Harris Williams & Co. Ltd Advises the Shareholders of exocad GmbH on its Pending Sale of a Majority Stake to The Carlyle Group

Frankfurt, Germany, September 13, 2016 - Harris Williams & Co. Ltd, a preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide, is exclusively advising the shareholders of exocad GmbH (exocad), a provider of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) software for the dental industry, on its pending sale of a majority stake to The Carlyle Group (Carlyle; NASDAQ: CG). With the acquisition, Carlyle continues its history of partnering with sector leaders with strong management teams, looking to accelerate the next stage of their growth. The pending transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016 and is being led by Jeffery Perkins, Lars Friemann and Stephan Döring of Harris Williams & Co.’s Frankfurt office as well as Thierry Monjauze and Samuel Hendler of the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group.

Dr. Thorsten Dippel, a managing director at Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP) commented, “We’ve been impressed with exocad’s innovative dental CAD/CAM software solutions which are strongly valued by its customers. exocad’s position within the dental CAD/CAM software market in combination with Carlyle’s global network, especially in the U.S. and Asia, are a unique opportunity to further develop exocad into a truly global champion. CETP has a strong track record of investing in business critical software companies and we are delighted to be partnering with exocad and its entrepreneurial management team.”

Tillmann Steinbrecher, exocad’s chief executive officer, and Maik Gerth, chief technology officer, added, “With Harris Williams & Co., we found the right advisor whose hands-on approach and commitment to a high quality work product resulted in an outcome which exceeded the shareholders’ expectations.  In partnering with Carlyle, we seek to leverage new opportunities in current and new markets, and drive the continued growth and customer-focused innovation that the company has consistently delivered.”

Jeffery Perkins, a managing director at Harris Williams & Co., stated, “This transaction is in line with our successful track record of advising privately owned businesses. Our extensive sell-side track record, expertise in the healthcare and TMT spaces, as well as our global network with excellent access to strategic buyers and the private equity community, enabled us to help exocad find the right partner for its future growth.”

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, acting through Fraunhofer Venture, will completely exit its stake in exocad, while the founders will remain significant shareholders in the company.

exocad is a dynamic and innovative dental CAD/CAM software company committed to expanding the possibilities of digital dentistry and providing its distribution partners flexible, reliable and easy-to-use software. exocad's technology enables system integrators to turn equipment into comprehensive, class-leading solutions. The company is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, and has five offices worldwide. exocad was spun out of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in 2010 and it has since established itself as a leading independent developer of dental CAD/CAM software solutions. Its products are sold via a diversified network of partners and system-integrators as part of OEMs’ CAD/CAM equipment across more than 120 countries worldwide.

Fraunhofer Venture is a department of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and partner for founders, start-ups, Fraunhofer Institutes, industry and venture capital investors.

Carlyle is a global alternative asset manager with $176 billion of assets under management across 127 funds and 164 fund of funds vehicles as of June 30, 2016. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Market Strategies and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense and government services, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology and business services, telecommunications and media and transportation. Carlyle employs more than 1,650 people in 35 offices across six continents.

Harris Williams & Co. (www.harriswilliams.com), a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:PNC), is a preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide.  The firm has deep industry knowledge, global transaction expertise and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Harris Williams & Co. provides sell-side and acquisition advisory, restructuring advisory, board advisory, private placements and capital markets advisory services.

Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law having its registered office at 5th Floor, 6 St. Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AE, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales under company number 7078852. Directors: Mr. Ned Valentine, Mr. Paul Poggi, Mr. Thierry Monjauze and Mr. Aadil Khan, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.