Ripple Fiber Secures Partnership with Leading Infrastructure Debt Fund to Accelerate Fiber Optic Network Deployment Across the Nation

Transaction to drive network growth to over 400,000 homes passed by December 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 11, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ripple Fiber, a fiber optic internet provider based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announces its partnership with Post Road Group, an alternative investment firm focused on digital infrastructure and real estate. With assistance from its platform holding company, Glass Routes, and sister entity, HyperFiber, this transaction will play a pivotal role in the rapid expansion of multiple networks, providing capital for deployment to over 400,000 homes by December 2025. Houlihan Lokey acted as the exclusive financial advisor and placement agent, with Platform Investment Partners as a key sponsor.

“This transaction serves as a critical step as we move from equity to debt funding in the progress of Ripple Fiber’s business model as we aim to rapidly expand across the country,” says Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber. “It also marks a key milestone for this seasoned sponsor grouping as collaborations like these strengthen deployment strategies and timelines, allowing providers to bring future-proof fiber optic technology to more and more residents.”

With a strategic focus in the digital infrastructure, telecommunications, media, and business services industries, Post Road Group is an alternative investment advisory firm based in Stamford, Connecticut. Its real estate credit platform provides construction financing and bridge loans to third-party developers and owners and owns, operates, and develops multifamily assets across the United States. The company focuses on private credit and private equity investments, pursuing opportunities that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns and strong downside protection for its investors.

“Post Road Group is committed to supporting industry-disrupting initiatives, including those that drive the expansion of fiber optic network deployment. With this partnership, we are investing in a mission we believe in and are confident in the value Ripple Fiber is bringing to communities nationwide,” adds Andy Runk, Managing Director of Post Road Group.

As a top technology M&A advisor, Houlihan Lokey boasts a global reputation for providing superior service and producing outstanding results in capital raising, restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory services. Its team of well-experienced finance professionals serves an extensive range of sectors, including broadcast towers, distributed antenna systems (DAS), in-building wireless, mobile carrier towers, small cells, and utilities/government entities within the infrastructure industry.

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“The establishment of this partnership marks a key inflection point in enabling Ripple Fiber’s acceleration in North America. We are very excited to welcome Post Road Group to our long-standing consortium of partners, commend their vision and appetite for the platform, and look forward to the value they will bring to the partnership,” says Shaun Clark, Managing Director of Platform Investment Partners.

Partnering with companies in the telecommunications and technology industries, Platform Investment Partners is an investment holding company focused on contributing to the global growth of broadband. The firm identifies business models within specific broadband and software sectors that present opportunities for fundamental change or require high degrees of innovation to effectively serve their customers.

The additional parties involved include Myriad Capital, and KLT Holdings, who are serving as sponsors of the Glass Routes platform.

ABOUT RIPPLE FIBER

Ripple Fiber is the brightest and fastest fiber internet company based in the Southeast, providing thousands of homes with lightning-fast internet connectivity via its powerful fiber optic network and patented software. With community at the forefront of its mission, Ripple Fiber strives to expand digital access for people across the nation. This approach empowers generations to create the futures they want and deserve. Ripple Fiber believes the biggest wave starts as a ripple. Learn more about Ripple Fiber at ripplefiber.com.

ABOUT POST ROAD GROUP

Post Road Group is an alternative investment advisory firm with approximately $1.7 billion of assets under management, located in Stamford, CT. Post Road Group originates and executes investments across four distinct but complementary strategies: Corporate, Real Estate Credit, Real Estate Equity and Specialty Finance. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has invested and committed approximately $3.0 billion of capital. Post Road Group’s Corporate Team targets investments in digital infrastructure, TMT, business services, software and special situations. To learn more, visit www.postroadgroup.com.

ABOUT HOULIHAN LOKEY

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of the firm’s commitment to client success across its advisory services. The firm is the No. 1 investment bank for all global M&A transactions, the No. 1 Advisor for All Global Technology Transactions, the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past nine consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past ten consecutive years, and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 25 years, all based on number of transactions and according to data provided by LSEG (formerly Refinitiv).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240611054729/en/

Contacts

Emily Adams
Corporate Communications Director
press@ripplefiber.com