Carlyle acquires LiveU, a company that will face new “acquisitions and mergers”

Ao vivoU, a company dedicated to video streaming and remote production solutions, has been acquired by global investment firm Carlyle. Details of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, have not been made public.

The Israeli company offers an end-to-end solution combining acquisition solutions, cloud production and IP distribution to broadcasters, sports organizations and production companies where reliability, quality, availability and low latency are critical. Over the past few years, Ao vivoU has played a key role in the expansion of the well-known broadcast backpacks, capable of contributing signals from remote locations. With more than 3,000 customers in over 130 countries, the company’s next big goal is to provide in-depth coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Carlyle will use its broadcast sector expertise to support LiveU’s growth ambitions, represented by existing investments in Disfarce e NEP, along with previous investments such as A Fundição, Vubiquity, BTI Studios e O Mill. Carlyle will seek to further consolidate LiveU’s market position through merger activity, acquisitions and organic growth, while capitalizing on the rapid growth in demand for high-quality live video streaming. Over the next few years, LiveU will continue to focus on remote connections thanks to the deployment of 5G. Similarly, it will play a relevant role with the standardization of media production in the cloud.

Growth outlook

Carlyle will leverage its global network to further expand LiveU’s customer base. It will also act as an intermediary to help develop relationships with some of the world’s leading content providers. Capital for the investment will be provided by Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP) IV, a fund that invests in mid-market technology-focused opportunities in Europe and the United States.

Samuel Wasserman, CEO and co-founder of LiveU, says he is excited to “partner” with Carlyle: “This is a significant milestone for LiveU and represents a strong vote of confidence in our business. Carlyle brings deep industry expertise with their track record in the media and technology space alongside a global network.” Michael Wand, CEO and co-head of CETP’s advisory team, remarks that the acquisition will support LiveU’s growth, “driven by a mixture of expanding into new verticals, targeted M&A activity and through further developing their relationships with key media broadcasters, particularly in live sports where we are witnessing an exploding demand for live content.”

Finalmente, Eran Gorev, President of Francisco Partners in Israel and Senior Operating Partner, concludes, “We are proud to have helped Samuel and LiveU’s management team build upon their vision as they continued to innovate, capitalize upon many emerging opportunities in the live video distribution and remote production markets, and cross the $100 million mark in annual sales. We look forward to following the company as it continues to evolve in this next phase of its growth.”