POLARIS Laboratories Raises Strategic Investment From Riverspan Partners

By Amit Chowdhry • Oct 13, 2024

POLARIS Laboratories – an industry leader in fluid analysis testing and reliability services – announced it has received a strategic investment from Riverspan Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm specializing in growth-oriented investments in the industrial sector. And Riverspan’s support will bring expertise for POLARIS to advance its position as the independent global leader in maintenance and reliability condition monitoring services.

Launched in 1999, POLARIS provides predictive testing and analysis of oils, fuels, coolants, and greases, helping customers increase reliability and proactively prevent failures. And through state-of-the-art laboratory testing and AI-enabled software, POLARIS helps customers reduce or eliminate high-cost equipment downtime.

With seven laboratories worldwide, the company differentiates itself by providing leading analytical accuracy, strong turnaround times, and broad geographic reach across diverse attractive end markets. POLARIS is supported by its best-in-class AI-enabled software platform, which allows the Company to provide accurate, insightful, and action-oriented recommendations to its customers.

KPMG Corporate Finance is serving as financial advisor and Barnes & Thornburg LLP is serving as legal advisor to POLARIS. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to Riverspan.

KEY QUOTES:

“This investment is a testament to the strength of our team and steadfast commitment to constant innovation. Partnering with Riverspan will facilitate development of our cutting-edge solutions – including the launch of new HORIZON tools and advanced automation technologies – and accelerate our expansion into new markets. We are confident that Riverspan is the right partner to help us drive meaningful advancements, foster innovation, and achieve our shared vision for future success.”

-Bryan Debshaw, Chief Executive Officer of POLARIS

“We deeply admire what POLARIS has built over the past 25 years and are excited to partner with Bryan and the team to drive continued growth. In particular, we see significant opportunities to support investment in product and service offerings and geographic expansion. We support Bryan’s vision and look forward to helping the company accelerate its growth trajectory.”

-Dave Thomas, Partner at Riverspan Partners