Francisco Partners flips Quest Software to Clearlake Capital in deal reportedly worth $5.4B Francisco Partners bought Quest Software in 2016 when Dell was selling off some assets to help pay for the massive $67 billion EMC deal. Dell itself had purchased Quest in 2012 for $2.4 billion. Today, the company was on the move again, with Clearlake Capital picking it up this time. According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm bought Quest for $5.4 billion. Reuters reported in 2016 that Francisco and Elliot Management paid around $2 billion for Quest and another asset, SonicWALL. If all of these figures are accurate, Francisco made a nice little profit off of its 2016 investment and managed to nurture the company to more than double its value. It’s worth noting that the parties have not officially acknowledged the price. While a private company doesn’t have to reveal its financials, it seems likely that Quest has been doing pretty well since the 2016 transaction. Perhaps even more revealing i...

Final call for Sight Tech Global Dec. 1-2 The second annual Sight Tech Global happens this week, on December 1-2, and this free, virtual event is incredibly packed with insights about how rapid advances in technology are fostering an accessibility revolution for people who are blind or have low vision.  Register today. All the sessions have been pre-recorded, and I can tell you first-hand that the panels and fireside chats are really remarkable, whether or not tech accessibility is your area.  Join our host Will Butler, VP of Be My Eyes, for two incredibly thought-provoking mornings on Dec. 1-2 starting at 8 a.m. PT. Here’s the agenda and my quick take on the 10 sessions: Apple: A top Apple researcher explains how the cascade of ML/ AI features (image description, gesture control, scene description) fit together in a customizable accessibility “stack.” Amazon Alexa: Alexa’s top AI thinker discusses how Amazon is becoming a more conversational and helpful assistant that talks ...