Our portfolio
We focus on investments in businesses where we can best support growth and change.
Reconomy Group, today is a substantially enlarged company from the business we acquired in 2017 when it was the UK’s leading technology enabled Business Process Outsourcing provider to the waste & recycling sector. Under EMK ownership the company has deployed capital into a significant number of complimentary international acquisitions. The business is now organised through three verticals and operates globally. Recycle – which allows customers to achieve zero waste and create sustainable value. Comply – which is solving complex environmental regulatory challenges to drive business accountability and transparency across the globe. Re-use – which provides circular logistics to deliver a sustainable returns experience to its customers and their underlying customers.
Learn moreBright Data, the world’s leading IP proxy network for businesses, was acquired by EMK in 2017 in partnership with its founders. Bright Data’s proprietary transparency network serves corporate clients, including Fortune 500 companies, in many different sectors addressing their needs in ad verification, brand protection, price comparison, fraud prevention, data collection, and cyber security.
Learn moreSonans Gruppen, Norway’s market leading operator of exam re-take colleges (primarily helping former students achieve sufficient grades in high school exams to be able to access their preferred higher education course or career) was acquired by EMK in December 2017. Under EMK ownership Sonans expanded into higher education and rapidly grew its online operations.
Learn moreOnebright is the UK and Denmark’s largest independent network of private pay mental health therapists and clinicians. Its network has around 5,000 therapists and clinicians and primarily serves the insurance, insurance-related and corporate sectors.
Learn moreCovidence is the global market leader in the niche professional market for high-end, miniature video, audio and tracking surveillance equipment.
Learn moreWAE is a world leading engineering technology and consulting business providing innovative electrification and lightweight technology solutions to motorsport, high performance automotive, mining, aviation, defence and other sectors.
Learn moreTrustonic is a world-class provider of cybersecurity solutions for protecting smartphones, critical mobile apps, wearables, IoT devices, healthtech and automotive systems. EMK acquired 100% of Trustonic from its 50/50 JV founders Arm and Gemalto (now part of Thales).
Learn moreVDK Groep (“VDK”) is a group of technical installation and maintenance companies offering multi-disciplinary end-to-end technical installation and service solutions. VDK provides generic and niche services, including installation, servicing, maintenance, inspection and monitoring services across the following disciplines: electrical installation, mechanical installation, maintenance services, building intelligence, climate technology, fire safety & security, telecom, IT, and advisory & adjacent services.
Learn moreFounded in 2010 as a managed and web hosting service provider, The Digital Neighborhood has over time expanded into workspace, Microsoft cloud consulting, data analytics and data science providing a full stack IT services offering.
Learn moreFounded in 2013, Egiss A/S ("Egiss") is a global value-added reseller of IT devices to large, multi-national corporations ("MNCs"). Egiss offers a unique solution to MNCs by mitigating the usual complexity of IT procurement through its multi-vendor and multi-country delivery infrastructure, which provides a one-stop shop for global organisations' strategic IT catalogue. Since its inception, the company has established delivery hubs across Denmark, South Africa, India, China, Indonesia and the United States, and delivers IT equipment to customer locations in 125+ countries today.
Learn moreCardo designs and markets wireless mesh communication systems for motorcycle riders, skiers, site workers, and other groups and individuals in motion. The Company’s innovative products backed by proprietary, cutting-edge technology allow groups to communicate wirelessly with one another and connect safely to hands-free services (e.g. mobile phone, music streaming, radio and GPS).
Learn moreOutright Games is a market leading children's and family video games publisher headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US and Spain. Outright has built an impressive portfolio of IP-based kids and family content with titles including renowned franchises such as Paw Patrol, Jumanji, Ben10, Dragons, Peppa Pig, Jurassic Park and Fast & Furious.
Learn moreEMK initially acquired and integrated eight high-end optical and hearing care retail chains in the Netherlands, creating the leading high-end optical retail chain in the country.
Learn moreFuture Group is a technology education and talent platform that provides high-quality coding and technology-based skills to working adults, and a differentiated technology-skilled workforce to businesses. The platform sources and selects students, skills them through cutting-edge and intensive programmes, and delivers outcomes by partnering closely with businesses that need a workforce with digital skills.
Learn moreService Key S.p.A. (“Service Key”) is an Italian integrated facility management company. Service Key’s focus has historically been on soft facility management services (cleaning, concierge, access control, sanitisation, and other janitorial services) where it has a strong reputation and an established blue-chip sector client base. In recent years, the Company has expanded its service offering to include hard facility management services (technical installation and maintenance). EMK Capital acquired a majority stake in Service Key in November 2022 from its two founders who have reinvested alongside us. EMK Capital invested in Service Key to help enlarge its service offering and geographical coverage within Italy via an organic and acquisition-based growth strategy.
Learn moreThe Group involves the acquisition and consolidation of Garda Sikring, Great Security, Heda Security, KIBO Sikring and Windsor Door. Through these five concurrent acquisitions, the Group will be a Nordic leader within perimeter and technical security across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. The Group offers installation, service, and maintenance for a wide range of mission critical products and services within perimeter and mechanical security, technical security, road safety and industrial doors.
Learn moreBark is a leading online services marketplace headquartered in London, UK, that uses proprietary technology to introduce service providers, across a broad range of verticals, with those seeking to purchase services, ensuring quality and real-time matches.
Learn moreServion is a specialist global IT services provider focused on contact centre solutions within the broader Customer Experience ("CX") space. Through deep relationships with OEMs, Servion works with enterprise clients and OEMs like Cisco, NICE, Genesys, Zoom, Microsoft, and Amazon Connect to provide digital product engineering, implementation, and managed services for their CX-related software stack. The CX software stack refers to tools and systems for customer service organisations, often in a contact centre context, to triage, monitor, and optimise interactions with end-customers across channels, including voice, chat, email, and social media.
Learn moreFounded in 1977, L&S is the leading designer and producer of bespoke embedded LED technical lighting systems and solutions for premium residential, commercial and industrial applications.
Learn moreKeltbray Infrastructure Services (“KIS”) is a leading provider of integrated infrastructure engineering services, facilitating the UK’s green energy transition. KIS focusses on maintaining, upgrading and expanding the UK’s power, renewable energy and rail networks. KIS was carved out from Keltbray Group having been established in 2009 as a separate infrastructure services division of its construction focussed parent.
Learn moreHeadquartered in Stockholm, Pinerock Group (“Pinerock”) is a Swedish Renovation, Maintenance, and Improvement (“RMI”) building services provider.
Learn moreArctic Seafarm (“Arctic”) is building a land-based full grow-out facility project for Atlantic salmon in Nesna, Norway.
Learn moreMarch is a multidisciplinary critical engineering services provider headquartered in the UK. March delivers a full range of services, including design, installation, maintenance, and renewal. The company’s three operating units comprise: 1) Infrastructure - traditional engineering services for the built environment; 2) Process - asset maintenance, process improvements, and production facility optimisation; and 3) Digital - digital optimisation of clients’ facilities and processes. March serves blue-chip and long-term clients in complex and regulated environments across non-cyclical sectors, such as government, education, security, infrastructure, energy, and utilities, as well as non-discretionary industrial sectors, such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Through its work, March helps customers to achieve their net zero goals for better energy efficiency and water usage. EMK Capital acquired a majority stake in March in November 2024, alongside key management who invested alongside us. EMK Capital invested in the company to reinforce its market position in its core segments and continue to expand its service offering and enter new end-markets via both organic growth and a transformational buy-and-build strategy.
Learn moreInvestments prior to EMK
Prior to founding EMK Capital, Edmund Lazarus and Mark Joseph's track records included investments in the following companies.
BlueStep, the largest specialist mortgage lender in Scandinavia, was acquired in February 2008. BlueStep offers mortgage products for borrowers who self-certify their income, have adverse credit histories or for other reasons have difficulties accessing the mainstream mortgage market. BlueStep originates its products predominantly through the direct-to-borrower channel. Initially focused on Swedish specialist mortgages, since the acquisition in 2008 BlueStep has expanded its offering to include specialist mortgages in Norway, unsecured loans in Sweden, as well as deposit products for retail customers in both Sweden and Norway. BlueStep was sold in July 2017 to EQT VII
Learn moreCognita was established in October 2004 when we invested with the objective of creating the leading independent schools business initially in the UK, then internationally. Cognita's vision is to build a portfolio of top quality schools with an absolute commitment to teaching excellence. The company was founded by an experienced management team and chaired by Chris Woodhead for c.10 years, the former UK Chief Inspector of Schools. We developed Cognita's strategy with Chris and the management team for more than a year prior to the Company's initial acquisitions. Having become by far the leading independent schools business in the UK, Cognita now also has a leading presence in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain, Chile and Brazil, and has recently entered the Hong Kong market. In 2013 we negotiated an investment in Cognita by KKR, alongside us as a 50/50 owner, to further accelerate the company’s growth around the world.
Learn moreFacile was acquired in 2014 and has built a leading market position in the fast-growing Italian online price comparison market particularly in car insurance. Facile has launched several price comparison product verticals to broaden its revenue base beyond insurance including gas and electricity, broadband, bank accounts and mobile phones. Today, Facile helps over two million Italians a month to compare prices on key elements of their household expenditure.
Learn moreGlobal Solutions Ltd ("GSL") was acquired in May 2004. GSL is a leading UK and overseas provider of outsourced services to public authorities and operators within the growing PFI and PPP outsourcing market. GSL's service offering incorporates: Custodial Services - prison management, escorting, immigration, custody and training; Integrated Services - project management, maintenance and logistics solutions for the healthcare, education and local authority sectors; Metering and Managed Services - gas and electricity meter reading and data aggregation services for utilities. GSL was acquired in partnership with Cognetas LLP. In May 2008, GSL was sold to G4S plc for a gross enterprise valuation of €355 million.
Learn moreA minority stake in HEG was acquired when Intergenia was sold to HEG in January 2015. HEG has grown to be the largest privately owned provider of hosting and domain services in Europe with seven datacentre facilities in Europe and the USA. HEG operates three main divisions providing mass hosting, managed hosting and datacentre services to over 1.7 million customers and manages over 7 million domain names. HEG is a clear leader in its core markets and has strong potential for future and continued growth. HEG was acquired by GoDaddy in December 2016.
Learn moreAt the time of acquisition in 2008, Host Europe operated two web-hosting divisions. "Webfusion" in the UK, a market leader for domain registration and the second largest shared hosting provider, and "Host Europe GmbH" in Germany, the market leader in standardised managed hosting services. In October 2010, after achieving significant organic growth in its web-hosting divisions Host Europe was sold to Montagu Private Equity.
Learn moreIntergenia was acquired in 2011 from its founders (who retained a 49% equity interest). Intergenia was a leading provider of web-hosting services and traded under the "PlusServer", "serverloft" and "SERVER4YOU" brands. The company benefited from an industry-leading low-cost base due to its proprietary automated server provisioning platform and its data centre in Strasbourg, which is cooled by underground river water making it one of Europe’s most efficient data centres. Intergenia delivered strong organic growth and made five bolt-on acquisitions which were migrated onto its low cost platform to realise synergies. In January 2015, the business was sold to HEG.
Learn moreAcquired in 2008, Morrison Utility Services ("MUS"), headquartered in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, is one of the UK’s leading service providers within the electricity, gas, telecommunication and water utilities sectors. Operating under long-term contracts, it is a leading tier 1 provider of outsourced services to a broad range of utility companies. The services provided include the installation, maintenance and replacement of piping and cabling networks throughout the UK and Ireland. MUS supplies the labour and equipment hire required and works in partnership with its blue chip clients to assist them in the long-term planning of their infrastructure management.
Learn moreParship was acquired in April 2015 by Oakley Capital from Holtzbrinck Digital. As the inventor of scientific matchmaking in Europe, Parship has helped its members since 2001 to find the right match for a happy long-term relationship. In November 2015 Parship acquired Elite Partner its largest competitor to further consolidate Parship's market-leading position in the DACH region. The Group has delivered strong organic growth and realised significant synergies. A controlling stake in Parship was sold to ProSiebenSat.1 in September 2016.
Learn moreAcquired in September 2013, Ideal Stelrad Group was a boiler and radiator manufacturer with production facilities across Europe.
Learn moreStudialis was set up in November 2007 to build a business in the higher education sector in French-speaking countries. Over the next eight years, Studialis acquired thirteen French private education groups providing recognised undergraduate and graduate courses to a total of 17,500 students in the fields of management, marketing & communication, journalism, finance and accounting, graphic, industrial, interior, fashion and web design, acting and cinema, as well as in arts and culture management. In October 2015, Studialis was sold to Galileo Education, making it the largest European higher education business and the best positioned to expand internationally.
Learn moreA growth capital investment in QA was completed in May 2007, followed by the successful acquisition of AIM-listed Xpertise Group plc, one of QA’s principal competitors, in September 2008. Subsequently the group has delivered strong organic growth and completed five further add-on acquisitions to supplement and broaden the group’s offering. Today, QA is the UK’s pre-eminent IT training company, providing training in predominantly IT-related areas to private and public sector clients, including approximately 80% of the FTSE 250. Since acquisition, QA has launched operations in apprenticeships and higher education, and more recently entered the fast-growing hire-train-deploy market for IT consultants.
Learn moreVerivox was acquired in December 2009 from Independent News & Media. Verivox was founded in Heidelberg in 1998 and became Germany’s largest independent consumer portal for energy. Verivox has successfully helped more than 7.5 million households switch their utility providers with consumer savings in excess of €1 billion. In addition, Verivox offers online comparisons for telecommunication, insurance and finance products as well as a search engine for commission-free real estate properties and pre-owned automobiles. Following a competitive sales process, Verivox was sold to ProSiebenSat.1 in August 2015.
Learn moreWhittan, one of the leading European suppliers of storage solutions and the established market leader in the UK, was acquired in February 2015. Whittan manufactures, sells and distributes three core products: pallet racking, shelving and lockers, to a wide range of customers. It trades under a number of well established brands including: Link51, Permar, Polypal and Moresecure. Headquartered in the UK, Whittan has manufacturing facilities in the UK and Spain and its own sales and distribution operations across Europe. In January 2016, Whittan completed a transformational acquisition of Apex Linvar Ltd, a UK manufacturer of pallet racking systems that also provides a broader range of storage solutions including shelving. Apex Linvar has manufacturing facilities located in the UK.
Learn moreAn investment in Zephyr Investments Ltd was completed in April 2004. A second group of wind farms was contributed to Zephyr in December 2005, with a third group contributed in December 2006. Zephyr was the first off-balance sheet portfolio financing of wind farms operating under the UK Renewables Obligation Certificates ("ROCs") mechanism. RWE provided Zephyr with a long term fixed price power purchase agreement, including ROCs, and a long term operation and maintenance services contract for the assets. The Zephyr portfolio comprised 391 MW of mostly onshore capacity across the UK. The investment in Zephyr was done in partnership with Arcapita and RWE. In May 2007, Zephyr was sold to a consortium of Prudential's infrastructure fund and J.P. Morgan's infrastructure fund at an enterprise valuation in excess of €700 million.
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