MCF supports EMZ Partners on the investment in Ankerkraut
The European Private Equity firm EMZ Partners (“EMZ”) has acquired a stake in Ankerkraut GmbH (“Ankerkraut”), a leading processor and distributor of organic herbs and spice products for the German market. MCF acted as adviser to EMZ and the transaction marks the firms’ first investment in Germany.
The Deal
The investment in Ankerkraut marks the first transaction of the German EMZ team. In EMZ, Ankerkraut has found a strong and reliable business partner for future growth and international expansion. With this transaction, the management team of Ankerkraut will become minority shareholders and the founding Lemcke family will remain as majority owners of the business. The current minority shareholders Freigeist Capital and Knälmann Ventures will stay on board.
The Target
Ankerkraut was founded in 2013 and has since become a well-known challenger brand in the German spice market. Headquartered in Jesteburg, the company operates offices and production facilities in Hamburg. Ankerkraut develops, produces and sells premium spice mixes, mono-spices, teas, advent calendars and gift sets.
About EMZ Partners
EMZ is a leading European investment firm that acts as a partner for medium-sized companies. Its activities focus on investments alongside founders, family shareholders and managers. EMZ is majority-owned by its own employees and has a base of European institutional investors. The current fund has a volume of more than 1.0 billion euros and its investment size ranges from 10 to 150 million euros.
