KPS Capital

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.

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

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

• Private equity investments
• Manufacturing acquisitions
• Industrial buyouts
• Corporate carve-outs
• Special situations funds

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Core 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

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IG BCE (Industrial Union for Mining, Chemical and Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2019KPS 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2017KPS 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kps-capital-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A55 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KPS Capital