Bridgepoint enters Nordic market

European private equity player, Bridgepoint Capital has opened its first office in the Nordic region. The new office is based in Stockholm and is headed by director, Graham Oldroyd. Chris Busby and Chris Bell, who were part of the dedicated Nordic team that was previously located in London, will join him.

The new office will continue to focus on mid-market buyouts and growth capital transactions across a range of sectors. Director Graham Oldroyd says the attraction of the Nordic market for Bridgepoint is in its strong business culture and well developed economies. He added: “We are particularly attracted by the cross-border nature of many Nordic businesses which is a key component of growth in the type of businesses we like to back.”

Bridgepoint has been investing in the Nordic region since 1995 and the team has completed eight buyouts, four follow-on acquisitions and three successful realisations. In July it completed the buyout of the largest privately owned car park in the region, Nordisk Parkering, in a deal that exceeded SEK800 million.

The firm also recently realised its investment in Capella, the Swedish data services outsourcing business that it backed in 1998 when the company was sold to Finland Post for an undisclosed sum.

Further investments made by Bridgepoint Capital in the Nordic region include the SEK205 million buyout of industrial lighting products manufacturer, Aura; the SEK184 million buyout of engineering consultancy Semcon and the e37 million buyout of cold store manufacturer Huurre.