Verdane to invest 6 billion SEK in Northern European growth companies

Based on deep sector expertise, Verdane will help ambitious management teams of fast-growing businesses accelerate and sustain growth. The new fund will invest in Northern European companies, typically with 50-500 million SEK in revenues. It will acquire majority or minority positions in either single companies or portfolios of companies.

“Growth is always at the top of our agenda. On average, the portfolio companies grew their revenues by 23% in 2018, and put together created well over one thousand new jobs. With our new fund, we will continue to look for well positioned companies operating in structural growth markets, and our goal is to identify and remove bottlenecks constraining growth. By offering a long-term focus, companies backed by Verdane funds can make the necessary investments in their organisations, products and brands to secure sustainable market leadership,” comments Bjarne Lie, Managing Partner at Verdane Capital Advisors.

Companies backed by Verdane funds will access capital, know-how, a global network and the advisory team’s 15-year experience of building sector leaders across the Nordics. Importantly, they will also gain access to peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in a professional network built through over 100 core investments in the software, consumer internet, advanced industrial and energy sectors.

“Verdane funds probably have the most flexible investment mandate on the market. As long as we believe in a business, and see a way to add value, we can find a way for the Verdane funds to invest. It is the business that matters and how we can help, not the structure,” explains Bjarne Lie.

Verdane Capital X closed at its 6 billion SEK hard cap in January. The fund received commitments from leading global university endowments, foundations, insurance companies, family offices, government agencies, as well as private and public pension funds from 11 countries. Over 50% of the capital comes from non-profit investors.

“We want to thank the investors for their support and for moving at high speed, allowing us to close the first investments of the fund. Momox, Germany’s leading re-commerce company, and HIVE Streaming, a Swedish enterprise video distribution company, have already begun their journey as part of Verdane Capital X’s portfolio. These are exactly the types of companies that the fund will continue to invest in.”

Verdane Capital X was advised by Rede Partners, an independent fundraising advisor to the private equity industry, and Andulf Advokat, a law firm specialising in private equity.