K1 Investment Management Sells Leading IR Platform Irwin to FactSet in Strategic Exit

K1 Investment Management is selling its stake in Irwin, a provider of investor relations software, to FactSet in a strategic deal. The transaction will contribute to over $2.9 billion in enterprise value realized by K1 in 2024. Since K1's investment in 2021, Irwin has experienced significant revenue growth, expanding its market presence and product offerings, including the introduction of Irwin IQ and entry into the European market. FactSet's acquisition of Irwin aims to integrate investor relations and capital markets data, analytics, and research workflows.

In a noteworthy deal, private equity firm K1 Investment Management has announced the sale of its stake in Irwin, a prominent provider of investor relations software, to FactSet, a global leader in financial data and analytics [1]. This strategic transaction, valued at over $2.9 billion in enterprise value, is expected to significantly contribute to K1's portfolio realization in 2024 [1].

Since K1's investment in 2021, Irwin has experienced remarkable growth. The company has expanded its market presence and product offerings, catering to the evolving needs of innovative public companies and their advisors [1]. Key highlights of Irwin's growth trajectory include the introduction of Irwin IQ, an advanced investor targeting and CRM platform, and the entry into the European market [1].

The acquisition of Irwin by FactSet aims to integrate investor relations and capital markets data, analytics, and research workflows, creating a unified solution for IR professionals [1]. This partnership will enable FactSet's Workstation, a data-driven platform empowering decision-making and corporate storytelling, to provide an end-to-end platform for corporate clients to enhance investor engagement, conduct research, and streamline reporting [1].

"The partnership with Irwin is extremely exciting," said Goran Skoko, Executive Vice President, Head of Dealmakers & Wealth at FactSet. "This creates a unified solution for IR professionals, providing a fully integrated CRM with market-leading financial data, analysis, and research on one platform" [1].

Emily Geer, SVP, Senior Director of the Corporates Business at FactSet, emphasized the need to streamline operations and empower clients, stating, "Prior to this partnership, many investor relations professionals had to pivot between multiple systems, which created inefficiencies in their day-to-day workflow" [1]. By connecting Irwin's investor targeting and CRM capabilities to FactSet's industry-leading content, insights, and personalized workflow solutions, FactSet is poised to streamline operations and unlock new value for its clients.

Irwin, a modern investor relations management platform, combines powerful investor targeting, shareholder monitoring, and an intuitive CRM, centralizing critical investor and shareholder data [1]. With built-in automation and proactive insights, Irwin empowers IR teams to efficiently manage programs and focus on strategic growth.

David Whyte, Co-Founder and CEO at Irwin, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, "Integrating Irwin's capabilities with FactSet's Workstation drives a pivotal shift towards a more streamlined infrastructure for issuers and investors, starting with better insights into critical capital markets data for corporate IR teams" [1].

References:
[1] FactSet and Irwin Announce Strategic Partnership to Deliver Best-Class Investor Relations Solutions. (2023, September 27). Retrieved October 14, 2023, from https://investor.factset.com/news-releases/news-release-details/factset-and-irwin-announce-partnership-deliver-best-class