Maritime analytics heavyweight Windward is set to be bought by an investment fund in a £216m deal, joining the surge of London-listed firms being taken private by US investors this year. Chaired by ex-BP chief Lord John Browne, Windward will be bought out by Octopus UK Bidco, a subsidiary of FTV Capital's investment fund. Shareholders are poised for a windfall with the fund offering 215p per share, a 47% premium on Windward's last closing price.
The AI tech firm, which floated in London just in 2021, is looking to the takeover to boost its expansion in the US. The fund has been eyeing Windward for some time, aiming to bolster its market presence and dive deeper into supply chain analytics. Brad Bernstein, managing partner at the fund, remarked: "As global seaborne trade expands, regulatory regimes tighten and supply chain pressures mount, the need for advanced maritime intelligence and visibility has become imperative for global organisations to effectively operate and manage risk in an increasingly complex landscape.
"Windward has built a best-in-class maritime AI-based analytics platform spanning use cases across risk, compliance, trading and the supply chain and delivering tangible value to its growing blue-chip customer base worldwide.". Ami Daniel, chief executive officer of Windward, said: “The fund team have an outstanding track record in supporting the scaling of founder-led software businesses globally and we believe that together we will be a significantly stronger organisation.
