The acquisition marks the third cybersecurity transaction in two years for Investcorp Technology Partners and the first platform investment in its Fund V
London, 1 March 2022 – Investcorp Technology Partners (“ITP”), a leading European technology investor, today announces that it has acquired a majority stake in cybersecurity company HWG s.r.l. (“HWG” or “the Company”). HWG co-founder and CEO, Enrico Orlandi, and the other co-founders, Claudia Rangogni, Andrea Boni and Andrea Pomari, will continue to lead the Company, having retained their ownership in HWG alongside Investcorp.
Established in 2008 and headquartered in Verona, Italy, HWG is a leading independent provider of cybersecurity solutions in Italy, with strong expertise in security operations centre solutions. HWG's solutions help companies proactively prevent, manage and reduce the impact arising from modern cybersecurity threats in an increasingly connected and digital world. HWG today protects the mission-critical systems of a loyal and diverse customer base comprising enterprise and mid-size companies active across multiple industries, including finance, fashion, automotive, telecommunications and manufacturing.
Commenting on the investment, Gilbert Kamieniecky, Head of Investcorp’s Technology Private Equity business, said: “HWG offers a distinct platform in an important and growing sector, and has proven its cybersecurity capabilities as a leading independent provider in the Italian market. We are excited to partner with Enrico Orlandi and the team, who developed HWG into what it is today, to unlock the next level of growth for the company.”
Roberta Vezzoli, Principal at Investcorp, said: “We have ambitious plans to support HWG as the Company continues to grow in its core markets and expand into new verticals, both organically and inorganically. We are looking forward to working collaboratively to help HWG reach its full potential.”
Enrico Orlandi, founder and CEO of HWG, added: “The demand for expertise and capabilities to prevent breaches and minimise impact from attacks continues to be on the rise. Our business has experienced exceptional growth over the past few years, thanks to HWG’s broad offering, its talented and passionate people and its customer support. ITP has an exceptional track record of partnering with and growing security and technology companies, and we look forward to their support to become an even stronger partner to our clients and expand our international footprint to help companies defend themselves against cybercrime”.
The investment in HWG is the first investment from Investcorp Technology Partners’ Fund V and marks the third cybersecurity transaction that ITP has had involvement with in less than two years following the acquisition of Germany’s leading cybersecurity provider, Avira, in 2020, which was subsequently sold to NortonLifeLock.
ITP has established a market leading position of investing in lower mid-market technology companies with a specific focus on the Data / Analytics, IT Security and Fintech / Payment sectors. ITP specialises in investing in businesses like HWG that focus on B2B end markets, solve mission-critical problems, have the potential to expand internationally and feature multiple avenues for potential growth and significant cash-flow generation alongside quality recurring revenue and good revenue visibility. Other investments by ITP include: Rtekk, a leading, innovative and award-winning payments platform and e-wallet solutions provider; softgarden, a Human Resources software provider; Calligo, a proprietary cloud solution company; Ageras, an online marketplace matching SMEs with professional service providers, Impero, a provider of online student safety and classroom and network management software; Ubisense, the enterprise software and sensor Real-Time Location Solutions platform and Contentserv, a product information management solutions provider.
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About Investcorp
Investcorp is a global investment manager, specializing in alternative investments across private equity, real estate, credit, absolute return strategies, GP stakes, infrastructure and insurance asset management. Since our inception in 1982, we have focused on generating attractive returns for our clients while creating long-term value in our investee companies and for our shareholders as a prudent and responsible investor.
We invest a meaningful portion of our own capital in products we offer to our clients, ensuring that our interests are aligned with our stakeholders, including the communities that we operate within, towards driving sustainable value creation. We take pride in partnering with our clients to deliver tailored solutions for their needs, utilizing a disciplined investment process, employing world-class talent and combining the resources of a global institution with an innovative, entrepreneurial approach. In January 2022, Investcorp issued its 2021 Responsible Business Report which outlines its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) highlights for 2021 and specific initiatives the Firm implemented to meet its goals: https://www.investcorp.com/esg/
Investcorp has today 13 offices across the US, Europe, GCC and Asia, including India, China and Singapore. As of December 31, 2021, Investcorp Group had US $40.4 billion in total AUM, including assets managed by third party managers, and employed approximately 460 people from 46 nationalities globally across its offices. For further information, visit www.investcorp.com and follow us @Investcorp on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
About HWG
HWG provides cybersecurity operations and consulting services to large and midsize enterprises with advanced security requirements, that don't plan to keep security expert teams and infrastructure internally.
Founded in 2008, HWG operates globally from the HQ in Italy (Verona) and offices in Vilnius, Dubai and Singapore. A team of cyber security experts monitors customers’ digital environments 24x7 and is instantly ready to recognize cyber-attacks and fight them back.
Being a trusted security provider for companies in over 20 countries, HWG knows how to improve cybersecurity resilience across complex and sensitive sectors like finance, automotive, industrial, telecom and others.
For further information, visit: www.hwg.it
Media Contacts:
Community Group
Roberto Patriarca
T. +39 335 6509568
roberto.patriarca@community.it
Community Group
Sara Bortolin
T. +39 351 0644559
sara.bortolin@community.it
Investcorp
Nada Abdulghani
+973 17515467
nabdulghani@investcorp.com
FTI Consulting
Kit Dunford
+44 7717 417 038
kit.dunford@fticonsulting.com
HWG
Paola Gilberti
+39 333 3228142
paola.gilberti@hwg.it
