Week in Review: Merrill, Games, and Alpha

Earlier this week, we announced a partnership with Merrill DataSite, a trusted leader in the virtual data room category.

The partnership confirms the growing role of technology in the rapidly evolving private capital market. As our CEO Peter Lehrman recently wrote, “Every industry in our economy is changing. Offline activities, relationships, and key corporate decisions are moving online. The private capital markets are no exception.”

He continued, “In partnership, Axial and Merrill present a set of tools and services for the CEO, investment banker, and private company capital partner of the future.” Customers of Axial and Merrill benefit from services that tightly integrate business development, due diligence activities, and best practices education for every stage of the deal process.

In other news, the game industry already has $5 billion of M&A activity this year.

Opinions:

• 5 things to know about the first quarter in private equity
• How risky is private equity?
• Private equity warms to funding portals
• The five biggest media mergers of all time
• Report finds that publicly traded firms are undervalued
• The top 10 buzz words to use when talking to private equity
• Why optimism is replacing frustration for many PE firms
• The most first-quarter IPOs since 2000
• Mergers are back in fashion — for now
• Four approaches to quantifying alpha for PE

Transactions:

• Patxi’s Pizza gets boost from KarpReilly
• Peak Rock Capital acquires Hunter’s Specialties
• Ardian raises $688 million fund for small-cap investments
• Brookstone files for bankruptcy, with plans to sell to Spencer’s for $147 million
• Tenex Capital to acquire Carex Health Brands
• Victory Park sells Global Employment Solutions to TZP
• Graycliff Partners backs Tri Con Works with mezz investment
• Spire Capital acquires Iron Data’s TSM Division
• Velocity Technology Solutions completes acquisition of Titan Technology Partners
• SNI Companies receives a $35 million unitranche credit facility from Monroe
• HGGC completes Jabil Aftermarket Services acquisition

Member Spotlight:

Progress Partners is an M&A and investment banking advisory firm that works with buyers and sellers of innovative, high-growth companies.

Based in Cambridge and New York City, Progress has successfully advised M&A and private placement transactions on behalf of companies across the enterprise, media, marketing, advertising, and retail markets.

In addition to investment banking, ProgressPartners provides corporate strategy and advisory to various public and private entities, venture and private equity firms, and funds to manage inbound andoutbound acquisition activity, advise specific buy-side mandates, and conduct portfolio reviews.