Financial Technology, Data, and Analytics

Dear Clients and Friends,

The FinTech, Data and Analytics world in which we live is not defined by national borders and neither are we. It always amazes us how many people have difficulty accepting this fairly simple concept. A few recent examples include Deutsche Börse’s acquisition of Axioma (we advised Goldman Sachs on its minority investment in Axioma); the Hong Kong Exchange’s recent (now aborted) attempt to acquire the London Stock Exchange (LSE); LSE’s agreement to acquire Refinitiv and our work advising UK-based StatPro Group (LSE: SOG) on its sale to Confluence Technologies in a $230 million transaction with backing by TA Associates.

We’re not focused on advising cross-border buyers and sellers; it’s just that we don’t confine our thinking to within geographic borders. We try hard to think globally. Over the past 17+ years about half of our transactions have been across borders – involving clients and counterparties from 27 countries. I wrote a book on the right way to Win on Wall Street. There is a full chapter devoted to the need to “Seek Foreign Entanglements.” 

We’re are happy to advise on US-to-US deals if that’s where the market leads us. (We’ve announced six US deals in the past 12 months.) But we’re working on another six that are international – including four that we’ve announced: London-based TradingScreen’s sale of a minority interest in its UK-based subsidiary BidFX to the Singapore Exchange (SGX); the sale of P2Sample to Stockholm-based CINT; the sale of London-based Preqin Solutions to Dynamo (Boston); and the acquisition of UK-based StatPro by Confluence Technologies.

Want more examples of our global industry? According to Pitchbook, so far this year 119 FinTech companies raised $2.1 billion in growth capital out of London – behind San Francisco’s $3 billion; but surpassing New York’s 101 companies that raised $1.9 billion in the same period. Belgium-based FinTech firms raised $881 million and Stockholm firms raised $735 million year to date.

As you will see from our report found here, recent m&a transactions in the seven segments of the FinTech, Data and Analytics world that we follow and sometimes lead involved companies all over the globe. It’s a global industry and we’re pleased to be a part of it.

A few of the more interesting recent FinTech, Data, and Analytics transactions include:

• Q2 Holdings, Inc. (Austin, TX) has agreed to buy Lender Performance Group (Charlotte, NC) , which is known as PrecisionLender in a deal valued at $510 million. (Banking Software)
• Verafin (Canada based) raised C$515mm in equity and debt funding round led by Spectrum Equity
• BharatPe (New Delhi, India) raised $50mm in an equity funding round led by Ribbit Capital & Steadview Capital
• Innovid agreed to acquire Herolens (Ad-Tech)
• NASDAQ agreed to acquire Center for Board Excellence (Compliance solutions)
• Broadridge agreed to acquire Financial Database Services (Processing and Compliance Software for broker-dealers)
• Bursa Malaysia Berhad acquires remaining 25% stake in Bursa Malaysia Derivatives that it did not already own from CME Group
• PayPal acquired a 70% stake in GoPay (China based)
• Confluence acquires StatPro (UK based) for $230mm (M&A Client) Read more here.

Recently we were the recipients of three awards of which we are particularly pleased:  ACQ5 – TMT Advisory Firm of the Year; ACQ5 – Gamechanger of the Year (Ken Marlin); ACQ5 – Middle-Market Investment Bank of the Year.

We will be in attendance at the AFP 2019 Treasury & Finance Annual Conference in Boston, MA October 20th – 23rd, 2019, The Futures and Options Expo in Chicago October 29th – 31st and Money 2020 in Las Vegas October 27th – 29th., if you would like to arrange a meeting at any of these upcoming events, please contact Natalie Goins (ngoins@marlinllc.com).

See below for our latest FinTech, Data and Analytics M&A Update.