRight Holdings Corp.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of HireRight Holdings Corp. (HRT $17.35), a leading global provider of technology-enabled background screening products.
Read moreSolo Brands, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Solo Brands, Inc. (DTC $18.60). Solo Brands is rapidly growing DTC platform of lifestyle brands including Solo Stove, Chubbies, Oru Kayak, and Isle.
Read moreBioAgilytix Has Agreed to be Acquired by Cinven
William Blair acted as financial advisor to BioAgiltyix in connection with its pending sale to Cinven.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Biden's Brainard Backing Based on Build Back Better?
President Biden had two important actions to take this week: sign into law the infrastructure spending plan and announce his nomination for new Fed chair.
Read moreWilliam Blair Served as Joint Lead Advisor to Parts Town
Parts Town, LLC, a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners, recently completed a recapitalization of the business in partnership with management and Leonard Green & Partners.
Read moreConfluent, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Confluent, Inc. (CFLT $81.93), which provides event stream processing and data management solutions to enterprise customers.
Read moreU.S. Marine Officer Speaks of “Always Faithful” Afghan Interpreter at Veterans Day Event
U.S. Marine Maj. Thomas Schueman, who spent months working to evacuate an Afghan interpreter who aided his platoon, inspired colleagues with his patriotism and commitment to service at William Blair’s Veterans Day celebration.
Read moreVivid Seats Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Vivid Seats Inc. (SEAT $13.25), an online ticket marketplace that operates in the United States.
Read moreEnfusion, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Enfusion, Inc. (ENFN $22.52), a leading provider of SaaS-based investment operations management software.
Read moreThe Vita Coco Company, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO $13.67), a fast-growing plant-based functional hydration platform, which pioneered packaged coconut water in 2004 and has begun extending into other healthy hydration categories.
Read morePortillo’s Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Portillo’s Inc. (PTLO $44.83), a growing chain of high-volume, limited-service restaurants serving a menu centered on Chicago favorites such as Italian beef and Chicago-style hot dogs and sausages.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Retiring From the Labor Force
One of the most important questions facing policymakers today concerns the depth of the current pool of available labor.
Read moreDigitalOcean Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (DOCN $107.69), which provides a comprehensive cloud platform designed to simplify cloud infrastructure for developers, start-ups, and small to midsize businesses.
Read moreKKR Has Agreed to Acquire Bettcher Industries
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to KKR in connection with its pending acquisition of Bettcher Industries.
Read moreFullscript Has Agreed to Receive A Strategic Growth Investment Led by HGGC and Snapdragon
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Natural Partners, Inc. in connection with a $240 million strategic growth investment led by HGGC, LLC and Snapdragon Capital Partners LLC.
Read moreCritical Process Systems Group Has Been Acquired by Exyte
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Critical Process Systems Group, a portfolio company of Wynnchurch Capital, in connection with its sale to Exyte.
Read moreEmpire Today Has Been Acquired by Charlesbank Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the financial advisor to Empire Today, a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.), in connection with its pending sale to Charlesbank Capital Partners. Management and an affiliate of H.I.G. are also making significant new investments into the business.
Read moreKKR Has Agreed to Acquire Bettcher Industries
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to KKR in connection with its pending acquisition of Bettcher Industries, a leading designer and manufacturer of cutting tools, processing systems, and aftermarket solutions for meat processing markets.
Read moreMiNK Therapeutics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of MiNK Therapeutics, Inc. (INKT $17.38). MiNK Therapeutics is focused on the development of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell-based therapies for the treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Read moreRe-Bath Has Been Acquired by TZP Group
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Home Brands Group Inc., the parent holding company of Re-Bath, a portfolio company of Webster Equity Partners and Sorenson Capital, in connection with its sale to TZP Group LLC.
Read moreGryphon Investors Has Agreed to Acquire Revision Goodier
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Gryphon Investors in connection with its pending acquisition of Revision Goodier, a clinically proven, highly efficacious skincare brand, and trusted development and manufacturing partner specializing in high-end cosmetic and topical skincare solutions.
Read moreGitLab, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of GitLab, Inc. (GTLB $119.03). GitLab provides an end-to-end DevOps platform to businesses globally.
Read moreWilliam Blair Is Named a 2021 Top Workplace by Chicago Tribune
For the 12th straight year, William Blair was named a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune in its annual company listing released November 4.
Read moreUbiquity Has Received a Significant Strategic Investment from BV Investment Partners
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Ubiquity Global Services in connection with its strategic investment from BV Investment Partners.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Are We Heading for a Recession
Given the lags with which monetary policy acts, we could easily find that demand is damping just as supply is increasing, leading us to undershoot our inflation target.
Read moreFederal Resources Has Been Acquired by Noble Supply & Logistics
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Federal Resources Supply Company in connection with its sale to Noble Supply and Logistics.
Read morePyxis Oncology, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Pyxis Oncology, Inc. (PYXS $13.30), a preclinical-stage company focused on the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immuno-oncology antibodies for the treatment of cancer.
Read moreWilliam Blair Advises Black Rifle Coffee Company
William Blair is acting as the lead financial advisor and capital markets advisor to Black Rifle Coffee Company in its pending merger with Silver Box Engaged Merger Corp I.
Read morePopcornopolis Has Been Acquired by Grupo Bimbo
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Popcornopolis, LLC, a portfolio company of NexPhase Capital, LP, in connection with its sale to Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. Popcornopolis is a leading manufacturer of premium-quality, ready-to-eat popcorn.
Read moreAugmedix, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Augmedix, Inc. (AUGX $3.63), a leading provider of technology-enabled medical documentation and clinical support services.
Read moreScience 37 Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Science 37 Holdings, Inc. (SNCE $9.01). Founded in 2014, Science 37 pioneered the concept of decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) and has developed a unique operating system that combines its technology platform and specialized provider network to accelerate trial execution.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: What the Market Is Telling the Fed
In this Economics Weekly, we look at market expectations, what they are telling us, and what the Fed is likely to make of these as it heads into next week’s shindig.
Read moreBitTitan Has Been Acquired by Idera
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to BitTitan Inc., a founder owned and led business, in connection with its acquisition by Idera, a portfolio company of TA Associates and Partners Group.
Read moreuniQure N.V.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of uniQure N.V. (QURE $29.36). Based in the Netherlands, uniQure N.V. is focused on developing and commercializing adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapies for the treatment of severe genetic disorders of the liver and CNS.
Read moreWilliam Blair Partners With Out in Finance for Talk on Serving LGBTQ+ Clients and Colleagues
William Blair and Out in Finance teamed up to host a discussion for financial professionals on serving LGBTQ+ clients and colleagues during LGBTQ+ History Month.
Read moreAll My Sons Has Been Acquired by Golden Gate Capital
William Blair acted as the lead financial advisor to All My Sons, a portfolio company of Sterling Investment Partners, in connection with its sale to Golden Gate Capital.
Read moreAmplitude, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Amplitude, Inc. (AMPL $66.69), a provider of digital optimization software.
Read moreVelo3D, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Velo3D, Inc. (VLD $8.55). Velo3D produces metal additive manufacturing systems that employ a proprietary printing process to provide engineers with unprecedented design freedom for metal parts.
Read moreWilliam Blair Advises Wayne Farms LLC
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Wayne Farms, Continental Grain, and Cargill in connection with the sale of its poultry production facility located in Laurel, Mississippi.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: A Top-Down View of Profit Margins
In this Economics Weekly, we examine corporate profits from a top-down perspective, looking at the recent behavior of unit labor costs, price inflation, and output growth as guides to what might happen to margins in the coming quarters.
Read moreMineralTree Has Been Acquired by Global Payments
William Blair acted as financial advisor to MineralTree, a portfolio company of Great Hill Partners, in connection with its acquisition by Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) for $500 million.
Read moreBuilding Engines Has Agreed to be Acquired by JLL
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Building Engines, Inc., a portfolio company of Wavecrest Growth Partners, L.P., in connection with its pending sale to JLL.
Read moreLeaders of Health-Social Enterprises Share Wisdom of Creating an Equitable, Healthy Way Forward for Underserved Communities
Dr. Stacy Lindau and Rachel Kohler, during a virtual conversation with William Blair clients, shared their amazing story of creating and scaling two health organizations on the South Side of Chicago to drive equity across whole communities.
Read moreJasper Therapeutics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. (JSPR $13.58), which is focused on the development of novel curative therapies based on the biology of hematopoietic stem cells.
Read moreTempest Therapeutics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Tempest Therapeutics, Inc. (TPST $13.96), which is developing a pipeline of small-molecule therapies for novel disease targets, including TPST-1495, a dual EP2/EP4 antagonist, to treat prostaglandin-driven cancers.
Read moreInvicti Security Has Agreed To Receive A Strategic Growth Investment Led By Summit Partners
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Invicti Security in connection with a its strategic growth investment led by Summit Partners. Summit will join forces with Turn/River Capital, which first invested in Invicti in 2017 and will remain a significant shareholder going forward.
Read moreDaxko Has Received an Investment From Genstar Capital and GI Partners
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Daxko, a portfolio company of GI Partners, in connection with an investment from Genstar Capital and GI Partners.
Read moreAnalytics Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (CWAN $24.36), which provides automated accounting and investment analytics software.
Read moreRetired Coast Guard Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz Speaks at International Day of the Girl Event
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz shared her vast leadership wisdom acquired during her 40-year career in the armed forces during William Blair’s celebration of International Day of the Girl.
Read moreToast, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Toast, Inc. (TOST $56.36), a comprehensive SaaS platform for restaurants with significant traction in the SMB space.
Read moreSterling Check Corp.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sterling Check Corp. (STER $25.04), a leading, global provider of technology-enabled background screening products.
Read moreSovos Brands, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sovos Brands, Inc. (SOVO $14.18). Sovos is a growing food company that innovates and markets disruptive and differentiated brands, including Rao’s, Noosa, Birch Benders, and Michael Angelo’s. It products are premium and convenient and sold in all major classes of retail trade.
Read moreRemitly Global, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY $38.30), which provides financial services, primarily to immigrants.
Read moreEngageSmart, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of EngageSmart, Inc. (ESMT $32.07). EngageSmart provides modern customer engagement and integrated payment solutions for businesses in health and wellness, government/utility, financial services, and nonprofit.
Read moreWilliam Blair Continues Investment Banking Growth With Addition of Managing Director in New York
William Blair today announced the addition of Daniel Polsky as managing director and co-head of syndicate in the firm’s equity capital markets group.
Read moreCarrus Has Combined with Penn Foster
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Carrus, a portfolio company of Revelstoke Capital Partners, in connection with its combination with Penn Foster.
Read moreBrilliant Earth Group, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Brilliant Earth Group, Inc. (BRLT $12.95). Brilliant Earth is a fast-growing, omnichannel retailer of diamond rings and other fine jewelry offering personalized and in-house branded products, with a particular focus on sustainable and ethical sourcing.
Read moreBig Truck Rental Has Been Acquired by Alinda Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Big Truck Rental, co-owned by the company’s founders and Trivest Partners LP, in connection with its sale to Alinda Capital Partners and existing and new management investors.
Read moreI&D Talk Features Building Networks Across Cultures
William Blair and the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) teamed up to host career coach Elizabeth Herrera for a virtual talk—Building Effective Partnerships and Networks—in both careers and personal lives.
Read moreSpotlight on the Next Major IT Labor Pool: Latin America
The rise of Latin American-centric outsourcing firms demonstrates the potential of this market and growing consensus around Latin America’s ability to help ease strains on the technology labor market.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: This Is Not the 1970s, but Risks to the Outlook Have Increased
In this Economics Weekly, we examine the view that while there is an incredible amount of economic uncertainty at the moment and inflation is high, we are not yet in a scenario that is consistent with the “stagflation” label.
Read moreHemovent Has Been Acquired by MicroPort for €123m
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Hemovent, a company backed by a consortium of institutional investors led by MIG Capital in connection with its sale to MicroPort (SEHK Ticker: 0853) for €123m in total consideration (including future milestone payments).
Read moreParadigm Has Agreed to Receive a Strategic Growth Investment from Francisco Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Paradigm, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors, in connection with its pending strategic growth investment by Francisco Partners.
Read moreFour William Blair Advisors Make 2021 Top Working Mother List
Working Mother magazine named William Blair’s Jill Arkwright Harvey, Carlette McMullan, Sarah Mercurio, and Jackie Moss to its 2021 Top Wealth Advisor Moms list.
Read moreRecro Pharma, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Recro Pharma, Inc. (REPH $1.90), a small-molecule finished-dose contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).
Read moreGinkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (DNA $9.47). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Ginkgo Bioworks has built the industry-standard horizontal platform for cell programming, which it uses to engineer cells on behalf of its customers.
Read moreThoughtworks Holding, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Thoughtworks Holding, Inc. (TWKS $25.95), an IT consultancy providing end-to-end strategy, software engineering, design, and organizational transformation services.
Read moreForgeRock Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of ForgeRock, Inc. (FORG $33.80), a leading provider of identity access management solutions that help enterprises manage, secure, govern, and streamline their identity infrastructure.
Read moreDutch Bros Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Dutch Bros Inc. (BROS $25.95), a rapidly growing owner and franchisor of drive-thru locations offering a wide variety of customizable beverages, including espresso-based beverages and its proprietary Blue Rebel energy drinks.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Inflation and the Labor Shortage
In this Economics Weekly, we review the current employment situation, with the view that the jobs market is indeed very tight at the moment.
Read moreMotus has Agreed to Receive a Strategic Investment from Permira and Thoma Bravo
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to Motus, a portfolio company of Thoma Bravo, in connection with its pending strategic investment from Permira. Existing investor Thoma Bravo will be reinvesting as part of the transaction.
Read moreAgileThought, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of AgileThought, Inc. (AGIL $9.53), a digital transformation and agile software development service provider for Fortune 1,000 customers.
Read moreWorldwise Has Been Acquired by A&M Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Worldwise, a portfolio company of Mistral Equity Partners, in connection with its sale to Alvarez & Marsal Capital Partners.
Read moreGCX Has Been Acquired by Audax Group
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to GCX Corp. in connection with its sale to Audax Group.
Read moreWilliam Blair Expands Life Sciences Group With Addition of Three Managing Directors
William Blair today announced the continued expansion of the firm’s robust life sciences practice with the additions of Neha Motwani, Rizwan Velji, and Shantha Ozgen as managing directors.
Read moreSunny Sky Has Been Acquired by The Jordan Company
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Sunny Sky Products, a portfolio company of Seidler Equity Partners, in connection with its acquisition by The Jordan Company.
Read moreAlector, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Alector, Inc. (ALEC $24.26), a clinical-stage biopharma company developing therapies that target neuro-immunology using genetic insights in chronic neurodegenerative disorders.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Fed, the Dots, and the Taper
In this Economics Weekly, we discuss the market’s reaction to the Fed’s announcements this week, with the view that the market would be correct to focus more on the tapering announcement and pay less attention to the increasingly irrelevant dot plot.
Read moreHHAeXchange Has Agreed to Receive a Strategic Investment from Hg
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to HHAeXchange, a portfolio company of Cressey & Company, in connection with its pending strategic investment from Hg.
Read moreCellebrite DI Ltd.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Cellebrite DI Ltd. (CLBT $10.71), the worldwide leader in smartphone forensics with its UFED software.
Read moreCourageous Conversations Spotlight Resiliency
Creating a resilient work culture means embracing curiosity, having a broad perspective, and valuing authenticity—initiatives often led by those who defy the status quo, Harvard Professor Francesca Gino said during William Blair’s recent Courageous Conversations event.
Read moreAssembly Received a Strategic Investment Led by Advent International
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Assembly in connection with its strategic investment led by Advent International.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Wish Upon a R(ising)-Star
In this Economics Weekly, we discuss this target real equilibrium rate of interest—R* (r-star)—with the view that there are a number of reasons to believe we are near an inflection point, one where this longer-term real neutral rate could be starting to increase.
Read moreFast Growing Trees Has Been Acquired by Berkshire Partners
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Fast Growing Trees, a portfolio company of Summit Park Partners, LP, in connection with its sale to Berkshire Partners.
Read moreWilliam Blair Expands Investment Banking Footprint to Denver With Addition of Managing Director
William Blair today announced the addition of Michael Nelson as managing director in the firm’s growing Technology investment banking team.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Coming Surge in Business Investment
In this Economics Weekly, we cast an eye in the direction of business investment, with the view that the outlook here is particularly bright, and there are a number of reasons we should expect a strong pickup in capex in the coming years.
Read moreN-able, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of N-able, Inc. (NABL $14.22). N-able sells remote monitoring and management (RMM), security and data protection, and business management solutions to managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Rotation Back Into Small Caps?
In this Economics Weekly, we argue that it is too soon to declare that we are now late in the cycle.
Read moreThe Evans Network of Companies Has Been Recapitalized by Court Square Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the lead financial advisor to The Evans Network of Companies, a portfolio company of Calera Capital, in connection with its recapitalization with Court Square Capital Partners.
Read moreWilliam Blair Alum Shares Passion on Fighting Injustice, Empowering Youth at I&D Talk
Former William Blair intern George Imafidon, a social entrepreneur and engineer with Sir Lewis Hamilton’s racing team, shared his remarkable story of how he embraced injustices and turned them into a motivating factor to improve the lives of others at William Blair event.
Read moreAurora Plastics Has Been Acquired by Nautic Partners
William Blair acted as the lead financial advisor to Aurora Plastics, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, in connection with its sale to Nautic Partners.
Read moreSiOnyx Has Been Acquired by DC Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to SiOnyx, a privately held company, in connection with its sale to DC Capital Partners.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: The Dollar—Near-Term Pain but Longer-Term Gain
In this Economics Weekly, we argue that the dollar is too high in the near-term, though over the longer-term we may actually see a stronger dollar as a reflection of the dynamism taking place in the U.S. economy relative to the many other parts of rest of the world.
Read moreCCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (CCCS $10.73), a leading cloud-based platform supporting the automotive claims ecosystem.
Read moreGreenwood Collegians Build Financial Skills During Internship With William Blair
Ten collegians with the Greenwood Project financial mentoring program completed their summer internships with William Blair in August, a summer filled with experiences to expand their knowledge of the financial services industry.
Read moreRover, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Rover, Inc. (ROVR $11.29), an online marketplace for people to request and receive a variety of pet care services, including pet sitting, dog boarding, and dog walking.
Read moreMaxCyte, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of MaxCyte, Inc. (MXCT $14.34), a market-leading provider of enabling technologies for cell engineering. The company’s ExPERT platform is used to advance the discovery, development, and commercialization of next-generation cell therapies.
Read moreMMIT Has Agreed to Merge With Evaluate
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to MMIT, a portfolio company of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), in connection with its pending merger with Evaluate, a portfolio company of Hg Capital.
Read moreMeridianLink, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of MeridianLink, Inc. (MLNK $24.47), a cloud-based platform that provides tools that enable the consumer lending market.
Read moreTraeger, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Traeger, Inc. (COOK $25.78), the creator and category leader in wood pellet grills. Traeger also offers complementary accessories and consumables.
Read moreSnap One Holdings Corp.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Snap One Holdings Corp. (SNPO $17.55), a leading vertically integrated supplier in the professionally installed connected home market.
Read moreSealed Air Corporation: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sealed Air Corporation (SEE $59.09). Sealed Air is a global provider of packaging solutions used for food, e-commerce, electronic, and industrial markets.
Read moreRiskified Ltd.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Riskified Ltd. (RSKD $27.12). Riskified’s fraud-management platform helps some of the world’s largest e-commerce merchants manage their chargebacks. Riskified delivers tangible ROI for merchants by reducing costs and customer friction in addition to improving sales.
Read morePowerSchool Holdings, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. (PWSC $25.57), an end-to-end, predominantly SaaS platform for the K-12 education industry.
Read moreIcosavax, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Icosavax, Inc. (ICVX $34.09). Icosavax is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses its proprietary in silico designed virus-like particle (VLP) platform to develop vaccines for viral respiratory pathogens such as RSV and hMPV. In addition, Icosavax is exploring both booster and Beta-specific COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Read moreDuolingo, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL $126.16), a subscription language-learning mobile app and website that uses a freemium model. The company also offers an online English proficiency exam and hosts advertisements on its free app and website to monetize the service in addition to the subscription offering.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Things Are Improving for Lower-Income Consumers
In this Economics Weekly we take a look at the consumer, what’s happened with regard to the wealth inequality gap, and why some of the more recent economic data actually sheds a ray of hope that solid progress is being made in addressing this issue.
Read moreRyan Specialty Holdings Group, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Ryan Specialty Holdings Group, Inc. (RYAN $29.74). Ryan Specialty Group provides distribution, underwriting, and product development services to retail insurance brokers and insurance carriers as a wholesale insurance broker and a managing underwriter.
Read moreCouchbase, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Couchbase, Inc. (BASE $31.30). Couchbase provides a NoSQL database (DB) platform for enterprises globally.
Read moreInstructure, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Instructure, Inc. (INST $19.66), a leading provider of SaaS solutions focused on the classroom in the education industry.
Read moreBerkshire Grey, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Berkshire Grey, Inc. (BGRY $9.12). Berkshire Grey develops intelligent enterprise robotics for warehouse automation, fulfillment, and general logistics.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Strong Demand and the Struggle to Find Labor
In this Economics Weekly we look at what the recent data has been telling us about growth in the economy through the prism of the recent employment data.
Read moreWorldwide Express and GlobalTranz have Merged
William Blair acted as a financial advisor to the consortium of CVC Capital Partners (CVC), Providence Equity (Providence), and PSG, in connection with the merger of Worldwide Express, a portfolio company of Ridgemont Equity Partners, and GlobalTranz, a portfolio company of Providence and PSG.
Read moreHolley Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Holley Inc. (HLLY $11.75). Holley is a designer, marketer, and manufacturer of high-performance automotive aftermarket products serving a diverse range of car and truck enthusiasts.
Read moreStevanato Group S.p.A.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Stevanato Group S.p.A. (STVN $20.62), a leading global provider of drug containment solutions, diagnostic consumables, and drug delivery systems to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences industries.
Read moreWilliam Blair Healthcare IT Completes More Than 30 Transactions in 2021
William Blair’s industry-leading healthcare IT (HCIT) team is on pace to set another record.
Read moreBlend Labs, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Blend Labs, Inc. (BLND $18.45). Blend provides a cloud-based software platform designed to power end-to-end journeys for consumer banking products, including mortgages, consumer loans, and deposit accounts.
Read moreMarkforged Holding Corporation: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Markforged Holding Corporation (MKFG $10.40), a developer and manufacturer of composite and metal 3D printers, as well as software and consumables. Markforged has established a large fleet of connected 3D printers, supported by proprietary software solutions.
Read moreHillman Solutions Corp.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Hillman Solutions Corp. (HLMN $12.71), a best-of-breed distributor of hardware and home improvement products to home centers and hardware stores.
Read moreClearlake Capital Group Has Agreed To Acquire Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD)
William Blair acted as a financial advisor to Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (Clearlake) in connection with its pending acquisition of Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD) (Cornerstone).
Read moreMembership Collective Group Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Membership Collective Group Inc. (MCG $14.03), a growing global lifestyle brand and membership platform that includes Soho House.
Read moreSera Prognostics, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (SERA $12.85), a women’s health diagnostics company that discovers, develops, and commercializes biomarker tests using a proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform. The company’s initial focus is on improving pregnancy outcomes, beginning with preterm birth (PTB).
Read moreevitria Has Agreed to be Acquired by Atlas Antibodies
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to evitria, a portfolio company of Afinum Management and SHS Capital, in connection with its sale to Atlas Antibodies, a portfolio company of Patricia Industries.
Read moreVestar Capital Partners Has Made a Majority Investment in PetHonesty
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Vestar Capital Partners in connection with the majority investment in PetHonesty, a leader in premium pet supplements.
Read moreSemantix Has Been Acquired by TransPerfect
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Semantix, a portfolio company of Segulah Private Equity, in connection with its sale to TransPerfect. The transaction closed on July 30th, 2021.
Read moreKantar Has Agreed to Sell its Reputation Intelligence Business to STG
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Kantar and Bain Capital in connection with the pending sale of Kantar’s Reputation Intelligence business to STG.
Read moreGovernment Brands Has Received a Strategic Growth Investment from PSG and TPG
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Government Brands, a portfolio company of PSG and Greater Sum Ventures (GSV), in connection with its strategic growth investment from PSG and TPG.
Read moreEveryAction Has Agreed to be Acquired by Apax Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to EveryAction, a portfolio company of Insight Partners, in connection with its pending sale to Apax Partners.
Read morePayoneer Global Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Payoneer Global Inc. (PAYO $9.44). Payoneer provides a global, cloud-based payments and commerce-enablement platform to more than 5 million small businesses and many of the world’s largest digital marketplaces.
Read moreKura Sushi USA, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (KRUS $48.62). Kura Sushi is a revolving sushi bar with over 130 small plates alongside a full menu available via tableside ordering panels.
Read moreWilliam Blair Advises HungerRush
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to HungerRush, LLC, a portfolio company of The CapStreet Group, to refinance its existing indebtedness and to support future growth.
Read moreNuvisan Has Agreed to Sell 49% of its Shares to ALS
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to NUVISAN Gruppe, a founder-owned company, in connection with its pending minority sale to ALS Limited.
Read morePower Factors Has Agreed to be Acquired by Vista Equity Partners
William Blair acted as the lead financial advisor to Power Factors LLC, a portfolio company of Oaktree Capital Management, in connection with its pending acquisition by Vista Equity Partners.
Read moreWellSky Announces the Sale of its International Medicines Management Business to System C
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to WellSky Corporation, a portfolio company of TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, in connection with the sale of its International Medicines Management Business, WellSky International, to System C, a portfolio company of CVC Capital.
Read moreCognyte Software Ltd.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Cognyte Software Ltd. (CGNT $24.33), one of the leading global providers of digital intelligence software.
Read moreXometry, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Xometry, Inc. (XMTR $75.29). Xometry is a leading marketplace for on-demand manufacturing, connecting customers with manufacturing partners that offer a wide range of services, including CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding, and sheet metal fabrication.
Read moreDwyer Instruments Has Been Acquired by Arcline Investment Management
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Dwyer Instruments, Inc. in connection with its sale to Arcline Investment Management.
Read moreServiceMax and Pathfinder Acquisition Corporation to Merge
William Blair acted as capital markets advisor to ServiceMax, a portfolio company of Silver Lake Partners (Silver Lake), in connection with its pending merger with Pathfinder Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ: PFDR; Pathfinder), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Read moreironSource Ltd.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of ironSource Ltd. (IS $9.05), is a leading platform provider of tools to help content creators grow and prosper in the app economy.
Read moreAvePoint, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of AvePoint, Inc. (AVPT $11.59), which provides data management and compliance software mainly for the Microsoft Cloud.
Read moreTorrid Holdings Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Torrid Holdings Inc. (CURV $22.73). Torrid is a fast-growing, omnichannel retailer of apparel, intimates, and accessories dedicated to plus-size women, offering mostly exclusive brands and in-house designs with a particular focus on fit.
Read moreLegalZoom.com, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of LegalZoom.com, Inc. (LZ $39.07), the market leader in providing online legal services for small businesses.
Read moreCVRx, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of CVRx, Inc. (CVRX $20.33). CVRx is a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of minimally invasive neuromodulation therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
Read moreAssurant, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Assurant, Inc. (AIZ $153.96). Assurant is a leading global provider of mobile device solutions, extended service contracts, vehicle protection services, renters insurance, lender-placed insurance products, and other specialty products.
Read moreEconomics Weekly: Another Look at the Alternative Economic Data
In this week’s Economics Weekly, we once again showcase a number of the alternative higher-frequency economic data that have emerged over the last year, in an effort to gauge where we are with regard to the reopening economy and to what degree the markets should be concerned about a moderation in the pace of the expansion due to the COVID variants.
Read moreAxion BioSystems Has Been Acquired by Summa Equity
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Axion BioSystems in connection with its sale to Summa Equity.
Read moreDRB Systems Has Agreed to be Acquired by Vontier
William Blair acted as lead financial advisor to DRB Systems, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, in connection with its pending acquisition by Vontier (NYSE: VNT) for $965 million.
Read moreEIS Holdings Has Been Acquired by Sun Capital Partners
William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to EIS Holdings in connection with its sale to Sun Capital Partners.
Read moreAlpha Teknova, Inc.: Initiation of Research Coverage
William Blair initiated research coverage of Alpha Teknova, Inc. (TKNO $18.06). Teknova sells critical reagents for discovery, research, development, and production of biopharmaceutical products, including drug therapies, novel vaccines, and molecular diagnostics.
Read moreWilliam Blair Announces New President
William Blair, a premier global investment banking, investment management and wealth management firm, today announced that, effective immediately, Brent Gledhill has been elevated to the role of President.
Read morePet Network International Has Agreed to Be Acquired by A&M Capital Europe
William Blair acted as exclusive financial advisor to Pet Network International, a portfolio Company of The Rohatyn Group, in connection with its pending sale to A&M Capital Europe.
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