Amsterdam – Monday, 04 December 2023
Bencis is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in Kooi European Mobile Security Solutions B.V. (“Kooi” or “the Company”) to IK Partners (“IK”). Kooi is a fast-growing pan-European provider of temporary camera surveillance (“TVS”) and rising early-detection (“RED”) solutions. IK is acquiring a majority stake from Bencis Buyout FUnd V (“Bencis”), founder Pieter Kooi and the management team, who will all reinvest. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
Headquartered in Drachten, the Netherlands, Kooi is a leading provider of TVS and RED solutions, including a range of Units for Observations (“UFOs”), serving various end markets across Europe. The Company provides an end-to-end service from technical advice, delivery, installation and 24/7 monitoring through its own Kooi Alarm Centres.
At present, Kooi has more than 200 employees who serve a growing customer base in 23 countries. The Company has a sizeable presence in the Benelux, DACH, France and the Nordics with a track record of successfully expanding into new geographies. In recent years, the Company has also successfully introduced its UFO offering to sectors including Construction and Infrastructure.
Additionally, Kooi benefits from its unique and strong heritage in Renewables.
With Pieter Kooi’s involvement and the backing of Bencis since June 2018, the current management team, along with its strong staff, has successfully steered Kooi through robust growth, effectively expanding and enhancing its operational capabilities.
In partnership with IK, Kooi plans to: further realise benefits of scale; penetrate the growing TVS and RED markets; establish additional local teams; andexpand internationally into underserved markets.
Completion of the transaction is subject to legal and regulatory approvals.
Peter Schollmann, CEO of Kooi, stated: “We would like to thank Bencis for all their support over the past five years, which has provided us with a solid foundation for future growth. Kooi’s success comes from our people and culture; something I am very GRUTSK (proud) of!”
Pieter Kooi, Founder of Kooi, added: “We look forward to the next chapter and realising our ambitious plans to accelerate growth of the Company across Europe. We are confident that with the support of IK, we can retain our autonomous, market-leading position and successfully penetrate a host of underserved European markets.”
Remko Hilhorst, Managing Partner at IK and Advisor to the IK X Fund, said: “We have been impressed with Kooi’s track record to date and its ability to continuously evolve its offering to meet the needs of its customers. It has a well-established presence in the TVS market with further growth potential which can be unlocked in the years to come, particularly in those European markets where IK
itself has a recognised footprint. With this solid foundation in place, we look forward to collaborating with Peter and the team to develop the Company further.”
Robert Falk, Partner at Bencis, added: “Today marks a pivotal moment with the successful exit of Kooi. During our partnership since 2018, Kooi has seen an exceptional growth trajectory, thanks to the excellent collaboration with Pieter Kooi and the management team. Our journey with Kooi is a testament to a strong strategic partnership and visionary entrepreneurship resulting in an outstanding outcome. We are convinced that IK is the right partner for Kooi to further accelerate its growth and we are confident that Kooi will continue to play its market-leading role. We are proud to have been and continue to be part of this journey and are excited for what the future holds for Kooi.”
About IK Partners
IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in
over 180 European companies. IK supports companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit http://www.ikpartners.com
About Kooi
Kooi offers mobile video surveillance and incident response to secure the sites of its customers 24/7. The company has a leading position in the construction, infrastructure, renewables and waste management sectors across Europe. Kooi offers a range of systems with varying specifications, enabling them to secure different types of sites. For more information, visit https://247kooi.com/
About Bencis Capital Partners
Bencis is an independent investment company that supports business owners and management teams in achieving their growth ambitions. Working out of offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Düsseldorf,
Bencis has been investing in strong and successful businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 1999. For more information, visit https://bencis.com/nl
