PE-backed Insightsoftware acquires Certent from K1

Insightsoftware, which is backed by TA Associates and Genstar Capital, has acquired Certent from K1 Investment Management. No financial terms were disclosed. Certent is a provider of software-as-a-service solutions for financial disclosure management and equity compensation.

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — K1 Investment Management, LLC (“K1”), a leading investment firm focusing on high-growth enterprise software companies, today announced that it has completed the sale of its portfolio company Certent, Inc. (“Certent”), the category leader in software-as-a-service solutions for financial disclosure management and equity compensation.

insightsoftware, a global provider of enterprise software solutions for the Office of the CFO, backed by TA Associates and Genstar Capital, acquired the business.
K1 first invested in Certent in 2012 and was the only institutional investor in the company. Since K1’s initial investment, Certent’s customer base grew by more than 3x and its revenue grew by more than 5x.

With K1’s backing, Certent achieved significant scale and profitability through an active buy-and-build strategy. Certent leveraged K1’s sector specialization, sourcing capabilities and operational resources to complete and integrate five add-on acquisitions which expanded the company’s product line and geographic breadth. Additionally, 13 Certent executives, including the company’s CEO, CTO and SVP of Global Services, graduated from K1’s proprietary year-long executive development course, the Advanced Management Program (“AMP”).

“We appreciate K1’s support in helping us achieve significant growth and market penetration over the years,” said Jorge Martin, CEO of Certent. “Looking back, the journey exceeded all of my expectations. The investments K1 made in me personally and in our team and culture allowed us to build the category leader in equity and disclosure management. We are excited to join forces with insightsoftware and look forward to the next phase of the company’s evolution.”

Certent first appeared on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list in 2013 and has remained on the list every year since then. Additionally, in October 2020, the company was ranked #1 in customer satisfaction and recognized as a market leader in G2 Crowd’s inaugural report for equity management software, further validating the company’s market presence.

“When we first met Certent, we were drawn to the mission-critical software products it provided to finance and legal teams of public and private companies,” said Taylor Beaupain, Managing Partner at K1. “Certent has since grown to become the category leader in its space. It has been an incredible journey to support the company’s growth over the years, and we are thrilled that Jorge and the Certent team will further build their capabilities within the broader insightsoftware platform.”

Certent was advised by Raymond James as financial advisor and Morris, Manning & Martin LLP as legal counsel.

About K1
K1 builds category-leading enterprise software companies. As a global investment firm, K1 assists high-growth businesses to achieve successful outcomes, and invests alongside strong management teams that continue to guide their organizations on a day-to-day basis. With over 100 professionals, K1 changes industry landscapes by assisting with operationally-focused growth strategies designed to assist portfolio companies scale efficiently. Since inception of the firm, K1 has partnered with over 135 enterprise software companies including industry leaders such as Apttus, Buildium, Checkmarx, ChiroTouch, Clarizen, ControlUp, Emburse, FMG Suite, Granicus, Graduway, IronScales, Litera Microsystems, Onit, Rave Mobile Safety, RFPIO, Smarsh, WorkForce Software and Zapproved. For more information about K1, please visit k1capital.com or follow us at linkedin.com/company/k1im.

About Certent
Certent, Inc., founded in 2002, helps customers elevate their business with smart, intuitive solutions for modern finance. Our advanced solutions for disclosure management, narrative reporting, and equity management help business and finance leaders improve accuracy, save time, and get more done. Deploy with confidence over the cloud, backed by our end-to-end support services, deep expertise, and global reach. Integrate easily with existing systems and data sources. Certent helps you redefine your approach to governance, risk, and compliance. The company operates in seven countries and serves over 2,400 public, private, and pre-IPO companies around the world.