KippsDeSanto & Co. Advises Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc. on its investment by Bluestone Investment Partners

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KippsDeSanto & Co. Advises Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc. on its investment by Bluestone Investment Partners

KippsDeSanto & Co. is pleased to announce that Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc. (“Continental” or the “Company”) has received an investment by Bluestone Investment Partners.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Continental is a rapidly growing geospatial data analytics and mapping solutions provider to defense, intelligence, federal and state government agencies, and commercial customers. The Company combines remote sensing technologies, proprietary technology, automation tools, commercial cloud services, and artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver products and solutions to its clients.  The Company’s geospatial expertise has evolved to allow for the integration and mission application of vast amounts of data from an ever-increasing number of sensors across all markets.  Continental fuses professional talent and technology (proprietary and commercial off-the-shelf) to curate, consolidate, validate, and disseminate geospatial solutions.  The Company maintains over 100 active production improvement tools, utilizes advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, and employs 165 highly credentialed professionals.  This deal closed on March 2, 2020.

At that date, we believe this investment demonstrated several key trends in the defense, and government and commercial technology M&A environment:

  • Strong market demand existed for growth oriented, intelligence, and national security focused mid-market companies.
  • Private equity continued to deploy capital for new platforms in the government technology market, especially in attractive markets for consolidation and value creation through scale.
  • Strategic buyers and investors recognized the value of highly differentiated solutions that leverage proprietary tools and technologies.

About KippsDeSanto & Co.  KippsDeSanto & Co. is an investment banking firm focused on serving growth-oriented Aerospace / Defense, Government Services and Technology companies.  We are focused on delivering exceptional M&A and Financing transaction results to our clients via leveraging our scale, creativity and industry experience.  We help market leaders realize their full strategic value.  Having advised on over 100 industry transactions, KippsDeSanto is recognized for our analytical rigor, market insight, and broad industry relationships.  There’s no substitute for experience.   For more information, visit www.kippsdesanto.com.

Investment Banking products and services are offered through KippsDeSanto & Co., a non-bank subsidiary of Capital One, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation, and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Products and services are Not FDIC insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit, and Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency. 

Press Release

Continental Mapping marks Bluestone’s seventh investment in the Defense, Government, and National Security Market

MCLEAN, Va., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Bluestone Investment Partners, LLC (“Bluestone”), a McLean, Virginia-based private equity firm, is pleased to announce the completion of an investment in Continental Mapping Consultants, LLC (“Continental Mapping” or the “Company”). Based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Continental Mapping is a rapidly growing geospatial data analytics and mapping solutions provider to Defense, intelligence, federal and state government agencies, and commercial customers. The Company combines remote sensing technologies, proprietary technology, automation tools, commercial cloud services, and artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver products and solutions to its clients.

John Allen, co-founder and Managing Partner of Bluestone said, “We are excited about our partnership with Continental Mapping. The Company has a 20-year track record of successful delivery of complicated solutions, a great leadership team, a talented and technically differentiated workforce, and attractive clients. We look forward to helping the Company accelerate its growth and expand its capabilities.”

“Our management team and 170 employees are energized about the next phase of growth for Continental Mapping. We look forward to leveraging the experience of Bluestone’s principals to build our business through organic expansion and acquisitions,” said Dave Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Continental Mapping.

Founded in 1999 by Chris Gross, President, and Dave Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Continental Mapping initially provided photogrammetric solutions to local clients in Wisconsin. Through investment in people, technologies, and capabilities, the Company grew to support operations for multiple government and commercial clients around the world. Today, the company maintains over 125 active production improvement tools, utilizes advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, and employs a highly credentialed employee base in Sun Prairie, St. Louis, MO, San Antonio, TX, and Northern Virginia.

Holland and Knight LLP acted as Bluestone’s legal adviser in the transaction. Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP provided quality of earnings services for Bluestone. Morrison and Foerster LLP served as legal adviser to Continental Mapping. KippsDeSanto & Co. served as the investment banking adviser to Continental Mapping. Senior financing for the transaction was provided by EagleBank.

About Bluestone Investment Partners

Bluestone is a private equity firm investing exclusively in lower middle-market companies primarily in the defense and government services arena. Bluestone’s principals have a long and successful track record owning, operating, investing in, and advising companies in the defense and government services sector.  Additionally, many of Bluestone’s investors are industry luminaries who have successfully built, grown, and sold businesses to leading strategic buyers and private equity investors in the sector. Bluestone aims to leverage the industry expertise of its partners and investors to support both organic and acquisition-oriented growth strategies. Few private equity firms offer the combination of industry-focused intellectual and investment capital that Bluestone has assembled.
www.bluestoneinv.com.

About Continental Mapping Consultants, LLC

Established in 1999, Continental Mapping provides geospatial analytics to intelligence community, defense, federal government, state agencies, and commercial clients. The Company has provided products and solutions involving over 180 countries and on all seven continents. The Company was recently recognized for the second year in a row by Inc. magazine as one of the nation’s fastest growing companies. The Company is headquartered in Sun Prairie (Madison area), Wisconsin. www.continentalmapping.com