OREANDA-NEWS. Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in exocad GmbH, a provider of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) software for the dental industry, in particular for dental laboratories and dentists.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, acting through Fraunhofer Venture, will completely exit its stake in exocad while the founders continue to hold a significant shareholding in the company. Fraunhofer Venture has supported the growth of exocad since its establishment.

Equity for the transaction comes from Carlyle Europe Technology Partners III, a €657million fund focused on European technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) companies and is the seventh investment by the fund to date. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

exocad is headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, and has five offices worldwide. The company was spun out of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in 2010 and it has since established itself as an 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.

Commenting on the transaction, Tillmann Steinbrecher, exocad’s Chief Executive Officer, and Maik Gerth, Chief Technology Officer, said: “Carlyle has recognized that exocad is a high-quality business with significant growth potential, and their investment represents an exciting and progressive step for the Company. In partnership with Carlyle, we seek to leverage new opportunities in current and new markets, and to drive the continued growth and customer-focused innovation that the Company has consistently delivered.”

Dr. Thorsten Dippel, 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 US and Asia present a clear 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 partner with exocad and its entrepreneurial management team.”

The Carlyle Group has previously invested in dental healthcare companies including mydentist, a large dental chain in the UK, and high growth software companies including previous investments by Carlyle Europe Technology Partners in companies such as The Foundry, FRS Global, Personal & Informatik, Metrologic or UC4.   exocad continues Carlyle Europe Technology Partners’ history of partnering with sector leaders with strong management teams, looking to accelerate the next stage of their growth.

About exocad

exocad GmbH 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.

About The Carlyle Group

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) 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 & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,650 people in 35 offices across six continents.