SSG Capital Advisors, LLC (“SSG”) served as investment banker to HS Group, Inc. d/b/a ZOTA Payment Services and Direct Payment Services (“ZOTA” or the “Company”) in the sale of substantially all of its assets to Kaylad, LLC. The transaction closed in June 2026.

ZOTA is a registered ISO/MSP providing integrated payment processing, point-of-sale software, and value-added merchant services to approximately 5,000 U.S. merchants, with a particular focus on nail salons. The ZOTA platform offers card processing, scheduling and workflow tools, booking, and digital marketing solutions, with back-office support from teams in Vietnam and the Philippines.

Since its founding, the Company achieved meaningful growth by targeting an underserved and highly fragmented merchant segment with unique payment needs. Despite the strength of the underlying business, disputes among the Company’s equity holders disrupted governance and ultimately resulted in ZOTA being placed into receivership. In September 2024, the District Court of Laramie County, Wyoming appointed Randy L. Royal as Receiver, with responsibility for overseeing day-to-day operations, preserving enterprise value, and effectuating a court-supervised sale process.

SSG was retained in February 2026 to conduct a targeted marketing process, identify strategic and financial buyers, and solicit offers for the Company’s assets. In collaboration with the Receiver and his legal team, SSG developed and executed a strategy designed to reach buyers with relevant payments expertise and the ability to transact in a complex receivership. Through this process, SSG generated strong market engagement and secured multiple offers for the Company’s assets. Following negotiations with prospective bidders, the offer submitted by Kaylad, LLC was determined to be the highest and best proposal. SSG’s experience managing competitive sale processes in contentious stakeholder environments enabled the Receiver to maximize value, preserve continuity for the Company’s merchant base, and bring finality to a longstanding dispute.

Other professionals who worked on the transaction include:

• Randy L. Royal of Randy L. Royal, PC, court-appointed Receiver of HS Group, Inc.; and
• Bradley T. Hunsicker and Patrick R. Akers of Markus Williams LLC, counsel to HS Group Inc.