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Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Sdui Group Secures Strategic Investment to Accelerate Its Mission to Become the Operating System for European Schools
KOBLENZ, Germany & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sdui Group, a leading European provider of cloud-based administrative software for K-12 schools, today announced a new growth investment led by Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities fund, with participation from existing investors HV Capital and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). The funding will be used to strengthen Sdui Group's product suite, deepen its support for educational institutions, and further its ambition to become the unified digital platform for education in Europe. Founded in 2018 in Germany, Sdui Group provides a fully integrated suite that supports schools across administrative needs from communication, attendance, scheduling, grading, and more. Today, Sdui Group serves thousands of institutions across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, and is continuing to expand into new regions. Its modern, modular software is trusted by individual schools, districts, and governments to streamline operations. Sdui Group's suite improves the experience for all stakeholders – teachers, students, administrators, and parents – and gives back valuable time to focus on teaching and learning. As European school systems face rising complexity, increased digital expectations, and expanding public support and funding for education technology, institutions are looking for modern, reliable platforms that simplify their daily workflows. With a user-first approach and scalable, compliant cloud architecture, Sdui Group is well-positioned to lead this shift. 'This is a moment of transformation for education in Europe,' said James Stevens, a Partner in Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities business. 'Sdui Group is emerging as a trusted and capable partner to help schools navigate that change. Daniel and his team have built a modern, intuitive platform that directly addresses the daily challenges of school administration. We're excited to support their continued growth and impact across the region.' Sdui Group has already built strong momentum through both organic growth and acquisitions. The company has successfully integrated several regional software players, expanded its capabilities, and continues to invest in innovation, reliability, and user experience. 'Bain Capital's approach is unique – they combine strategic vision with real operational support,' said Daniel Zacharias, Founder and CEO of Sdui Group. 'They've taken the time to truly understand our mission and the realities schools face every day. With their support – and the continued backing of HV and HTGF – we're accelerating our work to build the digital backbone of European schools.' 'We've been proud to back Daniel and Sdui Group since the early days and are thrilled to continue supporting this next phase of growth,' said Felix Klühr, Partner at HV Capital. 'Bain Capital's experience scaling software companies globally makes them a valuable addition to the partnership.' – END – About Sdui Group Founded in Germany in 2018, the Sdui Group has developed into a leading provider of cloud-based software that enables digital communication and administration for schools and educational institutions across Europe. As a reliable partner, Sdui Group supports individual institutions, governments and ministries in their digitalisation effort, and develops innovative cloud-based solutions for schools and preschools. Sdui Group's suite of tools supports messaging, attendance, scheduling, grading, and more—making everyday school workflows simpler, more secure, and more effective. The company is based in Koblenz, Germany and currently employs around 230 people based in several European countries. About Bain Capital Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world's leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit & Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850 employees, and approximately $185 billion in assets under management. To learn more, visit Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter). Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities business ( aims to help growing technology companies reach their full potential. We focus on companies in large, growing end markets with innovative or disruptive technology where we believe we can support transformational growth. Our dedicated, tenured team has deep experience supporting growing technology businesses—bringing together differentiated backgrounds in private and public equity investing as well as technology operating roles. We invest behind fundamental long-term tailwinds as technology penetrates across industries, creating a large and growing number of investment opportunities. About HV Capital HV Capital is one of the leading early-stage and growth investors in Europe. With nine fund generations in 25 years and €2.8 bn in managed assets, HV Capital is one of the continent's most active investors. The investment team has many years of experience in identifying European startups with great potential for success. In addition to international success stories like Flix, Zalando, Delivery Hero, Sumup, and Depop, innovation leaders such as Quantum Systems, Marvel Fusion, Sennder, Neura Robotics, Enpal, and Isar Aerospace are also part of the portfolio. HV Capital has invested in more than 250 internet and technology companies, supporting startups with ticket sizes ranging from €0.5m to €60m. It is one of Europe's few venture capital firms that can finance startups through all growth phases. HV Capital has a team of more than 60+ investment and operations professionals who provide a variety of perspectives and expertise across the venture capital landscape ( About High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing startups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports startups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in the pre-seed and seed phase and can participate significantly in further financing rounds, since 2024 with the HTGF Opportunity growth fund. HTGF has a fund volume of over 2 billion euros. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 780 startups and successfully sold shares in almost 200 companies. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital and numerous companies are invested in the HTGF seed funds. Investors in the HTGF Opportunity growth fund include the ERP Special Fund and KfW with the resources of the Zukunftsfonds ('Future Fund'). Further information can be found at or on LinkedIn and on the Zukunftsfonds page.
Reuters
14-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US bank M&A hopes revive under Trump regulators
NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - Takeover speculation in Northern Trust (NTRS.O), opens new tab has revived industry hopes of deals among large U.S. and regional banks, propelling exploratory conversations that could lead to consolidation, according to financial executives and analysts. Talk of potential mergers and acquisitions among Wall Street banks and large regional lenders has increased in recent weeks in a major shift under the Trump administration after regulators under the Biden administration opposed or blocked big deals, according to three senior financial executives who declined to name specific talks or be identified, citing confidential discussions. On Thursday, the Federal Reserve proposed changes to how it evaluates large banks, making it easier for firms to maintain a "well managed" rating by requiring deficiencies across multiple categories before being downgraded. The move could be a boon to bigger bank dealmaking, as firms not considered "well managed" are barred from any acquisitions. "What we've seen from a regulatory standpoint is a lot more clarity and ... a return to a more permissive environment," particularly for mergers, said James Stevens, a law partner who advises financial institutions at Troutman Pepper Locke. Regulators' moves to streamline deal approvals "certainly opened the doors more towards those bigger banks talking about getting together," he said. The sources said that bank executives in recent weeks have become newly emboldened to consider ambitious plans to buy business units, or even entire companies. That increased interest came after BNY (BK.N), opens new tab approached Northern Trust (NTRS.O), opens new tab to express interest in a merger, the Wall Street Journal reported last month, although the target has said it wants to remain independent. Meanwhile regulators approved Capital One's (COF.N), opens new tab $35.3 billion purchase of Discover Financial Services in April. BNY will report earnings on Tuesday alongside JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. The companies will likely be quizzed about their appetite for M&A during analyst calls. BNY and Northern Trust declined to comment. Dealmakers expect bank M&A activity to climb in the second half of the year. Activity has been broadly flat this year, with 57 deals struck in the first five months of 2025, compared with 56 a year earlier, and was concentrated mostly among smaller lenders, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Major banks seeking selective, or bolt-on acquisitions that add operations such as wealth management, fintech or crypto, will find it easier to get approval from regulators, one of the executives said. But larger mergers involving entire banks that serve similar geographies are more likely to face government scrutiny, including from antitrust authorities, the executive said. Regional lenders are more likely to get the green light for transactions, said Tom Michaud, CEO of investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. "There is a clear case for gaining scale, and people are realizing this administration gives them the best chance of getting a large deal approved," Michaud said. "So it's better to do it sooner than later," he said, expecting regional lenders to strike deals more quickly than banking giants. The other three industry executives concurred that deals by so-called super regional banks were most feasible. They cited PNC Financial Services (PNC.N), opens new tab, U.S. Bancorp (USB.N), opens new tab and Truist Financial (TFC.N), opens new tab as potential participants. Truist and U.S. Bancorp declined to comment. PNC CEO Bill Demchak said in June that he expected consolidation in retail banking to boost industry profits. Meanwhile, Gunjan Kedia, who became U.S. Bancorp CEO this year, said in February that it was focused on organic growth and ruled out M&A "for now." For the six biggest U.S. lenders deemed by regulators as global systemically important banks, or GSIBs, there are bigger hurdles. JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), opens new tab and Bank of America (BAC.N), opens new tab, the first and second-largest lenders in the U.S., each hold more than 10% of the nation's deposits and are capped from buying companies that store them. Still, JPMorgan purchased several fintech firms and BofA bought loan portfolios in recent years. Wells Fargo (WFC.N), opens new tab has only recently got out from under key regulatory punishments, while Citigroup (C.N), opens new tab is still under regulators' orders to fix widespread deficiencies in risk management. That leaves Morgan Stanley (MS.N), opens new tab and Goldman Sachs (GS.N), opens new tab as the largest lenders that could pursue the most traditional M&A deals, the three industry executives said. All the six large banks declined comment. The Federal Reserve's new Vice Chair for Supervision, Michelle Bowman, is expected to facilitate deals because of her support for lighter regulation, the three industry executives said. Regulators are generally going to be open to large institutions expanding, but the approval process will remain extensive, said Katie Cox, a consultant CoxFedLaw who previously served as an M&A expert at the Fed. Participants need to show they meet financial and compliance ratings and hold public consultations, Cox said. The process takes at least a year and could probably be sped up to nine months, she added. Regulators would also weigh how combining banks would affect financial stability, and "that's going to be the problem for the G-SIBs -- if the acquisition of any target is going to exacerbate their current financial stability position in the U.S. markets," she said. "And then there's the competition and antitrust rules." Bankers point to a 2023 example as a cautionary tale of the Biden era's skepticism toward deals. After more than a year of waiting for regulatory approvals, Toronto-Dominion Bank ( opens new tab called off its $13.4 billion takeover of First Horizon (FHN.N), opens new tab, triggering a near 40% fall in the latter bank's shares. Industry executives were still watching BNY, which also has GSIB status, to see whether it will continue to pursue Northern Trust or set its sights elsewhere. The approach is being seen as a test case for the administration's openness to GSIB deals, which could reshape the industry because they involve the biggest and most complex institutions, the three executives said.
Scotsman
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Cosmic Charging help close the Zero Emission vehicle mandate gap
Cosmic completed the largest EV installation at an apartment building anywhere in the UK signalling a change for the c.4million apartment-based households in the UK that struggle to charge electric cars at home. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Cosmic Charging, the UK's leading specialist in EV charging for shared residential parking, today announced the completion of a landmark project at the prestigious Britannia Quay development in Leith. The fully funded retrofit installation equips 319 individual bays with the power, data and safety provisions needed for residents to add personal EV charge points conveniently at a later date. 22kW smart chargers have been installed for all existing Electric Vehicle drivers at the property. Thanks to the new infrastructure the remaining 300+ bays can be activated conveniently, affordably and with no disruption when individual residents require them.. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Large, high-density Multi Dwelling Developments are often written off as 'too difficult' when it comes to home charging,' said James Stevens, Director of Cosmic Charging. 'We've proven that with the right funding model, technology partners and implementation, every resident can have a personal charger at an affordable price. Previously insurmountable challenges around power capacity, accurate billing, management responsibility and on site disruption have been met with Cosmic's solutions.' Home charging in Apartments 'Our residents wanted the convenience of charging at home without a costly, messy overhaul. We've been trying to get this done with no luck for 5 years. Cosmic Charging and the solution they have funded and implemented have delivered exactly that. "We now have a future-proofed facility at our property that benefits the community for the shift to electric mobility and enhances the development of amenities for occupants now and into the future.' said Martin Dey, the lead resident for the project. The installation comes just days after Cosmic Charging won the Low Carbon Transport Award at a ceremony hosted by the British Renewable Energy Association in London. Their nomination cited the importance of Cosmic's mission; to provide affordable and convenient EV infrastructure to the 4 million households across the UK living in apartments and multi-dwelling homes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Project Highlights EV Charging in apartments Scale: 319 bays across three car parks—believed to be the largest single retrofit of its kind in the UK residential sector Smart, expandable design: Innovative cabling infrastructure + dynamic load management—ready for 100 % bay electrification Property value enhancement; research suggests that the presence of such infrastructure can increase property values by up to 2.75%. Carbon impact: Capacity to displace ~1,500 t CO₂e over the next decade (based on average UK grid factors, EV Adoption rates and mileage) Funding model: This project has been funded with private finance provided by Cosmic Charging in conjunction with the use of the OZEV grant, with residents paying only for individual charger hardware and the electricity they use. Supporting the UK & Scottish Net-Zero Targets The Scottish Government aims to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. Residential charging access is critical yet almost 40 % of UK households lack a private driveway or garage. By unlocking charging in shared car parks Cosmic Charging removes a major barrier to EV adoption—especially in urban areas like Leith where on-street charging is limited and most people don't have off-street parking. Next Steps Cosmic Charging is already in discussions with housing associations, freeholders and property managers nationwide to replicate the Britannia Quay blueprint. The company expects to announce further large-scale retrofits before the end of 2025. Cosmic Charging was founded by industry experts with a combined 35 years in EV charging in 2024. The charging landscape in the UK is unfair, we believe in a world where sustainable mobility is accessible to everyone, especially for those in urban, shared-living spaces that have been left behind by the EV transition. Cosmic finance and install the underlying infrastructure first, so residents can add chargers as a service later, often with zero upfront cost to the development as a whole. Cosmic Charging benefit from a long list of enviable investors including serial entrepreneur at established electric vehicle infrastructure leader Erik Fairbairn who was recently appointed Chair Person at Cosmic.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Will the federal election results be replicated at next year's SA contest?
On Saturday night at the Robin Hood Hotel in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, Liberal MP James Stevens took to the stage to concede that he had lost the seat of Sturt. He apologised for being the man in the seat when it slipped from his party's hands for the first time in more than five decades. As he descended from the stage, there to comfort the now-former MP were party faithful and elders, chief among them the recently-retired Senator Simon Birmingham. Speaking to the media later, Mr Birmingham did not sugar-coat the result. He said it was "diabolical" and he was "gutted" to see "so much good talent, particularly fresher, younger, newer faces" lose their seats. If this wasn't rock bottom, he posited, it won't be too long before there is not much of a party. With the loss of Sturt, the Liberals had lost their last metropolitan stronghold in Adelaide. And with the Electoral Commission currently carrying out a three-candidate-preferred count in the seat of Grey, there are also concerns about one of the party's last two regional strongholds. Live results: Find out what's happening in your seat as counting continues A stark contrast to the Howard heyday where the party held Adelaide, Boothby, Hindmarsh, Kingston, Makin, Sturt, Wakefield (now Spence) and the peri-urban seat of Mayo. Now, all gone. A sign that John Howard knew how to tap into the outer-suburban "battler" vote in a way the current Liberal Party simply does not. That era also saw the SA Liberals with scores of senior voices at the cabinet table — from Alexander Downer to Robert Hill and Nick Minchin — and rising stars like Christopher Pyne and Amanda Vanstone. The party was in government at a state level too, making it unquestionably the dominant force in South Australian politics of the time. How times change. As bad as Saturday's result looks on the face of it, when you dive into the details it starts to look even worse. In almost every one of the more than 400 polling places across Adelaide's eight electorates, voters favoured Labor on a two-party preferred count. On polling day just a small handful of booths favoured the Liberals in higher numbers. A kind way to look at those results would be to consider that pre-polls and postals generally favour the Liberal Party. But any way you cut it, it's a devastating result — voters in almost every part of the city rejected the Liberals, often in emphatic numbers. Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 federal election coverage Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC Listen Both state Labor and Liberal leaders have been quick to distance their contest from the federal one. At a press conference the day after Labor's victory, Premier Peter Malinauskas said he wasn't "sitting around counting numbers, thinking about seats". "I think that would be self-serving," Mr Malinauskas said. "Any sort of analysis for what this means for the state election would be foolhardy from my perspective. We've just got to get on with doing the job." While Mr Malinauskas doesn't want to seem arrogant or over-confident, Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia also has strong reasons to distance himself from the result. "The federal election has been fought on federal issues and I think people can distinguish between federal issues and state issues," he said. "All I can say is we're just working hard every day now to make sure that we hold the Labor government to account, but also make sure we continue to put our alternative vision forward for the people of South Australia." Mr Tarzia has enough to contend with, without looking at what's just happened to his federal colleagues. He's a relatively-new leader, still defining to the public who he is and what his team stands for, up against a very popular, first-term government. And there's even more he needs to overcome — the local Liberal Party's woes have been oft repeated. They lost six seats in the 2022 state election, went on to lose two by-elections — one in Dunstan when former Premier Steven Marshall retired, another in Black following the resignation of former opposition leader David Speirs. They lost MacKillop when Nick McBride turned independent. The party has also been tarnished by criminal allegations — Mr Speirs has pleaded guilty to drugs charges, and Mr McBride has this week faced court over assault charges after being charged with three counts of assaulting his wife in April. Before the 2022 election the brand also took a major hit — and lost other seats — when Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell was charged with fraud, and Narrunga MP Fraser Ellis was charged with deception — both have been found guilty but are waiting on appeals. They both still sit in parliament as independents. The Liberals also lost Kavel in the Adelaide Hills when Dan Cregan defected, making a deal with Labor to become Speaker. With all that recent history, Peter Dutton's disastrous campaign is something the local team could have done without. Party insiders are now questioning not how many seats Vincent Tarzia can win, but how many he might lose. The good news is, with all the regional seats lost to defections and scandals, there could be a chance to gain some of those back. But Saturday's result will have done little to energise the local membership — not a good start when you need to be developing an election campaign and pre-selecting candidates. For Tarzia and his team, their hope will echo Simon Birmingham, that the federal election was rock bottom, and the only way from here is up.
7NEWS
04-05-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
South Australia trends red in 2025 federal election
All metropolitan federal seats in South Australia are now held by the Australian Labor Party, as has been the national trend in the 2025 federal election. The most attention was on Sturt, where the Liberal Party 's James Stevens was desperately trying to cling to office by less than half a per cent. However, by mid-afternoon on Sunday, Labor's Claire Clutterham was already being celebrated as new royalty in the eastern suburbs. Her two-party preferred lead was a whopping 57 per cent to Stevens 43 per cent. That represents a 7.5 per cent swing to Labor in a seat which was considered there for the taking, but by no means guaranteed. Former Sturt MP Chistopher Pyne could only watch as the 50-year Liberal glow in Sturt was snuffed out, and will be hard to regain anytime soon. Boothby was another marginal seat snatched last time around by Labor's Louise Miller-Frost. The much-hyped return of former Liberal member Nicolle Flint proved to be yet another blue mirage. Labor increased its two party preferred stranglehold to 61 per cent, with Flint languishing at 39. The Greens had something to smile about, scoring 18.5 per cent of the primary vote. Mayo was retained by Independent Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie who can now rightfully own the hills electorate which was once lauded over by Liberal Alexander Downer. Her margin was an impressive 63 per cent to the Liberal candidate's 37 per cent. The only Liberal wins were in Barker and Grey in the east and north of the state. Prominent conservative Tony Pasin dropped slightly in Barker but without any chance of losing his grip. The margin appears to be 63 per cent to 37 per cent. In Grey, newcomer Tom Venning secured a 57 per cent victory to replace retired Liberal stalwart Rowan Ramsey, who came in 43 per cent. From there it's Labor red flags right across the electoral landscape. Steve Georganas retained Adelaide with 69 per cent. Some say he is now keeping the seat warm if Premier Peter Malinauskas ever enters federal politics. Health Minister Mark Butler did likewise in Hindmarsh with a predictable 66 per cent win. NDIS Minister Amanada Rishworth clobbered her namesake cousin Jim Rishworth in Kingston with a 71 per cent win over his 29 per cent. The so-called bible belt electorates of Makin and Spence were also easy Labor victories. In the Senate, it appears the Liberals will lose a seat to Labor, while Sarah Hanson-Young will be re-elected for the Greens. It was Labor's day and will stay that way for the next three years. Next question: what does this result mean for next year's SA state election? It could be a massacre under the same banner.
