{{short description|British private equity investment firm}} {{Infobox company | name = Kennet Partners | logo = Kennet Partners Logo.png | type = Limited company | foundation = {{start date and age|1997}} | key_people = Michael Elias, Javier Rojas, Eric Filipek, Hillel Zidel | location = London, England, United Kingdom<br>Foster City, California, United States | industry = Private Equity | products = Private equity funds | assets = | homepage = {{URL|http://www.kennet.com}} | num_employees = 12 }}
'''Kennet Partners''' is a private equity investment firm that provides growth capital to software, Internet and technology-enabled business services companies in Europe and the US.
Kennet Partners is headquartered in London, England, and has an office in San Francisco, California. The firm raised its fourth fund in 2014, bringing total capital under management to $700 million.
== Founding / history == Kennet was founded in 1997 as Kennet Capital, a joint venture between technology investment bank Broadview International and asset management firm Electra Partners. In 2000, Kennet became a wholly owned subsidiary of Broadview. In 2003 the partners of Kennet completed a management buy-out and became independent.<ref>[http://www.altassets.com/news/arc/2003/nz1925.php UK Kennet Venture Partners spins out from Broadview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123061511/http://www.altassets.com/news/arc/2003/nz1925.php |date=2008-11-23 }} AltAssets, 31 March 2003</ref> Kennet's first fund was primarily targeted at early-stage technology investments in Europe. With its second fund, Kennet began making growth equity investments in both Europe and the U.S., and this has remained the firm's exclusive strategy to this day.
== Funds and investments == Kennet has raised five funds: * 1997 Kennet I LP (£48.3 million) * 2000 Kennet II LP ($204 million) * 2008 Kennet III LP (€201 million)<ref>[http://www.tornado-insider.com/radar/compShow.asp?compID=7478 Kennet Partners] (Tornado Insider profile)</ref> * 2014 Kennet IV LP (€105 million) * 2020 Kennet V LP ($250 million)
Institutional investors in the Kennet funds include Access Capital Partners, Adveq, Alpha Associates, BNP Private Equity, Credit Suisse, European Investment Fund, LGT Capital Partners and Siemens.
===Investments=== Since inception, Kennet has invested in 60 companies,<ref>[http://www.kennet.com/the-kennet-portfolio/ Company website:portfolio]</ref> of which Kennet's most notable exits include Altitun,<ref>[http://www.efinancialnews.com/homepage/content/585872 Record Exit for Kennet] eFinancial News, 22 May 2000.</ref> Paragon Software,<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27610182_ITM 3i and Kennet sell Paragon of Virtue] European Venture Capital Journal, 1 March 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.mobileinfo.com/news/news_2000_issue06/Phone_Paragon_soft.htm Phone.com acquires Paragon Software] Mobile Info, 11 February 2000.</ref> No Wires Needed,<ref>[http://eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10811813 Intersil to acquire No Wires Needed] EE Times, 27 April 2000.</ref> Cramer Systems,<ref>[http://telephonyonline.com/software/finance/amdocs_cramer_acquisition_071806/ Amdocs acquires Cramer Systems for $375 million] Telephony Online, 18 July 2006</ref> Chipidea,<ref>[http://www.kennet.com/portfolio/case-stories/chipidea-microelectronica/ Kennet website: Chipidea case study]</ref><ref>[http://www.silicontap.com/mips_buys_chipidea/s-0010880.html MIPS buys Chipidea] Silicon Tap, 27 August 2007.</ref> Adviva Media,<ref>[http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3628737 Specific Media's Adviva Buy Aimed at Behavioral Growth in UK] ClickZ, 13 March 2008.</ref><ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9891485-7.html Specific Media acquires UK-based Adviva] Tech news blog - CNET New.com, 12 March 2008.</ref> NetPro, MedeAnalytics, GoViral, FRS Global, Prolexic Technologies, and Schoolwires.
Other investments include:
{{div col|colwidth=18em}} * ABA English * Adikteev * Aspective<ref>[http://www.twst.com/notes/articles/lzt096.html Interview with FD Mike Banwell, Aspective Limited] TWST.com, 19 January 2004.</ref> * BuyVIP * Consul Risk Management * Clearswift * Conversica * Daptiv (fka eProject)<ref>[https://venturebeat.com/2007/11/12/eproject-becomes-daptiv-aims-to-take-over-ppm-market/ eProject becomes Daptiv] VentureBeat, 12 November 2007.</ref> * Impartner * Intelepeer (fka VoEX) * Kapow Technologies * Kemp * Monis Software * Orchestream * RealityMine * Receipt Bank * Recommind<ref>[https://venturebeat.com/2008/10/08/recommind-raises-75m-for-ediscovery-20/ "Recommind raises $7.5M for eDiscovery 2.0"], VentureBeat, 8 October 2008.</ref> * Rivo Software * Rimilia * Sequans Communications<ref>[http://www.eetimes.eu/semi/207801197 Sequans extends mobile WiMAX chip series] EETimes.com, 20 May 2008.</ref> * Sermo * Spreadshirt * STS BV<ref>[http://www.thealarmclock.com/euro/archives/2007/08/dutch_wireless_audio_1.html Dutch Wireless Audio Startup Raises First Round] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121234014/http://www.thealarmclock.com/euro/archives/2007/08/dutch_wireless_audio_1.html |date=2008-11-21 }} alarm:clock euro, 13 August 2007.</ref> * Telemedicine Clinic<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110519190157/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9206384 Private Company snapshot] Business Week, September 2006</ref> * ThinkHR * TradingPartners * Ubizen * Volantis Systems
{{div col end}}
== Competitors == Kennet's investment strategy is similar to that of other growth capital investment firms such as Summit Partners, TA Associates and Insight Venture Partners. In Europe, Kennet competes with firms such as Eight Roads Ventures, Highland Europe, Scottish Equity Partners and the growth equity arm of Index Ventures. Competitors in the U.S. include JMI Equity and Summit Partners' Accelerator Fund.
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
===Further reading=== {{refbegin}} * [http://www.softletter.com/pages/Files/SoftGram_2008/sg_vol_4_no_10.html How Much Bootstrapping Is Enough]{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} Javier Rojas, SoftGram 2008. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716002805/http://www.sandhill.com/rss/redirect.php?name=daily_blog&id=62&post=442 A Q&A with Jon Craton, Founder, Cramer Systems] Sandhill.com, 14 August 2008. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080801051415/http://www.sandhill.com/opinion/editorial.php?id=194 How to convert to SaaS] Sandill.com, June 2008. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080405211855/http://www.prakashonsoftware.org/blog/index.php/2007/03/17/bootstrapping-and-capital-efficiency-a-contrarian-view/ Bootstrapping, over crowding and capital efficiency: a contrarian view] Prakash Muralidharan, Thoughts from the trench, 17 March 2007. * [http://www.opportunityworld.com/index.aspx?page=oppworld.ow-jul-aug-2006.Bootstrapping_Your_Business Have you considered bootstrapping your business for success?] Javier Rojas, Opportunity World, July/August 2006. * [https://books.google.com/books?id=s10ugFmlrhkC&dq=bleyleben+bootstrapping&pg=RA1-PA47-IA6 Strategic Entrepreneurship: Why it is better to be bootstrapped than well-heeled] Jonathan Guthrie, 7 December 2005. * [http://www.ieaf.es/_img_admin/118823838510.pdf El Ciclo del Capital riesgo en Europa: Su gestion y aportaction de valor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401053641/http://www.ieaf.es/_img_admin/118823838510.pdf |date=2010-04-01 }} FUNDACIÓN DE ESTUDIOS FINANCIEROS, March 2005. {{refend}}
== External links == *[http://www.kennet.com/ Kennet Partners](company website) *[http://www.tornado-insider.com/radar/compShow.asp?compID=7478 Tornado Insider Profile] *[http://www.thefunded.com/funds/show/Kennet%20Partners The Funded.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011130016/http://thefunded.com/funds/show/Kennet%20Partners |date=2008-10-11 }} Kennet Partners profile *[http://www.private-equity.org.uk/profile.php?contact=Kennet%20Partners%20Ltd PSEPS Directory] *[http://www.datamonitor.com/companies/company/?pid=D72C7AF9-D802-4AEB-8C3D-AD386E584DCB Datamonitor Profile]
{{Private equity firms}}
Category:Private equity firms of the United Kingdom Category:Financial services companies based in London