Gilde Equity Management
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Gilde Equity Management firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gilde Equity Management
- Legal name
- Gilde Equity Management Benelux Partners B.V.
- Website
- https://gembenelux.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gilde Equity Management industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity / Investment Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-PE / Lower Middle Market ETA Funds (FSANALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Capital Raising Advisory (Equity & Equity-Linked) (FSAEAGAC)
Keywords
Where Gilde Equity Management is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gilde Equity Management business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Fund management fees and carried interest on Benelux buy-out funds: Inferred from the firm's positioning as an independent Dutch private equity firm raising capital from "pension funds and institutional investors" who entrust Gilde with their money. Standard PE economics apply: recurring management fees on committed/invested capital during the fund life, plus performance-based carried interest realization on exits of portfolio companies such as Wasco (sold to Rexel Group in Aug 2023), Clean Mat (exited 2004), Royal Peijnenburg, EV-Box, Leen Bakker, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Closed-end private equity funds; pricing not publicly disclosed (quote-based / institutional only) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gilde Equity Management product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gilde Equity Management is an independent Dutch participatiemaatschappij that invests equity capital in entrepreneur-led mid-market companies with roots in the Benelux and an international ambition, executing business succession, growth, carve-out/verzelfstandiging and management buy-out transactions. It manages closed-end alternative investment funds (AIFs) on behalf of pension funds and institutional investors, charging standard private equity management fees and earning carried interest on exits. The offering is supported operationally by a hosted eFront Investor Portal for LP reporting and a partner-led origination model rather than auction-based deal sourcing.
Product overview
Gilde Equity Management does not market a software product; rather, its offering is a single private-equity service offering delivered through a small in-house team, supplemented by named fund vehicles and investor-facing touchpoints. The core offering is the Benelux-focused private equity investment service (succession, growth, carve-out, management buy-out), supported operationally by the Gemstar fund (a regulated AIF vehicle with its own essential information document) and by an eFront-hosted Investor Portal that delivers reporting to fund investors. The corporate website (gembenelux.com, bilingual NL/EN) and the team directory pages together act as the public-facing module of this offering, presenting portfolio stories, team profiles, news, SFDR sustainability disclosures, and a GDPR-compliant privacy statement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gemstar: GEM-branded fund vehicle with a published essential information document (essentiële-informatiedocument), referenced as a Gilde product line in the website footer.
- Gemstone
Products and services
- Private Equity Investment Services (Benelux mid-market)
- Gemstar Fund
- Investor Portal (eFront-based)
Quantifiable outcome
- Wasco revenues increased fivefold over a five-year period under Gilde ownership (2019-2023).
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Gilde Equity Management
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Gilde Equity Management technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gilde Equity Management partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Clean Mat founder (re-partnered)coreAfter an initial MBO together in 2001 (exited by Gilde in 2004), Gilde and the founder formed a new growth partnership in 2025 to support further international growth and consolidation of the Benelux market-leading position in garbage truck and cleaning vehicle rental/sales.
- Tricorp management teamcoreIn 2025 Tricorp partnered with Gilde to drive expansion and further professionalisation of its workwear business (1,500+ dealer network across Benelux and Germany). The relationship supports reinforcement of market position and acceleration of the next growth phase.
- Gjaltema (founder/management)coreIn 2025 Gilde joined as partner of Gjaltema, a specialist in scaffolding, aerial work platforms and construction lifts, to support professionalisation, innovation, and strengthening of its leading position in safe working at height across the Netherlands.
- EQTflagshipEQT agreed to sell its majority stake in Dunlop Protective Footwear to Gilde Equity Management, with the transaction pending customary conditions and approvals. During EQT's ownership, Dunlop expanded its digital platform and e-commerce business. Gilde is re-acquiring a company it has previously owned.
- Excluton founder Frans van Haren (succession partner)coreIn 2022 Gilde was welcomed as shareholder to facilitate the succession of founder Frans van Haren; with Gilde's support Excluton invested in product innovation, sales/marketing and its Waal riverbank production site. Since 2025 it forms part of Metropool Groep alongside Schellevis and CBS Beton.
- Raak Metals owner/CEO Maarten van RaakcoreIn 2020 Gilde was welcomed as investor by owner/CEO Maarten van Raak to support the next growth phase; under Gilde's ownership Raak Metals transformed into an urban mining company and grew via targeted acquisitions into the largest metal recycler in the south of the Netherlands.
- Ferguson PlccoreWasco was jointly acquired by management and Gilde from the then-listed Ferguson Plc via a management buy-out in 2019. The relationship is the seller-side counterparty for one of Gilde's largest value-creation stories (fivefold revenue growth over five years before exit to Rexel Group in August 2023).
- Schellevis founder/CEO (successor partnership)coreIn 2019 Gilde was welcomed as shareholder by the founder/CEO of Schellevis to find a worthy successor; together they realised the succession and invested in production capacity and international growth. Schellevis now forms part of Metropool Groep with Excluton and CBS Beton.
- Maarten van Raak (Raak Metals)minorFounding entrepreneurial counterparty in the Raak Metals investment; provides leadership continuity and metal-recycling domain expertise that complements Gilde's capital and M&A support.
- eFront (investor portal technology provider)coreGilde hosts its LP investor portal on eFront's platform (icx.efrontcloud.com/gilde), used for investor reporting, fund communications and the secure delivery of regulatory disclosures such as the SFDR sustainability statement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gilde Equity Management competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NPM Capital: Dutch private equity investor backed by SHV Holdings, investing in mid-sized Dutch and Benelux businesses across diverse sectors; comparable to Gilde in regional mid-market focus and sector-agnostic approach.
- Gimv: Listed Belgian private equity firm investing in Benelux SMEs across consumer, healthcare, smart industries and sustainable cities; comparable to Gilde in geography, mid-market cheque size and sector breadth, though larger in AUM and publicly traded.
- Waterland Private Equity: Benelux-headquartered mid-market private equity firm with offices across Northwestern Europe, focused on founder-led and family-owned SMEs; directly comparable to Gilde in geography, deal type (buy-and-build, succession) and SME specialisation.
- Mentha Capital: Dutch independent mid-market private equity investor focused on established Benelux companies, often in succession and partnership with management; closely comparable to Gilde in geography, ticket size and partnership-driven model.
- Egeria: Dutch independent private equity firm investing in mid-sized Benelux companies through MBOs, growth capital and succession; similar SME focus, regional concentration and partnership-style deal making to Gilde.
- Holland Capital: Amsterdam-based independent Dutch private equity firm focused on growth capital and buy-outs in Dutch SMEs; directly comparable to Gilde in target market, founder-friendly philosophy and mid-market cheques.
- Bencis Capital Partners: Amsterdam-based Benelux mid-market private equity firm with a sector-agnostic SME buy-and-build approach; closely comparable to Gilde in geography, deal type and portfolio diversification.
- Argos Wityu: Independent European mid-market private equity firm with strong Benelux/German footprint investing in family- and founder-led SMEs; comparable to Gilde in partnership model, ticket size and succession-focused theses.
- Paragon (Paragon Capital): Dutch independent mid-market PE investor focused on Benelux SMEs in succession, growth and management buy-outs; closely comparable to Gilde in geographic focus, founder-driven deal origination and cheque size.
Broad incumbents
- IK Partners: European mid-market private equity firm with deep Benelux/Nordics/UK/German coverage and a broader, larger fund profile than Gilde; comparable in deal type (MBOs, succession, buy-and-build) but operates at a larger scale and pan-European breadth.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gilde Equity Management social profiles
Digital presenceGilde Equity Management compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Gilde Equity Management financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gilde Equity Management leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles26 records
Gilde Equity Management subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries20 records
Gilde Equity Management funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gilde Equity Management M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A40 records
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gilde Equity Management
What does Gilde Equity Management do?
Gilde Equity Management is an independent Dutch participatiemaatschappij that invests equity capital in entrepreneur-led mid-market companies with roots in the Benelux and an international ambition, executing business succession, growth, carve-out/verzelfstandiging and management buy-out transactions. It manages closed-end alternative investment funds (AIFs) on behalf of pension funds and institutional investors, charging standard private equity management fees and earning carried interest on exits. The offering is supported operationally by a hosted eFront Investor Portal for LP reporting and a partner-led origination model rather than auction-based deal sourcing.
Is Gilde Equity Management a public or private company?
Gilde Equity Management is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Gilde Equity Management founded?
Gilde Equity Management was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gilde Equity Management based?
Gilde Equity Management is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Gilde Equity Management make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund management fees and carried interest on Benelux buy-out funds.
Who are Gilde Equity Management's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NPM Capital, Gimv, Waterland Private Equity, Mentha Capital, Egeria, Holland Capital, Bencis Capital Partners, Argos Wityu and Paragon (Paragon Capital). IK Partners is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Gilde Equity Management have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gilde Equity Management.
What industry is Gilde Equity Management in?
Gilde Equity Management's product category is Private Equity / Investment Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANALAG, Micro-PE / Lower Middle Market ETA Funds, with a secondary code of FSAEAGAC, Capital Raising Advisory (Equity & Equity-Linked). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.