Gryphon Investors Gets into Autism Treatment with Learn Behavioral

Gryphon Investors Gets into Autism Treatment with Learn Behavioral

Learn Behavioral, formerly Learn-It Systems, has a new owner. Gryphon Investors acquired a majority stake in the behavioral health company from LLR Partners in mid-March. Financial terms weren’t disclosed, of course, but the deal wasn’t cheap. This is Gryphon’s first investment in the Behavioral Health Care space. LLR put the company up for sale in late October 2018. Even with this deal announcement, LLR hasn’t exited the autism-treatment company completely. The firm and Learn senior management will maintain minority stakes alongside Gryphon. Based in Baltimore, Learn Behavioral’s primary focus is the delivery of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to... Read More »
Behavioral Health Deals Set a Strong Pace in H1:18

Behavioral Health Deals Set a Strong Pace in H1:18

The Behavioral Health Care sector has been on a hot streak for more than three years now. In 2018, the pace may be picking up even more. In the first half of the year, 34 transactions were announced, compared with 29 in the first half of 2017. Prices for these deals, which are primarily between private equity firms and/or not-for-profit entities, are scarce. Only one deal in this sector disclosed a price so far this year, an approximately $108 million transaction in South Africa, for privately held Akeso Clinics. Netcare Limited, the second largest private hospital company in South Africa, was the buyer. In both years, companies that treated substance abuse disorders were most popular with... Read More »
A Bubble in Healthcare Services? What Bubble?

A Bubble in Healthcare Services? What Bubble?

Bubble talk is back. Anyone who’s bought a healthcare services company in 2018 has hit a hard reality. Depending on the sector, multiples are the highest they’ve ever been, crazy or insane. We attended the ACG New York chapter’s annual healthcare deal conference, titled “Health Care Deals 2018: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going…” (ellipsis theirs) on a recent May morning. With a title like that, and a market as it is now, the question “Who’s investing in health care these days?” elicited the response, “Who isn’t investing in health care now?” The universe of investors has broadened to include Amazon (NASDAQ:... Read More »
April 2018 Healthcare Deals Explode

April 2018 Healthcare Deals Explode

Boom! That was April 2018’s M&A results breaking the sound barrier. With 167 transactions, the monthly deal total (almost) blew away the record for deals in a single month. The current record is now January 2017, with 178 transactions. With time, as more deals come to light, April 2018 may be the new champion. Deal volume was 21% higher than the 138 transactions reported in March 2018, and up 55% compared with April 2017’s 108 transactions. The Long-Term Care sector was a major force behind the surge in deal volume. A record 46 deals were reported, representing a 92% increase over March’s anemic 24 deals, and a 130% gain over the 20 deals reported a year earlier.... Read More »