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Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Dutch firm to buy legal software company Brightflag for €425m
It will mean big returns and paydays for investors such as Enterprise Ireland and Brightflag's founders, Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly. Mr Nolan is Brightflag's CEO, while Mr Kelly is its chief operating officer. They founded the business in 2014. Wolters Kluwer said the acquisition will strengthen its legal and regulatory division's presence among mid-sized corporations in the US and Europe. Brightflag is an AI-powered legal operations platform designed to streamline matter management, control legal spend and enhance collaboration between corporate legal departments and outside counsel. The company has 155 full-time employees who will join Wolters Kluwer's legal and regulatory division. Last year, Brightflag's revenues increased by 36pc to reach about €22m and, as of last month, the company had attained €27m annual recurring revenue. Brightflag revenues are about 95pc recurring in nature while about 60pc is generated from US customers. The acquisition is expected to achieve a return on invested capital at or above Wolters Kluwer's after tax weighted average cost of capital of 8pc in its fifth full year of ownership. The Dutch firm said that in the near term, the acquisition – which is on target to close next month – is expected to have an immaterial impact on its adjusted earnings. 'Since our founding, Brightflag has been committed to revolutionising legal spend and matter management through AI-driven innovation,' Mr Nolan said. 'Wolters Kluwer shares our vision for leveraging advanced technology to enhance legal operations.' Brightflag has raised tens of millions of dollars in funding since it was established, including a $28m funding round in 2023. Its backers include Sands Capital Partners, Tribal Ventures, Frontline Ventures and One Peak Partners. The latest set of publicly-available accounts for Brightflag show that in February 2023, the group completed the refinancing of its debt facility. That resulted in the repayment of its €8m in debt outstanding at the end of 2023, which was replaced with a €15m term loan facility. The company made a €5.8m loss in 2023, compared to a €10.8m loss in 2022. The 2023 accounts noted that the firm expected to be cashflow positive by early last year. Its revenue in 2023 rose to €15.9m from €11.6m in 2022.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Irish legal software firm Brightflag in €425m takeover
Irish legal software business Brightflag is to be taken over by a dutch firm in a deal worth hundreds of millions of euro. Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory has agreed terms to buy Dublin-based Brightflag for €425 million in cash, it said in a statement on Thursday. It will use Brightflag to strengthen its presence among mid-sized law firms in Europe and the US, it added. The deal is expected to close next month and is subject to the 'customary closing conditions.' Brightflag, which was founded by Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly in 2014, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help firms manage their legal bills as well as improve communications between companies and their outside legal teams. Its software scans invoices and other documents which can then be used to manage costs at big companies, which would typically spend millions of euro per year on legal fees. Brightflag's 155 staff will move to Wolters Kluwer as part of the deal. READ MORE [ Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly of Brightflag: 'It's shocking how little the Government buys from indigenous Irish technology companies' Opens in new window ] 'Wolters Kluwer shares our vision for leveraging advanced technology to enhance legal operations, and we look forward to working with the Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory team to accelerate the future of legal solutions,' said Mr Nolan, who is also Brightflag's chief executive. Brightflag's revenue hit €22 million last year, according to the company. That was a 36 per cent increase on a year earlier. By last month, it had annual recurring revenue – a key performance metric – of €27 million. About 50 per cent of its business comes from the US. The company counts the likes of Lufthansa and DropBox among its clients. 'We are excited to welcome Brightflag to Wolters Kluwer, where together we will continue to lead the way in AI-powered legal technology tailored to the evolving demands of corporate legal departments,' said Wolters Kluwer chief executive Martin O'Malley. Mr Kelly and Mr Nolan identified a gap in the market for what became Brightflag in part through Mr Kelly's time as a corporate lawyer with Matheson and Mr Nolan's background as a software engineer focused on the legal industry. 'There are major pressures on legal departments to be operationally efficient like their colleagues in other areas of the business,' they said in a 2019 interview with The Irish Times, adding that it was 'shocking how little the government buys from indigenous Irish technology companies.' It had previously raised at least €30 million across three funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $28 million (€24.6 million) in 2020. That funding round was led by One Peak Partners while previous backers Sands Capital Partners, and Dublin-based Frontline Ventures and Tribal VC also participated in the round. Sands Capital had led a funding round for the company in 2019.
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
One Peak Makes 6x Return on Sale of Leading AI-Driven Legal Operations Platform Brightflag to Wolters Kluwer
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One Peak, a leading specialist growth equity investor, announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its interest in Shine Analytics Limited ('Brightflag') to Wolters Kluwer (Euronext: WKL), a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals. Brightflag is the leading AI-driven legal operations platform, enabling corporate legal departments globally to drive visibility, automation and cost-control across the legal function. One Peak made a significant minority investment in Brightflag in December 2020, backing a strong and experienced management team led by Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly, with the goal of building a category-defining leader within the large and rapidly growing enterprise legal management market. One Peak partnered closely with Brightflag to accelerate growth through international expansion and AI-led product innovation, establishing Brightflag as the leading AI-driven legal operations platform globally and growing revenues more than 5x since One Peak's investment. Ian Nolan, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightflag, said 'We're incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past years and One Peak has been instrumental in helping us realize our global ambitions. The One Peak team's deep knowledge of the legal technology sector and their growth-oriented operational expertise has been invaluable to our success and expansion.' Alex Kelly, Co-Founder and COO of Brightflag, added 'From the early days of our partnership, One Peak distinguished itself as a trusted and passionate supporter of our vision. They've stood by us through thick and thin, bringing not only a deep understanding of our business and product but also acting as invaluable sparring partners at every stage. We're deeply thankful for their belief in Brightflag and the collaborative spirit they brought to our journey.' Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of One Peak, added 'It has been a true privilege to partner with Ian, Alex, and the entire Brightflag team on their incredible journey. From day one, their vision, drive, and unwavering commitment to transforming legal operations set them apart. We're proud to have played a part in their growth story and are deeply grateful for the trust, collaboration, and shared ambition that defined our partnership. We wish them continued success in this exciting new chapter.' The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to complete in June 2025. Brightflag and its shareholders were advised by William Blair, Proskauer Rose and Maples. About One Peak One Peak is a leading specialist growth equity firm that invests in technology companies in the scale-up phase. One Peak provides growth capital, operating expertise, and access to its extensive network to exceptional entrepreneurs, with a view to help transform innovative and rapidly growing businesses into lasting, category-defining leaders. One Peak's investments include Akur8, Ardoq, Cymulate, Deepki, Docplanner, Iplicit, Keepit, Lucca, Neo4j, PandaDoc, Spryker, and many others. To learn more, visit
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
One Peak Makes 6x Return on Sale of Leading AI-Driven Legal Operations Platform Brightflag to Wolters Kluwer
LONDON, May 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One Peak, a leading specialist growth equity investor, announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its interest in Shine Analytics Limited ("Brightflag") to Wolters Kluwer (Euronext: WKL), a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals. Brightflag is the leading AI-driven legal operations platform, enabling corporate legal departments globally to drive visibility, automation and cost-control across the legal function. One Peak made a significant minority investment in Brightflag in December 2020, backing a strong and experienced management team led by Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly, with the goal of building a category-defining leader within the large and rapidly growing enterprise legal management market. One Peak partnered closely with Brightflag to accelerate growth through international expansion and AI-led product innovation, establishing Brightflag as the leading AI-driven legal operations platform globally and growing revenues more than 5x since One Peak's investment. Ian Nolan, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightflag, said "We're incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past years and One Peak has been instrumental in helping us realize our global ambitions. The One Peak team's deep knowledge of the legal technology sector and their growth-oriented operational expertise has been invaluable to our success and expansion." Alex Kelly, Co-Founder and COO of Brightflag, added "From the early days of our partnership, One Peak distinguished itself as a trusted and passionate supporter of our vision. They've stood by us through thick and thin, bringing not only a deep understanding of our business and product but also acting as invaluable sparring partners at every stage. We're deeply thankful for their belief in Brightflag and the collaborative spirit they brought to our journey." Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of One Peak, added "It has been a true privilege to partner with Ian, Alex, and the entire Brightflag team on their incredible journey. From day one, their vision, drive, and unwavering commitment to transforming legal operations set them apart. We're proud to have played a part in their growth story and are deeply grateful for the trust, collaboration, and shared ambition that defined our partnership. We wish them continued success in this exciting new chapter." The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to complete in June 2025. Brightflag and its shareholders were advised by William Blair, Proskauer Rose and Maples. About One Peak One Peak is a leading specialist growth equity firm that invests in technology companies in the scale-up phase. One Peak provides growth capital, operating expertise, and access to its extensive network to exceptional entrepreneurs, with a view to help transform innovative and rapidly growing businesses into lasting, category-defining leaders. One Peak's investments include Akur8, Ardoq, Cymulate, Deepki, Docplanner, Iplicit, Keepit, Lucca, Neo4j, PandaDoc, Spryker, and many others. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts For all media inquiries, please contact Olivia Ewin at pr@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wolters Kluwer to acquire global legal software provider Brightflag
PRESS RELEASE Wolters Kluwer to acquire global legal software provider Brightflag Alphen aan den Rijn – May 29, 2025 – Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory has signed an agreement to acquire Brightflag, a fast-growing, cloud-based provider of AI-powered legal spend and matter management software, for approximately €425 million in cash. The acquisition will strengthen Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory's presence among mid-size corporations in the U.S. and Europe. Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory ELM Solutions traditionally serves large corporations and their law firms. Founded in 2014, Brightflag is an AI-powered legal operations platform designed to streamline matter management, control legal spend, and enhance collaboration between corporate legal departments and outside counsel. The company has 155 full-time employees who will join Wolters Kluwer's Legal & Regulatory division. Martin O'Malley, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory: 'Today's legal professionals require innovative solutions that drive greater efficiency while optimizing their legal matters and spend. We are excited to welcome Brightflag to Wolters Kluwer, where together we will continue to lead the way in AI-powered legal technology tailored to the evolving demands of corporate legal departments." Ian Nolan, CEO and Co-Founder of Brightflag: 'Since our founding, Brightflag has been committed to revolutionizing legal spend and matter management through AI-driven innovation. Wolters Kluwer shares our vision for leveraging advanced technology to enhance legal operations, and we look forward to working with the Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory team to accelerate the future of legal solutions.' In 2024, Brightflag revenues increased 36% to reach approximately €22 million (un-audited), and, as of April 2025, the company had attained €27 million of ARR (annual recurring revenue). Brightflag revenues are approximately 95% recurring in nature and approximately 60% from U.S. customers. The acquisition is expected to achieve a return on invested capital (ROIC) at or above Wolters Kluwer's after tax weighted average cost of capital (8%) in its fifth full year of ownership. In the near term, the acquisition is expected to have an immaterial impact on Wolters Kluwer adjusted earnings. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in June 2025. ### About Wolters KluwerWolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2024 annual revenues of €5.9 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,900 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX, Euro Stoxx 50 and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information about Wolters Kluwer, please visit: or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. About BrightflagBrightflag's AI-powered enterprise legal management (ELM) platform provides Chief Legal Officers, General Counsel, and heads of legal operations with visibility into work and spend, tools that improve productivity, and insights needed to operate strategically. Brightflag customers benefit from automatic monthly software updates and a proactive, consultative customer service team whose mission is to make them better month after month and year after year. Media Investors/Analysts Stefan Kloet Meg Geldens Associate Director Vice President Global Communications Investor Relations press@ ir@ m: +31 612 223 657 Forward-looking Statements and Other Important Legal InformationThis report contains forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as 'expect', 'should', 'could', 'shall' and similar expressions. Wolters Kluwer cautions that such forward-looking statements are qualified by certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, general economic conditions; conditions in the markets in which Wolters Kluwer is engaged; conditions created by pandemics; behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors; technological developments; the implementation and execution of new ICT systems or outsourcing; and legal, tax, and regulatory rules affecting Wolters Kluwer's businesses, as well as risks related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestments. In addition, financial risks such as currency movements, interest rate fluctuations, liquidity, and credit risks could influence future results. The foregoing list of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Wolters Kluwer disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Elements of this press release contain or may contain inside information about Wolters Kluwer within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014/EU). Trademarks referenced are owned by Wolters Kluwer N.V. and its subsidiaries and may be registered in various countries. Attachment 2025.05.29 Wolters Kluwer to acquire global legal software provider BrightflagError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
