Alantra has advised Haniel on the acquisition of a majority shareholding alongside the founders in KMK Kinderzimmer

Jun 2021

Buy-side advisory

Frankfurt – Alantra, the global investment banking and asset management specialist, is pleased to announce that it has advised Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH (“Haniel”) on the acquisition of a majority shareholding alongside the founders in KMK Kinderzimmer (“kinderzimmer”).

Based in Hamburg, kinderzimmer is a dynamically growing private for-profit childcare provider in Germany. The company offers integrated services, including Nursery (<3 years), Kindergarten (3-6 years) and Pre-School (4-6 years) at 30 locations in Hamburg and Munich with around 600 employees. Currently, over 4,000 children from a wide range of social backgrounds are cared for in the facilities of the company, which was established in 2011. As a privately owned service provider, kinderzimmer supports cities and municipalities based on public regulation to ensure government-guaranteed and socially relevant access to early childhood education; also enabling diverse living and working models. Thus, the company also contributes significantly to improving the integration of professional and family life.

Since its foundation in 1756, Haniel is a 100 percent family-owned company, headquartered in Duisburg, Germany. Haniel manages a portfolio of independent businesses with the goal to make all investments “enkelfähig” and create value for generations. Haniel pursues a structured investment strategy along the three pillars “People. Planet. Progress”; combining a strict focus on sustainability with a clear performance orientation.

“The inspiring entrepreneurs of kinderzimmer have created an impressive, highly professional organization during the past ten years. We think that with kinderzimmer, we have found the ideal partnership to develop its activities and to expand into other regions – with the aim of establishing the leading nationwide provider of early childhood education in Germany. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the Alantra team for the excellent advice, outstanding commitment and close guidance in all facets throughout this transaction,” says Stefan Zobel, Investment Partner at Haniel.

Christopher Jobst, Managing Director in M&A at ALANTRA’s Frankfurt office, highlighted: “We are thankful to have been given the opportunity to assist on this buy-side assignment, which marks our first transaction with Haniel as a client. In this regard, we would like to thank the Haniel team for their trust to support them on this transaction and for the collegial and pleasant cooperation throughout the whole process. We are highly convinced that the partnership builds a great foundation for a fruitful long-term relationship.”

The transaction is still subject to customary merger clearance.