Our twenty-seventh update email tracks recent actions and news concerning European Family Investment Companies (FICs). This Edition contains items featuring 21 FICs from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Belgium, Hong Kong, Norway and Portugal. Again, we examine how European FICs are managing as the crisis of war eclipses that of the pandemic.
FICs are already responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by making substantial donations to relevant charities and relief agencies. A FIC’s heritage business has had to suspend operations in Ukraine while another has paused operations in Russia. Elsewhere FIC life continues. Further positive year-end 2021 results once again underline the robustness and resilience of the FIC Model. And more investments are made in agtech, sustainable, digital, medical, beverage and etailing, both directly by FICs as well as via Venture Arms. A listed FIC makes a major, multi-hundred million Euro portfolio acquisition, while another lists an investee company in Tel Aviv. Existing portfolio companies continued to be supported with add-on acquisitions, large and small. And FICs continue to work with partners, this month with another FIC and a state-owned industrial group, to seize new opportunities and enter new markets. In other news, a FIC celebrates its 200th anniversary, one wins a big new contract and an important German FIC appoints two more women to senior positions. Finally, to boost growth and its online presence, a family’s heritage business takes a stake in an early-stage disruptive company originally backed by its FIC.
The News Briefing concludes with 17 practical Takeaways, our interpretations of what the news means for family investment companies.
NOTE: EFIC News Briefing is sent to our subscribers to The European Family Investment Company Report, members of our Advisory Network and selected others at our discretion. We hope it is of use in these challenging times. We will be happy to answer any questions or discuss anything further. And do send us your comments, ideas and suggestions and any news stories you see.
If you wish to join our community of subscribers and receive EFIC News Briefings regularly and in full, as well as enjoying facilitated networking and introductions, participate in peer-to-peer virtual conferences, acquire a copy/copies of our European Family Investment Company Report and benefit from an Author’s time to discuss our findings in detail, please email: info @ deanbridgeinternational.com