Funds advised by Gilde Buy Out Partners (“Gilde”) today announced the completion of the investment in MBK Fincom (“MBK” or the “Company”), alongside the founders and management which are reinvesting in the business. With this transaction funds advised by Ardian will exit their minority investment.
The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
MBK is a strongly growing, pan-European e-commerce player with an innovative business model that allows to leverage its own digital brands through data-driven tools. The Company co-designs its own-brand products and makes a rigorous value-for-money product selection across a broad range of categories including home furniture, above ground pools, beach accessories, garden & patio furniture, sports & fitness and others. The product portfolio includes 29 own brands as well as a variety of third-party brands, which are distributed through both MBK’s own channel ProduceShop as well as third-party marketplaces. MBK is headquartered near Lugano, Switzerland, and is active across 24 countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
The co-founders of MBK commented: “Over the last years we have been able to consistently and profitably grow at a high double-digit rate across categories and geographies. We constantly strive to identify and offer best value-for-money products to our customers, both as own brands and third-party brands. We have identified a multitude of growth avenues and we believe that with Gilde we have found the right partner to unlock these potentials and to continue our growth strategy.”
Gianluigi Manna, Partner at Gilde, adds: “MBK represents a highly attractive opportunity for us to invest in a rapidly growing player in the e-commerce space, a market which is characterized by sustainable and secular growth trends. With its unique business model and clear value proposition, the Company is able to identify product trends and offer best value-for-money options to its customers. We are highly impressed with what the founders and management have achieved in recent years and are excited to support MBK during the next phase of growth.”
Gilde was advised by Houlihan Lokey (M&A and debt advisory), Ommax (commercial), Lenz & Staehelin (legal), PwC (financial & tax) and MJ Hudson (ESG). The co-founders and Ardian were advised by Blue Circle Capital (M&A), Vischer Rechtsanwälte and Winston & Strawn (both legal advisory).
About MBK Fincom
MBK Fincom is a dynamic and technology-driven e-commerce company based in Switzerland, active in the sale of home & living goods, Europe-wide. MBK co-designs and improves the features of its products in order to offer consumers the best value-for-money option. The mission of MBK is to simplify the online process of research and purchase, including free home delivery. The variety of articles, together with the attention to quality and design, has allowed MBK to grow rapidly into a prominent European leader in the sector.
For more information, please visit www.mbkfincom.com
About Gilde Buy Out Partners
Gilde Buy Out Partners is a leading European private equity investor in mid-market transactions with operations in the DACH region, the Benelux and Italy. Gilde manages funds in excess of EUR 3 billion and has offices in Zurich, Frankfurt, Utrecht, Brussels and Milan. Since its inception in 1982, Gilde has supported more than 250 companies to realize their growth ambitions.
For more information, please visit www.gilde.com