Clarion Capital Partners Announces the Sale of its Portfolio Company, SQAD, to GTCR and Dreamscape
New York, April 26th, 2022 — Clarion Capital Partners, LLC (“Clarion”) is pleased to announce the completion of its sale of SQAD LLC (“SQAD”), an advertising research, analytics, and media planning software company, to GTCR and its portfolio company Dreamscape, Inc. (“Dreamscape”). Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
SQAD is a provider of dynamic software and data solutions for advertisers, agencies, and brands for media planning strategies. These tools, employed by some of the largest advertisers and publishers in the world over the past 40 years, include SQAD’s MediaCosts benchmarking platform, which has processed more than $1 trillion in actual transaction ad costs from advertising systems of record, its MediaTools solution, which provides advertisers with a leading media planning software tool, and its MediaLogic audience analytics research tool. SQAD’s end-to-end solution allows clients to develop and deploy media strategies across network, local, and cable television, radio, out-of-home and internet channels that are informed by innovative research, review, planning, management, and reporting insights.
Clarion first invested in SQAD in 2013, partnering with its founder, Neil Klar, who had built the company’s industry leading market position and drove the company’s growth. In 2015, Clarion and Mr. Klar brought in Marc Krigsman to be SQAD’s new CEO. Mr. Krigsman and his world-class management team accelerated new product innovation and growth. “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to invest in SQAD. It has been a great partnership and the company has built industry leading solutions while providing world class service to its customers. It was the second time we backed the leadership of Marc Krigsman at a Clarion portfolio company and both times we had fabulous outcomes for our investors,” said David Ragins, Managing Director at Clarion.
“SQAD is a market leader with its cost products, audience analytics, and end to end media management platform,” said Marc Krigsman, Chief Executive Officer of SQAD. “Our clients look to us for the tools to plan, forecast, optimize, and automate more of the manual steps it takes to manage their media activities. Throughout my seven-year term as CEO, the incredible people of Team SQAD have worked tirelessly to further the leadership position of SQAD and I am incredibly proud to have worked with each and every person. The vision that GTCR and Dreamscape have for the future is one I am excited about and look forward to as SQAD enters this new relationship.”
Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor and LUMA Partners acted as financial advisor to GTCR and Dreamscape. Cooley acted as legal advisor and Lazard acted as financial advisor to SQAD.
About Clarion Capital Partners
Clarion Capital Partners is a New York based private equity firm that focuses on making equity investments in lower middle market growth companies. Clarion’s industry focus includes Media, Entertainment & Technology, Financial Services, Business & Healthcare Services, and Consumer & Retail. Additional information on Clarion can be found at www.Clarion-Capital.com.
About SQAD
SQAD LLC. has been an industry leader for more than four decades, processing more than $1 trillion in actual transaction ad costs from advertising systems of record for its MediaCosts benchmarking platform. SQAD also serves advertisers and agencies with its mission critical MediaTools planning software, a robust and flexible end-to-end media planning solution, and publishers with its MediaLogic audience analytics research tool. Learn more at www.sqad.com.
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