Standard Investment

About The Fund

Standard Investment is a private equity firm founded in 2004 with a focus on investing in the service, distribution, and production sectors. They have headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with additional offices in Brussels, Belgium, and Scandinavia. The firm targets companies with an enterprise value of up to €100 million, primarily in the mid-size business segment with turnovers ranging between €20 million and €200 million. Their investment philosophy revolves around realizing growth and improvement potential, requiring a majority stake, and taking an active role in their portfolio companies. Standard Investment seeks out companies that show potential for long-term growth and improvement, delving deep into market analyses and blending their experience, commitment, and energy to add structural value. They closely observe the strengths of the people within the companies and their ambitions, ensuring alignment with their investment approach. Their hands-on investment strategy involves working actively and closely with their portfolio company personnel to unlock the best opportunities, often through a contrarian and entrepreneurial mindset. Their approach combines the perspective of an investor—to generate returns and understand market threats and opportunities—with the instincts of an entrepreneur to take risks and seize opportunities, and the structure of a manager to mobilize people, create lasting improvements, and foster pride in the companies among employees. Standard Investment currently has 22 companies in their portfolio, comprising over 4,000 employees and generating more than €1 billion in revenue. Through their Standard Foundation, they allocate resources and profits to support not-for-profit organizations, such as 100WEEKS and Fawaka Entrepreneur School, emphasizing a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach that echoes the ethos of their investment strategy. They hold a strong preference for mid-sized businesses characterized by minimal politics, short lines of communication, and ample strategic and operational challenges where they can make a significant impact.