Two units of OMERS are making investments in two very different sectors.
OMERS Ventures has led a $100-million round of financing in Shopify, an Ottawa-based e-commerce and retail platform used by more than 80,000 companies.
“In the past few years, Shopify has democratized online retail by delivering the easiest and most robust platform to businesses looking to sell a product,” says Jim Orlando, managing director at OMERS Ventures.
Separately, Borealis Infrastructure—together with its investment partners—has signed an agreement to acquire Fortum Corp.’s electricity distribution networks in Finland for €2.55 billion ($3.7 billion).
Borealis—along with partners First State European Diversified Infrastructure Fund and Finnish institutional investors Keva and LocalTapiola Pension—has agreed to acquire 100% of Fortum Distribution Finland, the owner of the largest electricity distribution network in that country.
“Borealis Infrastructure is very pleased to be making its first investment in Finland, in a sector that provides an excellent match for the long-term obligations of the OMERS pension plan,” says Michael Rolland, president and CEO of Borealis Infrastructure. “Finland is one of the most attractive investment destinations globally, with strong economic prospects and a stable political regime and legal framework.”
Completion of that transaction is expected during the first quarter of 2014, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
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