24 January 2023

Waterland funds reach final close of EUR 4bn in aggregate

Mariska EnzerinkKees Groffen+ 4 other team members
De Brauw assisted Waterland Private Equity Investments (Waterland) as Dutch legal and regulatory counsel in relation to the closing of Waterland's ninth institutional flagship fund, Waterland Private Equity Fund IX ("WPEF IX") at EUR 3.5 billion, alongside Waterland Partnership Fund I ( "WPF I") at EUR 500 million. The funds closed at their respective hard caps four months after initial launch.

WPEF IX will focus on investments in medium-sized companies in fragmented growth markets in Europe to finance organic and acquisitive growth. WPF I is the first fund of its kind under management of Waterland a natural extension of the Waterland platform. WPF I expects to make minority investments in a very select number of Waterland portfolio companies when these are exited.

Interesting features comprised a stapled structure of multiple limited partnerships (CV's) under Dutch law and the use of feeder vehicles under Irish law. In addition to acting as Dutch legal and regulatory counsel, De Brauw also took on a coordinating role via its legal project management and data science department, with DocuSign and interactive subscription tools being used to make the fundraising process more efficient and streamlined.