Callcredit Information Group Acquired by GTCR from Vitruvian

Callcredit Information Group Ltd., an innovative provider of consumer data solutions, software and analytics, is pleased to announce a transaction whereby GTCR, a leading Chicago-based private equity firm, has partnered with management to acquire the company.

GTCR and Callcredit’s management team, led by CEO John McAndrew, are investing behind the company’s strong growth trajectory, innovative product offering, and service-oriented culture. GTCR is acquiring an ownership position from Vitruvian Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on the UK and Northern Europe, which has owned Callcredit since 2009.

Callcredit is a leading player in the U.K. credit reference and marketing solutions industries. The Company serves a rapidly expanding base of blue chip clients , including the UK’s largest financial institutions and organisations in the alternative lending, insurance, telecom, utilities and public sectors, among others. Callcredit employs around 1,000 professionals in the U.K. and has operations in Japan, China, Dubai and Lithuania.

Since its establishment 14 years ago, Callcredit’s management team has achieved rapid growth and built one of the U.K.’s leading consumer information businesses by combining the Company’s innovative products and solutions with a responsive customer orientation and a market-leading technology platform. As part of this new partnership, Callcredit will continue to pursue its current strategy of winning in the marketplace through innovation and strong customer service.

GTCR is one of the most established private equity firms in the United States, and focuses on investing in growth companies alongside exceptional management teams. Since its inception in 1980, GTCR has invested more than $10.0 billion in over 200 companies, with extensive experience in the financial technology, data analytics, and software sectors.

John McAndrew, Chief Executive of Callcredit, said: “I am extremely pleased  that Callcredit  is partnering with GTCR. They understand technology and added-value growth. They are very clear in wanting us to continue to succeed by helping our customers thrive in this challenging environment of increasing regulation, rapid technological change, and heightened competition.”

Collin Roche, Managing Director at GTCR, stated: “We are delighted to partner with John McAndrew and the Callcredit management team. We believe that Callcredit is perfectly positioned to continue its success and growth within the rapidly evolving areas of consumer credit and data analytics, and we look forward to supporting John’s vision of building upon the company’s strong service-oriented culture, innovative and expanding product portfolio, and leading technology infrastructure. Moreover, we believe that GTCR is ideally positioned to back Callcredit and its management team’s success by pursuing opportunities for strategic acquisitions and geographic expansion.”

John McAndrew added, “We are also extremely grateful for the help and support of Vitruvian Partners over the last four years. Vitruvian has actively supported us to grow the company both organically and through strategic acquisitions as we have implemented our vision for the company, which has helped to ensure that Callcredit is now recognised as an innovative and progressive player in our industry.”

David Nahama, a founding Partner at Vitruvian, added: “We are delighted with the performance and development of Callcredit over the past four years of our ownership with John and the team who have worked hard to position the Company firmly for further development. We wish them every continuing success with the next stage of growth.”

Jefferies International Limited acted as Corporate Finance Adviser to Vitruvian and Callcredit.