GP-led secondary: CMS advises HQ Direct on investment by Verdane in HQ Equita Fonds V
Frankfurt/Main – As part of an offer to the investors in the current HQ Equita Fonds V fund, European specialist growth investor Verdane has acquired a significant stake in the portfolio of HQ Equita Fonds V, which comprises five B2B technology companies, making it an important partner of the HQ Equita team. In addition to acquiring the LP share of HQ Equita Fonds V from the previous anchor investor, the Harald Quandt Family Office, Verdane acquired the general partner of HQ Equita Fonds V and other structural companies from HQ Direct via HQ Equita.
The portfolio of HQ Equita Fonds V consists of the following companies: EBERTLANG, Muegge, indevis, r2p-Group and The Packaging Group. The transaction offers the existing investors a liquidity option as well as continuity for the HQ Equita team, a specific value creation plan together with strategic goals and further capital for the portfolio companies. Verdane worked in close coordination with the HQ Equita team and the Harald Quandt family to achieve this objective. Verdane and HQ Equita will cooperate closely going forward to harness the portfolio’s future growth potential and to pursue further M&A transactions aimed at continued growth, including outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
A CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Hendrik Hirsch advised HQ Direct on all M&A-related legal aspects of the deal. CMS regularly advises companies belonging to the Harald Quandt (HQ) family. Last year, HQ Holding relied on the expertise of a CMS team headed by partner Dr Hendrik Hirsch when selling a majority stake in fund-of-fund specialist HQ Capital to French alternative asset manager LFPI.
HQ Equita has been an established private equity investor and partner for SMEs since 1992. The private equity firm’s team primarily supports owner-managed medium-sized companies in connection with the strategic direction and growth of their business. Over this period, around EUR 1 billion has been invested in more than 30 small and medium-sized companies in the German-speaking countries.
CMS Germany
Dr Hendrik Hirsch, Lead Partner
Dr Maximilian Stark, Senior Associate, both Corporate/M&A
Press Contact
presse@cms-hs.com
