Livingstone acted as advisor on the sale of Ipendo, an international provider of software solutions for intellectual property (IP) rights management. The company has been acquired by CPA Global, which specializes in IP outsourcing services and has offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Ipendo was part of the Zacco Group, Europe’s largest consulting firm in the intellectual property sector. In 2010, Ipendo reported revenue of 103 million Swedish kronor, with an average annual growth rate of 70% over the past three years. The company is headquartered in Malmö and includes the subsidiaries Ipendo Inc. in San Diego (California), Ipendo BV in Amsterdam, and the IT company Ipendo Systems AB in Linköping.
Peter Sewell, CEO of CPA Global, stated: “Ipendo is an extremely innovative and client-focused company with high growth potential, which will be enhanced and strengthened within our global structure. At the same time, this transaction allows us to consolidate our presence in the Nordic countries, both through the acquisition and thanks to the new partnership agreement with Zacco.”
Interest in Ipendo has been significant from both industrial and financial buyers, many of whom are global players. However, the choice fell on CPA Global, which identified strong synergies and expansion opportunities through the acquisition.
Thomas Karlsson, Partner at Livingstone, added: “It is clear that investors, both industrial and financial, are willing to seize the right opportunities despite the international financial uncertainty. The sale of Ipendo to CPA is an industrially logical transaction for all parties involved. We have been following Zacco’s development for years—it is now Europe’s largest intellectual property consulting firm—and this transaction will allow it to maintain a strong leadership position as the sector consolidates.”
