On December 31, 2018, just before entering the new year, EarthLink announced it will once again be an independent ISP under new ownership in a transaction that positions the brand as a market leader for internet services. EarthLink will focus on what it has done best for the past 25 years – providing the highest customer service and Internet experience available on the market.
Read more in the press release below.
Trive Capital Acquires EarthLink
January 7, 2019
DALLAS, Texas and ATLANTA, Georgia
Trive Capital (“Trive”), the Dallas-based private equity firm, is pleased to announce it has completed the acquisition of EarthLink, LLC (“EarthLink” or the “Company”) from Windstream Holdings, Inc. As part of the transaction, Trive has also acquired the assets of nQue Technologies LLC (“nQue”) and is partnering with its highly experienced management team.
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Atlanta, EarthLink offers internet access, premium email, web hosting, and privacy and data security products and services to over 600,000 customers throughout the United States. EarthLink also has key partner relationships with several of the industry’s largest providers, enabling the Company to offer products and connectivity services available to millions of households nationwide.
“We’re excited to partner with the nQue and EarthLink teams, both of which have a long and successful history of operating consumer-facing connectivity businesses,” commented Conner Searcy, Managing Partner of Trive. “The combination of EarthLink’s iconic brand and nQue’s technology platform will provide the framework and team to keep EarthLink at the center of connecting consumers and businesses to the internet over the long-term.”
Glenn Goad, Co-Founder of nQue and CEO of EarthLink stated, “We’re excited to partner with Trive and join forces with the EarthLink team, which has been a leader in connecting consumers to the internet for nearly 25 years. We share in our enthusiasm for the brand’s potential with existing management and look forward to continuing to enhance the service offering with our partners. Our collective goal is to continue to provide the right technology at the right price, with a world-class consumer experience.”
Shravan Thadani, Managing Director at Trive, added, “The EarthLink acquisition is another example of our ability to navigate through and execute in a complicated, carve-out environment. We look forward to working collaboratively with the EarthLink and nQue teams to stand up the business, invest in products and services, and ultimately grow the reach of consumers and households – all while prioritizing our customer focus.”
About Trive Capital
Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm managing over $2 billion in capital. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. We seek to maximize returns through a hands-on partnership that calls for identifying and implementing value creation ideas.
The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 70 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $6 billion in revenue across Trive’s targeted industry sectors and situations.