Bristol data firm seals deal which will make it global leader

Bristol based data firm Vistair has sealed a major deal with a US company.

The firm has merged with Wisconsin based Comply365 to create a leading global provider of compliance, safety and data intelligence technologies serving the aviation, defence and rail industries.

The new business will have over 120 customers located in more than thirty countries on six continents.

Rob Morgan, the current chief executive Officer of Vistair, has been appointed chief executive of the combined company.

Tom Samuel, the current chief executive of Comply365, has been appointed vice chairman of the combined company’s board of directors and will lead the integration of the two businesses.

Terms of the deal have not been announced.

Insight Partners, a global software investor, has joined Liberty Hall Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in businesses serving the global aerospace and defence industry and Comply365’s current controlling shareholder, as an equal investor in the combined business.

The two private equity firms’ investment provides the combined company the capital to accelerate product differentiation and new product development into cutting-edge, mission-critical products supporting aviation, defence and rail technologies.

Rob Morgan said: “I look forward to working with Tom and the team to build on our successes to date and ensuring our customers remain at the heart of everything we do.”

Tom Samuel added: “I am thrilled to join Rob in leading the company. This combination provides us significantly more resources to invest in our mission-critical solutions, better serve our global customers and accelerate technology transformation across the aviation, defence and rail sectors.”

“We are confident in the immense potential created from the merger of Comply365 and Vistair,” said Henry Frankievich, managing director at Insight Partners.

“The companies’ complementary solutions bring a powerful offering to the market for the benefit of the entire aviation ecosystem. We are excited to join forces with our partners at Liberty Hall to bolster and support ongoing product investment and growth.”

James Black, Principal at Liberty Hall, added, “We have very much enjoyed our partnership with Tom Samuel and the Comply365 team over the past three years and look forward to this next exciting chapter in the company’s journey. As Comply365 and Vistair come together, we look forward to working with Rob, Tom and our partners at Insight to support the combined company’s next phase of growth, which will combine the strengths and expertise of both organizations to deliver even greater value to our collective customers.”

Lincoln International served as financial advisor to Comply365 and Harris Williams and Lincoln International served as financial advisors to Insight Partners and Liberty Hall. Legal advice to Comply365 and Liberty Hall was provided by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and legal advice to Insight Partners was provided by Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Vistair. Legal advice was provided by Osborne Clarke.

Momentum Corporate Finance advised the Vistair management team.