• Successful final closing of YIELCO Private Equity USA III ("YPE USA III") and YIELCO Defensive Investments II ("YDI II"), the dedicated private equity co-investment fund
• YIELCO Defensive Investments II reaches the hard cap of EUR 250 million immediately after launch due to high investor demand
• Start of pre-marketing for YIELCO Private Equity Europe III, YIELCO’s eighth private equity investment programme

YIELCO Investments Group ("YIELCO"), a specialist in private markets, announces the successful final closing of two private equity funds: the fund of funds YIELCO Private Equity USA III ("YPE USA III") and the co-investment fund YIELCO Defensive Investments II ("YDI II"), which have received capital commitments totaling EUR 550 million. The high demand from investors and the attractive historical track record underline the attractiveness of the differentiated private equity strategy focusing on value investing opportunities.

The YPE USA III multi-manager programme continues the proven value investing strategy in its sixth generation and focuses on complex buyout transactions in the USA. The transactions are characterised by low entry valuations and conservative financing structures. The product gives investors access to a broadly diversified portfolio of funds focusing on operational value creation in the small and mid-market segment. YPE USA III was closed at the end of January with a volume of USD 325 million. All of the predecessor funds have shown an attractive performance. This, also in comparison with direct individual fund subscriptions in the buyout sector, with a significantly broader portfolio diversification.

The private equity co-investment fund YDI II focuses on value investments in the small and mid-market segment in Europe and North America and pursues a disciplined defensive approach with favourable entry multiples and low leverage levels. The portfolio will be built across 15-18 transactions with a broad investment spectrum, including complex buyouts, carve-outs, complex successions and other value-oriented transactions. Key elements include strong operational value generation by experienced fund managers and a high level of risk protection, often through real estate or fixed assets. The first closing of YDI II took place in April this year, followed by a swift final closing at EUR 250 million in June. The fund builds on its successful predecessor YDI I, which stood out for its strong performance. Following initial successful exits, YDI I was able to return significantly more than the entire capital to its investors after around four years.

Across all YIELCO private equity programmes launched since 2016 with a focus on value investing, the fund managers successfully sold 122 portfolio companies by the end of 2024. A gross multiple of 4.8x on the invested capital of just under EUR 150 million underlines the attractive return potential of the value investing strategy. Last year, the very high distributions from the programmes to investors were well above the market level.

María Sanz García, Member of the Executive Board and Co-Head Private Equity at YIELCO, says: "In today’s market situation, sustainable value creation and disciplined investment approaches are more important than ever. The successful closings of YDI II and YPE USA III underline the strong investor confidence in the differentiated value investing strategy. In a challenging market environment characterised by macroeconomic uncertainty, investors are increasingly looking for strategies that focus on operational value creation and conservative financing structures. We are pleased to be able to continue to offer our investors access to high-quality, cycle-resistant investments with strong risk protection. I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to our dedicated and highly professional YIELCO team, whose exceptional commitment, passion and expertise have made this success possible."

Launch of the eighth private equity fund: YIELCO Private Equity Europe III       
With a strong track record and a commitment to value investing opportunities, YIELCO continues to pursue its proven strategy of combining attractive returns with targeted risk management. YIELCO Private Equity Europe III, YIELCO’s eighth private equity investment programme – the third with a focus on Europe – will be launched this year. The fund follows on seamlessly from its successful predecessor programmes and concentrates on primary and secondary value investments in the European small and mid-market segment with a focus on operational value creation.

Dr Peter Laib, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at YIELCO, comments: "The successful closings of YPE USA III and YDI II mark another important milestone in the development of our company. It is particularly pleasing that we have been able to significantly strengthen the internationalisation of our investor base with these funds. Our long-standing loyal customer base in Germany has been further expanded with the current programmes with investors from Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain, among others. With YIELCO Private Equity Europe III, we are once again launching a product that has its finger on the pulse of the market and particularly fulfils the requirements of institutional investors. The environment for investments in Europe is very attractive, driven by current market developments and the political tailwind. This applies in particular to value-oriented investments in the small and mid-market."

About YIELCO
YIELCO Investments is an independent global private markets investment specialist headquartered in Germany with offices in Switzerland, Spain and Luxembourg. The group manages over 11 billion euros in capital commitments from institutional investors and invests in the infrastructure and private debt asset classes in addition to private equity.

Disclaimer
This is a marketing advertisement. The YIELCO Private Equity Europe III fund described in the communication is currently in pre-marketing in accordance with Article 30a of EU Directive 2011/61/EU of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and is therefore not yet open for subscriptions. AlterDomus Management Company S.A. has been appointed as potential AIFM of the fund. The aforementioned funds are only offered in Germany to professional investors within the meaning of Annex II of Directive 2014/65/EU (MIFID II) and semi-professional investors pursuant to Section 330 of the German Investment Code (KAGB). Investments in alternative investment funds are highly illiquid and involve a high level of risk. The targeted high returns may not be achieved. The value of an investment can fall as well as rise. There is a risk of a total loss of the invested capital.