Platinum Equity, a global investment firm, has today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement (financial terms undisclosed) to acquire Anuvu, a provider of inflight entertainment (IFE) and high-speed inflight connectivity (IFC) technologies for airlines, VIP/VVIP aircraft, and other mobility markets. Anuvu serves more than 150 airline and 30 cruise-line customers worldwide.
The company, headquartered in Lombard, Illinois, USA, operates two primary divisions.
- The Media Technology Services division licences, distributes, localises and delivers inflight entertainment content for aviation, cruise lines and non-theatrical end markets, with a catalogue of more than 400,000 titles.
- The Connectivity division provides telecommunications equipment, broadband satellite internet access, passenger management services, and analytics solutions to airline customers.
“Anuvu is a leader in delivering exceptional entertainment experiences to global aviation customers and has developed highly innovative and technologically advanced satellite connectivity and content delivery platforms,” said Jacob Kotzubei, co-president of Platinum Equity.
“As passenger traffic continues to grow, we are encouraged to see carriers making substantial new investments in both connectivity and entertainment, improving passenger and guest experiences,” added Kotzubei. “We look forward to working with Anuvu’s leadership team to capitalise on these tailwinds and other opportunities to grow the business.”
Joshua Marks, CEO of Anuvu, who has been with the company for 10 years and helped the business navigate through the COVID years and a subsequent transformation, will continue in his role following the acquisition.
“We’ve made strong progress in recent years by investing in both technology and content, focusing on our core strengths in the aviation and cruise markets. We recently activated the Anuvu Constellation, providing dedicated aviation satellite capacity over North America,” said Marks.
“In parallel, we continue to expand our media partnerships to licence, localise and distribute distinctive content to the world’s leading airlines and cruise lines. We are excited to partner with Platinum Equity to leverage their financial expertise, global capabilities, and operational know-how supporting fast-growing portfolio companies.”
Platinum Equity is experienced in investing in technology and media businesses. Its current portfolio includes approximately US$50 billion of assets under management and around 60 operating companies. The portfolio includes Deluxe, a provider of end-to-end post-production services for content production studios.
“Anuvu’s long-standing customer relationships, talented employees and global footprint provide a strong platform for organic growth,” added Dan Krasner, managing director of Platinum Equity. “We also see opportunities to leverage Anuvu’s content and technology capabilities to expand further into adjacent markets, including non-theatrical verticals, media processing and delivery, advertising and other custom services.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter calendar year 2025, after the receipt of required regulatory approvals.
