This article was published on March 1, 2013

Software download portal Softonic receives reported €82.5 million investment from Partners Group


Software download portal Softonic receives reported €82.5 million investment from Partners Group

Softonic, an online portal for downloading Windows, Mac, iOS and Android software, has received a growth equity investment from Partners Group, in a deal which has valued the company at €275 million.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia has reported that Partners Group paid €82.5 million to purchase 30 percent of Softonic’s shares. The deal marks the exit of Digital River – which became Softonic in 2010 – and Tang Capital, as well as the partial exit of Inveready Technology Investment Group.

Espiga is also understood to have been one of the investors that sold to Partners Group.

Softonic allows users to search, discover and download more than 160,000 applications to both desktop and mobile operating systems. The company has over 140 million monthly users at the moment, and supports more than ten different languages.

In addition to its website, the company offers a desktop and smartphone app for easy access to content and services. To entice developers, Softonic also offers custom packages that enable them to individually publish, manage, distribute and advertise their software.

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Founded in 1997, the company employs more than 350 staff and has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

With the new funding, Softonic hopes to increase its influence in specific markets where it already operates, including the US, China and Japan. It also wants to create new products and services, however, which it says will “help users discover and enjoy software for any platform or device.”

Tomas Diago, founder and president of Softonic said that Partners Group would “play a key role” in the company’s global expansion and ongoing expansion.

Stephan Seissl, Vice President in Partners Group’s private equity team in Europe, added: “We are looking forward to being an active shareholder and supporting Softonic’s management team in their global growth strategy, which includes the launch of a number of exciting new product and service offerings.”

Partners Group is a gobal private markets investment management firm, with more than €28 billion currently in investment programs. The firm is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and has offices in San Francisco, New York, São Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Munich, Dubai, Singapore, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney.

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