Transaction Details
January 1, 2011
Stockholm
Sector
Technology
Deal Type
M&A
Deal Value
N/D
Aptilo Networks & ServiceFactory sold to Norvestor Equity
Sale of two substantial non-core OSS/BSS assets
Norwegian listed company Birdstep Technology (acquired by SmithMicro in 2016) is a leading global provider of secure wireless connectivity software for operators, enterprises and mobile device manufacturers.
Amongst Birdstep’s subsidiaries was ServiceFactory, a supplier of service and policy management solutions for mobile operators.
Birdstep also held a substantial minority holding in Aptilo Networks, a global leader in pre-integrated solutions for control of billing, user services and access in wireless networks including Wi-Fi, WiMAXTM and LTE.
A combined set-up to unlock the value
After a strategic review, Birdstep Technology concluded that despite being successful and respected companies, these 2 subsidiaries were not core assets.
GCA Altium was engaged to explore routes for divestment of both holdings, and eventually assumed that a prospective buyer would consider a combined Aptilo Networks and ServiceFactory a more valuable proposition.
An attractive asset for a financial investor
The opportunity was introduced to Norvestor Equity, a leading private equity firm focusing on mid-market control investments in the Nordic region.
Birdstep Technology was only a minority owner in one of the entities, so putting them together was not straightforward: GCA Altium thus arranged the sale of ServiceFactory, followed by a sale of the enlarged Aptilo Networks entity to Norvestor Equity in a simultaneous transaction.
GCA Altium acted as sole advisor to the sellers.