PE Deals

Francisco Partners acquires indie music publisher Kobalt

Founder Willard Ahdritz will continue as Kobalt's chairman.

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  • Kobalt will continue to be led by its existing management team CEO Laurent Hubert, President/COO Jeannette Perez, CFO Catrin Drabble and CTO Nuno Guerreiro
  • MUSIC and Dundee Partners are also investing in Kobalt
  • Goldman Sachs served as financial advisor to Kobalt and Raine Group served as financial advisor to Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners will take a controlling stake in Kobalt, an independent music publisher. No financial terms were disclosed.

Moving forward, Willard Ahdritz will continue as Kobalt’s chairman, and the company will continue to be led by its existing management team Laurent Hubert, CEO, Jeannette Perez, president and COO, Catrin Drabble, CFO, and Nuno Guerreiro, CTO.

Kobalt was founded by Ahdritz as alternative to the traditional music business model.

“Our investment should help bring more resources, experience, and alignment to continue to build Kobalt as a premier destination for creators, further grow AMRA as the only global digital licensing platform, and support and invest in technology innovation across the entire Kobalt ecosystem to address the needs of creators and publishers,” said Matt Spetzler, a partner at Francisco Partners, in a statement.

Alongside Francisco Partners, MUSIC and Dundee Partners are also investing in Kobalt. Matt Pincus, CEO of MUSIC, will join the Board of Kobalt post the deal closing.

Goldman Sachs served as financial advisor to Kobalt and Raine Group served as financial advisor to Francisco Partners.

Kobalt is an independent music publishing destination for artists, songwriters, and publishers. Across 13 global offices, Kobalt serves over 700,000 songs, representing some of the biggest songwriters in the world, including Roddy Ricch, Max Martin, FINNEAS, Karol G, Andrew Watt, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, The Lumineers, Gunna, Justin Quiles, The Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, and many more.

Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in more than 400 technology companies. The firm has raised approximately $45 billion in capital.