Kirk Falconer

Toronto-based workplace safety software-as-a-service provider eCompliance has received a $40 million majority investment from Alcumus Holdings Ltd, a portfolio company of Inflexion, a U.K. mid-market private equity firm. The seller was High Park Capital Partners, a Canadian search fund. High Park acquired eCompliance in 2012. Adrian Bartha, CEO of eCompliance and co-founder of High Park, will continue to lead the business, which will operate as the North American arm of Alcumus. Based in Cardiff, United Kingdom, Alcumus is a provider of technology-enabled business assurance and compliance risk management solutions. Inflexion acquired the company in 2015 from Sovereign Capital.

Brookfield Asset Management is in talks to acquire a 30 percent interest in BRK Ambiental, a Brazilian water distribution, collection and treatment company, sources told Reuters. A deal could value the stake at US$520 million, the report said. It is currently held by workers severance fund FGTS, which is managed by Caixa Economica Federal, a Brazilian state bank. In 2017, Brookfield's private equity group acquired a 70 percent interest in BRK, then known as Odebrecht Ambiental. The transaction reflected a total investment of US$908 million.

Canadian private investment firm Hillcore Group has acquired Treeline Well Services Inc, a Calgary-based provider of oil and gas well service rigs. Terms weren't released for the deal, which saw Hillcore partner with the company's senior management team, including President Dan Bryson. Founded in 1997, Treeline supplies service rigs to energy companies operating primarily in the northern regions of Alberta and British Columbia. It currently has a fleet of 23 rigs. Hillcore said it will work with Treeline as it looks to build its fleet through an aggressive capital expenditure and acquisition plan.

U.S. private investment firms RedNest Partners and Admiral Capital Group have acquired Tecmotiv Corp, a Concord, Ontario- and Niagara Falls, New York-based supplier of services and components to the military automotive industry. No financials terms were disclosed. Established in 1992 after acquiring the assets of its predecessor, Levy Auto Parts, Tecmotiv provides maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services and related components for military vehicles. Its customers include the U.S. army and other defence forces worldwide. Gary Sheedy, Tecmotiv's new president and CEO, said the partnership with RedNest and Admiral will support new growth opportunities.

London Stock Exchange Group plc (LSEG) has agreed to acquire Refinitiv, a London, U.K.-based provider of financial markets data and infrastructure, in an all-share deal valued at about US$27 billion. The agreement was struck with a consortium led by Blackstone Group and Thomson Reuters, and including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which last year acquired Refinitiv, formerly Thomson Reuters’ financial and risk unit. It will see Refinitiv shareholders hold an about 37 percent interest in LSEG and less than 30 percent of the total voting rights. The transaction is expected to wrap up in the second half of 2020. Thomson Reuters is controlled by Canada’s Thomson family.

Power Energy Corp has acquired Nautilus Solar Energy LLC, a Summit, New Jersey-based solar developer and asset manager. No financial terms were disclosed. The sellers were Nautilus management and Virgo Investment Group, a U.S. thematic private equity firm. Virgo invested in 2015. Power Energy is an affiliate of Power Corp of Canada (TSX: POW), a Canadian management and holding company. It said it will support Nautilus' further expansion in key U.S. solar markets. Founded in 2006, Nautilus acquires, develops, executes and manages distributed and utility-scaled generation solar projects in North America. It will continue to manage a solar portfolio developed with Virgo.

Kanetix Ltd has acquired RateSpy.com, a Toronto-based online provider of mortgage rate comparisons and news, and intelliMortgage Inc, a Toronto-based digital mortgage broker. No financial terms were disclosed. Kanetix, a Toronto-based digital customer acquisition platform for insurance and financial services, said the two companies joined other brands forming its online rate comparison marketplace. Established in 1999, Kanetix was acquired last year by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. The primary seller was U.S. private equity firm Monitor Clipper Partners, which bought the business in 2011.

Clairvest Group has made a majority investment of £23 million ($38 million) in FSB Technology (UK) Ltd, a London-based sports betting and gaming platform. The investment, intended to support the company's growth in new and existing markets, may be increased by up to £4 million under certain conditions. Founded in 2007, FSB provides business-to-business sports and internet gaming technology. Its solutions include data and pricing feeds, sports betting software, and trading services. The platform deal is Clairvest's 13th in the gaming space and 10th by Clairvest Equity Partners V. Earlier this year, Clairvest closed its sixth mid-market fund, raising about $1.1 billion (US$850 million).

U.S. private investment firm Lindsay Goldberg earlier this month agreed to acquire Creation Technologies LP, a Vancouver-based provider of design and production solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). No financial terms were disclosed. The main seller is Canadian mid-market private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners, which first backed Creation in 2007 with a $65 million investment. Founded in 1991, Creation serves OEM customers in the industrial and instrumentation, medical, communications, transportation, aerospace, defense and security, and energy and environmental markets. It is led by President and CEO Ashley Dafel. Earlier this year, Birch Hill sold Sigma Systems to Hansen Technologies.