INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Why choose De Eik?
- Faith in entrepreneurship as a source of sustainable value creation
- Exemplary active investment company
- Role as an investor
- Focus on medium-sized companies with a proven track record
- Minority and majority shareholdings
- Confidence in stable partnerships with entrepreneurial management teams, entrepreneurial shareholders or individual entrepreneurs
- Cross-generational, long-term vision
We offer specific know-how and maintain an extensive network of contacts, which we also make available to subsidiaries. We are a small team working through short lines of communication with its Board of Directors and shareholders.
De Eik continues to actively search for new investment opportunities. In this connection, we are always interested to hear from owners or their representatives about companies that meet our criteria. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact De Eik. We guarantee strict confidentiality and a fast response.
Patient capital and dedicated shareholding
De Eik is a leading Belgian investment company that makes risk capital available to medium-sized companies. The group pursues an entrepreneurial and long-term vision. Here, one of De Eik’s advantages is that there’s no time pressure for exiting the investment, meaning it can extend its perspective beyond potential crises and difficult transitions.
Within its subsidiaries, the investment company has both a steering and strategic role at the Board of Directors level. However, De Eik does other things as well. For example, the team follows up the operational, commercial and financial state of affairs, for which it mainly seeks to be a sounding board for day-to-day management. Nevertheless, the subsidiaries’ managements continue to make independent decisions. To sum it, we are not interested in taking over the role of entrepreneur, but have instead resolutely opted for the partnership model.
De Eik doesn’t have a specific sectoral focus, but it does have a close affinity with various industrial sectors such as food, agriculture, trade, services and media. It operates with a strong European focus, but has also built up a unique position in Latin America over the past two generations.
The companies in which De Eik holds a stake preferably have a clear business model and generate stable cash flows. Moreover, an entrepreneurial, competent and driven management team must be either present or able to be attracted. De Eik invests over the long term and does not invest directly in start-up companies.
INVESTMENT TYPES CONSIDERED BY DE EIK
Long-term direct equity investments: De Eik prefers to invest in unlisted medium-sized companies, in which it takes both majority and minority stakes. The company has a long and rich tradition of joining forces with family-based entrepreneurs and continues to play an active role on the Boards of Directors of subsidiaries.
Active management of investment companies and investment funds: De Eik invests, always in partnership with other entrepreneurial families, in investment companies and funds focusing on a specific niche. Examples here include specific branches of industry, regions or asset classes. Once a stake has been taken, De Eik prefers to play an active role on the company’s Board of Directors and Investment Committee.
