Francisco Partners exits Muse Group in 2026, concluding the private-equity investor’s role in the Cyprus-based music-technology and publishing conglomerate. Muse Group owns Hal Leonard, Audacity, MuseScore, StaffPad and Ultimate Guitar, and its majority ownership remains with founder and CEO Eugeny Naidenov, Executive Chairman and COO Mo Chahdi, and the company’s management team. The transaction has been described as a “successful conclusion” of Francisco Partners’ involvement.

The exit took place amid a series of financial maneuvers during 2026, with the concluding transaction arranged using JP Morgan’s credit facilities alongside the company’s cash on hand. Francisco Partners had previously invested in Native Instruments before that company’s insolvency and subsequent acquisition, and Native Instruments is now part of inMusic. Muse Group says it will continue to partner with and acquire products that support its mission. Industry commentary within the reporting notes expectations of stability alongside further realignments, refinancing and mergers and acquisitions, and it also mentions Trump tariffs as a source of uncertainty for the sector.

Muse Group is based in Cyprus and operates as a prominent conglomerate in the music technology and publishing sector. The company is overseen by Eugeny Naidenov, who serves as its founder and CEO, along with Mo Chahdi, the Executive Chairman and COO. This leadership team continues to maintain majority ownership following recent financial maneuvers.

The company’s portfolio includes well-known entities such as Hal Leonard, a significant figure in music publishing, as well as digital audio workstations and music software like Audacity, MuseScore, StaffPad, and Ultimate Guitar. These assets reflect Muse Group’s commitment to acquiring and partnering with products that align with its mission to enhance music production and distribution capabilities across various platforms. With this strong collection of brands and products, Muse Group remains a key player in the industry.

Francisco Partners had invested in Native Instruments prior to that company’s insolvency and acquisition, and Native Instruments is now part of inMusic. The investment by Francisco Partners in Native Instruments preceded the insolvency event that led to the company’s acquisition. Native Instruments’ change of ownership was completed through an acquisition process that resulted in the brand becoming part of inMusic. These points summarize Francisco Partners’ recent investment activity as it relates to Native Instruments.

The exit of Francisco Partners from Muse Group was concluded amid 2026’s financial maneuvers, and the concluding transaction was arranged using JP Morgan’s credit facilities alongside the company’s cash on hand. That same transaction marked the end of Francisco Partners’ role in Muse Group. Muse Group remains in the same majority hands it was in before the transaction, specifically with Eugeny Naidenov as founder and CEO, Mo Chahdi as Executive Chairman and COO, and the company’s management team. The company has stated it will continue to partner with and acquire products that support its mission.

Muse Group said it “will continue to partner with and acquire products that support its mission,” presenting that sentence as the company’s stated course of action in the wake of Francisco Partners’ exit. The company identified partnerships and product acquisitions as the mechanisms it intends to use to support and extend the products and services within its portfolio, describing those activities as aligned with its mission and as ongoing strategic priorities. The available sources do not provide this information.

The reporting states that industry-wide stability is expected in 2026, accompanied by realignments, refinancing and additional mergers and acquisitions. These activities are presented as part of the year’s financial maneuvers affecting companies and investors within the sector. The source does not provide quantitative measures, specific timelines, or detailed descriptions of the individual realignments, refinancing transactions or mergers and acquisitions mentioned.

The reporting also cites tariffs under the Trump administration as a source of external uncertainty for the industry. The source does not describe the specific effects of those tariffs on particular subsectors or companies, including any direct impacts on electronic music or related industries. The available sources do not provide this information.

CONCLUSION

Francisco Partners exits Muse Group in 2026, concluding the private-equity investor’s role in the Cyprus-based music-technology and publishing conglomerate. The concluding transaction was arranged using JP Morgan’s credit facilities alongside the company’s cash on hand. Muse Group’s majority ownership remains with founder and CEO Eugeny Naidenov, Executive Chairman and COO Mo Chahdi, and the company’s management team. The group’s portfolio includes Hal Leonard, Audacity, MuseScore, StaffPad and Ultimate Guitar.

Francisco Partners had previously invested in Native Instruments prior to that company’s insolvency and subsequent acquisition. Native Instruments is now part of inMusic. The reporting described the completion of Francisco Partners’ role at Muse Group as a “successful conclusion.”

The reporting states that industry-wide stability is expected in 2026, accompanied by realignments, refinancing and further mergers and acquisitions. The reporting also cites tariffs under the Trump administration as a source of external uncertainty for the industry. Muse Group said it “will continue to partner with and acquire products that support its mission.”