LOS ANGELES and MUNICH, May 6, 2013 – Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”), a global private investment firm, today announced the completed acquisition of the optical networks business of Nokia Siemens Networks. The newly formed company will operate under the Coriant name.
Coriant is a global supplier of optical transport solutions and software-defined, optical layer intelligence to Tier 1 networks. Coriant’s optical networking solutions enable fixed-line and mobile operators to maximize the performance and value of their infrastructure as bandwidth demands on their networks continue to grow.
The newly formed Marlin entity will be headquartered in Munich, Germany and will have operations in more than 48 countries worldwide. Coriant will be led by the existing management team, including Herbert Merz, who assumed the role of president and chief executive officer.
Nick Kaiser, a partner at Marlin, stated “We are excited to back the Coriant team and we view the standalone business as an ideal platform for growth in the optical networking sector. We are committed to extending Coriant’s market leadership by actively pursuing both organic growth opportunities and strategic acquisitions.”
“With today’s exponential expansion in bandwidth demand, the global growth prospects of optical networking are enormous,” said Pat DiPietro, an operating partner at Marlin. “We believe that Coriant’s strong management team and relentless pursuit of innovation will continue to drive the company forward as an industry leader.”
“Marlin’s deep operational bench and divestiture expertise plays a vital role in successfully completing this complex carve-out from Nokia Siemens Networks,” added Mr. Merz. “Through our partnership with Marlin, Coriant has a tremendous opportunity to further build our long-term leadership in optical networking and continue our history of innovating and delivering value to our customers.”
About Marlin Equity Partners
Marlin Equity Partners is a global private investment firm with over $1 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthens a company’s outlook and enhances value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 65 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.
For additional information, please contact Peter Spasov at (310) 364-0100 or via e-mail at pspasov@marlinequity.com.