Sorenson Capital and Peterson Partners have partnered to provide financing to Mindshare Technologies, a provider of voice of the customer (VoC) technologies and services. The new capital will be used to support Mindshare’s acquisition of Empathica, a provider of social customer experience management (CEM) solutions which was completed on September 19th.
Peterson Partners provided the majority of the new equity to finance the acquisition. Sorenson Capital, which had previously invested $20 million in Mindshare in June 2011, increased its investment in Mindshare and partnered with Mindshare’s management team to lead the negotiation and diligence process with Empathica.
“This acquisition gives the world’s leading brands access to the most comprehensive customer feedback solutions on the market, and we are thrilled to have the support of these two premier private equity firms,” said John Sperry, CEO of Mindshare. “Sorenson Capital invested in us two years ago and has over delivered on its promise to add value to our company, as evidenced by their commitment to this deal. Peterson Partners also played an integral part in making this purchase a reality, and we are delighted to welcome them on board as a strategic investment partner.”
Mindshare Technologies provides “Voice of the Customer” services, with a particular emphasis on servicing multi-unit restaurant chains, retail establishments, and call centers. Services consist of collecting end-customer feedback, analyzing that data, and delivering actionable insights to the appropriate client personnel. Clients can access their data and reports through an online interface at anytime and are additionally supported by a dedicated account manager. The company is based in Salt Lake City (www.mshare.net).
Empathica is a provider of social Customer Experience Management (CEM) programs to multi-unit brands in the retail, food services, automotive and hospitality sectors. The company’s analysis of survey data using state-of-the-art surveying and dashboard reporting software allows for performance-improvement solutions, evidence-based marketing insights, and customer experience management consulting. Empathica is headquartered in Toronto (www.empathica.com).
Sorenson Capital invests from $10 million to $25 million in small to middle-market buyout and growth equity opportunities with a particular focus on companies located in the Mountain and Western regions of the United States. Sorenson Capital has $650 million in capital under management and is headquartered in Salt Lake City (www.sorensoncapital.com).
“This purchase underscores our commitment to partnering with our portfolio companies to build value,” said Mark Ludwig, managing director at Sorenson Capital. “This acquisition primes Mindshare to lead the fast-growing customer feedback industry, and bolsters its strong value proposition for major brands to ensure exceptional customer satisfaction. We anticipate this acquisition will significantly accelerate Mindshare’s growth trajectory.”
Peterson Partners invests from $2 million to $15 million in companies with revenues from $10 million to $50 million. The firm was founded in 1995 and has managed over $500 million in committed capital through eight funds. Peterson Partners is based in Salt Lake City (www.petersonpartnerslp.com).
“As a new investor in Mindshare, we are thrilled to have played an integral part in elevating their market position in the customer feedback industry,” said Brandon Cope, partner at Peterson Partners. “Mindshare represented a compelling investment opportunity because of its ability to drive operational improvement and convert customer insights into actionable, real-time intelligence. With the acquisition of Empathica, we look forward to helping Mindshare dominate the Voice of the Customer market.”
© 2013 PEPD • Private Equity’s Leading News Magazine • 10-1-13
