Who We Are

We are a team of experienced industry professionals managing a lower mid-market private equity fund, which provides capital to small and medium size high-growth companies primarily in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We help our investee companies to effectively use the invested capital supporting growth and operational excellence and to improve their competitive position by expanding into new products and markets, growing productivity and strengthening their core competencies. Ultimately, our activity should result in stronger companies that employ experienced and talented professionals, are socially responsible, deliver strong returns over the long-term, and therefore contribute to the overall economic growth.

Naturally, our ultimate goal is to preserve and grow the capital of our investors. GGEF I has been established in November 2019 with the participation of reputable institutional investors such as European Investment Fund, Kooperativa pojišťovna (Vienna Insurance Group), Komerční banka (Amundi Czech Republic), financial group RSJ and a Czech family office SPM Capital. We are proud to team up with such renowned and responsible financial partners. In our investments we strive to keep high ethical and professional standards. We believe that our approach is appreciated by all participants of the investment process.

GGEF I Strategy

We continue a long-established and proven strategy of sector-focused investing across the region, which we know best. We seek to invest in well-positioned companies with solid growth prospects, the potential for operational and strategic improvements, and advanced business models.

We invest with high-quality management teams (either existing or newly appointed), which are capable of building long-term value. Key-value drivers are revenue, earnings growth, and expansion (both domestic and international; organic or by acquisitions). We aim to create value in our investments, mainly through operational expertise and improvements rather than by financial engineering.

Fund
GGEF I
Size
€ 40 million
Geographic focus
Czech Republic and Slovakia with limited allocation for neighbouring markets
Sector focus
Value added manufacturing, specialty engineering, technology-enabled products and services, digitalization-related business models, new energy technologies, business and consumer services
Deal types
Growth equity investments, buyouts, or recapitalizations
GGEF I investment
€ 1 million - € 6 million
Target enterprise value
Up to € 12 million

GGEF I Investment Targets

The small and medium-sized companies in targeted markets with the following characteristics:

Established and cash flow generative companies with proven product or service offerings and a solid business model
Existing and diversified client base
Experienced and motivated management team

Realistic and well-prepared expansion plans preferably with an international ambition
Revenue in the range of € 3-15 million and EBITDA of € 0.5-2 million
Growth potential of at least 10 % p.a.
Targeted EBITDA margin of 10 % +

Genesis Growth Equity Fund I Team

We are an independent management team led by three seasoned industry professionals with an excellent track record and an average 17 years of investment experience. In addition, we co-operate with Genesis Capital Equity, an established private equity manager in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. All individual members of our team possess unique experience and skill set enabling them to execute the investment strategy and to effectively cover the targeted markets.

Our partners combine the successful history of value creation at portfolio companies and excellent returns on investments. Together they made more than 30 investments, and they allocated capital in excess of € 100 million - all in relevant sectors and targeted markets.

Jiří Beneš

Managing Partner

Marek Hoščálek

Partner

Radim Jasek

Partner

Ondřej Pernica

Investment Director

Matěj Mudroch

Investment Manager

Lukáš Baloga

Investment Analyst

Lucie Kolářová

Office Manager

Portfolio

R2B2

R2B2 was founded in 2009, and over the last ten years it grew into a leading player on the Czech market of programmatic online advertising. The Company operates a digital ad network spanning all online screens – computers, mobile devices, and TVs. R2B2 helps publishers to monetize ad space and advertisers to extend their reach to the Czech and Slovak markets. The Company services more than 100 publishers and TV stations that sell ad placement to hundreds of advertising agencies and direct advertisers.

HC electronics

Founded in 1992, HC electronics has grown to become a leading provider of electronics manufacturing services with a focus on small and medium series in the Czech Republic. HC electronics specializes primarily in printed circuit board assembly and related activities using state-of-the-art technologies. The company is well established in both domestic and foreign markets, it serves customers in Central and Western Europe region.

JP-PROLAK

JP-PROLAK is an engineering company specializing in the production of a wide range of custom-made industrial products in small and medium-sized series for customers from various industries - engineering, agriculture, electrical engineering, and automotive. The company is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies in the field of laser sheet metal cutting, bending, CNC machining, welding, and powder coating. JP-PROLAK is based in Opatov near Svitavy in the Pardubice Region.

SEA Enterprises

SEA is an engineering company providing highly specialized products and services for subsea energy infrastructure and the automotive industry. The company supplies transport reels, components for submarine cables, high-tech machinery, integrated solutions, and inspection and transportation services. SEA delivers its products and services to major global EPC companies in the energy sector, serving both traditional and new energy industries, and to major automotive industry suppliers.

UPS Technology

UPS Technology has built itself into a Czech market leader in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems since its founding in 1991. The company specializes in supplying backup systems including UPS, DC power supplies, motor generators, and large-scale power centers. As part of its comprehensive services, the company offers process assurance from consultation to implementation and after-sales service. Customers include CEZ, Siemens, ABB, Škoda, and Čepro, as well as hospitals, airports, and football stadiums. UPS Technology has a commercial and technical base in Brno and branches in Prague and Ostrava, the company operates also in Slovakia.

CARUSSEL

Carussel is a provider of digital solutions supporting car dealerships, distributors, and manufacturers in digitalization of their processes. It focuses on the development and operation of modular dealership management systems for car dealerships spanning across more than 50 countries. Furthermore, Carussel offers online marketing services that enable clients to maximize performance in traffic acquisition and lead generation.

Předvýběr.CZ

Předvýběr.CZ is a Czech staffing company operating on the market since 2008. It focuses on the pre-selection of suitable candidates, reaching out to candidates through online job portals, online databases, an extensive internal database of contacts, and social networks. More than 50 employees working in the Prague headquarters and regional offices in Vysočina, Brno, and Ostrava take care of the quality search and relevance of candidates.

Knihobot/Bookbot

Since 2019, Knihobot/Bookbot has been on a mission to change the book market by teaching readers to return used books back into circulation. After rapidly becoming a leading online platform for buying and selling used books across the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the company expanded its Bookbot brand into German-speaking markets. Powered by a customer-centric online experience and a nationwide network of book drop-off locations, Knihobot/Bookbot makes it easy for consumers to declutter their shelves and get fair value for their used books, while also providing access to a vast catalog of affordable, quality pre-owned literature. Precise pricing and fast inventory turnover are driven by the continuous use of data. Re-commerce (online trading with used goods) is currently outpacing traditional online shopping in Europe.

TechPlasty

TechPlasty is a Slovak company specializing in expert consulting, custom production of technical plastics, semi-finished products, and finished products made from technical plastics, with prompt delivery to customers. The company has become a leading player in the Slovak industrial plastics segment over the last 30 years. Thanks to its proprietary system, the company serves more than 1,500 active customers and processes over 11,000 orders annually. The company is headquartered in Žilina.

Exited investments

Homecare Holding

Homecare Holding is an established provider of professional home health care. It currently operates in the territories of Prague and Pilsen and strives for gradual organic and acquisitional expansion into other regions of the Czech Republic.

The company's competencies include nursing, rehabilitation, highly specialized medical procedures, care for long-term and palliative patients, and physiotherapy. It provides all services in the clients' home conditions and their social environment.