The right acquisition strategy leads to success

For the purpose of identifying suitable acquisition targets, AURELIUS Equity Opportunity makes use of a broad network of decision-makers in corporations as well as M&A consultants and investment banks. 

In total, the company’s acquisition specialists identify several hundred potential takeover candidates each year, of which around 10 to 15 percent undergo a detailed assessment. 

AURELIUS Equity Opportunity conducts this due diligence process with internal and external experts in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, law and finance. This way, the company assures prompt and efficient due diligence at a consistently high level.

As an active investor with a long-term investment horizon, we are searching for European corporate spin-offs and medium-sized enterprises with the following characteristics:

• growth potential given close operational assistance;
• below-average profitability;
• synergies to existing platform investments.

We do not focus on particular industrial sectors when selecting our acquisition targets, although we do concentrate primarily on the following segments:

• IT & Business Services
• Industrials & Chemicals
• Lifestyle & Consumer Goods

Further investment criteria:

• Revenues between €30 million and €1,000 million
• Investments in companies in the lower midmarket (AURELIUS Equity Opportunities) and midmarket (AURELIUS European Opportunities IV)
• Majority interests acquired, 100% holdings targeted or co-investments with AURELIUS European Opportunites IV
• Equity investment of up to €100 million per deal
• Flexible contract structures in line with the seller’s preferences are possible

Operational focus

• We employ a team of approximately 100 operational managers, and consultants to help deliver real operational improvement - not financial re-engineering. Operational managers can join portfolio companies on a full-time basis, if required
• Our portfolio companies are sustainably developed by operational support in Sales, Marketing, Logistics, Procurement, Supply Chain, Production as well as Legal, Human Resources, Finance and Investor Relations
• For strategic bolt-on acquisitions, management is supported by our M&A team

Long-term investment horizon

• We are a stable, bank-independent, long-term investor
• Long-term capital makes us patient providers of capital - we are not exit driven

Deliverability

• We fund deals on an ‘all equity basis’ without the need for third party financing
• Minimal external input required to complete: we have in-house legal and due diligence capability
• We are a highly experienced investment team with proven ability to transact at speed

Flexibility to vendor requirements

• Scope to accommodate minority shareholders, vendor loans, earn outs and deferred consideration structures