Our mission
KeBeK supports families, entrepreneurs and management teams, in need of a hands-on financial partner, to grow their companies to the next phase of development.
Targets are typically family-owned and founder-led businesses with untapped potential. ~90% of our portfolio companies are deals where historical shareholders reinvested alongside KeBeK in a new partnership.
Every deal with KeBeK is structured as a partnership with management and co-shareholders supporting a shared vision and strategy for each target company to unlock its full potential.
In addition, transactions with KeBeK are often a solution for a transition of capital and management, and an attractive alternative to selling to an industrial player – keeping independence, teams and corporate culture in place.
KeBeK is backed by a broad investor base, consisting of Belgian, Dutch and international institutional investors, family offices and wealthy individuals being mainly entrepreneurs, that invested in 4 KeBeK funds since 2012.
Our strategy
Control positions,
mainly in healthy buyouts
Target profile
Profitable companies with sustainable business model and defendable market position
Significant potential for value enhancement (organic growth, reinforcement, and buy-and build)
Transactions
Majority or control positions
Influence on strategy, management and exit
Mainly buyouts (LBO, OBO, MBO, MBI), but also growth equity
Investment horizon of 5-7 years
Transparency as key value
Benelux-based (niche) SMEs
across sectors
Preferred sectors
Companies active in attractive (niche) segments of proven industries
Target size
€1.5-10m EBITDA
€10-50m Revenue
€10-50m Enterprise Value
€3-10m Equity Tickets and potential for co-investors
As partner of families,
founders and management
Ownership profile
Typically family-owned and founder-led businesses looking for a partner for the next step
Current shareholder structure often prevents fully realising opportunities
Often solution for transition in capital and management
Management profile
Committed and result-driven management teams
Incentive packages to fully align interests with other shareholders
KeBeK as sounding board
Our strategy
Control positions,
mainly in healthy buyouts
Target profile
Profitable companies with sustainable business model and defendable market position
Significant potential for value enhancement (organic growth, reinforcement, and buy-and build)
Transactions
Majority or control positions
Influence on strategy, management and exit
Mainly buyouts (LBO, OBO, MBO, MBI), but also growth equity
Investment horizon of 5-7 years
Transparency as key value
Benelux-based (niche) SMEs
across sectors
Preferred sectors
Companies active in attractive (niche) segments of proven industries
Target size
€1.5-10m EBITDA
€10-50m Revenue
€10-50m Enterprise Value
€3-10m Equity Tickets and potential for co-investors
As partner of families,
founders and management
Ownership profile
Typically family-owned and founder-led businesses looking for a partner for the next step
Current shareholder structure often prevents fully realising opportunities
Often solution for transition in capital and management
Management profile
Committed and result-driven management teams
Incentive packages to fully align interests with other shareholders
KeBeK as sounding board
Our approach
Every deal is approached with an entrepreneurial mind-set, and a no-nonsense, fair and sustainable approach. KeBeK also adopts a responsible investor approach including ESG criteria in its investment process and the monitoring of its investments.
Before investing, we perform in-depth due diligence of each company’s market, business model, operations and value creation levers. This process ensures that we identify actionable opportunities, define priorities and agree with management on a strategy and business plan.
Once invested, we remain closely involved, providing focused support and advice in specific areas and acting as sounding board and sparring partner to management teams. Management teams remain in the “driving seat” and fully aligned with shareholders.
When supporting companies, we focus on value creation strategies combining:
(i) organic growth via continued roll-out, commercial push, penetration of new markets, channels and geographies, and expansion of offerings,
(ii) reinforcement of organizations, processes, reportings, and,
(iii) external growth through acquisitions (buy-and-build).
Our team
KeBeK’s team comprises 5 complementary professionals, of which 4 Partners working together for 20+ years since their time at KBC Private Equity, the private equity division of the KBC Group. They have a unique experience in Benelux SMEs private equity, investments, funds and value creation strategies.
With around 30 portfolio investments executed and over 30 add-ons realised since 2012, KeBeK has a demonstrated track-record of investing and creating (operational) value for its portfolio companies.