EQT is a private equity firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in 1994. The firm specializes in buyouts, expansion capital, and infrastructure investments, targeting mid-market companies with significant growth potential across Northern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and the United States. EQT employs a responsible ownership approach and focuses on four main investment strategies: private capital, which encompasses ventures and mid-market equity; real assets, including infrastructure and real estate; credit; and public value. The firm aims to acquire or finance high-quality companies and seeks to take controlling or co-controlling stakes, often engaging in sectors such as healthcare, technology, industrials, and consumer services. EQT maintains a global investment perspective, targeting opportunities that align with its industrial growth strategy while holding portfolio companies for an average duration of four to eight years.

Google.org brings together philanthropic initiatives across Google. Our Global Impact Awards support organizations using technology and innovative approaches to make the world a better place. Our engineers develop products to help people in times of need. Nonprofits receive support through free and discounted ads, apps and products. And employees at Google like to give back and we encourage it, whether through gift-matching, volunteer support, or providing opportunities to take time out of work to support nonprofits they love.

CVC Capital Partners is a global private equity and investment advisory firm founded in 1981 as London-based Citicorp Venture Capital, a subsidiary of Citigroup. Its European presence expanded rapidly and, by 1993, it had branches in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. This same year, the management group wholly acquired the firm and renamed it CVC Capital Partners. Expansion continued with its first branch outside Europe opening in Hong Kong in 1999, closely followed by the Seoul office in 2000. The first American presence was established in New York in 2007, strengthened by the opening a second office - San Francisco - in 2015.

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and business solutions software for small- and medium-sized enterprises and businesses. They also offer a range of software products and services for computing devices, including Windows operating system, Microsoft Office, and Xbox gaming consoles. Microsoft provides service plans, self-support, training, and documentation for its products. The company markets and distributes its products through various channels, including original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and online platforms. Microsoft also operates global initiatives like Microsoft Accelerator, which empower entrepreneurs to build great companies. With headquarters in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft aims to support startups worldwide through programs like Microsoft Ventures Accelerator and Microsoft for Startups.

KKR is a global investment firm founded in 1976, managing various alternative asset classes such as private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and hedge funds through strategic partnerships. The company aims to generate attractive investment returns for fund investors by employing a patient and disciplined investment approach, driving growth and value creation within its portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside fund investors and offers financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. With offices in 21 cities across 16 countries, including a branch in Tokyo, Japan, KKR focuses on delivering successful transactions and providing comprehensive human resources services to companies. The firm, headquartered in New York, listed shares on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010, with trading commencing in July of the same year.

Carlyle Group is a global alternative asset manager founded in 1987, specializing in corporate private equity, real assets, global market strategies, and investment solutions. With over $81.1 billion of equity capital under management, Carlyle Global Partners focuses on delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns by investing in businesses and management teams to maximize portfolio company potential. The firm operates four fund families, including leveraged buyouts, venture & growth capital, real estate, and leveraged finance investments, and has recently expanded to include hedge funds. Carlyle Group employs over 575 investment professionals in 21 countries, with offices across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, serving portfolio companies that employ more than 286,000 people worldwide. With over 1200 institutional and private investors in 68 countries, Carlyle Group continues to drive long-term value creation initiatives to achieve capital appreciation for its investors.

Blackstone® is a premier global investment and advisory firm that strives to provide solutions that create lasting value for their investors, the companies in which they invest and society at large. The firm was founded in 1985 by Stephen A. Schwarzman, their Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Peter G. Peterson, who retired as Senior Chairman in 2008. They began with a modest balance sheet of $400,000 but with a wealth of entrepreneurial ideas about creating a world-class investment and advisory business built on a foundation of uncompromising commitment to excellence. Their vision was to create a firm that put clients’ needs first, that was independent and conflict-free, adhered to the highest ethical standards and sought to create long-term value for all stakeholders. Today, they are a firm of nearly 1,800 employees in 24 offices worldwide. But they are more than that. Their portfolio companies employ over 730,000 people across the globe, making us a major factor in economies around the world. As a leader in alternative asset management, they are a trusted partner to many of the world’s top institutional investors. Through their various investment vehicles they preserve and protect $230 billion in assets for public and corporate pension funds, academic, cultural and charitable organizations, among others. Their diverse range of funds makes private equity, real estate, credit and hedge fund investments all over the world. They also have a leading independent financial advisor business, handling highly complex and critical M&A, restructuring and reorganization assignments for corporate and government clients on a global scale. They also offer fund placement services to alternative investment managers. All of their businesses reflect Blackstone’s strong partnership culture, solid foundation of intellectual capital, commitment to exceptional performance and uncompromising integrity. In June of 2007, Blackstone completed its initial public offering and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BX.

Riverside Company is a global private equity firm specializing in investments in growing businesses with enterprise values of up to $400 million. Established in 1988, Riverside has completed over 480 transactions and manages a diverse international portfolio of more than 80 companies. As one of the largest private equity firms in the world, Riverside Company focuses on both control and non-control investments to support the growth and development of companies across various industries.

Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity firms. With offices on four continents, we have established a globally integrated team of more than 195 investment professionals, focused on buyouts and growth equity investments in five core sectors. Since initiating our private equity strategy in 1989, we have invested $44 billion in over 345 private equity investments across 41 countries, and as of December 31, 2018, managed $36 billion in assets. Today, as we did more than 30 years ago, we seek to invest in well-positioned companies and partner with management teams to create value through sustained revenue and earnings growth.

Cisco enables people to make powerful connections whether in business, education, philanthropy, or creativity. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible, providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time. The company offers switching products, including fixed-configuration and modular switches, and storage products that provide connectivity to end users, workstations, IP phones, wireless access points, and servers; and next-generation network routing products that interconnect public and private wireline and mobile networks for mobile, data, voice, and video applications. Cisco was founded in 1984 by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University. Since the company's inception, Cisco engineers have been leaders in the development of Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking technologies. The company is presently headquartered at San Jose, California.