What VDB Group does

VDB Group is a privately-held Swiss family office founded and fully owned by entrepreneur and investor Reto von der Becke and his family, headquartered in Baar/Zug, Switzerland. It operates as an entrepreneurial investment partner with a long-term, sustainable investment philosophy, deploying exclusively its own private capital (no external LPs) across five verticals: (1) Direct Investments — controlling majority stakes in DACH-region small- and mid-cap companies with EUR 2-80M+ revenue and EBITA-positive or near-positive profiles, across consumer goods, lifestyle, health/social services, business services and direct marketing; (2) Private Equity — fund commitments and co-investments with established managers including KKR, Partners Group, Platinum Equity, HIG Capital, Silver Lake Partners, Apollo IX, Constellation Capital, Heartwood Partners, The Rise Fund, UBS MVPE, Verve Ventures, Nautic, China Renaissance and Clear Lake; (3) Private Debt — fixed-rate corporate loans to portfolio network companies plus fund investments with Partners Group and Crown Capital (affiliated with LGT Capital Partners); (4) Public Equity — joint investments in stocks and funds addressing megatrends in healthcare, medtech, robotics, foodtech, digitalization and the Chinese market; (5) Real Estate & Green Crypto — Swiss residential properties, multi-year participation in Blackstone BREIT, and a direct investment in a renewable-hydro-powered crypto mining operation in Georgia.

The firm is led by Reto von der Becke (Founder, Owner, Chairman & CEO), with Susanne von der Becke (Co-Owner, Advisory Board; founder of VDB Insights), Reinhard von der Becke (Advisory Board; former President/CEO of AMC International) and Ferdinand von Hammerstein (Advisory Board; co-founder of INVICTO Holding) supporting the team. Its active direct portfolio includes Seven Sundays Group (where Reto serves as Executive Chairman), Constellation Academy GmbH, KEBOS, For Good Leaders, Solar Wiebe, BRILLIANT SA (Paraguay) and Arca, with realized exits in Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG), Boxine GmbH (tonies), Lux International and CPC Baulogistik.

The business model is a single-family-office wealth allocation model: returns are generated from capital appreciation, dividends and exit proceeds on the firm's own balance sheet rather than from management fees on external capital. Deal flow is sourced via direct outreach to DACH 'hidden champions', founder and YPO referrals, and co-investment alongside institutional PE partners. The firm holds controlling majority stakes, has no fixed holding period, and pairs capital with active management support — a structure designed to differentiate against time-pressured institutional PE funds.

Name

VDB Group

Legal name

VDB Group AG

Website

https://vdbgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VDB Group is a privately-held Swiss family office founded by Reto von der Becke that makes controlling investments in DACH-region small- and mid-cap companies and diversifies across private equity, private debt, public equity, and real estate, combining long-term family capital with active management support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Office Investment Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Finance Services (6199), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAC)

Keywords

• Private equity investments
• Family office services
• Direct investment management
• Private debt financing
• Portfolio management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Steinhausen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment returns and portfolio dividends: VDB Group generates returns through capital appreciation, dividends, and exit proceeds from its portfolio of direct majority investments, private equity fund holdings, private debt instruments, public equity positions, and real estate assets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VDB Group is a private Swiss family office that invests its own capital across multiple asset classes, including direct majority acquisitions of DACH-region small- and mid-cap companies, fund commitments to established private equity managers, private debt to network companies at fixed interest rates, public equity co-investments, and Swiss residential real estate plus a green crypto mining operation. The firm differentiates by providing active, hands-on management support to portfolio companies alongside capital deployment.

Product overview

VDB Group is a Swiss family office offering a diversified portfolio of investment services rather than a unified product platform. The company operates five core investment verticals: Direct Investments (majority acquisitions of DACH mid-sized companies), Private Equity (fund investments with partners like KKR, Platinum, HIG, Partners Group), Private Debt (corporate loans and programme investments), Public Equity (megatrend-focused stock and fund investments), and Real Estate & Green Crypto (Swiss properties, Blackstone BREIT, and sustainable crypto mining). Additionally, the group operates VDB Insights as a leadership development subsidiary, and maintains several direct portfolio company investments including Seven Sundays Group, Constellation Academy, KEBOS, For Good Leaders, Solar Wiebe, BRILLIANT SA, and arca. The investment approach emphasizes long-term ownership, active management support, and sustainability focus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VDB Insights: A platform founded by Susanne von der Becke that helps people have a conscious impact in their professional and personal lives through transformational retreats, mindfulness practices, breathwork, and thought leadership.

Products and services

• Direct Investments Majority acquisitions of small- and mid-cap companies in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), focused on companies that share VDB Group's values and possess strong sales, distribution, and marketing potential. VDB Group takes controlling majority stakes and provides active management support for international expansion.
• Private Equity Fund Investments Investments in selected private equity opportunities alongside experienced partners including Constellation Capital, KKR, Platinum Equity, HIG Capital, Partners Group, Silver Lake Partners, and others, executed as LP fund commitments and direct co-investments.
• Private Debt Corporate loans at fixed interest rates offered to selected companies in VDB Group's network to support business development, together with investments in Private Debt programmes of leading players such as Partners Group and Crown Capital (affiliated with LGT Capital Partners).
• Public Equity Joint investments with experienced partners in individual stocks and selected funds addressing megatrends with sustainability focus, including healthcare, medtech, robotics, foodtech, digitalization, and Chinese market exposure.
• Real Estate & Green Crypto Direct investments in selected Swiss residential properties, long-standing commitment to Blackstone's BREIT (Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust) for US real estate, and a limited allocation to a green crypto mining operation in Georgia where electricity consumption comes 100% from renewable hydro energy.
• VDB Insights Leadership development platform that supports leaders through transformational retreats, mindfulness practices, breathwork, and thought leadership content, helping people gain inner clarity for personal transformation and meaningful impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lux International grew from establishment to CHF 200 million revenue under Reto von der Becke's leadership before being sold to an Indian strategic investor.

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MyClimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDB Group partners with myclimate, a Swiss-rooted international CO2 compensation initiative, to guide portfolio companies toward medium-term CO2 neutrality and to offset 100% of its own business travel emissions. This partnership underscores VDB Group's commitment to sustainability.
• The Klosters ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2017, The Klosters Forum is an international environmental platform that brings together global leaders from science, business, politics, and sustainability to develop solutions for urgent environmental challenges. VDB Group co-supports this initiative; Susanne von der Becke serves on its board.
• Vulamasango (South Africa)minorOthersVulamasango is an orphanage and day-care centre in South Africa that provides a safe home and schooling to over 100 children from difficult backgrounds. VDB Group supports this project to help children lead independent and happy lives.
• VDB InsightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDB Insights is a platform founded by Susanne von der Becke that supports leaders through transformational retreats, mindfulness, breathwork, and thought leadership — helping people gain inner clarity for personal transformation and meaningful impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wendel: French family-controlled listed investment company pursuing long-term majority or significant minority stakes in mid-cap industrial and services companies. Closely comparable to VDB Group in long-term horizon, family ownership, active ownership model, and European mid-market focus.
• Haniel: German family-owned (Haniel family) strategic investment company with a long-term horizon and DACH mid-cap focus, including a portfolio that spans direct investments and fund participations. Highly comparable to VDB Group on family ownership, German-market orientation, and patient capital approach.
• Aurelius: Munich-based investment firm focused on acquiring and developing mid-market companies across the DACH region, with a track record of operational value creation. Directly comparable to VDB Group in DACH geographic focus, mid-cap SME deal sizes, and active ownership style.
• Eurazeo: French listed investment company with roots in the David-Weill family, deploying capital across private equity, private debt, and real assets with a long-term, active-ownership philosophy. Comparable to VDB Group on multi-asset family-controlled investment model and European mid-market focus.
• Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG): Frankfurt-listed private equity firm focused on mid-cap companies in Germany and adjacent DACH markets, combining fund and direct investment activities. Comparable to VDB Group on DACH mid-market focus, EBITA-positive SME investment thesis, and active management approach.
• Verlinvest: Belgian family-owned (de Spoelberch and de Mevius families) private investment company that takes controlling stakes in consumer and consumer-facing businesses globally with a long-term horizon. Comparable to VDB Group on family ownership, controlling equity model, and consumer/lifestyle sector overlap.
• Latour: Swedish family-controlled (Douglas family) listed investment company split between a wholly-owned industrial operation and a listed investment portfolio of Nordic and European SMEs. Comparable to VDB Group on family-controlled, multi-strategy, long-term capital allocation model.
• Indutrade: Stockholm-listed acquisition-driven industrial group that acquires and develops profitable, niche-leading industrial SMEs across Europe. Comparable to VDB Group on the long-term, decentralised operating model applied to profitable mid-sized industrial and consumer companies.
• HQ Equita: Bavaria-based private equity firm specialising in mid-cap succession transactions and operational development of DACH SMEs. Directly comparable to VDB Group in DACH mid-market focus, succession-driven deal sourcing, and active operational value creation (also referenced as a former employer of VDB's advisory board).

Others

• Constellation Capital: Swiss private equity group where VDB Group's founder chairs the advisory council and is a lead investor in the active fund. Adjacent rather than competing peer — reflects the deep relationship network in DACH mid-market PE but not a directly comparable family office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vdb-group-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about VDB Group