VIA Equity pushes into Germany

Danish private equity firm VIA Equity has announced the appointment of an investment director to lead its new office in Munich.

Sebastian Maciejewski’s appointment follows the establishment of VIA Equity Fund III K/S in July 2016, which raised DKr1 billion (€134 million; $153 million) through equal commitments from Danish pension funds PFA and ATP. The fund has already been generating dealflow but has not yet made any investments in Germany.

Maciejewski joins from Munich-based Paragon Partners, where he had served as an investment professional since October 2015. He previously held the role of investment director at a private equity firm based in the city, PINOVA Capital.

“We have been active in the German market for some years from our office in Copenhagen, and through the experience gained, we are now ready to have a skilled German person in place locally,” John Helmsoe-Zinck, managing partner at VIA Equity, said in a statement.

Founded in 2006, the firm invests in small- and medium-sized companies with revenues from €10 million to €100 million, as well in larger businesses together with co-investors and other funds.

Its previous investments include Danish IT giant KMD and Nordic payments firm Nets. VIA also led the sale of Neas Energy to Centrica in a transaction with an estimated equity value of around DKr1.9 billion in April 2016.