Black Dragon will buy Grass Valley from Belden Inc.

Black Dragon Capital, a private equity firm, has agreed to acquire all of Grass Valley from Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC), reports TVTechnology.

According to a statement, Black Dragon intends to take Grass Valley to the next level with a cloud-enabled, software-based business model.  It intends to develop the company into a market leader in digital media and open and inclusive cloud technology.

Grass Valley acquired by Black Dragon

Grass Valley is a leading technology supplier of advanced broadcast and media solutions. It helps content creators, broadcasters, and media organizations to produce content and build media businesses. Its products include cameras, fiber systems, broadcast data centers, motion-compensated standards converters, servers and storage, and switchers. Services include automated production, editing color, and finishing, video production and media asset management.

Black Dragon Capital, a private equity firm with significant experience in media technology, makes control investments in growth companies it believes can become market leaders in industries disrupted by digitization. It takes an operationally led and thesis-driven approach to making investments and working with portfolio companies. Investments are based on the firm’s significant understanding of the impact of digitization on workflow, technology, economics, and human factors driving in the digital landscape.

Black Dragon principals and advisors are active participants in the industries and companies in which they invest. They work closely with the portfolio companies to create market leaders.

Grass Valley’s cloud and SaaS solutions to lead

“Grass Valley has led the market in the transition from SDI to IP and has been diligently pivoting our product lines to cloud-based and SaaS solutions,” said Tim Shoulders. He is Grass Valley’s president, to TVTechnology.

“Black Dragon’s experience and vision will help us accelerate our move to cloud-based and SaaS solution product lines,” Shoulders said. “That will please customers seeking the most robust and flexible models for content production and delivery.”

“We believe the combination of a broad product suite, a great team, and the direction of the market will make Grass Valley the partner of choice as the digitization of the space accelerates,” said Louis Hernandez Jr., Founder, Managing Director and CEO of Black Dragon.

Further, “While Belden won’t retain any ownership or have an impact on operations, we are pleased that they will remain a close, long-term collaborative partner, which will ensure a smooth transition.”

The transaction is likely to close by the first quarter of 2020.

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