Bad Homburg, April 11 2019 – HQ Equita has successfully concluded fundraising for its fifth fund, HQ Equita V (“Fund V” or the “Fund”), with capital commitments totaling €308 million. With the Fund now closed, at a level comparable to its main predecessor fund, HQ Equita remains true with its strategic investment focus.
Established as a GmbH & Co. KG based in Bad Homburg, Germany, Fund V will focus on investments in small- and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) in German-speaking Europe. The Fund’s limited partners include entrepreneurial families, foundations, and select institutional investors, consistent with HQ Equita’s historical investor base comprised of entrepreneurial capital. With investors from both European and non-European countries committing to the Fund, HQ Equita continues to expand its international network.
“Our strategy of developing partnerships to further advance and create value for German-speaking SMEs attracted great interest from investors. We will leverage our team’s deep experience and our broad network to support our portfolio companies’ growth and generate value for both the companies and our investors. With Fund V, we will continue to invest in SMEs, seek to expand our team and advance our strategic development even further,” said Christine Weiß, Partner and Managing Director at HQ Equita.
Since 2017, Fund V has already invested in four attractive companies. The portfolio includes WELL PLUS TRADE (2017), The Packaging Group – consisting of FAWEMA and HDG – (2018), r2p (2018), and EBERTLANG (2019). WELL PLUS TRADE is a specialist developer of protein-based sports nutrition. The Packaging Group is a leading manufacturer of packaging machines. r2p is an international provider of digital systems for public transportation. And EBERTLANG is a leading value-added distributor of infrastructure software for SMEs in German-speaking Europe.
With these four investments, HQ Equita continues to pursue its nearly three-decade long focus on investing in highly specialized small- and medium-sized “hidden champions” in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By investing in companies with revenues ranging between €20 million and €150 million, HQ Equita is able to provide sustainable growth capital, enact succession planning solutions, and provide the network necessary to develop corporate structures and internationalize the businesses.
“HQ Equita has continued to enhance its profile over the years and remains a trusted partner for growth capital and succession planning solutions for SMEs in German-speaking Europe. With the successful closing of Fund V and the initiation of the generational management change, the foundation for long-term stability and continuity at HQ Equita is firmly in place,” said Dr. Bernd Türk, Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of HQ Capital.
After three successful investments in the last 12 months, HQ Equita will continue to strategically deploy capital in attractive portfolio companies in the German-speaking DACH region.
