HACKENSACK, N.J.
and LONDON,
July 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- LiveU, the leader in live video streaming and remote
production solutions, announced today that global investment firm
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) has acquired the Company from Francisco
Partners, a global investment firm that specializes in partnering
with technology businesses. Details of the transaction, which is
subject to regulatory approvals, are not being disclosed.
Founded in 2006, LiveU is the pioneer of a bonded cellular
technology-based live video transmission platform, offered to major
live broadcast news networks and sports content owners globally.
LiveU's technology enables customers to apply innovation and
automation to the entire production workflow. LiveU provides an
end-to-end solution combining mission-critical acquisition, cloud
production and IP distribution to broadcasters, sports
organizations and production companies where reliability, quality,
availability and low latency are key.
LiveU has been instrumental in supporting the growing demand for
live news and sports content and the requirement to broadcast from
remote and non-stationary locations, in particular as video quality
requirements have increased in the era of 4K and 8K
broadcasting. With over 3,000 customers in 130+ countries, LiveU's
technology enables broadcasters to guarantee live video uplink
quality, helping top-tier global broadcasters as well as major
sporting content owners to meet the strong demand from viewers for
live and fan-based content. LiveU is currently gearing up for the
Tokyo Summer Games with thousands of hours of live video content
expected to be transmitted live from the games.
Carlyle will use its deep experience in the media tech sector to
support LiveU's growth ambitions, represented by existing
investments in Disguise and NEP alongside prior investments
including The Foundry, Vubiquity, BTI Studios and The Mill. Carlyle
will seek to further consolidate LiveU's market position through
M&A activity and organic growth while capitalizing on the
rapidly growing demand for high-quality live video transmission.
This trend is expected to accelerate with the rollout of 5G, and as
media production in the cloud progresses, increasing the
requirements for flexible and remote operations. Carlyle will
leverage its extensive global network to further expand LiveU's
customer base and help to develop relationships with some of the
world's leading content providers. Equity for the investment will
be provided by Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP) IV, a fund
that invests in middle market technology-focused opportunities in
Europe and the US.
Samuel Wasserman, CEO and
Co-Founder of LiveU, said: "We're excited to partner with Carlyle
as we look to expand LiveU's global footprint and service offering.
This is a significant milestone for LiveU and represents a strong
vote of confidence in our business. Carlyle brings deep industry
expertise with their track record in the media and technology space
alongside a global network. We greatly thank Francisco Partners and
IGP Capital for their support and partnership over the last few
years."
Michael Wand, Managing Director
and Co-Head of the CETP advisory team, said: "Carlyle has a history
of investing in fast-growing and highly innovative, disruptive
media technology companies and is truly excited to partner with
LiveU which is at the forefront of a rapidly growing market. Our
partnership with the LiveU team will allow us to support their
growth, driven by a mixture of expanding into new verticals,
targeted M&A activity and through further developing their
relationships with key media broadcasters, particularly in live
sports where we are witnessing an exploding demand for live
content. We believe that the ongoing shift towards high quality
real-time video content, the cost advantages of bonded cellular
versus alternative transmission technologies, and the opportunity
to bring live broadcast to hitherto neglected areas such as
semi-pro or non-professional sports, provides an enormous growth
potential for LiveU."
Eran Gorev, Francisco Partners'
President of Israel & Senior
Operating Partner, said: "With Francisco Partners' track record of
investing in technology companies across the U.S., Europe and Israel, we were uniquely positioned to support
LiveU as it expanded its customer base, geographic presence and
solution suite over recent years and solidified its position as the
industry leader. We are proud to have helped Samuel and LiveU's
management team build upon their vision as they continued to
innovate, capitalize upon many emerging opportunities in the live
video distribution and remote production markets, and cross the
$100 million mark in annual sales. We
look forward to following the company as it continues to evolve in
this next phase of its growth."
GCA Altium advised LiveU on the transaction.
Press Enquiries:
LiveU
Joyce Essig (US)
Tel: 201-742-5229
Email: Joyce@liveu.tv
Joss Armitage (Int'l)
Tel: +44-7979-908-547
Email: joss@jumppr.tv
The Carlyle Group:
Andrew Kenny
Tel: +44 7816 176120
Email: Andrew.Kenny@Carlyle.com
Francisco Partners
Kate Sylvester
Tel: 212-446-1860
Email: ksylvester@sloanepr.com
About LiveU
LiveU is changing the rules of the game for live news and
dynamic sports coverage, with flawless 5G 4K HEVC live streaming and remote production.
Together with its cloud-based management and next-gen IP
distribution platforms, LiveU offers the most cost-effective
end-to-end contribution, production and distribution solution. Our
broad portfolio of products sets the industry standard for live
video production ranging from our newest, portable production-level
field units and smartphone app to satellite/cellular hybrid and
external antenna solutions. With over 3,000 customers in 130+
countries, LiveU's technology is the solution of choice for global
broadcasters, news agencies, sports and entertainment, streaming
live video to TV, mobile, online and social media. LiveU is a
recipient of Frost & Sullivan's 2021 North America New Product
Innovation Award for its LU800 unit and a winner of the 71st Annual
Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards in recognition of its
innovation and achievement in Video over Cellular Internet Protocol
(VoCIP) technology. For more information, visit www.liveu.tv, or
follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram.
About Carlyle
Carlyle (NASDAQ:CG) is a global investment firm with deep
industry expertise that deploys private capital across three
business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and
Investment Solutions. With $260
billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2021, Carlyle's purpose is to invest
wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio
companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle
employs more than 1,800 people in 29 offices across five
continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com.
Follow Carlyle on Twitter @OneCarlyle.
About Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that
specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled
businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners
has invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one
of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology
industry. With more than $25 billion
in assets under management, the firm invests in opportunities where
its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help
companies realize their full potential. For more information on
Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.
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SOURCE LiveU