Providence Equity Partners/Cantaloupe: Deal to Consolidate Self-Described Micro-Market ‘Duopoly’ Could Draw Close Antitrust Scrutiny

Providence Equity Partners, in announcing its $848 million agreement to acquire Cantaloupe (CTLP), a self-service retail software and hardware rival, pitched the deal as combining companies with “complementary strengths.” But that’s not how Cantaloupe executives have always described their company’s competitive dynamic with 365 Retail Markets, which is part of private equity firm Providence’s portfolio.