William Blair acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Certares and Guardian Alarm (Guardian) in connection with Certares’ raising of a single-asset continuation fund to acquire Guardian, a leading provider of security, fire, access control, and automation solutions. The transaction closed on September 18, 2026, and was led by New 2ND Capital.
The oversubscribed transaction is a strong example of William Blair’s fully integrated platform, combining the firm’s comprehensive continuation fund expertise with renowned sector knowledge to deliver leading outcomes.
About the Companies
Established in 2012, Certares is a leading alternative asset manager focused on the travel and tourism, hospitality, and business and consumer services sectors. Certares is led by an experienced team of investment and operating professionals who leverage deep sector expertise in partnership with management teams to seek to accelerate growth, improve operations, and unlock value. As of December 31, 2025, Certares had approximately $6.4 billion of regulatory assets under management. For more information, please visit www.certares.com.
Guardian is one of the largest regional providers of electronic security and automation solutions serving commercial and residential markets. Through its vertically integrated model, Guardian serves customers across the full solution lifecycle, including system design, installation, servicing, 24/7 in-house monitoring, maintenance, and inspection. For more information, please visit www.guardianalarm.com.
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