February 15, 2019
Willkie represented Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and IP management solutions, in the transaction.
On February 13, Willkie client Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, announced that it will receive a significant equity investment from Astorg, a leading European private equity firm. The investment is expected to accelerate Anaqua’s growth in the rapidly expanding intellectual property management space, as well as its global organic growth and acquisition strategy.
The deal provides for Astorg to become the controlling shareholder of Anaqua, replacing Insight Venture Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners, both of which have been investors since 2013. The announcement follows the recent launch of AQX, Anaqua’s leading-edge software platform.
Based in Boston with offices across Europe and Asia, Anaqua serves 50 percent of the top 25 U.S. patent filers, 50 percent of the top 25 global brands, and a growing number of law firms. Anaqua’s IP platform is used by nearly one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators globally. With over €8 billion of assets under management, Astorg is exclusively focused on investing in global B2B niche market leaders.
With over $20 billion of assets under management, Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Willkie recently represented Insight in the closing of its $6.3 billion Fund X, its $1.16 billion acquisition of Episerver and its $500 million investment in Veeam software, among other notable transactions.
The Willkie deal team on the current transaction was led by partners Gordon Caplan and Matthew Guercio, and included associate Stephanie Moran.
