Atlantis Vest has through share purchase and exercise of warrants acquired a total of 22.7% of Eiendomskreditt AS. The total transaction value is MNOK 109.6.

Eiendomskreditt is an independent credit institution offering real estate loans to commercials, housing cooperatives and privates. Loans are primarily financed by issuing preferential bonds.

Eiendomskreditt AS was established in 1997 and is owned by Atlantis Vest, Meteva AS, and 80 Norwegian savings banks.

Eiendomskreditt has bank total assets of nearly MNOK 4.700.

Flexleie has since the establishment in Bergen in 2002 had a healthy development and good organic growth. The company is a major player in the provision of lifts, personnel lifts and machinery to building, construction, industry and transport, with equipment operating over large parts of Norway. Flexleie has modern equipment and is rigged for further growth. In 2014 the company achieved a turnover of NOK 92 million, which represents an increase of 35% from 2013.

In recent years, Flexleie has worked closely with lift manufacturers in the development of special machines aimed at the transport infrastructure market. This resulted in the company, Perfect Lift Sales established in 2014, which has the selling rights to newly developed machines in Norway and the rest of Europe. Perfect Lift Sales will also be included in Equip Group.

«We see the acquisition of Flexleie as a first entry for Atlantis Vest in an exciting industry. We hope and believe that we can contribute in the development and growth of the company. As owners, we want to be seen as active, long-term industrial builders, and we look forward to a good and close cooperation with the shareholders and key employees.» Says Trond Valvik, investment director Atlantis Vest and chairman of Equip Group AS.

«By bringing a solid, long-term owner on the team, we hope to continue the development of the company through both organic and inorganic growth, and thus become an even more important player in the Norwegian and Scandinavian rental market. We have had conversations with Atlantis Vest since early January and have great hopes for our future cooperation.» Says Ove Lunde who is the founder of Flexleie and now CEO of Equip Group.

For further information contact:
Ove Lunde – CEO Equip Group / Flexleie – mob +47 48 00 11 03
Trond Valvik – Investment Director Atlantis Vest – mob +47 99 23 28 15

About Atlantis Vest:

Atlantis Vest is the investment company of the Rieber family and has a long industrial basis. Atlantis Vest has four business segments, where direct investments are the main business area going forward. Within direct investments Atlantis Vest targets majority investments in companies with a revenue ranging from 75 to 750 million. Other business areas include Shipping, Securities and Real Estate.

Sky Ploeg is the second newbuilding in a program of seven 19,900 dwt stainless steel eco chemical tanker vessels. Like its sister vessel, Sun Ploeg, Sky Ploeg will sail in the Hansa Tankers’ chemical tanker pool.

Read more about Hansa Tankers here: http://www.hansa-tankers.com/

(Oslo, 12 February 2021): Reference is made to the mandatory offer (the «Offer») from Rieber & Søn AS (the «Offeror») to acquire all shares in Q-Free ASA («Q -Free» or the «Company») pursuant to an offer document dated 14 January 2021 (the «Offer Document»). The acceptance period in the Offer expired today, 12 February 2021, at 16:30 (CET). On 12 February 2021, the Offeror received acceptances for 9,531 shares, corresponding to 0.0088% of the share capital and voting rights in the Company. In total, the Offeror had at the time of expiry of the acceptance period in Offer received acceptances for a total of 103,670 shares and votes in Q-Free. In addition, the Offeror owns a total of 50,258,397 shares in the Company, representing 46.44% of the shares and votes in the Company. Following completion of the Offer the Offeror will hold 50,362,067 shares in the Company corresponding to 46.54% of the shares and voting rights. The foregoing percentages have been calculated based on 108,216,534 issued shares in Q-Free ASA. The number of acceptances received in the Offer may change based on final counting. In accordance with section 4.11 («Settlement») of the Offer Document, settlement of the Offer will be made in NOK as soon as reasonably possible and no later than two weeks after the expiry of the acceptance period in the Offer, being 26 February 2021. The Offeror is represented on the Board of Directors of Q-Free and is therefore considered a primary insider of the Company. This notification has been submitted pursuant to the Securities Trading Act section 5-12.

Carasent ASA has acquired the Norwegian company Avans Soma Holding AS, developer of leading medical record systems and IT solutions in the Norwegian health care market. 

We are very pleased to have completed this transaction as Avans Soma, with its strong presence in the Norwegian health care market, constitutes a foundation for our further establishment in Norway and other growth opportunities in new segments, says Johan Lindqvist, Chairman of the Board of Carasent.

Avans Soma is characterized by a large loyal customer base and stable market share growth during the last 15 years. This will provide a smooth access into the Norwegian health care market for Carasent.

An existing organization in Norway, with the solid knowledge and experience that we see within Avans Soma, is extremely important. It creates great value, in terms of being able to use existing technical systems integrations and solutions that Avans Soma provides today. Through its robust organization of 25 highly competent employees, Avans Soma will also offer tangible guidance regarding sales, support and consulting in the Norwegian market, he says and continues:

The wide range of contacts and business networks that Avans Soma developed over the past 15 years, in terms of customers and clients within the Norwegian healthcare market, private as well as public sector organizations, and partner relationships, represents an important strategic asset for the joint company. Avans Soma serves more than 140 customers, with a strong market share within the key segments.

The acquisition of Avans Soma and their products for social care and mental illness rehabilitation, results in a broadened product portfolio and the new collaboration enables Avans Soma to intensify its work towards offering SaaS-based services. Hence, there are strong organic growth opportunities both from the existing customer base and from winning new clients.

Avans Soma’s revenues and EBITDA was approximately NOK 24 million and NOK 6 million as per LTM Sep-2020, with an annually recurring revenue (“ARR”) of approx. NOK 21 million.

The agreed purchase price is NOK 122.5 million, corresponding to an enterprise value of NOK 125 million less Avans Soma’s consolidated net debt position of NOK 2.5 million (the (“Purchase Price”).

The transaction purchase price has been settled as follows:

–        50% of the Purchase Price in cash upon closing,

–        50% of the Purchase Price as shares in Carasent valued at a price of NOK 27.7 per share (the “Share Settlement”).

The majority shareholder of Avans Soma, Norwegian family office Rieber & Søn, will become a large shareholder in Carasent with approximately 2% of the outstanding shares following the transaction. All selling shareholders have entered into a lock-up agreement of 15 months on the Share Settlement.

DNB Markets acted as financial advisor to Carasent in connection with the transaction.

About the companies:

Carasent ASA:

Carasent ASA was founded in 1997. In May 2018 the Swedish company Evimeria EMR AB, a company providing cloud-based medical record services to the health care industry, was acquired. Carasent’s strategy is to develop and expand digitalization that helps customers in providing efficient and qualitative health care services in the Scandinavian market.

Avans Soma Holding AS:

Avans Soma is a Norwegian company that develops and sells digital systems and tools adapted for users in the segments for health care, rehabilitation and mental illness. Avans Soma currently has 25 employees in offices in Oslo, Bergen and Dale.

Knowit acquires Creuna and substantially strengthens its position in the Nordic region. Creuna will become part of Knowit Experience. The companies’ client offerings supplement each other well in digital strategies, data-driven sales, and market communication. The acquisition will mean that Knowit Experience grows to around 900 employees and that the number of employees in the group will be about 2,600.

 The demand for digitalization has increased quickly in both the private and public sectors, as a result of changed customer behaviors in society. This has been further reinforced as a result of Covid-19. Knowit is already well-positioned, with a broad competence in system development and digital transformation. Through the acquisition of Creuna, with its strong position in digital design and tech, the offer will be even more competitive.

The merger and integration of Creuna’s operations with Knowit Experience will mean significant cost synergies, combined with new business opportunities, and is expected to support a favourable development of profitability going forward. Knowit expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings per share as early as during 2021.

With Creuna’s local organizations, Knowit will strengthen its presence in all the Nordic countries. The acquisition will mean that Knowit strengthens its competitiveness significantly, as well as contributing to continued consolidation of the market.

“We can see that the shift to digital business models is accelerating among our clients. With reinforcement from Creuna, our offer in digital transformation becomes the strongest in the Nordic region. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues from Creuna to Knowit”, says Per Wallentin, CEO of Knowit.

“Our ambition is to be the leading agency in data-driven customer experiences in the Nordic region. With the competence and passion that Creuna have for developing strong brands and user experiences, we are further strengthening our position. At the same time, we become an even more attractive employer with exciting development possibilities for our employees,” says Fredrik Ekerhovd, EVP Knowit Experience.

“The merger of Knowit and Creuna is an ambitious venture that will provide our employees with fantastic career opportunities. We share the same values and a passion to help our clients build strong brands and contribute to the development of digital business models” says Torstein Harildstad, Group CEO of Creuna.

The two organizations will be joined under the brand Knowit Experience.

Knowit Experience is a business area within Knowit with around 600 specialists in technology, design, and communication. Its customers are found in several different sectors, with a large part in the public sector, retail, and health.

Creuna is a Nordic digital agency with around 300 employees in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Net sales for the last 12 months amounted to 398 MSEK, and EBITA amounted to 21.5 MSEK.

Atlantis Vest has invested in Avans and is now the main owner of the health care IT company. 

Avans is one of the leading software providers to the Norwegian health care sector and develops journal solutions for managing user and patient information. Entrepreneur and former major shareholder, Magnar Høyvik, will continue as CEO and shareholder of the company.

Summer Ploeg is the seventh newbuilding in a program of seven 19,900 dwt stainless steel eco chemical tanker vessels constructed at Fukuoka Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan. Like the sister vessels, Summer Ploeg will sail in the Hansa Tankers’ chemical tanker pool.

Read more about Hansa Tankers here: http://www.hansa-tankers.com/

Spring Ploeg is the sixth newbuilding in a program of seven 19,900 dwt stainless steel eco chemical tanker vessels constructed at Fukuoka Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan. Like the sister vessels, Spring Ploeg will sail in the Hansa Tankers’ chemical tanker pool. The seventh chemical tanker vessel will be delivered on 30 March 2017.

Read more about Hansa Tankers here: http://www.hansa-tankers.com/