Commify

Private Equity Manager (GP)

Case study

About the company

Commify is a provider of business messaging solutions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Its products allow companies to communicate with their customers via text and email for mission-critical uses such as appointment confirmations and customer support. Commify employs nearly 300 people across Europe, the USA and Australia.

Investment rationale

• Commify is one of the leading players in a market where growth is being driven by trends such as digitalisation, the increasing use of messaging services and privacy regulations which favour larger operators such as Commify.
• Commify, with its diverse product offering, is well-positioned to serve small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Commify’s value propositions ensure a high level of customer service and compliance tailored to customers’ needs.
• ECI Partners (“ECI”) has extensive experience and a track record of creating value within businesses operating in the digital platforms, SME services and Cloud and digital services sectors.

Our relationship

PIP is a primary investor in three ECI funds, and Pantheon currently holds three advisory board seats with the manager. PIP is also a co-investor alongside ECI in Ciphr, a provider of human capital management and payroll solutions to mid-market businesses.

Active management and value creation

Commify has a long track record of M&A over the past decade. The company has a strong M&A pipeline and sees this as an important route to expand the business across existing and new geographies. The business messaging market is highly fragmented with sellers motivated by regulatory complexity and the burdens of technological development.

Investment by Commify in a new cloud platform is expected to provide access to a broader range of customers, enable cross-selling opportunities and improve M&A integration. ECI will also seek to invest in product development to offer new products and services to customers.