Marlin Equity Partners, a global investment firm, today announced that
Blackstone's (NYSE: BX) Strategic Capital Group has made a passive, minority investment in the firm.
Blackstone's Strategic Capital Group is part of Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM) and specializes in minority partnerships with leading alternative asset managers. This investment will allow Marlin to continue to invest in and further expand its global investment platform, strengthen the commitment to and alignment with its diversified investor base, and leverage the global resources and capabilities of Blackstone.
Since its inception in 2005, Marlin has rapidly grown to become a leading global investment firm with over $6.7 billion of capital under management and completed more than 140 transactions across its core targeted industries, including software, technology, healthcare IT, tech-enabled services and industrial technology.
"This investment by Blackstone further validates the best-in-class organization we have built and the true value proposition of our relationship-driven approach to investing," said David McGovern, Founder and CEO of Marlin. "We are excited to welcome Blackstone as a strategic partner, and look forward to leveraging their expertise and extensive breadth of resources to continue to invest in and position our global platform for long-term success."
"Marlin's approach to investing places a heavy focus on partnering with management teams to support businesses, enhance operations and accelerate growth," said Scott Soussa, Head of BAAM's Strategic Capital Group. "This emphasis on long-term value creation across its underlying companies positions Marlin for continued success and we are excited to partner with them."
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Evercore acted as financial advisor to Marlin Equity. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Marlin Equity and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as legal counsel to Blackstone.
About Marlin Equity Partners
Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $6.7 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company's outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 140 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.
About Blackstone Alternative Asset Management
Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM(R)), Blackstone's Hedge Fund Solutions platform, is the world's largest discretionary investor in hedge funds, with approximately $80 billion in assets under management. BAAM manages a diversified set of businesses including a customized solutions business, a special situations platform, a hedge fund seeding business, an open-ended mutual fund platform and a business that purchases stakes in established alternative asset managers. In all of BAAM's business lines, it carefully selects and partners with fund managers across a variety of asset classes and strategies to create solutions for its investors. Through its sharp focus on clients' goals, a rigorous due-diligence process and access to Blackstone's global insights, BAAM strives to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns across market cycles while preserving capital during stressed market environments.