Pinewood Technologies agrees £545m takeover by US private equity firm

See more This is Money on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 07:19 EDT, 19 August 2026 Pinewood Technologies has become the latest London-listed firm to be snapped up by private equity, after agreeing to a takeover by US-based Ridgeview Partners.The £545million deal will see Pinewood, which offers a cloud-based platform for car dealerships and manufacturers, delist from the London market.The San Francisco-headquartered private equity firm will pay £4.48 per share in cash, a 43 per cent premium to Pinewood's share price before it made its offer.It marks a discount to an earlier offer for Pinewood by private equity giant Apax Partners in February. The firm withdrew its £575.5million offer citing 'prevailing challenging market conditions', following a software stock rout. Pinewood provides a cloud-based platform to help car dealerships and manufacturers Ridgeview said it plans to 'support the business in its next phase of growth' as a private company which offers 'greater flexibility and operational focus away from the public markets'.Pinewood chair Ian Filby said: 'The board recognises that the next stage of Pinewood.AI's growth requires a step change in technology investment and capital expenditure, particularly in data and product innovation.He added: 'Having carefully evaluated the proposed transaction and its terms, the Board believes it represents the best path forward for both the company and its shareholders and intends to recommend unanimously that shareholders vote in favour of the transaction.'Pinewood shares rose 4.2 per cent to 444.9p, having gained 26.6 per cent this year.It follows a spate of take-private deals of British firms by foreign predators. Most recently, US private equity giant Apollo swooped for Easyjet in a £5.7billion deal, ending its 26-year history on the London stock market.A string of FTSE 100 firms have also agreed to multibillion-pound offers, including logistics firm Segro, insurer Beazley and Schroders.DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you