HgCapital and the Visma Transaction (A)

Paul A. Gompers; Karol  Misztal; Joris  Van Gool

Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2013

HgCapital and the Visma Transaction (A)

by Paul A. Gompers, Karol Misztal and Joris Van Gool

Abstract

This case concerns the negotiations of a deal by HgCapital, a UK-based private equity firm, to buy Visma, ASA, a Norwegian software company. Visma has received an offer from Sage Group, a strategic acquirer. HgCapital must determine if it wants to bid and how to outbid a potential strategic acquirer. The case concerns bidding and negotiations strategies as well as deal structuring issues. In particular, the cross border nature of the investment, a UK firm investing in Norway, leads to a number of financing issues related to raising the debt for the LBO. The case provides an opportunity to role play both the PE fund perspective and the potential target.

Keywords: management buyout; deal structuring; negotiations; Private Equity; Finance; Valuation; Leveraged Buyouts; Negotiation Deal; Negotiation; Strategy; Europe;

Language: English

Format: Print

27 pages

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Citation:

Gompers, Paul A., Karol Misztal, and Joris Van Gool. "HgCapital and the Visma Transaction (A)." Harvard Business School Case 214-018, August 2013.

Silkroad—a cross-cultural music collaboration that world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma had spearheaded since 1998, was preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In parallel, Ma was stepping back from his role as the organization’s Artistic Director. Silkroad had come of age, gaining international recognition for its uniquely global music, which blended musical traditions from across the world—especially Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and America. The Ensemble had also forged strong partnerships with universities, local governments, and civic groups and developed an array of outreach programs to help people understand and express themselves through music. Ma was confident that there could be no better time to hand over leadership. But the transition was bittersweet: He felt a deep personal connection both to the Ensemble as a whole and to every one of its performers and staff members. And he wondered how reducing his involvement would affect the organization’s sustainability.

This book is a collection of cases and notes that have been used in Private Equity Finance, an advanced corporate finance course offered in the second year of the Harvard Business School’s MBA curriculum, over several years. Our goal is to provide detailed insight into the sources of value creation as well as outline the process of deal making in the private equity industry.

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HgCapital and the Visma Transaction (A)

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