Your.World (the “Company”), a leading European online solutions provider, today announced that it has received €800 million in long-term partnership capital in the form of preferred equity from Ares Management Credit funds (“Ares”) and Carlyle.
Founded in 2016 by Strikwerda Investments, Your.World has emerged as a leading European provider of web hosting, online productivity, and managed IT services. Its growth has been driven by its serial acquirer model based on high quality, sustainable value creation and scalable M&A across verticals and geographies. Today, the Company employs over 2,000 people, operates 45 distinct brands, and serves more than one million customers through its Your.Online and Your.Cloud divisions.
By combining disciplined capital allocation, a decentralized operating model and a focus on mission-critical online solutions, Your.World has established itself as a key player in the European SME segment. Your.World’s serviceable addressable segment has expanded considerably in the last five years, accompanied by a corresponding increase in its M&A opportunities. The Company anticipates additional growth opportunities in the future.
“As Your.World pursues its long-term ambitions, we are pleased to welcome the additional partnership capital and expertise from two leading global investors, Ares and Carlyle,” said Robin van Poelje, CEO of Your.World. “Their financial and strategic support reinforces our ability to drive accelerated growth while continuing to deliver high-quality solutions and services to our customers. We look forward to seizing the opportunities that lie ahead.”
“We are excited to be investing in Your.World as it enters its next chapter of growth,” said James Kim, Partner and Head of European Opportunistic Credit at Ares. “The combination of Your.World’s demonstrated history of execution, sector leadership, strong management and robust M&A pipeline underscore our conviction in its ability to generate significant value over the long-term. We look forward to working with Robin, Strikwerda Investments, Carlyle, and the Your.World team as they continue to differentiate themselves in the online solutions sector.”
Taj Sidhu, Head of European and Asian Private Credit at Carlyle, said: “We are delighted to provide this strategic capital financing to Your.World. The business is a leader in a resilient and fragmented market, and we believe there is significant white space for the company to continue to pursue their successful M&A strategy as they further accelerate growth.”
J.P. Morgan acted as exclusive financial adviser and sole placement agent, and A&O Shearman acted as legal advisor, to Strikwerda Investments & Your.World with respect to the strategic investment from Ares and Carlyle.
