Nutanix made two announcements today: first, an investment by Bain Capital of $750 million, and second, that Dheeraj Pandey plans to retire as CEO.
Nutanix said that Bain Capital Private Equity will make an investment of $750 million in Convertible Senior Notes to support the Company's growth initiatives.
"Bain Capital Private Equity has deep technology investing experience and a strong track record of helping companies scale," said Dheeraj Pandey, Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO of Nutanix. "Bain Capital Private Equity's investment represents a strong vote of confidence in our position as a leader in the hybrid cloud infrastructure (HCI) market and our profound culture of customer delight."
"Nutanix is executing on a compelling vision for a differentiated hybrid cloud platform that provides flexible environments and is easily paired with other cloud platforms," commented David Humphrey, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity. "We look forward to working closely with the Board and the management team to build on Nutanix's leadership position and realize its strong vision for the future," added Max de Groen, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity. In connection with the investment, Humphrey and de Groen will join the Nutanix Board of Directors following the close of the transaction, which is expected to occur in late September 2020.
"We are pleased to establish this partnership with Bain Capital Private Equity and look forward to the contributions Dave and Max will make as new board members to build on Nutanix's success," concluded Ravi Mhatre, Lead Independent Director.
Bain Capital Private Equity has deep experience in the technology sector, having made investments in a wide range of companies including Applied Systems, BMC Software, CentralSquare Technologies, KIOXIA (formerly known as Toshiba Memory Corp.), NortonLifeLock Inc., Rocket Software, Symantec, Viewpoint Construction Software, Vertafore, Waystar, and Zelis.
At the same time, Dheeraj Pandey announced plans to retire as CEO of Nutanix upon the selection and appointment of the company's next CEO.
"Co-founding and leading Nutanix for the last 11 years has been the single most rewarding experience of my professional career. Guided by a vision of making IT infrastructure so simple that it becomes invisible, our team has built Nutanix into a leader in cloud software and a pioneer in hybrid cloud infrastructure solutions," said Pandey. "With our strong fourth quarter financial results, 29 percent growth in year-over-year run-rate ACV, a delightful software stack, and our recent launch of Nutanix Clusters on AWS bare metal, Nutanix is well positioned for the future. In addition, the $750 million investment from Bain Capital Private Equity announced today underscores the strength of our business and ensures a strong financial foundation to capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead. I am confident there is no better time for me to make this transition to a new leader who can guide Nutanix through its next decade of growth and success."
"Silicon Valley's history is filled with storied founders and legendary visionaries and Dheeraj Pandey has earned a place among them," said Ravi Mhatre, Lead Independent Director. "On behalf of the entire Board, I thank Dheeraj for his vision and invaluable contributions, which have enabled Nutanix to grow from a simple idea to the market leader and successful company it is today. We support his decision to begin another chapter and deeply appreciate that he will continue to lead the management team until a successor has been appointed."
"Thanks to the dedication of our talented team of over 6,000 employees, we have grown Nutanix through innovation and collaboration and built an incredibly strong and loyal customer base", added Pandey. "While I will miss being in the trenches with our team every day, working from home alongside my family over the last several months has been a fulfilling experience. I look forward to spending more time with our children and allowing myself the space and flexibility to read and write, and learn new domains, which simply hasn't been possible as a full-time CEO. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my wife and my fellow co-founders for giving me the courage to imagine and help create something out of nothing. I would also like to thank our many employees and investors who believed in our vision and supported Nutanix through its growth. And finally, I would like to thank the Nutanix Board of Directors and management team for their support of my decision and reiterate my commitment to working alongside them as they embark on a search for our next CEO."
A CEO search committee of the Nutanix Board of Directors will lead the effort to identify and interview candidates with the assistance of a leading global executive search firm.