How we work

Invest in committed entrepreneurs and management teams

We partner with founders and management teams to realize the next level of sustainable growth.

Our partnership begins with active, strategic involvement while helping to scale the company. At the beginning of each investment period, we, together with management, develop an ambitious growth plan. The outcome is a strategic growth plan that includes strategic insights and the focus areas for the foreseeable future (part of the ‘Vortex Value Creation Program’)

We organized our capabilities in six operational areas in which the Vortex team and our strategic partners support management teams where needed. All areas can be equally important. IT and technology is a focus area for Vortex as it can enable efficient growth and allows to strengthen the company’s competitive advantage.

Our way of working is informal and we like to work with a pragmatic governance structure that fits the company size and phase.

The Vortex team and our strategic partners actively support management in the following six operational areas:

Test title

Revenue growth

Develop and execute on ambitious growth plan; professionalize sales and marketing; expand into new verticals and markets

Talent and human capital

Use experience and network to scale and professionalize the management team as well as the organization

Strategic Acquisitions

Augment growth and improve competitive position by executing on a pragmatic m&a plan. Leverage on Vortex team for origination and deal execution

Capital structure

Optimize capital structure to support organic and inorganic growth initiatives with a combination of debt and equity

IT / Technology

Align IT strategy with business objectives, including (re)defining product roadmap, tech team set-up and buy or build decisions

Governance / analytics

Invest in financial systems and KPI monitoring to allow for data-driven decision-making. Set up a pragmatic board structure that fits the company size

Case study

At Cars-on-the-web (now Adesa Europe), we saw the opportunity to become the leading portal for used cars in the B2B segment in Europe. Since day 1, we were on the same page with Vortex. We were able to accelerate growth by defining clear priorities, having financial muscle to invest and by solving our key technology challenges. Acquiring German competitor GW Liste marked a step change in our growth journey and relevance in Europe. Vortex played a pivotal role to prepare and sell the business to KAR, a US based strategic owner.

Johan Meyssen – CEO at Adesa Europe

Together we disentangled Mascus from its parent company, a stock listed publishing company Alma Media. Mascus is a global online marketplace for buying and selling trucks and heavy machinery. We turned Mascus into a stand-alone business with a dedicated international team allowing it to start growing again. The organic growth and the various add-on acquisitions contributed to Mascus being the undisputed leader for advertising heavy machinery equipment. The acquisition by Ritchie Bros. in 2016 is a testament to what the team has accomplished, a great step for Mascus and something I am really proud of.

Tim Scholte – CEO Mascus (part of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers)

The Vortex Team

Evert Jan de Groot

Partner

Erik Jan van Lubek

Investment manager

Jorre Bonjer

Operating partner

Joost Moerland

Partner

Agnes Wietrzyk

Investment Manager

Christina Sarkisjan

Finance

Thomas Fleischer

Investment Manager

Dalip Dewan

Operating partner

Jeroen de Vreede

Associate

Robert Ernst

Analyst

View the whole team

Are you ready to take the next step?

Contact us for more information