Marlin Equity joins Luminate Capital in backing StarCompliance in its next phase of growth
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 17, 2020 /CNW/ — StarCompliance (“Star”), a leading provider of employee compliance and regulatory technology solutions to the financial services industry, today announced a majority-control, growth investment from Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”). The transaction enables Star to further expand its leadership position within the global compliance market by accelerating product innovation and supporting the company’s ongoing international expansion. Luminate Capital Partners (“Luminate”), the company’s majority shareholder since 2017, will retain a minority stake.
With a client base of over 500,000 users across 83 countries, Star is a market-leading, highly configurable compliance solution trusted by the world’s largest regulated firms, including asset managers, investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, insurance companies, professional services firms, and public corporations. The company has a rich history of innovation with its mission-critical Employee Conflicts of Interest platform, complemented by its newest platform, Compliance Control Room – two comprehensive solutions that assist global firms in efficiently and effectively managing critical aspects of the complex compliance ecosystem.
“We are incredibly proud of our tremendous growth and world-class list of clients with whom we collaborate to automate and streamline compliance oversight,” said Jennifer Sun, CEO at Star. “This investment accelerates our vision of serving as the preeminent leader in the employee compliance and conflicts of interest market and better positions us to help our clients navigate evolving regulation and intelligently manage risk across the employee lifecycle – from onboarding to supporting fast-moving day-to-day operations. We look forward to partnering with Marlin and Luminate for our next phase of growth.”
“Regulatory requirements continue to become increasingly complex with escalating penalties for non-compliance. Star is uniquely addressing this global challenge with its industry-leading technology platform,” said Michael Anderson, Managing Director at Marlin. “We are excited to partner with Star and continue to expand the company’s market leadership by building upon its best-in-class product suite through further product investments and strategic acquisitions.”
“StarCompliance has undergone a tremendous transformation since our initial investment, accelerating its growth, bolstering its management team, launching new products, and expanding its global reach. We are thrilled to partner with Marlin and continue to support the company,” said Hollie Haynes, Managing Partner at Luminate. Dave Ulrich, Partner at Luminate added, “Since our initial investment, Star has seen accelerated demand for its software solutions as firms increasingly struggle to maintain compliance and mitigate risk through manual processes. We expect this acceleration to continue and believe Star is uniquely positioned to address key customer requirements.”
The completion of the transaction is subject to applicable regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Marlin. Evercore acted as financial advisor to StarCompliance and Luminate Capital, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to StarCompliance.
About StarCompliance StarCompliance is a leading provider of compliance technology solutions. Trusted globally by enterprise financial firms in over 83 countries—including asset managers, investment banks, broker dealers, PE firms, insurance companies, and stock exchanges—the STAR Platform empowers organizations to achieve regulatory compliance while safeguarding their integrity and business reputations. Through a customizable, 360-degree view of employee activity, STAR software enables firms to automate the detection and resolution of potential areas of conflict while streamlining daily workflows and increasing efficiency. For more information, please visit www.starcompliance.com.
About Marlin Equity Partners Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $7.4 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company’s outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 170 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.
About Luminate Capital Luminate Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in growth software companies. Luminate partners with management teams to provide capital to drive strategy, growth, and operational improvements. Luminate’s portfolio of market leaders has also included Conexiom, Fintech, Oversight Systems, LiquidFrameworks, PDI, StarCompliance, and Thought Industries. For more information, please visit https://www.luminatecapital.com.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
