One investment is in the Assens company WaterCare, which develops solutions for improving the aquatic environment – in the form of products for the purification of wastewater and surface water. The second investment is in BM Silo, which from the factory in Holstebro Municipality offers silos and transport equipment for storage and transport of dry materials, thereby helping to ensure a longer shelf life of e.g. grain and coffee for customers all over the world.
Den Sociale Kapitalfond INVEST has acquired 43.3 per cent of the shares in WaterCare and 44 per cent of the shares in BM Silo:
“BM Silo is one of the leading companies among SMEs in Denmark when it comes to social responsibility. At the same time, BM Silo’s products make a positive difference in the world by contributing to increased resource utilization and less raw material waste, not least in the food area via its modular, “compact-kit” silos. Combined with efficient production, we therefore see good potential going forward for BM Silo as a Danish impact company in a global market, despite turbulence in the market,” says Managing Partner Lars Jannick Johansen.
The investment in BM Silo is part of a smooth generational change, where CEO Lisbeth Barnbæk Nielsen also joins as co-owner together with the majority owner, Development Director Claus Martinsen. Businessman Mogens Rüdiger joins as chairman of the board.
And about the investment in WaterCare, it says:
“WaterCare is highly specialized in filtration and management of wastewater and surface water, but also offers solutions for aquatic filtration of phosphorus and heavy metals for agriculture, urban areas and other industries. WaterCare’s solutions thus help us all to have a cleaner aquatic environment and to better utilisation of our water resources. The company has translated this into great results in recent years. The ambition is now growth in both Denmark and the Nordic countries, an ever-increasing positive impact on the aquatic environment – and continued anchoring of Assens with more job opportunities for people from the margins of the labour market.”
Founder and CEO Henrik Rønnest will continue as co-owner, while Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest will become the majority owner together with the two business partners Ole Juul Jørgensen and Per Dollerup Mikkelsen. The latter will take over as the new Chairman of the Board.
The parties do not wish to disclose the purchase prices.
Overlooked potentials among Danish SMEs
Lars Jannick Johansen notices a growing interest in impact investments in Denmark and continued good potentials among Danish SMEs:
“The interest in impact investments continues to grow both internationally and in Denmark. And in Denmark, we actually have a good number of SMEs whose products and services help solve global challenges, that are driven by social responsibility, and that have good growth potential. We are determined to find, develop and bring them to the market. Fortunately, we are noticing good and increasing interest from many SMEs in the combination of classic private equity craftsmanship, clear values and a good toolbox to highlight and develop the companies’ positive impact and social responsibility,” says Lars Jannick Johansen.
The two new companies in the private equity fund’s portfolio also focus on developing and making visible their positive impact. At BM Silo, among other things, in the form of an increased focus on the green transition, where the company, with the help of Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest , is now strengthening the work of measuring and reducing their climate footprint, and in the case of WaterCare, with the plans to spread their solutions for filtration and management of wastewater and surface water on the Nordic market. At the same time, both companies work to create jobs for people on the “edge” of the labor market.
The investments in BM Silo and WaterCare are Den Sociale Kapitalfond Invest’s 7th and 8th investments. The fund expects to close two more investments in 2022.