LOS ANGELES and LONDON, June 29, 2022 – Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”) is pleased to announce that iBanFirst, an existing Marlin portfolio company, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire U.K.-based FX provider, Cornhill International Payments FX Holdings Ltd (“Cornhill”) to strengthen its position as a leader in multicurrency B2B payment services. Cornhill’s combination with iBanFirst will improve its value proposition for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by simplifying currency transfers and offering clients access to state-of-the-art, cross-border technology. The acquisition further builds upon iBanFirst’s mission to accelerate international expansion, strengthen partnerships and establish market leadership across Europe. The completion of the transaction is subject to applicable regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions.
“Our success is driven by partnering with like-minded businesses who share the same values, and Cornhill’s business model fits well within iBanFirst’s philosophy of cross-border cooperation and first-rate client service,” said Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, CEO of iBanFirst. “The acquisition supports our ambition to become a global leader in multicurrency payments for SMEs. Our penetration into the U.K. market represents a key milestone and marks our presence in ten countries. We plan to continue growing across Europe, with our attention towards Switzerland and Scandinavia, and further into North America.”
“iBanFirst’s innovative platform and technological expertise is an excellent solution to meet the needs of our clients and the U.K. market, given the increasing importance of digitizing payment processes and combining strong FX risk management with technological know-how,” said Vivek Savani, Executive Director of Cornhill (future Executive Director of iBanFirst). “With the added benefit of iBanFirst, Cornhill clients can have an enhanced cross-border experience with features like payment tracking, which allows clients to trace payments similarly to how consumers track parcels.”
“The acquisition of Cornhill gives iBanFirst an immediate footprint in the U.K., which is an attractive and strategic European market for FX payments and further accelerates our international expansion,” said Jeremy Nakache, a principal at Marlin. “Furthermore, we have been highly impressed by Cornhill’s customer-centric mentality, and iBanFirst will benefit from its track-record and expertise in the market and allow for broader access to complementary customers.”
About Marlin Equity Partners
Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $8.1 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 strengthen a company’s outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 200 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.
About iBanFirst
iBanFirst is a global financial services provider that delivers financial services solutions across banking borders through its specialist online platform for multicurrency transactions. As an alternative to the traditional bank offering, iBanFirst enables a payment experience and package of financial services that address the needs of SMEs in their daily operations. Founded in Paris in 2013 by former bank executives and entrepreneurs, iBanFirst is a French company headquartered in Belgium, with operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Eastern Europe, Italy and Spain. The company is regulated as a payment institution, passported throughout the European Union and serves more than 4,500 customers throughout Europe. For additional information, please visit www.ibanfirst.com.
For additional information, please contact Peter Spasov at (310) 364-0100 or via email at pspasov@marlinequity.com.