Francisco Partners Takes Controlling Stake in Kobalt

Muse Group Acquires Hal Leonard with Investment from Francisco Partners

December 4, 2023

Media & Entertainment

Francisco Partners has provided growth capital to back the combination of Muse Group and Hal Leonard, creating an expanded global music content and learning platform. Hal Leonard will join Muse Group while both firms retain their existing headquarters; the combined business will leverage Muse Group’s digital products (Ultimate Guitar, MuseScore, Audacity) and Hal Leonard’s extensive sheet-music catalog to accelerate product, content and education offerings.

Universal Music Group Acquires 25.8% Stake in Chord Music Partners

February 21, 2024

Media & Entertainment

Universal Music Group (UMG) will acquire a 25.8% minority interest in Chord Music Partners for US$240 million, valuing Chord at US$1.85 billion. The transaction creates a long-term strategic partnership under which UMG will administer Chord's music publishing through UMPG and recorded music through Virgin Music Group; KKR will exit and the Dundee consortium will remain a majority owner.

Francisco Partners Makes Strategic Growth Investment in Acoustic

October 18, 2022

Marketing & Advertising

Acoustic, a provider of unified marketing and customer experience technology for B2C brands, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners while existing investor Centerbridge Partners remains the primary equity holder. The capital will support Acoustic’s platform vision, accelerating product development and expansion of its personalized multichannel marketing and analytics capabilities.

Francisco Partners Completes Take-Private Restructuring of Movella

May 6, 2025

Data & Analytics

Francisco Partners, the Company's existing senior credit investor, completed a restructuring that resulted in Francisco Partners, through a newly formed partnership, owning 100% of the capital stock of Movella. The transaction was a take‑private recapitalization of Movella; Latham & Watkins advised Francisco Partners on the matter.

United Fintech Acquires Cobalt

December 15, 2022

Financial Services

United Fintech has acquired 100% of Cobalt, a provider of shared ledger infrastructure and risk/data services for FX and digital assets, to strengthen its FX and digital-assets trading capabilities. Cobalt will operate as a standalone business under United Fintech, with United Fintech founder Christian Frahm named Chairman while Cobalt's leadership remains in place.

Agile Growth Equity Acquires Kobus

November 20, 2023

Infrastructure

Agile Growth Equity has completed the acquisition of Kobus (Kobus Services Limited and Kobus, Inc.), a trenchless technology provider headquartered in Houston, Texas with operations in Tamworth, England. The private equity firm will partner with Kobus management to expand market awareness and accelerate delivery of the company's trenchless pipe-replacement tools and services to municipalities, water and gas utilities worldwide.