Sagewind Capital backs airborne intelligence company

Middle-market private equity firm Sagewind Capital LLC invested an undisclosed sum in Perry, Ga.-based Sigma Defense Systems.

Sigma founders Scott Ritchie and Thor James will keep a significant equity ownership and stay with the company as chief growth officer and COO, respectively. The company added John Wilcox and Matt Jones as CEO and president, respectively. Wilcox was chief information officer of U.S. Special Operations Command, or USSOCOM, while Jones was president of SAP NS2 Mission Systems.

Sigma provides airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor data transport engineering and services to defense end users, including the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense.

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP was legal counsel to Sagewind, while DC Advisory was its financial adviser. Maynard Cooper & Gale was legal adviser to Sigma Defense.