Astrion, a Brightstar Capital Partners Portfolio Company, to Acquire Axient

Strategic Combination Aims to Set a New Standard in Innovation and Customer Value

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Astrion, a leading provider of mission support and advanced engineering services, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Axient, a highly regarded provider of specialized engineering solutions. Astrion is a portfolio company of Brightstar Capital Partners (Brightstar), a middle market private equity firm.

Astrion is a partner for progress, providing cutting-edge services that boost preparedness, optimize performance, and ensure mission success for defense and federal agencies, including the Army, Air Force, Civilian Agencies, Navy and Space. Axient is a systems integrator advancing defense and civil missions from aerospace to cyberspace with multi-domain test and analysis, mission engineering and operations, and advanced technologies.

This strategic acquisition positions Astrion to significantly enhance its capabilities, increase opportunities for the combined employee base, expand its market presence, and deliver greater value to its customers.

"At Astrion, our mission extends beyond today. We are committed to the extraordinary and making our nation more resilient for future generations. Axient's specialized capabilities, talented employees and robust customer base make it a highly complementary fit with Astrion," said Dave Zolet, CEO of Astrion. "Together, we will deliver elevated solutions for military and civilian agencies, delivering Results with Impact to critical global challenges."

"We believe this combination strengthens and expands the collective capabilities and services portfolio, and at a scale that creates advantages for our customers and stakeholders," commented Michael Singer, Partner at Brightstar. "We look forward to welcoming the expert Axient team and supporting Astrion’s continued investment in customer innovation and mission delivery."

"We are excited to join the Astrion team. Our shared commitment to customer success and innovation will allow us to deliver more comprehensive, innovative solutions for our customers' mission-critical challenges," said Randy Cash, President & CEO of Axient.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory and government approvals.

JPMorgan Securities LLC and Jefferies LLC are serving as financial advisors, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to Astrion. KippsDeSanto & Co. and Stone Key Partners LLC are serving as financial advisors and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Morrison & Foerster LLP are serving as legal counsel to Axient.

About Astrion

Astrion delivers the difference that empowers our customers and nation to take on what’s next. Astrion stands as a partner for progress, providing cutting-edge services that boost preparedness, optimize performance, and ensure mission success. Astrion embraces a forward-thinking spirit to tackle critical challenges across cybersecurity, digital solutions, mission support, science & engineering, and test & evaluation to support the Air Force, Army, Civilian Agencies, Navy, and Space. For more information, please visit https://astrion.us/.

About Axient

Axient advances defense and civilian missions from aerospace to cyberspace with multi-domain test and analysis, mission engineering and operations, and advanced technologies. We partner with our customers to identify and analyze their most important challenges and design solutions that turn challenges into breakthroughs to accelerate assured performance. With extensive domain expertise in defense and aerospace, we rapidly develop mission-enabling technologies that allow customers to move at mission speed. To learn more about how Axient can accelerate possible for your organization, visit www.axientcorp.com.

About Brightstar Capital Partners

Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle market private equity firm focused on investing in industrial, manufacturing, and services businesses where Brightstar believes it can drive significant value with respect to the management, operations, and strategic direction of the business. Brightstar employs an operationally intensive “Us & Us” approach that leverages its extensive experience and relationship network to help companies reach their full potential. For more information, please visit www.brightstarcp.com.