Infinite Partners announces exit of WearCheck from Synerlytic Group Holdings
Infinite Partners, an African private equity fund manager, has today announced the exit of Synerlytic Group Holdings (“Synerlytic”) which housed WearCheck as its remaining operating entity.
WearCheck is one of the leading condition monitoring specialists on the African continent, processing more than 800,000 samples per annum. Its research and development programme ensures WearCheck stays at the forefront of condition monitoring, allowing it to provide reliability solutions that evolve alongside the changing needs of the numerous industries the company serves.
WearCheck is a proud member of the prestigious International WearCheck Group (IWG), an association of independent laboratories from around the globe dedicated to oil and wear- particle analysis. WearCheck’s relationship with the IWG allows for the ongoing exchange of advanced technical information, and the ability to offer a worldwide service.
While the company’s core business is the scientific analysis of used oil, fuel and other fluids, WearCheck also serves as a hub for many other predictive maintenance techniques. These include asset reliability care (ARC) services, water analysis, transformer chemistry services and advanced field services (AFS) such as non-destructive testing, technical compliance and rope condition assessment. In addition, WearCheck offers lubrication enabled reliability (LER), providing clients with bespoke solutions to ensure that their lubrication systems are well managed, efficient and cost effective.
With 16 world-class laboratories, WearCheck serves the mining, earthmoving, industrial, transport, shipping, aviation, and electrical industries through the scientific analysis of used oil, fuels, coolants, and greases.
At WearCheck compliance is taken seriously, and it is the only condition monitoring company in Africa with ISO 9001 quality management certification, ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management programme, and ISO 17025 accreditation for its laboratory-centric quality management programme.
Since its acquisition, Infinite Partners has played a pivotal role in WearCheck’s success, assisting in expanding its footprint, enhancing its research and development capabilities, and improving its operational efficiencies to meet the highest quality and environmental standards. Synerlytic has been acquired by Bidvest and will serve as the group’s spearhead into the broader Testing, Inspecting and Certification sector (“TICC”).
Edward Pitsi, Co-Founder & CEO of Infinite Partners, said: “WearCheck is a great business providing mission critical services to key industries on the African continent and beyond. Neil and his team have done a stellar job in expanding the business from a service types and geography standpoint in addition to smartly integrating bolt on acquisitions. We are proud of what we achieved together and will remain a big supporter of the business and the leadership team steering it towards its next chapter.”
Neil Robinson, CEO of WearCheck said:“Working with Infinite Partners, managed by Ed’s exceptional team including Tabane, Naomi and Fred, has been an empowering and transformative experience. Their unwavering support has enabled us to pursue ambitious projects with confidence and clarity. The team’s dedication to understanding our unique needs and providing tailored solutions has been invaluable. Ed’s leadership fosters a collaborative and innovative environment, which made Infinite Partners a true ally in our growth journey. Their commitment to our success went above and beyond; they are partners in every sense of the word, driving us towards a brighter and more prosperous future.
Tabane Matheolane, Co-Founder & Partner of Infinite Partners, said: “It has been a true privilege to work alongside Neil, Scott and the entire Wearcheck team over the past few years. Together, we have elevated Wearcheck to become the leading force in the TICC sector across Africa. The team’s unwavering commitment, focus, and drive have been instrumental in realising our value creation goals and positioning the business for ongoing success in its next phase of growth.”
Akona Matsau, CEO of Bidvest Services South Africa, said: We are thrilled to welcome the Wearchek team to our family! Neil and team have built an exceptional business, and we look forward to working with them to build on this solid foundation. At Bidvest, we are always looking for opportunities to invest in businesses that are leaders in their sectors with strong management teams. Wearcheck ticks all these boxes and further provides an opportunity for the division to expand its service offering and create a new service vertical.
We are excited about the growth opportunities that this new vertical presents for the division. Reliability and compliance testing services are important support functions for industry with AI set to further enhance the value that industries can derive from these services. The water testing laboratory also creates an opportunity to provide services that ensure water quality in the country.
About Infinite Partners
Infinite Partners is an African private equity fund manager focused on mid-market investments across sub-Saharan Africa. The firm partners with management teams to drive growth, operational improvements, and strategic direction, with a commitment to sustainability and value creation.
About Bidvest
Founded in 1988 and listed on the JSE Limited in Johannesburg, South Africa, Bidvest has over 250 individual businesses across the Group, employs almost 130,000 and has a footprint across southern Africa, UK, Ireland, Spain, Australia and Singapore. Bidvest encourages a performance-driven, decentralised business model that continually seeks scale and growth.
We fully empower the leadership across our diverse areas of operation – Services International, Services South Africa, Branded Products, Freight, Commercial Products, Financial Services and Automotive – which acts as a remarkable catalyst for enduring value creation.
