Cognetas
Encyclopedia
Cognetas is a private equity
firm focused on leveraged buyout
investments in European middle-market companies across a range of industries.
The firm, has offices in London
, Frankfurt
, Milan
and Paris
. The firm was founded in 1989 as Electra Partners Europe and affiliate of Electra Private Equity
, a listed investment trust
. The firm has raised approximately €2.3 billion since inception across its two funds.
, Electra Private Equity
.
In 2000, the firm raised a new private equity fund the Electra European Fund with €1.0 billion of investor commitments. Among the investments in that portfolio were Rank Leisure, Azelis, Baxi, Safety-Kleen, Aliplast, Global Solutions, Covenant Healthcare and Ashbourne Healthcare.
In 2005, Electra Partners Europe completed a spinout from its investment trust parent. The following year, in 2006, the firm renamed itself Cognetas. As of 2009, Cognetas manages two private equity fund
s, most recently a €1.25 billion fund raised in 2006. In 2008, Electra
initiated a new middle market private equity business, unrelated to Cognetas, and completed raising a £100 million fund for new investments in May 2008.
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
firm focused on leveraged buyout
Leveraged buyout
A leveraged buyout occurs when an investor, typically financial sponsor, acquires a controlling interest in a company's equity and where a significant percentage of the purchase price is financed through leverage...
investments in European middle-market companies across a range of industries.
The firm, has offices in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The firm was founded in 1989 as Electra Partners Europe and affiliate of Electra Private Equity
Electra Private Equity
Electra Private Equity is a British-based investment trust specialising in private equity. The trust is managed by Electra Partners LLP an independent private equity fund manager and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, a listed investment trust
Publicly traded private equity
Publicly traded private equity refers to an investment firm or investment vehicle, which makes investments conforming to one of the various private equity strategies, and is listed on a public stock exchange.There are fundamentally two separate opportunities that private equity firms...
. The firm has raised approximately €2.3 billion since inception across its two funds.
History
In 1989, Electra initiated a middle market leveraged buyout group, Electra Partners Europe. In 1990, Electra raised £700 million for its first investment vehicle, Electra Private Equity Partners. Through the 1990s, the Electra Partners Europe team made investments for the firm's listed investment trustPublicly traded private equity
Publicly traded private equity refers to an investment firm or investment vehicle, which makes investments conforming to one of the various private equity strategies, and is listed on a public stock exchange.There are fundamentally two separate opportunities that private equity firms...
, Electra Private Equity
Electra Private Equity
Electra Private Equity is a British-based investment trust specialising in private equity. The trust is managed by Electra Partners LLP an independent private equity fund manager and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
.
In 2000, the firm raised a new private equity fund the Electra European Fund with €1.0 billion of investor commitments. Among the investments in that portfolio were Rank Leisure, Azelis, Baxi, Safety-Kleen, Aliplast, Global Solutions, Covenant Healthcare and Ashbourne Healthcare.
In 2005, Electra Partners Europe completed a spinout from its investment trust parent. The following year, in 2006, the firm renamed itself Cognetas. As of 2009, Cognetas manages two private equity fund
Private equity fund
A private equity fund is a collective investment scheme used for making investments in various equity securities according to one of the investment strategies associated with private equity....
s, most recently a €1.25 billion fund raised in 2006. In 2008, Electra
Electra Private Equity
Electra Private Equity is a British-based investment trust specialising in private equity. The trust is managed by Electra Partners LLP an independent private equity fund manager and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
initiated a new middle market private equity business, unrelated to Cognetas, and completed raising a £100 million fund for new investments in May 2008.
External links
- Cognetas (company website)