Premium Equity Partners

What Premium Equity Partners does

Premium Equity Partners (PREMIUM Equity Partners GmbH) is a privately-held German private equity firm headquartered in Frankfurt am Main (Lindenstrasse 15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main). The firm invests in innovative mid-sized companies (Mittelstand) in the DACH region — Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — through majority ownership, typically structured as Management Buy-Ins (MBI), succession solutions (Nachfolge), or growth capital investments. Its stated sector coverage spans four verticals: Technology + Industry, Consumer + Lifestyle Goods, Healthcare + MedTech, and Software + Connectivity. The firm operates through dedicated investment funds, including the PREMIUM Mittelstandsfonds, co-launched in 2017 with Bankhaus Lampe as financial partner, and the follow-on PREMIUM Mittelstand Fund II.

The firm's economics derive from conventional PE mechanics: management fees on committed/invested fund capital and carried interest on realized returns, with portfolio companies serving as the value-creation vehicle rather than direct customers. Premium Equity Partners describes an active ownership approach, setting strategic priorities at entry, working closely with management, and typically installing a buy-in CEO to resolve succession. The team includes founding/managing partner Marcel van Wijk, partner and senior advisor Pieter van Halem, advisory partner Christine Weiss, and operating partners Berthold Hackl and Bernd Kuhlin, alongside advisory board leadership (Beiratsvorsitzender/AR-Vorsitzender).

The current portfolio consists of two active platform investments: Human Med AG (since 2022), a market-leading medical technology company in aesthetic and regenerative medicine with patented WAL (Wasserstrahl-assistierte Liposuktion) waterjet-assisted liposuction technology used globally for lipedema treatment and autologous fat harvesting; and heinekingmedia GmbH (since 2021), a digitalization partner for educational institutions and enterprises offering GDPR-compliant collaborative hardware and software solutions (UCC) used by more than 1.5 million students. The firm's first investment, ic! berlin Gruppe (2017-2023), a premium eyewear manufacturer known for patented screwless hinges, was successfully exited in 2023. heinekingmedia has executed an add-on acquisition expanding into Switzerland and Austria, and the firm established a joint venture with a Chinese luxury eyewear retail chain to expand ic! berlin into China during the hold period.

Name

Premium Equity Partners

Legal name

PREMIUM Equity Partners GmbH

Website

https://premium-equity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Premium Equity Partners is a German private equity firm that invests in innovative mid-sized companies (Mittelstand) in the DACH region through majority ownership, focusing on succession solutions and growth capital across healthcare, technology, consumer, and software sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Premium Equity Partners is a German private equity firm that manages investment funds to acquire majority stakes in innovative mid-sized (Mittelstand) companies in the DACH region. The firm provides equity capital for management buy-ins (MBI), management buy-outs (MBO), company succession solutions (Nachfolge), and growth capital, working closely with portfolio company management on strategic and operational priorities.

Product overview

Premium Equity Partners is a German private equity firm that invests in innovative mid-market companies (Mittelstand) in the DACH region. The firm manages investment funds (PREMIUM Mittelstand Fund II) and holds portfolio companies in healthcare/MedTech, software/connectivity, and consumer/lifestyle goods sectors. Their portfolio companies include Human Med AG (medical technology for aesthetic and regenerative medicine), heinekingmedia (digital communication solutions for education), and ic! berlin Gruppe (premium eyewear). The company does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform; its core offering is equity investment and operational support for portfolio companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PREMIUM Mittelstandsfonds (Premium Mittelstand Fund I) Private equity investment fund for innovative DACH Mittelstand companies; first investment was in ic! berlin Gruppe (premium eyewear) in 2017, held until exit in 2023. Co-launched with financial partner Bankhaus Lampe.
• PREMIUM Mittelstand Fund II Second private equity investment fund for DACH Mittelstand companies; investments include heinekingmedia GmbH (digital communication solutions for education) in 2021 and Human Med AG (aesthetic and regenerative medicine) in 2022.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Chinese Luxury Eyewear Retail ChainmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture established with leading Chinese luxury eyewear retail chain for ic! berlin market entry and expansion in China.
• Content ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic content partnerships established for heinekingmedia to expand educational content offerings alongside their digital communication solutions.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AUCTUS Capital Partners: Germany-based mid-market PE firm focused on succession solutions, MBIs/MBOs and growth capital in the German Mittelstand; directly comparable investment thesis and ticket size to Premium Equity Partners.
• ECM Equity Capital Management: Frankfurt-based PE firm specializing in succession, MBO and growth investments in German Mittelstand with sector overlap in technology and healthcare.
• Equistone Partners Europe: Pan-European mid-market PE sponsor with strong DACH presence, executing MBOs and MBIs in Mittelstand companies; overlapping sector coverage (industrials, consumer, healthcare, tech) and similar deal structure.
• capiton AG: Berlin-based PE manager investing in mid-sized DACH companies across Healthcare, Industrial Tech and Consumer; comparable Mittelstand focus and multi-fund vintage structure.
• Odewald & Compagnie: Berlin-headquartered investment company with a Mittelstand succession/buy-and-build strategy; very similar mission of investing own capital alongside management in German mid-market firms.
• Paragon Partners: Munich-based mid-cap PE firm investing in succession situations and growth in DACH Mittelstand; comparable focus on founder-led businesses and majority buyouts.
• Bencis Capital Partners: Dutch-German mid-market PE firm with a long-running focus on succession and MBI/MBO deals in Benelux and DACH Mittelstand; similar profile to Premium's anchor strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Halder (Gimv): DACH mid-market PE platform of Belgian-listed Gimv, focused on German Mittelstand MBOs and growth deals; a larger incumbent that competes for the same Mittelstand deal flow.
• Haniel & Cie. Diversified German holding/PE investor active across industrial Mittelstand buy-and-build and long-hold investments; broader portfolio than Premium but operates in the same ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Sellhorn Investment Partners: Hamburg-based independent mid-market investor backing German Mittelstand companies in succession situations; smaller and emerging but highly comparable in mandate and ticket size.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Premium Equity Partners