Knox Lane Announces Strategic Investment in Fingerpaint

Partnership Provides Company with Extensive Operational and Growth Experience to Capitalize on Attractive Secular Trends

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Knox Lane

Dec 16, 2020, 08:30 ET

SAN FRANCISCO and SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Knox Lane, a leading middle-market investment firm focused on the consumer and services sectors, today announced a strategic investment in Fingerpaint (the "Company"), a full-service health and wellness marketing agency with five offices across the country. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Since its founding by Ed Mitzen in 2008, Fingerpaint has leveraged an innovative and data-driven approach to providing integrated marketing services to a growing roster of healthcare clients, specifically in pharmaceutical, rare disease and gene therapy, resulting in 12 straight years of significant revenue growth and expansion. In February 2020, Fingerpaint further enhanced its healthcare advisory capabilities through the acquisition of 1798, a market access and commercialization firm that specializes in healthcare consulting services, including patient and provider access services, financial impact analysis and analytics, competitive intelligence, and pull-through solutions. Today, Fingerpaint employs over 400 individuals across its five offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New Jersey, and California.

In conjunction with the transaction, Fingerpaint Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ed Mitzen, and the existing management team will be significant investors in the business and continue to lead the Company in their current roles.

"We are pleased to welcome Knox Lane as Fingerpaint's partner, and believe this investment is a testament to the strength of our platform," said Mr. Mitzen. "Like our Company, the Knox Lane team has a strong sense of culture and values. We look forward to leveraging their operational expertise and unique insights to execute on our shared growth initiatives and capitalize on new and exciting opportunities. Knox Lane is the ideal partner for Fingerpaint's next stage of growth. This is an exciting day for our team and our clients."

"We have long-admired Ed and the Fingerpaint team, who have done an exceptional job of building a strong business that is defined by an innovative, data-driven approach and a remarkable culture of collaboration and high-quality client service," said John Bailey, Managing Partner at Knox Lane. "With its proprietary Shift Performance analytics platform, best in class team at every level and unmatched experience servicing complex and evolving areas, the Company has created strong, multi-year relationships with a blue-chip client base and is well positioned to grow its market leadership."

"As biotech financing and the broader biopharma industry continues to see a number of strong secular tailwinds – including increased R&D spending and the growing complexity of new launches – Fingerpaint's tailor-made service and reputation for innovation in digital marketing and analytics continue to stand out," said Shamik Patel, Partner at Knox Lane. "We could not be more excited to partner with an industry pioneer like Ed and the world class team at Fingerpaint."

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. acted as financial advisor and Ice Miller LLP acted as legal counsel to the Company. Harris Williams acted as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Knox Lane. Debt financing for the transaction was provided by MidCap Financial.

About Knox Lane

Formed in 2019 and based in San Francisco, Knox Lane is a middle-market investment firm led by and comprised of a team of accomplished investors and operators with a shared work history and a strong track record of partnering with leading companies to accelerate transformational growth. Knox Lane employs an investor-operator mindset and seeks to provide support across a number of business components, including human capital, brand management, end-to-end digital transformation, sourcing, supply chain and logistics, strategic acquisitions and business development.

About Fingerpaint

Reset your expectations of a health and wellness agency. Independent by design, with integrated talent across five offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New Jersey, and California, Fingerpaint is built on a foundation of empathy and at its core is committed to creating and executing meaningful brand experiences for healthcare providers, care partners, and patients.

In 2020, Fingerpaint acquired 1798, a market access and commercialization firm located in La Jolla, Calif., adding to its portfolio of services in support of biopharma customers. The agency also launched Photo 51, a gene therapy consultancy. Fingerpaint was named 2019 Agency of the Year by Med Ad News, and in 2018, it won the Heart Award from Med Ad News for its commitment to philanthropy and social causes. Additionally, it has been on Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies for the past seven years. Visit us at http://fingerpaint.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Contacts

Jon Keehner / Julie Hamilton
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449

SOURCE Knox Lane