{{Short description|European private equity firm}} {{Advert|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = IK Partners | logo = IK Partners Logo.png | type = Private Ownership,<br />Limited Liability Partnership | predecessor = IK Investment Partners | foundation = {{start date and age|1989}} | location = London, United Kingdom | industry = Private Equity | key_people = (CEO) Christopher Masek | products = Investments, private equity funds | assets = €19 billion | homepage = {{URL|ikpartners.com}} | num_employees = +200 (2024) | owner = {{ubl|Wendel {{smaller|(2024–present)}}}} }}
'''IK Partners''' (''IK'') is a European private equity firm investing in small- and mid-cap companies across northern and western Europe.<ref name=About>{{cite web |title=About IK Partners |url=https://ikpartners.com/about-us/ |access-date=15 October 2025 |website=IK Partners}}</ref>
==History== thumb|Logo used by the firm prior to its rebranding as IK Investment PartnersIK Partners was established in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Private equity firm with 30-year history. IK Partners - About Us |url=https://ikpartners.com/about-us/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=IK Partners |language=en-GB}}</ref> Founded under the name Industri Kapital by Björn Savén and Kim Wahl,<ref>[http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/2008-06-05/industri-kapital-appoints-successors-for-chairman-1 Industri Kapital appoints successors for chairman]. Financial News, Jun 5, 2008</ref> the partnership's origins lie in Enskilda Ventures, which in 1989 sponsored Björn Savén in raising the Scandinavian Acquisition Capital Fund (SAC) and established the London office. SAC closed with approximately €108 million in commitments, mainly from Scandinavian investors.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
In 1993 Industri Kapital became independent through the management buyout of SAC's assets and activities from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, the parent of Enskilda Ventures. SAC's was renamed the Industri Kapital 1989 fund.<ref>[http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/Thomson_M&A/Industri_Kapital_AB_acquires_Scandinavian_Acquisition_through_a_leveraged_buyout-334685040 Industri Kapital AB acquires Scandinavian Acquisition through a leveraged buyout]. Thomson Financial Mergers & Acquisitions, May 19, 1993</ref> In the same year, the company established offices in Stockholm and Oslo.
After having its name changed to IK Investment Partners in June 2008,<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 June 2008 |title=Industri Kapital becomes IK Investment Partners |url=https://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/industri-kapital-becomes-ik-investment-partners/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=Private Equity Wire}}</ref> it became known as IK Partners in September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-09-27 |title=IK Investment Partners Rebrands to IK Partners and Launches New Website |url=https://www.private-equitynews.com/news/ik-investment-partners-rebrands-to-ik-partners-and-launches-new-website/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=private-equitynews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2023, it disposed of CDMO Klingel Holding to Swedish medical devices developer and manufacturer Elos Medtech for a sum of €370m.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herbert |first=Nick |date=2023-07-31 |title=Germany: Elos Medtech to acquire Klingel from IK Partners with proceeds from rights issue |url=https://www.investorsinhealthcare.com/articles/germany-elos-medtech-to-acquire-klingel-from-ik-partners-with-proceeds-from-rights-issue/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Investors in Healthcare |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-02 |title=Regulatory approvals obtained for the Klingel Acquisition and the Rights Issue |url=https://news.cision.com/elos-medtech-ab/r/regulatory-approvals-obtained-for-the-klingel-acquisition-and-the-rights-issue,c3846178 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=News Powered by Cision |language=en}}</ref>
In May 2024, Wendel announced that it had completed the acquisition of a 51% stake in the company for approximately €3.8 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/WENDEL-4671/news/Wendel-completes-acquisition-of-51-of-IK-s-capital-46721511/|title=Wendel: completes acquisition of 51% of IK's capital|work=MarketScreener UK|date=2024-05-14|access-date=2024-06-11|language=en}}</ref>
=== Funds === Industri Kapital's second fund, IK 1994, held its final closing with commitments totalling €250 million.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
In 1997 Industri Kapital inaugurated its Hamburg office and closed its third fund, IK 1997, with commitments of €750 million. The year after, the firm completed its first investment in Germany.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
The fourth fund, IK 2000, closed with €2.1 billion in commitments in the year 2000. IK 2000 made its first investment in France. Three years later, in 2003, Industri Kapital began raising its fifth fund, IK 2004.<ref>[http://www.altassets.info/?p=3899 Pan-European buy-out firm Industri Kapital holds first close on E500m] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419004530/http://www.altassets.info/?p=3899 |date=2012-04-19 }}. AltAssets, Nov 11, 2003</ref><ref>[http://www.altassets.info/?p=6076 ndustri Kapital makes first investment out of 2003 fund into Swedish housebuilder] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419004543/http://www.altassets.info/?p=6076 |date=2012-04-19 }}. AltAssets, Dec 22, 2004</ref> IK completed fundraising in 2004 with €825 million in commitments. The firm's Paris office was opened two years later.
In the year 2007 Industri Kapital closed its sixth fund, IK 2007, with commitments of €1.7 billion.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b115aab8-7b81-11dc-8c53-0000779fd2ac.html#axzz1fhsZR6NX Industri Kapital raises €1.68bn for sixth fund]. Financial Times, October 16, 2007</ref> In October 2013, IK closed its seventh fund, IK VII, with investor commitments of approximately €1.4 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=IK VII Fund holds final close at €1.4bn|url=http://www.unquote.com/nordics/official-record/2302768/ik-vii-fund-holds-final-close-at-eur14bn|publisher=Unquote|access-date=24 Oct 2013}}</ref>
In 2015, IK closed its first small cap fund, IK Small Cap I, at its hard cap of €277 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=IK hits €277m hard-cap on debut small cap fund|url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/ik-hits-e277m-hard-cap-on-debut-small-cap-fund/|access-date=23 Mar 2016}}</ref> The following year, IK closed its 8th mid-cap fund, the IK VIII Fund, at its hard cap of €1.85 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=IK closes on €1.85bn|url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/ik-closes-on-e1-85bn/|access-date=28 Nov 2016}}</ref> In 2017, the firm opened its Amsterdam office.
IK continued to grow its small cap team through the IK Small Cap II Fund, which closed in February 2018 with total commitments of €550 million (almost twice the size of its predecessor).<ref>{{cite web|title=IK taps re-ups for 'substantially oversubscribed' Small Cap II|url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/ik-taps-re-ups-for-substantially-oversubscribed-small-cap-ii/|access-date=22 Feb 2018}}</ref>
In 2019, IK introduced its minority partnership investment strategy and closed its first fund, IK Partnership I, with commitments of €300 million.
The firm's ninth mid-cap fund, IK IX, was closed in May 2020, at its hard cap of €2.85 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=IK Investment closes Fund IX on €2.85bn hard-cap - exclusive|url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/ik-investment-closes-fund-ix-on-e2-85bn-hard-cap-exclusive/|access-date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
IK closed its IK Small Cap III in April 2021, after raising and reaching its €1.2 billion hard cap in three months (more than twice the size of its predecessor).<ref>{{cite web|title=IK Investment Partners raises EUR1.2bn in three months for third Small Cap fund|url=https://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/2021/04/19/298828/ik-investment-partners-raises-eur12bn-three-months-third-small-cap-fund|access-date=14 Mar 2023}}</ref> The fund included a dedicated pool to fund smaller transactions as part of the firm's Development Capital strategy.
In 2021, the firm closed IK Partnership II with commitments of €335 million.
In 2024, IK introduced its first continuation vehicle, IK Strategic Opportunities I, which closed with commitments of €505 million.
IK closed its most recent Mid Cap fund, IK X, in April 2025, at its hard cap of €3.3 billion, the largest fund to date.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Carmela |date=2025-04-01 |title=IK hits hard-cap on its first flagship fund post-acquisition |url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/ik-hits-hard-cap-on-its-first-flagship-fund-post-acquisition/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Private Equity International |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Acquisitions == In March 2023, IK Partners acquired UK-based Ipsum Group, specialist infrastructure service provider, from Aliter<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-13 |title=Aliter Capital to exit Ipsum in sale to IK Partners {{!}} Unquote |url=https://www.unquote.com/uk/official-record/3028854/aliter-capital-to-exit-ipsum-in-sale-to-ik-partners |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=www.unquote.com |language=en}}</ref> for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lancashire’s Ipsum bought by IK, private equity firm – Northern Financial Review |url=https://northernfinancialreview.com/2023/03/13/lancashires-ipsum-bought-by-ik-private-equity-firm/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=northernfinancialreview.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Joseph |first=Irien |date=2023-03-13 |title=IK Partners to buy Ipsum from Aliter Capital |url=https://www.pehubeurope.com/ik-partners-to-buy-ipsum-from-aliter-capital/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=PE Hub Europe |language=en-GB}}</ref> In April, it acquired teleradiology provider Medica Group for a sum of £269m.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Ian |title=Medica agrees to £269m takeover by IK Investment Partners |url=https://www.penews.com/articles/medica-agrees-to-269m-takeover-by-ik-investment-partners-20230425 |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=www.penews.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>
In June 2023, the firm acquired Dutch snack food producer GoodLife Foods for an un-disclosed amount.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-05-30 |title=Egeria Announces the Sale of GoodLife Foods to IK Partners |url=https://www.private-equitynews.com/news/egeria-announces-the-sale-of-goodlife-foods-to-ik-partners/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=private-equitynews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Simon |date=2023-06-09 |title=GoodLife Foods destined for new private-equity owner IK Partners |url=https://www.just-food.com/news/goodlife-foods-destined-for-new-private-equity-owner-ik-partners/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Just Food |language=en-US}}</ref> In July, IK Partners, together with Summit Partners, acquired a majority stake in the Swiss independent wealth management service provider Cinerius Financial Partners for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-07-03 |title=IK Partners invests in Cinerius Financial Partners alongside Summit Partners and Management |url=https://www.private-equitynews.com/news/ik-partners-invests-in-cinerius-financial-partners-alongside-summit-partners-and-management/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=private-equitynews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IK Partners Invests in Cinerius Financial Partners alongside Summit Partners and Management |url=https://www.summitpartners.com/news/ik-partners-invests-in-cinerius-financial-partners-alongside-summit-partners-and-management |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Summit Partners |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== *Elfa AB, founded 1945 in Sweden, acquired in 2006
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://ikpartners.com/}} * {{LinkedIn page|company/ik-partners}}
{{private equity firms}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Private equity firms of the United Kingdom Category:Private equity firms of Sweden Category:Financial services companies established in 1989 Category:Financial services companies based in London Category:2024 mergers and acquisitions