Houlihan Lokey Advises Crayon

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Crayon Group Holding ASA (Crayon) and SoftwareOne Holding AG (SoftwareOne), two leading global providers of software and cloud solutions, have merged. To this end, SoftwareOne's recommended voluntary stock and cash offer to acquire all outstanding shares in Crayon has been accepted. The implied offer value amounts to approximately $1.5 billion.

Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Crayon operates across 45 countries with a dedicated team of more than 4,000 professionals. Crayon leads the charge in IT optimisation and innovation as a trusted advisor in strategic software acquisition, continual IT estate optimisation, and maximising returns on investments in cloud, data, and AI. Crayon is listed on the Euronext Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CRAYN.

SoftwareOne is a leading global software and cloud solutions provider that is redefining how organisations build, buy, and manage everything in the cloud. The company’s approximately 9,300 employees are driven to deliver a portfolio of 7,500 software brands with a presence in more than 60 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, SoftwareOne is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SWON.

The transaction combines two leading global software and cloud solutions providers with complementary geographical footprints, customer bases, and offerings. With total revenue of approximately CHF 1.6 billion, presence across 70+ countries, and around 13,000 employees, the combined company is excellently positioned as a preferred partner for both customers and vendors globally.

Crayon’s board of directors has unanimously resolved to recommend that Crayon shareholders accept the offer. In addition, the transaction received full support from the founding shareholders of both Crayon and SoftwareOne.

Houlihan Lokey served as the sellside advisor to Crayon. The transaction further reinforces Houlihan Lokey’s leading position within the technology and IT services space, combining global reach with deep local insight and a strong track record of successfully executing large cross-border transactions.

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