PRESS RELEASE
May 30, 2014
For Immediate Release
Stanford University's HighWire Press receives Growth Equity Investment from
Accel-KKR
(PDF: http://highwire.org/PR/HighWire-Growth-Investment.pdf)
Stanford, CA - 30 May 2014 - - HighWire Press, a technology service
provider to
influential scholarly publishers and an auxiliary unit of Stanford
University Libraries,
announced today it has received a significant equity investment to support
its strategic
growth from Accel-KKR, a leading technology-focused private equity firm.
The new
partnership enables HighWire to further its strategic initiatives and
digital innovations
in Internet-based publishing.
The investment from Accel-KKR will enable the business, HighWire Press,
Incorporated,
to operate as a stand-alone enterprise. Accel-KKR will own a majority
interest of
the company and Stanford University will maintain a significant minority
stake.
Michael A. Keller, University Librarian at Stanford, will serve as the
Stanford
representative on the HighWire Press, Inc. board of directors.
HighWire was founded in 1995 under Keller's leadership, to ensure its
partners -
academic societies and independent publishers - would remain strong and
able to
lead the transition towards the use of new technologies for scholarly
communication.
Known for combining cutting-edge technology with long-term organizational
stability
in support of its community-oriented mission and model, HighWire
facilitates the
development, dissemination and discovery of nearly four thousand prominent
journals,
books, and other scholarly works online, as well as a highly customized
manuscript
submission, tracking, and peer review system for journal editors.
Keller explained how the tradition of customer service, constant
innovation, and
careful fostering of a dynamic scholarly community will remain the charge
of HighWire
Press, Inc. Accel-KKR and Stanford Libraries have been working closely to
ensure
a smooth transition and a commitment to HighWire's core mission. Current
Managing
Director Tom Rump will continue to lead the organization as CEO of HighWire
Press,
Inc.
"By partnering with Accel-KKR, HighWire will have the opportunity to
leverage new
resources to achieve an even greater impact on the delivery of scholarly
information
and thus on the rate of discovery of knowledge," said Keller. "In order to
continue
to expand our rapid response to new technologies, innovative developments
and the
growing needs of our customers, an influx of new capital was necessary."
"The HighWire team has built an outstanding business," said Ben Bisconti,
Managing
Director at Accel-KKR. "The team, their customers and the technology
platform are
world class. We are excited about partnering with Stanford to continue
supporting
the HighWire team as they focus on delivering market leading solutions to
the scholarly
community."
"This is an exciting development in HighWire's evolution, enabling our
further investment
in technology and publisher solutions," said Rump. "Our entire staff are
looking
forward to the future possibilities that will open to us with this capital
infusion."
HighWire Press, Inc. will continue to operate out of its headquarters
office in
Redwood City, California, as well as its satellite offices on the East
Coast and
in the United Kingdom.
About Accel-KKR
Accel-KKR is a technology-focused private equity firm with $2.3 billion in
assets
under management. The firm invests primarily in software and
technology-enabled
businesses well positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core
of Accel-KKR's
investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with
the management
teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value through the
significant
resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR has a
particular focus
on buyouts and recapitalizations of family-owned or closely-held private
companies,
going-private transactions and divisional buyouts of larger companies. It
invests
across a range of structures, functions as minority or majority investors
and commits
a wide range of capital - from less than $10 million to over $100 million.
The firm
has offices in Menlo Park, Atlanta, and London. For more information,
please visit:
www.accel-kkr.com
About HighWire
HighWire Press provides innovative technology solutions to influential
societies,
university presses, and independent publishers through its ground-breaking
HighWire
Open Platform. Long affiliated with Stanford University, HighWire offers
digital
content development and hosting services, a customizable peer-review
manuscript
submission system, cross-publisher librarian tools, strategic consultation,
and
unique networking opportunities for organizations which produce high-impact
journals,
books, and other scholarly publications.
www.highwire.org | Twitter: @highwirepress
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