EMZ Partners acquires Assepro

Assepro's management and several further employees will also acquire a minority stake in the company.

EMZ intends to support Assepro's growth plans, which include the expansion of its regional presence and the development of its online platform.

EMZ is currently deploying equity via EMZ 9, a €1bn fund that held a final close in July 2020. The vehicle makes investments of €10-100m and typically writes equity tickets of around €50m. The vehicle makes both mezzanine and equity investments, and the investment in Assepro is made up partially of equity.

Debt to support the buyout has been provided by a consortium comprising two Swiss banks and one international bank.

The transaction is EMZ's third deal of 2020 in the DACH region following the establishment of EMZ's Munich office. The GP acquired a minority stake in spices and seasoning producer Ankerkraut and also backed the buyout of software business HRWorks in August 2020.

Company
Assepro was established in 2016 via the merger of Swissbroke and Fraumünster Insurance Experts. The company is an insurance broker focusing on Switzerland-based SMEs and provides advisory services on insurance-related topics, including risk management, pension schemes and employee benefits.

The company is based in Pfäffikon and has 18 sites in Switzerland's German-speaking region. Its client base comprises around 8,000 businesses, according to a statement. The company has 52 employees, according to LinkedIn.

People
EMZ Partners – Klaus Maurer (partner); Guntram Kieferle (associate).
Assepro – Dieter Bartl (CEO).

Advisers
Equity – Rothschild & Co (M&A); Roland Berger (commercial due diligence); WDP (IT due diligence); Latham & Watkins (legal); Bär & Karrer (legal); Ebner Stolz (financial due diligence); Cowen (debt advisory); Renzenbrink & Partners (legal); Walder Wyss (legal).

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• Topics
• Buyouts
• DACH
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