IK Partners

Private Equity Manager (GP)

Case study

What IK Partners does

IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm that typically invests in companies based in Northern and Western Europe. IK has four investment strategies: mid-cap (valuations between €200m and €1bn), small-cap (sub-€200m valuations), development capital (valuations up to €50m) and partnership (minority stakes in larger companies to support specific growth plans).

Pantheon International invested in two funds – IK Small Cap IV and IK Development Capital II – which focus on smaller, often family-owned or founder-led businesses which require support to grow, expand internationally, or improve operations.

Why we invested

• Previous funds have delivered strong returns, with many companies growing significantly in size and value during IK’s ownership.
• Funds are managed by dedicated teams with deep knowledge of the sectors that they invest in, supported by specialists in operations, finance, and sustainability.
• IK focuses on stable sectors with good long-term growth prospects, e.g. healthcare, business services, consumer goods and industrials.
• Regional offices help IK to build relationships with business owners and find investment opportunities that may not be available to other firms.

Value creation

• Making operational improvements to help companies become more efficient, improve products and services, and expand into new markets.
• Acquiring smaller businesses in the same industry to generate faster growth and boost market position.
• Supporting a range of business sizes and needs, with investors’ money split 70/30 between small cap and development capital strategy.
• Integrating ESG into the investment process to both manage risk and increase value.