GHO Capital Acquires Validant, a Leading Quality, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Consulting Firm for Healthcare Companies

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GHO Capital, the European specialist investor in healthcare, has acquired a majority stake in Validant, a leading quality, compliance and regulatory affairs consulting firm.

Operating globally with offices in Europe and North America, Validant provides specialist consulting services, with a focus on quality, compliance and regulatory affairs, to a broad range of clients across the biotech, pharma and medtech sectors.

Founded in 2005, Validant has established itself as a leader in its specialist field, providing tailored expert teams to solve critical customer challenges. With an unparalleled expert consultant network, Validant focuses on being highly responsive to unique and complex customer needs. The Company boasts an exceptional track record, having advised 20 of the top 30 Global Pharmaceutical firms, 25 of the top 30 Medical Device firms, and 7 of the top 10 Biotechnology firms globally.

Validant operates in a high growth market, driven by continued focus on patient safety and product quality from manufacturers and global regulatory bodies alike, as well as the increased penetration of specialist outsourced providers serving the industry. The Company is achieving rapid international growth, supporting customers on five continents as they navigate across multiple markets in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

GHO Capital brings deep sectoral expertise and networks to support Validant’s senior management team in accelerating international growth organically and through selective acquisitions as well as to help broaden the service offering. In a highly fragmented marketplace, Validant offers a proven, differentiated platform for growth.

Mike Mortimer, Executive Partner at GHO Capital, commented: “We look to partner with businesses that are or who can become industry leaders. Validant is such a business and offers a unique growth platform in a highly fragmented growth market. We are confident that we will be able to harness GHO’s transatlantic capabilities to support Validant as it expands its operations both in Europe and globally.”

Mike Turner, Executive Partner at GHO Capital, added: “Validant is one of the leading quality, compliance and regulatory consulting firms in the healthcare sector with a highly ambitious and experienced senior management team led by CEO, Brian Burns. We look forward to working with Brian and the rest of his team as they execute the strategy to accelerate the firm’s future growth.”

Brian Burns, Chief Executive Officer of Validant, added: “I firmly believe that GHO Capital’s investment will provide the necessary expertise and resources to accelerate Validant’s future growth. We are uniquely positioned to press home our advantage as the leading quality, compliance and regulatory consulting firm in the healthcare sector. With the support and guidance of GHO Capital, we will be able to realise our ambitions to provide high quality, in-depth compliance and regulatory expertise globally.”

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About GHO Capital

Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, is a leading specialist healthcare investment advisor based in London. We apply global capabilities and perspectives to unlock high growth healthcare opportunities in Europe, building market leading businesses of strategic global value. Our proven investment track record reflects the unrivalled depth of our industry expertise and network. We partner with strong management teams to unlock value in a global system that demands the provision of better, faster, cheaper healthcare. For further information, please visit www.ghocapital.com

About Validant

Validant is a leading international Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory consulting firm, blending industry expertise with innovation to create custom solutions for companies on the frontier of health. The Validant network represents the largest assembly of leading engineers, scientists, clinicians, and specialists in the field. With deep experience working within and alongside the FDA, health authority, and other regulatory agencies, we understand how to navigate the complexities facing today’s healthcare industry. For further information, please visit www.validant.com

List of Participants

Ropes & Gray LLP provided legal advice to GHO Capital. Deloitte LLP provided debt, financial and accounting, tax and IT advice. LEK Consulting provided commercial advice. Corporate Risk Solutions, LLC and Atlantic Global Risk LLC provided insurance advice.

Baird provided M&A advice to Validant. O’Melveny & Myers LLP provided legal advice.

Permira Debt Managers, London, provided debt capital for the transaction.

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