Arma Partners
Encyclopedia
Arma Partners is an independent advisory firm. The firm provides advisory services related primarily to mergers and acquisitions
focusing exclusively on Technology, Media and Telecom companies. The firm was founded in 2003 by bankers from Goldman Sachs
and other premier firms and is headquartered in London, with offices in Palo Alto, CA. and Israel.
for $210m, which won a “Deal of the Year” award.
The firm has gained prominence, particularly in Europe, after working on several transactions involving Venture Capital
and Private Equity
-backed companies and by advising Software AG
(on its acquisitions of webMethods
and IDS Scheer
AG), Micro Focus and freenet.de
on multiple acquisitions. Given its European roots, the firm has advised on several cross-border and trans-atlantic M&A transactions.
The firm is also popular in technology circles for organizing and hosting debates involving industry leaders like Hasso Plattner
and Marc Benioff
. In December 2009, the firm hosted an M&A panel debate involving dealmakers from Microsoft
, Cisco
, Google
and Accel Partners
.
Arma Partners benefitted from the financial crisis of 2008, as independent boutique investment banks drew business away from bulge bracket firms.
In 2008, the firm also expanded its Technology advisory franchise by entering the adjacent markets of Media and Telecom advisory.
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
focusing exclusively on Technology, Media and Telecom companies. The firm was founded in 2003 by bankers from Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
and other premier firms and is headquartered in London, with offices in Palo Alto, CA. and Israel.
History
Arma Partners was founded in London in March 2003 as an independent advisory firm focusing on the Technology sector. In November 2003, the firm announced its first transaction, the sale of SUSE Linux to NovellNovell
Novell, Inc. is a multinational software and services company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group. It specializes in network operating systems, such as Novell NetWare; systems management solutions, such as Novell ZENworks; and collaboration solutions, such as Novell Groupwise...
for $210m, which won a “Deal of the Year” award.
The firm has gained prominence, particularly in Europe, after working on several transactions involving Venture Capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
and Private Equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
-backed companies and by advising Software AG
Software AG
Founded in 1969, Software AG is an enterprise software company with over 10,000 enterprise customers in over 70 countries. The company is the second largest software vendor in Germany, the fourth in Europe and among the top 25 globally...
(on its acquisitions of webMethods
WebMethods
webMethods is an enterprise software company, acquired by Software AG, focused on application integration, business process integration and B2B partner integration. Founded in 1996, the company pioneered the use of web services to connect software applications together within a single organization...
and IDS Scheer
IDS Scheer
IDS Scheer develops, markets, and supports Business Process Management software and is widely regarded as the founder of the BPM industry. The company was established in 1984 by current supervisory board chairman and Chief Technology Advisor, August-Wilhelm Scheer as a spin-off from the Institute...
AG), Micro Focus and freenet.de
Freenet.de
Freenet AG is a German telecommunications and web content provider. The company was formerly a subsidiary of Mobilcom. In 2004, its EBITDA was 471.5 million euro. In 2007, Freenet.de merged with Mobilcom, a deal which took around two years to complete, and the resulting company changed its name to...
on multiple acquisitions. Given its European roots, the firm has advised on several cross-border and trans-atlantic M&A transactions.
The firm is also popular in technology circles for organizing and hosting debates involving industry leaders like Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner is a cofounder of software giant SAP AG. Today he is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SAP AG.- Biography :Hasso Plattner is a German entrepreneur...
and Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff
Marc Russell Benioff is Chairman & CEO of salesforce.com, a cloud computing company.Benioff started salesforce.com in March 1999 in a rented San Francisco apartment and defined its mission as The End of Software...
. In December 2009, the firm hosted an M&A panel debate involving dealmakers from Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
and Accel Partners
Accel Partners
Accel Partners is a global venture and growth equity firm funding companies from inception through the growth stage.The firm is based in Palo Alto, California with major offices in Bangalore, Beijing, London, and Shanghai....
.
Arma Partners benefitted from the financial crisis of 2008, as independent boutique investment banks drew business away from bulge bracket firms.
In 2008, the firm also expanded its Technology advisory franchise by entering the adjacent markets of Media and Telecom advisory.