Bregal Milestone Takes Majority Stake in CoreGo to Boost European Expansion

Bregal Milestone, a leading European private equity firm specializing in software growth, has made a majority strategic growth investment in CoreGo Oy, a Helsinki-based company that delivers open-loop payment and integrated technology solutions for festivals, sports events, and venues across Europe. The transaction, announced in May 2026, aims to support CoreGo’s expansion beyond its current footprint in the Nordics and DACH regions and to enhance its platform with advanced AI capabilities.

CoreGo, founded in 2015 by CEO Hannu Elomaa and CTO Nikoteemu Väänänen, operates one of Europe’s most differentiated open-loop payment infrastructures tailored for live event environments. The company serves approximately 250 customers, including marquee events such as Adele’s Munich concert residency, Secto Rally Finland, and the upcoming World Ski Championships 2025. CoreGo’s proprietary private network infrastructure ensures zero downtime and reliable payment and data operations at scale, a unique offering among European pure-play event technology providers.

In fiscal year 2025, CoreGo reported over 98% year-on-year profitable revenue growth, supported by a strong recurring revenue base and gross margins exceeding 85%. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, Bregal Milestone’s investment is positioned to accelerate CoreGo’s European market penetration and product development roadmap.

“We built CoreGo from the ground up – bootstrapped and with a clear focus on technology that performs in the most demanding live environments,” said CEO Hannu Elomaa. “Partnering with Bregal Milestone gives us the backing and expertise to take it further – into new markets and the next generation of our platform.”

Bregal Milestone, with approximately €2 billion in capital raised, is part of Bregal Investments, a global investment platform managing over €19 billion in assets. The firm focuses on providing growth capital and operational support to software companies with strong market potential. Carner Corporate Finance Oy acted as exclusive financial advisor to CoreGo’s owners, while Alvarez & Marsal and White & Case advised Bregal Milestone on financial and legal matters.

The strategic rationale behind the investment centers on leveraging Bregal Milestone’s network to expand CoreGo’s presence across broader European markets, beyond its established Nordic and DACH base. The partnership will also enable CoreGo to enhance its CoreGo Cloud platform by integrating AI-driven analytics and expanding its product suite with additional modules, thereby increasing recurring revenue streams and customer retention.

Industry trends indicate growing adoption of open-loop payment systems in live events, driven by demand for seamless, real-time payment and access control solutions. CoreGo’s integrated platform, which unifies payments, access, private networks, and data analytics into a single operating system, positions it well to capitalize on this shift. The investment is expected to strengthen CoreGo’s competitive position amid accelerating consolidation and technological innovation in the European event technology sector.

Financial details such as valuation multiples or deal size were not disclosed. The investment is structured as a majority stake, signaling Bregal Milestone’s commitment to actively support CoreGo’s growth trajectory. Integration plans focus on scaling infrastructure to maintain zero-downtime reliability while rolling out new AI-enabled features and product modules.

Looking ahead, CoreGo aims to leverage the partnership to accelerate product innovation cycles and expand its customer base across Europe. The collaboration also anticipates operational synergies through shared services and procurement efficiencies. Regulatory approvals are not expected to pose significant hurdles given the nature of the transaction.

As the live events industry continues to evolve post-pandemic, CoreGo’s enhanced platform and expanded market reach position it to lead the transformation of event payment and technology solutions in Europe.