IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap IV (“IK SC IV”) Fund has signed an agreement to acquire DATAPART Factoring GmbH (“DATAPART” or “the Company”), a leading German provider of business process outsourcing (“BPO”) for driving schools, alongside the existing management team. IK is acquiring its stake from German Equity Partners V, a fund managed by independent investment company ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH (“ECM”). Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Germany, DATAPART provides a tech-enabled BPO solution for driving schools, which covers billing, payment processing, administrative processes as well as liquidity management. The Company’s full-service outsourcing offering is seamlessly integrated with its clients’ operations through its own proprietary software system, which provides for comprehensive process automation. Its small and medium-sized enterprise customers benefit from significantly reduced administrative burdens, greater financial security and enhanced flexibility — enabling them to focus on their core business and development. DATAPART is the clear leader in its market, with a long-term track record of consistent growth.

In partnership with IK, DATAPART will further develop its platform by investing in its solutions and capabilities. It will leverage IK’s extensive BPO expertise and strong presence in the DACH region to strengthen its differentiated position in the German driving school market and expand its footprint.

David Wimpff and Max Thielemann, Co-CEOs of DATAPART, said: “We are thrilled to partner with IK as we strengthen our position in the driving school BPO market. This investment represents a significant milestone in DATAPART’s journey towards becoming a leading tech-enabled BPO specialist. With IK’s expertise and strong track record as a leading investor in the DACH region, we are confident in our ability to achieve accelerated growth while expanding our market share in Germany and beyond. We are particularly excited about exploring new verticals together, leveraging IK’s operational capabilities and extensive network.”

Nils Pohlmann, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK SC IV Fund, added: “Mobility in our society starts at the level of driving schools. DATAPART is the clear market leader when it comes to BPO solutions, offering crucial support to driving schools and enhancing their operations.We have been impressed by DATAPART’s ability to provide tech-enabled outsourcing solutions and its consistent, long-term track record of high-quality service delivery. David and Max are a strong, entrepreneurial management team with deep industry knowledge and we are excited to be supporting the Company in its next chapter of growth.”

Axel Eichmeyer, Managing Partner at ECM, added: “It has been a great pleasure collaborating with David, Max and the entire DATAPART team, supporting DATAPART’s continued growth and development. We would like to thank the team for their trust and dedication and wish them continued success alongside their new partner, IK.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

ECM Equity Capital Management
Phone: +49-69-97 102-0
info@ecm-pe.de

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Lohoff Pension Services GmbH (“Lohoff” or “the Company”), a German specialist provider of occupational pension administration solutions, from the founding family. IK is investing from its dedicated pool of Development Capital, alongside the Company’s existing management team. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Founded in 1992 by Petra and Heinz-Günter Lohoff and headquartered in Isernhagen, Germany, Lohoff is a full-service provider of occupational pension administration solutions, offering its clients and their employees a comprehensive, fully digitalised and software-enabled pension administration platform. The Company primarily focuses on managing complex occupational pension schemes for large corporations. Its offering includes highly automated and customisable processes, systems and reporting structures. As a result, Lohoff has built longstanding partnerships with a broad and diversified base of customers, including many notable blue-chip clients.

Lohoff has a highly experienced team, focused on designing and delivering tailored solutions for the occupational pension market. The Company operates from two locations: its main office in Isernhagen, near Hanover and a secondary base in Warnemünde, near Rostock.

With IK’s support, Lohoff plans to strengthen its market position by expanding its product and software offerings across existing verticals and complementary service areas, while continuing to invest in operational scalability, systems enhancements and digital infrastructure.

Petra Lohoff, Founder and Shareholder of Lohoff, said: “I am very pleased to see the vision my husband and I built being carried forward by IK, in partnership with the management team at Lohoff. IK brings the right combination of experience and perspective to support the Company’s continued growth. I wish all parties every success in this new chapter.”

Martin de Vries, Managing Director at Lohoff, said: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved at Lohoff. With over two decades of experience in designing, implementing and administering pension plans, we are well positioned to benefit from long-term structural growth in the market. This new partnership comes at the right time as we look to enhance our offering and continue delivering a best-in-class service. We are excited to work with IK, who bring the strategic insight and expertise required to support Lohoff in its next phase of growth.”

Sebastian Hinz, Managing Director at Lohoff, commented: “We are proud of the strong and differentiated position we have built over the last two decades. Lohoff’s unique capabilities in digital integration and service customisation have allowed us to build lasting relationships with clients that manage complex pension structures. We look forward to working with IK as we scale the business and broaden our service offering.”

Ingmar Bär, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK SC III Fund, added: “Lohoff has positioned itself as a leading provider of specialist pension administration services in an attractive, resilient market supported by strong regulatory tailwinds. Its strong IT capabilities, high quality standards and flexible offering provide a solid foundation for continued growth. We are pleased to be partnering with Martin, Sebastian and their team to accelerate the Company’s development and leverage our expertise in the Business Services sector to support its ambitions.”

For further questions, please contact:
IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0)7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

IK Partners (“IK” or “the Firm”), a leading European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that it has closed its 10^th Mid Cap fund, the IK X Fund (“IK X” or “the Fund”), having reached its hard cap of €3.3 billion and representing the largest fund the Firm has raised to date. IK’s previous Mid Cap fund, IK IX, raised €2.85 billion in 2020.

IK X attracted significant interest from a high-quality institutional investor base across EMEA (64%), Asia (20%) and the Americas (16%), with a record amount of capital raised from limited partners investing in IK funds for the first time.

This announcement follows a period of record activity for the Firm which saw IK invest in 20 new companies and exit 11 since the start of 2024.

IK X has already made seven investments to date and will continue investing in established European mid-market businesses valued above €200 million across four core sectors of Business Services, Healthcare, Consumer and Industrials.

Christopher Masek, CEO of IK Partners, said: “We are grateful to have once again secured the support of our investors to continue delivering on the strategy of our flagship fund, supporting exceptional businesses in the European mid-market to achieve their full potential. After a record year of activity in 2024 and strong start to 2025, we look forward to maintaining this momentum and driving value across the entire IK platform.”

Dan Soudry, Managing Partner and Head of Mid Cap Strategy, commented: “We are very pleased to announce the final close of IK X in our flagship Mid Cap strategy, which has generated significant interest from a diverse mix of investors. We have already made good progress with the deployment of capital from the Fund and look forward to continuing to invest in leading companies across Europe in all our target sectors.”

Mads Ryum Larsen, Managing Partner and Head of Investor Relations, added: “We thank each of our investors – both existing and new – for placing their trust in IK by contributing to the successful close of our largest ever fund. Against a challenging market environment, we are delighted that IK’s proposition continues to resonate and are grateful for their continued confidence and support.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0) 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

H/Advisors Maitland
Finlay Donaldson
Phone: +44 (0) 7341 788 066
finlay.donaldson@h-advisors.global

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Partnership III (“IK PF III”) Fund has signed an agreement to acquire a minority stake in Seventeen Group (“Seventeen” or “the Group”), a leading independent insurance and risk management organisation in the UK, from the founding shareholders and management team. This transaction represents IK’s first investment in the UK Insurance market, building on a well-established track record of supporting similar businesses across Europe. Financial terms are not disclosed and completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in London, UK, Seventeen is a multi-disciplinary insurance group which provides a comprehensive range of services, including broking, underwriting, risk and claims management.

The Group comprises:

• James Hallam, a UK-wide brokerage platform focused on serving commercial, personal, specialty and high-net-worth clients domestically and globally.
• Touchstone, a specialist independent managing general agency servicing more than 550 brokers.
• London Re, a joint venture with MRH Trowe and domiciled in Düsseldorf, Germany.

At present, Seventeen operates from 25 offices across the UK, DACH and the Isle of Man, collectively managing around £400 million in premiums.

The investment represents a major milestone in Seventeen’s history. With the support of IK, the Group aims to further accelerate its growth, enhance innovation and leverage technology to capitalise on attractive opportunities in new and existing markets — all while staying true to the core values that have shaped the business to date.

Paul Turner, Executive Chairman and Paul Anscombe, CEO, said: “Seventeen Group is proud to be the UK’s longest-serving independent insurance distribution group of scale. As we enter this next phase of growth, we are delighted to welcome the team at IK who share the passion and belief that our independent model provides a differentiated proposition for our clients, acquisition partners and colleagues. This long-term investment reflects the conviction in our strategy, the opportunities ahead and most importantly, is testament to the hard work of our staff which has enabled a great business to be built.”

Adrian Tanski, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK PF III Fund, added: “We have been very impressed by Seventeen’s journey to date and believe that the Group is well positioned to continue its strong development, off the back of its strong customer service focus, broad coverage of the value chain and longstanding expertise in the insurance brokerage and underwriting space. We are excited to work with both the Pauls and their team to further develop the Seventeen platform and pursue consolidation opportunities in the UK and beyond.”

For further questions, please contact:

Seventeen Group
Jackie Knight
Group Marketing and Events Director
Phone: +44 (0)7824 486319
jackie.knight@seventeengroup.co.uk

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: +44 (0)7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund has signed an agreement to invest in Tecomatic (“the Company”), a leading Swedish provider of water treatment and erosion control solutions, from PEQ Invest (“PEQ”). IK will invest from the fund’s dedicated pool of Development Capital, alongside the management team who will be reinvesting. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed and the completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Kalmar, Sweden, Tecomatic is a specialist in protecting critical infrastructure and purifying marine environments, with end-to-end solutions for water treatment and erosion control. The Company’s comprehensive water purification solutions include sediment removal, floating walls and silt screens, which remove pollutants from storm-, process-, leachate- and waste-water before discharging them into waterways. Tecomatic’s erosion protection segment extends across land and water, providing customisable concrete mattresses and rock bags which prevent the spread of hazardous sediment as well as protect bridges, wind turbines and underwater cables.

Tecomatic operates throughout Sweden, mainly serving cities and municipalities as well as recycling, construction and infrastructure companies. The Company plays an important role in building awareness around the importance of water treatment, which drives demand throughout the value chain.

Emil Eriksson, Head of Water Treatment at Tecomatic, said: “Since merging with Järven Ecotech in 2022, Tecomatic has successfully integrated operations and broadened its product offering, executing numerous projects and establishing a recurring customer base. As we enter the next phase of growth, we are delighted to welcome the IK team, who brings both significant experience and expertise in the Nordics and beyond.”

Patrik Stockhaus, Director at IK and Advisor to the IK SC III Fund, added: “We are excited to be partnering with Tecomatic, which has demonstrated strong growth and an attractive pipeline in Sweden and the rest of the Nordics. The Company also provides essential flood control, water protection and soil erosion solutions, all of which are helping to strengthen resilience against growing environmental challenges. IK has a long history of supporting Industrials businesses and we aim to leverage our expertise to further consolidate Tecomatic’s position in the market.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: +44 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

London, United Kingdom – IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund has signed an agreement to invest in HSL Compliance (“HSL” or “the Company”), a leading provider of environmental compliance services in the UK, alongside the management team who are re-investing as part of the transaction. This follows HSL’s successful six-year partnership with LDC, the private equity investor which is part of Lloyds Banking Group. LDC is also reinvesting in HSL for a minority stake alongside IK as the majority owner to support the continued growth of the business. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed and completion is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Headquartered in Herefordshire and founded in 1976, HSL is a leading UK environmental testing, inspection, certification and compliance (“TICC”) company which provides a range of services across water hygiene, water treatment and other compliance activities. The Company boasts extensive national coverage with 19 offices across the UK and Ireland and employs approximately 650 people who serve a diversified base of more than 370 customers across a variety of private and public sectors, including Food and Beverage, Manufacturing, Facilities Management, Healthcare and Education.

Since LDC’s investment in 2019, HSL has quadrupled pro-forma revenues to £77 million and doubled headcount to 650 employees, establishing itself as a high-quality business capable of meeting the needs of nationally or regionally complex estates seeking a full-service provider for water hygiene and treatment services, alongside fire and air compliance services. With LDC’s support and follow-on funding, HSL has delivered a successful M&A programme and completed 11 bolt-on acquisitions, significantly increasing the breadth of its UK coverage and client base.

In partnership with IK, HSL will aim to lead the market in delivering solutions that keep its clients’ people protected, their businesses compliant and their environments safe. Through its extensive experience of investing in TICC platforms, IK will work closely with the HSL management team to accelerate growth both organically and through further consolidation of its target markets.

Gavin Hartley, CEO of HSL, said: “HSL has grown tremendously since inception and with the recent add-on acquisitions, I believe we have built an extremely solid foundation for the future. With the support of LDC, we have established HSL as a market-leading TICC service provider in the UK. The new partnership with IK will allow us to continue executing a targeted buy-and-build strategy and explore new opportunities to broaden our service offering. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the LDC team for their unwavering support over the last few years and look forward to working with them alongside the team at IK.”

Tom Salmon, Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK SC III Fund, added: “We have been closely following the progress made by HSL in recent years and have been impressed by its unwavering commitment to quality and service delivery. We are looking forward to working with Gavin and his experienced team in their efforts to drive continued growth, by utilising our experience and expertise in executing successful buy-and-build strategies, while also supporting growth across a range of operational initiatives.”

Jonathan Bell, Managing Partner at LDC, added: “This has been a truly transformational period for HSL following the carve-out from global testing, inspection and certification group Kiwa in 2019. Since then, Gavin and the team have delivered on an ambitious growth strategy, underpinned by investment in its proposition and a series of successful strategic acquisitions. We’re excited to support HSL alongside IK as it continues to capitalise on high demand for its market-leading services in an attractive sector.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: +44 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

LDC
Jamie Williamson
Citypress on behalf of LDC
Phone: +44 7908 536 423
Jamie.Williamson@citypress.co.uk