KPS Capital
KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm founded in 1991 that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies. It manages $19.1 billion across eight institutional funds, specializing in corporate carve-outs, restructurings, and operational transformation, serving institutional LPs and corporate sellers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KPS Capital does
KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm founded in 1991 that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies across diverse end-markets, including aerospace & defense, automotive, building materials, capital goods, chemicals, consumer products, food & beverage, general industrial products, healthcare products & medical devices, metals, and paper & packaging. The firm manages approximately $19.1 billion in assets under management across eight dedicated institutional funds and operates from offices in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and London. KPS's core strategy centers on corporate carve-outs from large multinational corporations (Siemens, CRH, Norsk Hydro, Crown Holdings, Albemarle, adidas, Colfax, Baker Hughes, among others), complex financial restructurings, and private sales from families and founders. Flagship funds can invest up to $1.6 billion per platform and mid-cap funds up to $340 million per platform, with co-investment lifting total deployment capacity further. The firm has completed over 125 controlling investments since inception, including 55 platform companies and 70 follow-on acquisitions.
KPS does not develop proprietary technology in the conventional sense. Its intellectual property is an in-house Operations Group that drives structural improvement in safety, quality, customer service, on-time delivery, and overall manufacturing excellence at portfolio companies. The Operations Group has trained over 10,680 portfolio employees across structured programs in Safety, EHS, Commercial Excellence, SIOP, World-Class Maintenance, Strategy Deployment, Operational Finance, and Human Resources. Portfolio companies achieve on average a 50% reduction in recordable safety incidents during KPS ownership. The firm maintains Framework Agreements with German labor unions IG Metall (2017) and IG BCE (2019) to facilitate cross-border carve-outs in Europe.
The firm earns revenue through two streams: (i) management fees on committed capital across its flagship and mid-cap fund vintages (recurring, subscription-style revenue) and (ii) carried interest on successful exits and realizations from portfolio companies (performance-based, transaction-driven revenue). KPS serves two customer segments: institutional limited partners — pension funds, endowments, and foundations committing capital to funds — and corporate sellers — large global corporations, families, and founders divesting non-core manufacturing and industrial businesses. Pricing (fee rates and carry terms) is not publicly disclosed. With 62 employees globally, KPS operates a capital-light platform with portfolio companies now running 277 manufacturing facilities across 21 countries and generating approximately $25.5 billion in aggregate annual revenue.
KPS Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KPS Capital
- Legal name
- KPS Capital Partners, LP
- Website
- http://kpsfund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm founded in 1991 that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies. It manages $19.1 billion across eight institutional funds, specializing in corporate carve-outs, restructurings, and operational transformation, serving institutional LPs and corporate sellers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KPS Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity Fund Management
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public-to-Private (P2P) Buyout (FSANABAG)
Keywords
Where KPS Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
KPS Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: KPS earns management fees on committed capital from its eight dedicated institutional funds. Flagship funds can invest up to $1.6 billion per platform, while Mid-Cap funds invest up to $340 million per platform.
- Carried Interest: KPS earns carried interest on successful exits and realizations from portfolio companies, generating performance-based returns from investments in manufacturing and industrial businesses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
KPS Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies. The firm manages dedicated institutional funds (Flagship Special Situations Funds and Mid-Cap Funds) that invest in businesses requiring structural improvement, with capacity to invest up to $1.6 billion per platform. KPS acquires companies through corporate carve-outs from large global corporations, complex financial restructurings, and private sales from families and founders, then drives operational transformation through its in-house Operations Group.
Product overview
KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies. The firm offers investment management services through its flagship and mid-cap fund strategies, targeting companies requiring structural improvement to their business and operations. KPS provides its portfolio companies with manufacturing expertise, global network, and resources to build world-class enterprises. The firm operates across diverse industries including aerospace & defense, automotive, building materials, capital goods, chemicals, consumer products, food & beverage, general industrial products, healthcare products & medical devices, metals, paper & packaging.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KPS Special Situations Funds: The firm's flagship investment funds including Funds IV, V, and VI
- KPS Mid-Cap Funds
Products and services
- KPS Special Situations Funds (Flagship)
- KPS Mid-Cap Funds
- KPS Operations Group
Quantifiable outcome
- On average, KPS portfolio companies reduce recordable safety incidents by 50% during ownership
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use KPS Capital
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KPS Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KPS Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- IG BCE (Industrial Union for Mining, Chemical and Energy)coreKPS entered into a Framework Agreement with IG BCE on October 25, 2019, establishing cooperative labor relations for KPS portfolio companies in Germany.
- IG Metall (Industrial Union of Metalworkers)coreKPS entered into a Framework Agreement with IG Metall of Germany on November 15, 2017, establishing cooperative labor relations for KPS portfolio companies in Germany.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
KPS Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wynnchurch Capital: Middle-market private equity firm focused on industrial value-added investments, operational turnarounds, and corporate carve-outs. Direct mid-market peer to KPS Mid-Cap strategy.
- Sun Capital Partners: Operationally-focused private equity firm targeting industrial and consumer manufacturing businesses, often through corporate divestitures. Comparable to KPS in mid-cap industrial buyout activity.
- Platinum Equity: Operations-focused private equity firm specializing in carve-outs, complex situations, and industrial/manufacturing turnarounds. Closest direct peer to KPS given overlapping thesis on operational transformation of underperforming manufacturing assets.
- Cerberus Capital Management: Special-situations and turnaround private equity firm with deep exposure to distressed industrial and manufacturing assets. Comparable to KPS through similar focus on controlling stakes in operationally complex industrial companies.
- American Industrial Partners: Industrial sector-focused private equity firm investing in manufacturing and industrial businesses. Highly comparable to KPS given the niche specialization in industrial carve-outs and operational improvement.
- Centerbridge Partners: Multi-strategy private investment firm with significant special situations and industrial exposure. Comparable through its focus on operationally complex situations and flexible capital structures in industrial sectors.
- Lone Star Funds: Global private equity firm specializing in distressed and special situations investments, including industrial and manufacturing assets. Comparable to KPS in its willingness to deploy large-scale capital into complex industrial situations.
Broad incumbents
- Bain Capital: Large global private equity firm with an industrials vertical and significant carve-out experience. Broad incumbent peer given its scale, multi-strategy platform, and industrial deal flow.
- Apollo Global Management: Mega-cap alternative asset manager with industrial private equity exposure and significant value-oriented carve-out activity. Overlaps with KPS on large industrial buyouts but operates at much greater scale across strategies.
- Carlyle Group: Global investment firm with established industrial and manufacturing private equity franchises. Broad incumbent peer given comparable industrial deal focus but broader diversification across asset classes and geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KPS Capital social profiles
Digital presenceKPS Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KPS Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
KPS Capital subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
KPS Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KPS Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A55 records
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KPS Capital
What does KPS Capital do?
KPS Capital Partners is a private equity firm that makes controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies. The firm manages dedicated institutional funds (Flagship Special Situations Funds and Mid-Cap Funds) that invest in businesses requiring structural improvement, with capacity to invest up to $1.6 billion per platform. KPS acquires companies through corporate carve-outs from large global corporations, complex financial restructurings, and private sales from families and founders, then drives operational transformation through its in-house Operations Group.
Is KPS Capital a public or private company?
KPS Capital is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was KPS Capital founded?
KPS Capital was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is KPS Capital based?
KPS Capital is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does KPS Capital make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are KPS Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wynnchurch Capital, Sun Capital Partners, Platinum Equity, Cerberus Capital Management, American Industrial Partners, Centerbridge Partners and Lone Star Funds. Broad incumbents are Bain Capital, Apollo Global Management and Carlyle Group.
Does KPS Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for KPS Capital.
What industry is KPS Capital in?
KPS Capital's product category is Private Equity Fund Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANABAG, Public-to-Private (P2P) Buyout. Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6282.