Another Swiss company with long-standing tradition has entered a partnership with Bregal Unternehmerkapital. The acquisition of the majority stake in Embassy Jewel, a retail company specialising in luxury watches and jewellery, is the sixth investment by the current Bregal Unternehmerkapital fund and the second transaction in Switzerland.

Embassy has grown steadily over the years since it was established in 1970 by Kurt König, the father of Petra and Patrik König. Today, Embassy is one of the five largest retail companies in the sector and stands for the highest level of quality in the traditional Swiss watch market for more than 45 years. Highly respected and well-known within the luxury watch sector, the retail company operates five attractively located stores in Lucerne, the Swiss watch capital, as well as one shop in St. Moritz. With watches and jewellery from distinguished brands such as Breguet, Blancpain, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Breitling and numerous other manufacturers, Embassy appeals to an international clientele. With its new partner Bregal Unternehmerkapital, Embassy plans to make further investments to strengthen the branch network and the in-store infrastructure.

Patrik and Petra König continue to hold a significant stake in the company. As their new partner for growth, Bregal is delighted to support Embassy during the company’s next growth phase.

Press contact:

IRA WÜLFING KOMMUNIKATION
Dr. Reinhard Saller
Phone: +49 89 2000 30-30
bregal@wuelfing-kommunikation.de

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that it has agreed to invest €120m in Lampenwelt, the largest European online specialist in the lighting space. 3i will invest alongside management and one of the current owners of the business, Walter Neumüller. In addition, 3i will provide a short term refinancing loan to Lampenwelt of €54 million which is expected to be refinanced shortly after completion.

Founded in 2004 by Thomas Rebmann and his brother Andreas Rebmann, Lampenwelt is the #1 specialty online retailer of lighting products in Europe. The company is headquartered in Schlitz near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. From there, it distributes own-brand and 3rd party products to customers in 12 countries across Europe. Following the transaction, the company will retain its global headquarters in Schlitz and will continue with its plans to open a new warehouse in Schlitz in the coming months.

Lampenwelt differentiates itself from its competitors through an extensive range of over 45,000 products, in-depth product knowledge, excellent customer service and high product availability. The company generated €61m of sales in 2016, of which 45% came from outside Germany, and has grown strongly in Germany and through a steady roll-out across Europe in recent years.

3i has been following Lampenwelt’s successful growth for several years and during 2016 approached the company to discuss a potential investment in the business. 3i was therefore able to undertake its diligence outside of a formal sale process, with full access to the business and senior management. Lampenwelt’s growth plans fit well with 3i’s strategy of supporting mid-sized companies to grow internationally.

Peter Wirtz, Managing Director, 3i Germany, commented:
“We are investing in a successful company with strong growth potential. We believe there are significant opportunities for Lampenwelt to further expand internationally and build on its best-in-class digital and online marketing capabilities. We are looking forward to working with the excellent management team to realise these ambitions.”

Thomas Rebmann, CEO of Lampenwelt, added:
“We are delighted to be partnering with 3i for the next stage in our growth story. 3i has extensive experience in the consumer sector and an impressive network which will help us enlarge our footprint in Europe.”

Walter Neumüller, current co-owner of Lampenwelt, commented:
“As the owners of Lampenwelt, we originally had an investment horizon beyond 2020. However, after its direct approach, 3i convinced us that as an experienced investor they would be able to strongly support Lampenwelt in its ongoing internationalisation efforts. There is a strong cultural fit between Lampenwelt and 3i and I am glad to be able to guarantee continuity both as a co-shareholder and as a member of the Lampenwelt Board also going forward.”

Jochen Wilms, a seasoned expert in both the building supply and online industries with prior experience at Bertelsmann, Schüco and Grohe, will join the board as Executive Chairman and co-invest alongside 3i and management. Thomas and Andreas Rebmann will continue in their roles as CEO and COO respectively.

The transaction is subject to customary and anti-trust approvals.

-Ends-

For further information, contact:

3i Group plc
Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com

Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

Notes to editors:

About Lampenwelt

Lampenwelt is the largest specialty online retailer of lighting products in Europe. Headquartered in Schlitz near Frankfurt am Main, the company generated €61m sales with around 240 employees in 2016. Lampenwelt is led by the brothers Thomas and Andreas Rebmann, who founded the company in 2004. Lampenwelt delivers over 45,000 own-brand and 3rd party products to customers in 12 countries across Europe.

About 3i Group

3i is an investment company with two complementary businesses, Private Equity and Infrastructure, specialising in core investment markets in Northern Europe and North America.

3i’s Private Equity team provides investment solutions for growing companies, backing entrepreneurs and management teams of mid-market companies with an EV typically between €100m – €500m. We back international growth plans, providing access to our network and expertise to accelerate the growth of companies across the consumer, industrials and business and technology services industries.

For further information, please visit: www.3i.com

Lucerne – Embassy Jewel AG, headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, has gained an additional shareholder, Bregal Unternehmerkapital, serving as a partner for growth. The agreement was signed by the owners – Petra and Patrik König. With the support of Bregal Unternehmerkapital, the luxury watch retail company plans to foster further growth. Both parties agreed to not publish further details about the transaction.

Since its foundation in 1970 by Kurt König, the father of Petra and Patrik König, Embassy has grown steadily. Today, Embassy is one of the five largest retail companies in the Swiss watch market and stands for the highest level of quality for more than 45 years. The highly respected and well-known retail company operates five attractively located stores in Lucerne, the Swiss watch capital, as well as one shop in St. Moritz. With watches and jewelry from distinguished brands as Breguet, Blancpain, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Breitling and numerous other manufacturers, Embassy appeals to an international clientele. Consequently, Embassy continues to thrive on Lucerne’s tourism strategy, which follows highest quality standards and class. Together, the shareholders plan further investments to strengthen the branch network and the in-store infrastructure to implement an even more personalized customer approach.

“We are delighted to join forces with the ideal partner Bregal Unternehmerkapital who will support our long-term growth plans” notes Embassy’s CEO Patrik König. “Bregal itself is part of a family-owned retail business, which has grown over generations and shares our values.” Florian Schick, Managing Partner of Bregal Unternehmerkapital GmbH, adds: “Our philosophy is to collaboratively support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises with capital, know-how and an international network of experts to create lasting values in a long-term relationship. Embassy has exceptional growth potential in an attractive market. We are glad to support Embassy’s next growth phase together with Petra and Patrik König and the current management team around Patrick Frischknecht.”

The stake in Embassy represents the sixth investment by the current fund, and is the second transaction in Switzerland. At the end of 2016, Bregal had acquired a majority stake in Kunststoff Schwanden AG, a supplier of complex plastic parts and components in the Swiss canton of Glarus as part of a succession arrangement.

About Bregal Unternehmerkapital

Bregal is part of a family-owned business that has been built up over generations. Its investment activity is free of institutional constraints, based on long-term commitment and independent of developments in the financial markets. Bregal identifies companies, with strong management teams, that are regarded as market leaders or “hidden champions” in their particular segment. Flexible financing and transaction structures enable Bregal to acquire both minority and majority stakes. In doing so, Bregal is also able to handle complex industry spin-offs, management buy-outs and succession situations in a sensitive, non-dogmatic manner. Bregal aims to help companies to achieve a sustained improvement in sales and profitability, and provides them with capital, proven financial expertise and access to a broad network of entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Media contact

IRA WÜLFING KOMMUNIKATION GmbH
Florian Bergmann Ohmstr. 1, D-80802 Munich
Tel. +49 89 2000 30-30
E-Mail bregal@wuelfing-kommunikation.de
www.wuelfing-kommunikation.de/en

Tokyo, Monday 16 January, 2017

– CLSA Capital Partners, the alternative asset management arm of CLSA, is pleased to announce Sunrise Capital II ’s (“Sunrise II”) Asamiya Co., Ltd. (“Asamiya”), a low-cost beverage manufacturer headquartered in Osaka, and Meiwa Co., Ltd. (“Meiwa”), a beverage wholesaler headquartered in Tokyo, have reached an agreement to merge and form a new company, which will primarily focus on the sales and promotion of beverages and other food -related products.

Asamiya and Meiwa are expected to merge on March 1, 2017 and establish a new company named LIFEDRINK COMPANY Inc .(“LDC”) Sunrise II is a CLSA Capital Partners’ fund that invests in established, mid-cap companies with strong growth potential in Japan. Asamiya manufactures various food-related products with a key focus on beverages such as pet-bottled mineral water and tea. The company has nation-wide production facilities operating through its group’s subsidiaries and is renowned for its low-cost operations achieved through in-house integration of the value chain from procurement, manufacturing, logistics and distribution. To date, Asamiya has supplied safe and secure products to consumers at affordable prices mainly in West Japan.

On the other hand, Meiwa has been successful in identifying customer needs and has built a strong reputation as a reliable company for promoting and stably distributing safe and secure products sought -afterby customers, mainly in East Japan.Sunrise II believes that through the merger of the two companies, the newly established food/beverage-related promotion and distribution company, LDC, will be able to benefit from the strengths and synergies between Asamiya and Meiwa and will be capable of tapping an even wider client base through its affordable and sought-after products. In addition, Sunrise II believes that the merger will further optimise operations and contribute to building a stronger management platform, which will assist the company in further expanding the business. Sunrise II will continue to support further acceleration of growth in the newly established company, LDC.

About Sunrise Capital

Sunrise Capital is a Japan-dedicated private equity strategy, capitalising on opportunities in the mid-cap buyout sector. Sunrise Capital’s unique features include a hands-on approach and support with overseas expansion through CLSA’s global network. Sunrise Capital has completed investments in 10 companies to date and is assisting in realising their growth potential since its establishment in 2006.

About CLSA Capital Partners

CLSA Capital Partners is the alternative asset management arm of CLSA, Asia’s leading and longest-running brokerage and investment group. CLSA Capital Partners has more than US$3 billion under management and offices across the region, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. CLSA Capital Partners offers a diversified and increasing range of investment strategies managed by a diverse team of industry professionals with expertise in private equity, banking and finance, law and accountancy and various industry specialisations.

For more information visit www.clsacapital.com

MEDIACONTACTS

Simone Wheeler

Global Head, Group Communications

CLSA

T: +852 2600 8196

E: simone.wheeler@clsa.com

Mandy Ho

Senior Communications Manager

CLSA

T: +852 2600 8193

E: mandy.ho@clsa.com