Hyve Group, a leading global B2B events company, announced that private equity firm Hellman & Friedman has agreed to acquire the business from Providence Equity Partners and Searchlight Capital Partners. The transaction marks the next stage in Hyve’s growth strategy as the company looks to expand its international footprint, broaden its product offerings, and continue its acquisition-led expansion.
The deal reflects confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the global B2B events industry and Hyve’s position as a leading operator of premium business events and industry ecosystems. In partnership with Hellman & Friedman, Hyve plans to accelerate international launches, expand adjacent services, and further strengthen its presence in high-growth end markets through strategic acquisitions.
Under the leadership of CEO Mark Shashoua, Hyve has built a portfolio of market-leading brands that connect businesses, investors, innovators, and decision-makers across sectors including healthcare, ecommerce, education technology, supply chain, and marketing technology. The company has also expanded beyond traditional events through offerings focused on content, intelligence, matchmaking, and membership services.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the calendar year. Hyve enters the transaction following three consecutive years of double-digit organic revenue growth and with EBITDA surpassing $100 million. The company also noted that it is on track to achieve its three-year “GO27” growth and optimization strategy one year ahead of schedule.
Hellman & Friedman believes Hyve is well positioned to benefit from increasing demand for in-person business connections and year-round industry ecosystems. The firm highlighted Hyve’s portfolio of flagship events and its use of AI-driven matchmaking technology as key strengths supporting future growth.
Providence Equity Partners and Searchlight Capital Partners pointed to Hyve’s transformation over the past three years, which included seven strategic acquisitions, five major event launches, significant investments in technology, and the rollout of new tech-enabled services. Both firms credited the management team with building a more global, diversified, and digitally enabled organization focused on long-term value creation.
KEY QUOTES:
“Hyve has demonstrated a consistent ability to identify the shifts shaping global business early and acting with conviction to capture the opportunity, from spotting high-growth markets in the early years, to pioneering the modernisation of the sector through tech enabled products and matchmaking and more recently expanding the boundaries of the traditional event model. We believe Hellman & Friedman’s investment marks the beginning of another exciting new phase for Hyve, as we respond to demand from the world’s leading companies for deeper ecosystems around the industries shaping the future global economy.
We are excited to partner with H&F, an experienced and highly respected investor with deep expertise across media and growth businesses, as we enter the next phase of our growth, with strong momentum behind us, and significant opportunity ahead. I’d also like to thank Providence and Searchlight, who have been exceptional partners in accelerating our transformation, supporting us to scale Hyve into a faster-growing and more diversified business.”
Mark Shashoua, CEO, Hyve
“As AI reshapes global commerce, we believe the ability to foster human connections and bring people together will be more valuable to businesses than ever. Our investment in Hyve is driven by our deep conviction that this will be one of the defining megatrends in the years ahead. We believe Hyve has built an exceptional platform to capture this opportunity – a portfolio of genuinely irreplaceable commercial moments, powered by AI-driven matchmaking that turns a physical gathering into a year-round ecosystem. We are excited to partner with Mark and his team to accelerate this vision.”
Hunter Philbrick, Partner, Hellman & Friedman
“Over the past three years, we believe Mark and the team at Hyve have achieved a tremendous amount — numerous high-calibre executive hires, 7 strategic acquisitions and 5 key event launches, the roll-out of exciting new tech-enabled services, and significant investments in technology to support the rapid scaling of Hyve’s overall business. It has been really gratifying for us at Providence to work alongside Mark and his team to achieve such operating excellence and growth.”
Andrew Tisdale, Vice Chairman, Providence Equity Partners, and Robert Sudo, Managing Director, Providence Equity Partners
“It has been a privilege to partner with Mark and the Hyve team through such a defining chapter in the company’s history. Together, we have transformed Hyve into a more global, diversified and digitally sophisticated business, with a real focus on operational excellence and long-term strategic value creation. We are enormously proud of what we have built together and all of us at Searchlight look forward to watching Hyve go from strength to strength in the future.”
James Redmayne, Partner and Head of European Private Equity, Searchlight Capital Partners, and Thomas De Cannière, Managing Director, Searchlight Capital Partners
