Consumer
Luqom Group is the #1 vertically-integrated online retailer of lighting products in Europe. It is headquartered in Germany, from where it distributes own-brand and third party products to customers all over Europe through 27 country-specific online shops.
Luqom Group differentiates itself from its competitors through an extensive range of 50,000 products, broad and differentiated product assortment, in-depth product knowledge, excellent customer service and high product availability. The company generated >€230m of sales in 2020, of which ~60% came from outside Germany. Luqom has grown strongly in the DACH region as well as internationally, through a steady roll-out across European countries in recent years.
Regulatory information
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Germany.
Business & Technology Services
MAIT Group is a leading provider of innovative and pioneering digital solutions in the DACH region. Headquartered in Rottweil, Germany, MAIT focuses on software and hardware in product lifecycle management (“PLM”), enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) and IT services generating approx. €120m in sales per annum.
The business develops and implements solutions in close cooperation with their over 5,300 SME customers. As a strategic implementation partner, MAIT uses the most innovative technologies from market-leading PLM, ERP and IT providers such as Siemens, PTC, SAP-PLM, abas, Comarch, HP and Fujitsu.
“As the management team, Kurt Gürtler, Axel Schmied, Oliver Spölgen and I are convinced that 3i will be a great partner for the next stage of MAIT’s growth, particularly in supporting our M&A strategy. 3i has a strong track record in the IT services sector and heritage in the DACH region. In addition, the 3i team has an impressive international network which will be very valuable to MAIT.” Stefan Niehusmann ,Managing Director of MAIT
Regulatory information
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Germany.
Consumer
Mepal is a leading Dutch lifestyle consumer brand that is known for its innovative, high-quality and sustainable products for storing, serving and take-away of food and drinks.
Headquartered in Lochem, the Netherlands, Mepal’s products are renowned for their original and premium design, functionality, convenience, quality and sustainability, resulting in market-leading levels of customer satisfaction which are sold through mass and specialty retail channels, e-commerce partners and Mepal’s own online channels.
We are partnering with the current CEO and owner of the business, Rutger de Korte, and the broader management team to continue the international expansion of the successful consumer brand. The company has grown impressively since 2018 driven by organic expansion into food retail and other large retail chains in Germany, and increased e-commerce revenue.
"Mepal is a very strong brand with 70 years of heritage. I am confident that with 3i as our partner, we will be able to achieve our growth ambitions in the years to come. I am looking forward to teaming up with 3i and taking the next steps together to continue the successful growth strategy of Mepal, through delighting our customers with smart and innovative products that last a lifetime.” Rutger de Korte CEO, Mepal
Consumer
MPM is an international leader in branded, premium, natural pet food. The business owns leading pet food brands such as Applaws, Encore and Reveal and differentiates itself through its high quality, human-grade products, its natural, clean-label ingredients and its “cat first” proposition.
MPM is a certified B-Corp and its loyal customer base places great importance on its sustainable sourcing and recyclable packaging. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, MPM has an established presence in the UK, EMEA and APAC with a fast-growing business in North America resulting in international sales now accounting for more than 70% of revenues.
The market has proven resilient through economic downturns and Covid-19, with pet ownership increasing amongst a highly engaged and loyal community for whom pets are seen as family members.
“3i has a formidable track record in helping its companies to grow internationally, particularly in the US market. This will be especially key for MPM as we look to accelerate our expansion in North America. The 3i team also has significant brand expertise through a number of its consumer investments which will be of great benefit to MPM.” Julian Bambridge, CEO, MPM
Healthcare
Q Holding is a leading global manufacturer of highly-engineered, fully assembled medical devices and precision-molded elastomeric components used in a broad range of Life Sciences (medical and pharmaceutical) and Electrical Management (industrial, automotive and aerospace) applications. Headquartered in Ohio, it sells products in over 50 countries and has 13 manufacturing locations in North America, EMEA and Asia.
Q Holding has built a strong reputation as the supplier of choice to provide high-quality mission critical components for medical and harsh environment applications. It has developed longstanding relationships with a broad range of blue-chip customers who value Q’s ability to design and develop customized solutions and manufacture globally.
Regulatory information
Regulatory information: This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Corporation, a US wholly owned subsidiary of 3i Group.
Consumer
Royal Sanders is a leading European private label and contract manufacturing producer in the health & beauty category. Its key geographies are the Benelux, Germany, France and the UK with plants in the Netherlands (Vlijmen and Zeewolde), the UK (Bradford) and Belgium (Ieper).
Main product categories include shampoo, bath and shower gels, body lotions, hand wash and nutritional supplements. The company sells its products through private label, contract manufacturing and own brands including Van Gils, Sanicur and Odorex.
3i is investing alongside management to drive the company’s international growth strategy.
We are delighted to be partnering with 3i. It has extensive experience in buy-and-build in private label, for example through its investment in European soft drinks bottler Refresco, and in growing companies internationally through its network of valuable industry experts in the consumer sector. Bart Hullegie, CEO, Royal Sanders
Regulatory information
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.
Healthcare
3i has established a scaled, global, pure-play platform in the bioprocessing market by bringing together SaniSure, Cellon, TBL, and Silicone Altimex (together, “SaniSure”). SaniSure is a vertically-integrated player in the single-use bioprocessing technology (“SUT“) space capable of providing highly customised and innovative solutions to leading biopharma and biotech customers. The SUT bioprocessing market is anticipated to grow at 13-20%+ across its various subsegments over the coming years, as the industry transitions to more flexible, clean, and operating cost advantaged technology relative to traditional multi-use counterparts.
Recognising an attractive market opportunity characterised by high growth and a need for a leading independent platform of scale, 3i began a journey to create a single use bioprocessing platform in January 2020 with the carve-out of Silicone Altimex from 3i portfolio company, Q Holding, along with the acquisitions of founder-owned businesses TBL and Cellon.
Seven months later, in July 2020, the platform completed the transformative acquisition of founder-owned Sani-Tech West Inc. (Sani-Tech West and subsidiaries SaniSure® and SureTech), a leading US-based manufacturer, distributor and integrator of single-use bioprocessing systems and components. The acquisition significantly expanded the combined group’s global footprint and brought a complementary portfolio of innovative products and single-use solutions capabilities. The combined platform has robust manufacturing and cleanroom assembly operations in both North America and Europe, offering enhanced supply chain assurance to its customers with a global footprint and vertically integrated capabilities.
Healthcare
ten23 health was founded in 2021 and is a development, manufacturing and testing company for biotech start-ups and the established pharmaceutical industry.
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, ten23 health’s core service offering includes formulation development, drug product development and manufacturing, as well as testing services for sterile pharmaceutical products. These high-value services are critical to helping pharma and biotech customers turn a scientific concept and therapeutic modality into a viable sterile medicine that is optimised for manufacturability, patient access and ease of administration, and logistical favourability.
ten23 health embeds fairstainability in all its practices and decisions and puts the focus on people - customers, employees, patients - and the planet. The company aims for a net zero emissions target from inception, exhibiting its patient-centricity not only in the quality of service that it delivers, but also in its sustainability focus.
"3i’s demonstrated knowledge and deep understanding of the biotech landscape made them a clear partner in building ten23 health into a leader in the development, manufacturing and testing of injectable medicines.” Prof. Dr. Hanns-Christian Mahler, CEO ten23 health
Industrial Technology
Weener Plastics (“WP”) is a leading manufacturer of innovative plastic packaging systems for fast moving consumer goods companies. WP supplies the world’s leading A-brands and private label players. WP focuses on the design, development and manufacturing of value added caps, valve closures and roll-on balls for the personal care, food and beverage, home care and healthcare market.
We invested in WP in June 2015 and are supporting management to secure further sustainable growth using the existing innovation-led platform, investing in its successful international expansion strategy and continuing its operational improvement initiatives.
Regulatory information
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Germany.
Business & Technology Services
Wilson Human Capital Group (“WilsonHCG”) is an award-winning global leader in talent solutions. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, WilsonHCG is a global business with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has operated as a strategic partner to some of the world’s most admired brands in helping them plan and execute on talent acquisition globally. The Company provides a full suite of configurable talent solutions including recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”), executive search, contingent talent solutions and talent consulting.
WilsonHCG is widely known for its high-performance culture including its core values of collaboration, ownership, integrity, passion and communication. As a result, the Company is recognised as a leader by various industry trade associations such as HRO Today, Everest Group, NelsonHall and SIA and has also won a Gold Stevie Award and the Best Onsite RPO award in recent years.
“We have known the 3i team for a number of years and they have demonstrated a clear commitment to investing in our space. There is a strong cultural fit between our organisations and a shared ambition to continue building WilsonHCG into the global talent solutions leader. Further, 3i’s international network will enable us to continue expanding our already global footprint." John Wilson, Founder and CEO, WilsonHCG
Consumer
Yanga is the leading provider of an integrated in-house sports drinks concept to fitness chains. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Yanga sells flavoured sports drinks through its installed base of proprietary hydration stations in gyms across Europe. Gym members who have an add-on or premium membership can use the stations to get flavoured water with sugar and colorant-free syrups during their workouts.
3i is investing to support its international growth and expansion into North America.