We are an independent investment company that focuses on majority and minority investments in market-leading, high-growth companies in German-speaking countries. We typically invest in growth and succession situations of family-owned and owner-managed Mittelstand companies. Our experienced and complementary team actively supports our portfolio companies from our Munich office with sales of around EUR 600 million and ca. 3,500 employees.
Since its foundation in 1992, VTC has invested in more than 70 Mittelstand companies, making it one of the most established investment companies in the German-speaking region.
We exclusively invest captive funds of our partners. Our independence from institutional constraints enables us to maintain a long-term investment horizon and thus achieve sustainable and lasting value-creation at our portfolio companies.
Entrepreneurs with long track record
We have developed VTC together since the mid-1990s and invest exclusively our own, self-generated funds. We are entrepreneurs who are driven by the long-term development of VTC and its investments – and not by short-term prospects of a quick exit.
Holding with added value
As sparring partners for the top management of our group companies we provide support in strategic discussions or selected projects. Our group companies are fully independent of each other, and we do not provide any central functions for them. We emphasize the importance of flexibility and quick decision making.
As sparring partners for the top management of our portfolio companies we provide support in strategic discussions, the further development of the organization and selectively in certain strategic projects such as acquisitions or major organic growth investments. The holdings operate independently and autonomously. We avoid operational and financial interdependencies between our portfolio companies and instead strengthen the flexibility and freedom of local management teams and thus the entrepreneurial spirit of our portfolio companies.
Professional acquirer
Our strong experience makes us a trusted partner for entrepreneurs in M&A processes. Being entrepreneurs ourselves helps us to understand the motivation and emotions of our counterparts. Our structure enables us to make quick decisions and offer tailor-made investment solutions.
Strong corporate values
Our company culture is based on strong values, which we carry into our portfolio companies. We rate the long-term impact of our actions higher than short-term financial results. An investment in a company is also a commitment from our side towards customers, employees and financing partners.
Susanne Fehre has been part of the VTC team since 2023. She supports the management as well as the Wertcontor team as an assistant in all administrative and commercial matters.
Ms. Fehre previously worked as an assistant to the board of directors of a medium-sized family business in Munich. She gained further experience at a subsidiary of Unicredit, for which she worked as an executive assistant for more than ten years. Ms. Fehre has an education as a nurse.
Philipp is a Managing Partner of VTC since 2024. In his role he is leading the investment team and is responsible for transactions as well as value creation of portfolio companies.
Philipp started his career at VTC in 2004 and was working until 2018 on numerous transactions as well as on actively driving the development of the portfolio companies. From 2018 until 2024 Philipp was member of the investment team of Bregal Unternehmerkapital where he was most recently heading the business services sector. In addition, he was responsible as a deal captain for several platform transactions. Philipp gained during his career ample experience especially in growth- and succession related situations in industrial tech, business services, healthcare and consumer goods.
Philipp holds a business degree (lic.oec.HSG) from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Mira Has has been part of the VTC team since 2024. She supports the management as well as the investment team in administrative and commercial matters.
Previously, she worked as an executive assistant at a family office with focus on the real estate sector. She gained further experience as a team assistant and sales support at an expanding German investment company. Mira Has has an education as office communications clerk.
Philipp Härtel is with VTC since 2020. He works on transactions as well as portfolio management tasks and screens potential investment opportunities and markets.
Before joining VTC he worked in the M&A team of Harris Williams in Frankfurt, where he was involved in buyside and sell side mandates. Moreover, he gained previous experience at Gimv, KPMG and ING Corporate Finance.
Philipp holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Econometrics and Operations Research from Maastricht University, Netherlands as well as a Master of Science degree with focus on Corporate Finance from the Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands.
Andreas Joha joined the investment team of VTC in 2021. He works on transactions as well as portfolio management tasks and screens potential investment opportunities and markets.
Previously, he spent several years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Munich advising private equity clients on buyside and sellside transactions.
Andreas received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration with a major in Finance & Accounting from Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, and a Master of Science in Finance with a major in Corporate Finance from Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden.
In the early years of VTC Jürgen worked on a number of industry roll ups and held management positions in portfolio companies. Since then he has responsible for many transactions and gained broad experience in the industrials and renewables space. Jürgen is in charge of Baettr Holding GmbH.
Before his time at university he worked as a trainee for HypoVereinsbank AG in Munich. He is an active shareholder in the Leuze family business.
Jürgen holds a business degree (lic.oec.HSG) from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Stefan has overseen a number of VTC‘s transactions in Germany and Switzerland, mostly in the mechanical and plant engineering businesses. He is in charge of Sesotec GmbH and JK Group.
Before joining VTC Stefan was partner in a turnaround consulting firm where he also took on interim management positions. He started his career as a trainee at HypoVereinsbank AG and later worked for Bain & Company in Munich and London.
Stefan serves as a board member of the Leuze Group.
He has a business degree from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.
Before co-founding VTC in 1992 Thomas had worked for IMM Industrie Management München, back then one of the first private equity firms in Germany.
During his time at VTC Thomas applied his long experience at numerous transactions. In the early years of VTC he initiated and implemented a number of industry roll-ups and took on executive positions in portfolio companies. Thomas co-founded one of the leading German private equity fund-of-funds and today is a member of the company’s supervisory board.
Thomas holds a PhD (Dr.rer.nat.) in physics from the Technische Universität Munich and an INSEAD MBA, France.
Magdalena Simonji-Elias joined VTC in April 2024 as Finance Director. She is responsible for finance, taxes, treasury and consolidated financial statements at holding level.
Previously, Magdalena Simonji-Elias worked for many years in auditing at one of the Big Four companies. She was responsible for the audit financial statements of listed companies as well as of the large medium-sized companies.
Magdalena Simonji-Elias holds a degree in business and economics from the University of Hohenheim and successfully passed both professional examinations as German Certified Public Accountant and tax consultant.
Nicole Weihrauch has been working for VTC as an assistant since 2023. She supports the management and the investment team in divers administrative and commercial matters.
Prior to VTC, she worked for a renowned Private Equity company as assistant. She gained further experience in the international business department of a leading internet platform as well as in various departments of Dresdner Bank.
Nicole completed an apprenticeship as bank clerk and has a business degree from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.
Since 2000 Ulrich has worked on numerous transactions at VTC. In addition he chaired strategic projects and add-on acquisitions at portfolio companies. He is responsible for deal sourcing at VTC and is the contact person for investment banks and M&A advisors.
Ulrich started his career at A.T. Kearney in Munich and Dusseldorf. There he focused on efficiency programs and strategy development in the consumer goods, retail and energy sectors.
Ulrich holds a business degree and a PhD in business from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich.
Baettr is a leading component supplier for the wind industry. The company is specialized in the serial production of large cast products for on- and off-shore markets incl. CNC-machining, metal finishing as well as subassembly offerings according to customer specifications. The international footprint with three foundries, two machining and two surface treatment facilities in Europe and Asia is ideally positioned to serve its customers worldwide.
FRIWO AG is an internationally operating systems provider developing, producing and marketing high-performance, high-quality hard- and software solutions along the electrical drive train. FRIWO’s main market segments are e-mobility, household appliances and tools, medical equipment and industrial applications. Based on a global manufacturing and sourcing footprint, FRIWO is able to deliver leading edge technology at highly competitive prices.
Hürner Luft- und Umwelttechnik is a leading manufacturer of plastic fans as well as components and equipment for handling industrial process air. Within the field of industrial process air, HLU’s products are focussed on applications in the area of corrosive and aggressive exhaust air. HLU’s main end customer industries include the semiconductor, galvanic, chemical and pharmaceutical industries as well as laboratories and the food and beverage industry.
JK Group is a worldwide leading manufacturer of devices for the tanning, fitness, and beauty industry. At the Company’s headquarter in Windhagen (Germany), JK develops and produces devices under the brand names “Ergoline”, “Beauty Angel”, “Sun Angel” and “Wellsystem”. The fields of application include cosmetic tanning, red light and near infrared applications for skin care as well as dry water massage.
Sesotec develops and manufactures machines and systems for the detection and separation of contaminants, for product inspection and for the sorting of material flows. Product sales primarily focus on the global food, plastics, pharmaceutical, wood, textile, and recycling industries. Sesotec’s global market leadership is based on a high competence in a wide range of technologies. The leading facility for design, development and manufacturing is located in Germany. Sesotec’s export quota amounts to over 50%.
We want to keep growing and are constantly looking for new investment opportunities. Due to our lean decision-making processes, we process incoming opportunities swiftly and confidentially.
We differentiate ourselves through a flexible investment approach that adapts to each new investment opportunity. As we invest our own money – in contrast to private equity firms with fixed fund durations – we are not exit-oriented, but pursue a long-term, sustainable development perspective.
We seek companies that meet the following criteria:
Sector:
Our investment focus and main experience is in the Industrial Tech, Business Services and Healthcare segments.
Size:
Our target companies typically have an operating result (EBITDA) in the range of EUR 3 to 8 million.
For our portfolio companies, we also look for smaller acquisition targets.
Investment amount and regional focus:
We are looking for majority stakes but will also consider qualified minorities. We invest up to EUR 30 million of our equity per transaction, while larger investments are pursued together with partners.
Our regional investment focus is on Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Ostbevern, 27. Juni 2019 – Der Aufsichtsrat der FRIWO AG hat mit Wirkung zum 1. Juli 2019 Herrn Ulrich Lammers (51) zum weiteren Vorstandsmitglied (CFO) bestellt. Er folgt auf Herrn Martin Schimmelpfennig, der im Oktober vergangenen Jahres aus dem Unternehmen ausgeschieden war. Der Vorstand des Herstellers hochwertiger Netz- und Ladegeräte besteht somit künftig aus dem Vorstandvorsitzenden Rolf Schwirz (CEO) und Ulrich Lammers. Der Diplom-Ökonom Lammers blickt auf langjährige Tätigkeiten für namhafte, international agierende Konzerne verschiedenster Branchen zurück. Er wechselt von der ControlExpert GmbH in Langenfeld zur FRIWO. Bei dem Insure-Tech Unternehmen im Bereich Kfz-Schadenmanagement war er als Chief Financial Officer (CFO) und Mitglied der Geschäftsführung tätig. Herr Lammers wird die klassischen Finanzbereiche sowie Investor Relations und Recht einschließlich Compliance verantworten. Vorstandsvorsitzender Rolf Schwirz (60) ist künftig zuständig für die Bereiche Technik, Produktion und Vertrieb. Richard Ramsauer, Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der FRIWO AG: „Bei der Suche nach der Besetzung der Vorstandsposition galt für uns der Grundsatz: Sorgfalt geht vor Schnelligkeit. Mit Ulrich Lammers gewinnt unsere Gesellschaft nun einen ausgewiesenen und erfahrenen Finanzexperten. Der Aufsichtsrat ist sicher, dass er zusammen mit Rolf Schwirz, unter dessen Führung die FRIWO derzeit eine tiefgreifende Transformation vom Produkt- zum Systemanbieter durchläuft, ein schlagkräftiges Führungsteam bilden wird.“
Address
VTC GmbH & Co. KG
Promenadeplatz 12
D-80333 München
