We stimulate synergies
that generate long lasting value

The Fund

Synergia Hellenic Fund IV (Synergia) is a generalist private equity fund aiming to support primarily Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) based in Greece by providing growth capital to fund their expansion plans.

Synergia is managed by Hellenic Capital Partners (HCP), a long-established venture capital & private equity management firm with a veteran team comprised of high caliber professionals with complementary skill sets who have been working together for almost 25 years and have established a unique track record in the field of private equity investments.

Synergia is backed by the EquiFund (www.equifund.gr) investment platform, an initiative created by the Hellenic Republic and the European Investment Fund (EIF, www.eif.org).

The fund is established as a Greek Venture Capital Closed-end Fund (VCF/AKES of Art. 7 of Law 2992/2002 Gaz) with a 10-year term and an investment period until 31/12/2023.

The Key Information Document (“KID”) of the Fund is available here.

Synergia is the investment partner who enables ambitious Greek SMEs to achieve sustainable growth and long-lasting value

Investment Approach

Our main goal is to tackle all challenges that SMEs face, working side by side with the management to unlock their full potential and value

Synergia is a generalist private equity fund with a primary focus on the food, beverage and agri-business, tourism and hospitality, environment and energy efficiency sectors.

At Synergia, we aim to achieve long-term capital gains by providing growth capital mainly to SMEs registered and headquartered in Greece. We focus on early & later stage SMEs with strong growth potential and in need of funding their expansion plans. From the first day of assessing the investment opportunity to the investment exit day, emphasis is placed on constantly supporting the SMEs not only through capital but also by leveraging the continuous support from our management team, our co-operating advisors and our extensive network.

We seek to partner closely and cooperatively with experienced management teams and entrepreneurs that can demonstrate a successful track record and have the ability and determination to grow and develop.

Capitalizing on our broad experience in deal structuring, we are flexible to accommodate any type of investment in a way that can enhance value for all parties involved

At Synergia, we structure each investment in a flexible, adaptable and individualized manner tailored to accommodate the specific investee needs. We adopt a disciplined, bespoke financing and investment approach which is implemented through equity, quasi-equity and hybrid instruments (such as convertible bonds with equity features, preference shares, etc.)

As a rule of thumb, we mainly target significant minority stakes of 10% to 40% with our investment ticket size typically ranging from €2m to €6m.

Our investment style is inherently exit-oriented thus the existence of a visible and realistic exit path on the basis of value creation within a specified holding horizon, is a prerequisite before proceeding with any investment.

We concentrate on identifying attractively priced investments with strong growth potential that can generate superior returns in a pre-specified time frame coupled with well-balanced risk exposure.

Investment identification and selection is the most critical component of our investment approach. Our successful track record combined with our long and diverse investment experience and know-how, provides us with an edge on identifying and creating value in investment opportunities. Investments are thoroughly scrutinized and selected based on consistent investment criteria focusing mainly on growth opportunities, strong management teams and sustainable competitive advantages.

Product & services quality

Sustainable competitive advantages

International market orientation

Management expertise, commitment & integrity

Successful track record and strong reputation

Solid value proposition & growth prospects

Recurring cash flow generation potential

Investment Principles & Values

We do business with people we trust and treat them as partners by maintaining a shared sense of ownership and commitment

Managed by a team with an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Greek business landscape, Synergia aims to address and support the core financing needs of the SMEs in general. We constantly seek to find bespoke solutions to tackle all problems arising and we are committed to achieving the best long-term outcome for our investors, our investee companies and their employees.

Partnership Approach to Unlock Value

Our win-win approach and continuous motivation of all people involved is the key driver for ensuring superior performance. We roll up our sleeves and implement a “hands-on” investment approach positioning Synergia as the partner working hard together with the entrepreneur and the management of the investee companies towards the shared goal of generating long-lasting value and building stronger businesses.

Commitment is the heart of our operations

We believe that commitment is the foundation for successful investing and building long-term value, contributing significantly to creating solid, long-lasting relationships grounded on mutual trust and respect. We are committed to understanding and aligning the interests of all our stakeholders since we strongly believe that this is the best possible way to create shared value.

Operating with transparency and integrity

At Synergia, our reputation is of paramount importance, therefore we follow the highest standards of business ethics in all our practices. We have a duty to all our investors, investee companies and stakeholders to constantly act in a transparent way and to apply the highest standards of integrity and corporate governance.

Responsible investing and sustainability

We pay great attention to promoting socially responsible and sustainable investing in our day-to-day operations, by raising internal awareness and providing a common set of expectations for all parties involved. We work to understand the footprint of the companies in which we invest and help them improve their efficiency, preserve their ability to do business in the future and create a positive impact on the environment, the society and the economy.

We are committed to finding innovative solutions to create value and deliver market leading returns for our investors and investee companies, while ensuring the welfare of all stakeholders involved

The Manager

We strongly believe that VC/PE fund management & investing is a people’s business and it relies on the reciprocal trust between the fund manager, investors & investee companies’ shareholders, managers and employees

Hellenic Capital Partners (HCP)

→ hellenic-cp.com

Synergia is managed by Hellenic Capital Partners (HCP) (www.hellenic-cp.com), an independent, established VC/PE management firm which combines a highly-experienced management team, with deep knowledge and know-how of the domestic VC/PE market and a superior track record

Hellenic Capital Partners stands for:

Α dedicated and cohesive veteran team that has been working together for almost 25 years

High caliber professionals with complementary skill sets

First-hand knowledge & understanding of the inherent challenges of the Greek business landscape

Successful investments and divestments from corporates across different sectors, investment stages & through multiple economic cycles

A reputable and trusted partner for the investees

Superior returns to its investors since HCP’s Funds returns have been consistently outperforming peer group returns and related benchmarks

The Team
Maria Sarri
Senior Partner / President
Spiros Papadatos
Senior Partner / CEO
Nikolas Gkiouras
Senior Partner / CIO
Maria Sarri
Senior Partner / President
Spiros Papadatos
Senior Partner / CEO
Nikolas Gkiouras
Senior Partner / CIO
Konstantinos Tasiadamis
Partner / CFO
Ioannis (John) Arvanitakis
Partner / Investment Director
Michael Iatrou
Investment Analyst
Barbara Mergou
Legal Counsel
Konstantinos Tasiadamis
Partner / CFO
Ioannis (John) Arvanitakis
Partner / Investment Director
Michael Iatrou
Investment Analyst
Barbara Mergou
Legal Counsel

Why partner with Synergia

Our successful past paves the way for a successful future

Our diverse previous experience across different sectors, investment stages and through all economic cycles has sharpened our investment approach and skills, helped us broaden our perspective and gain deep business insight as well as unique and invaluable experiences beyond those possessed by a typical VC/PE professional.

1. PROVEN MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH SUPERIOR TRACK RECORD

We have been working together for almost 25 years

We have managed 4 funds (one co-managed) with c. €86m aggregate committed capital, all of which have been fully liquidated with cumulative DPI (Distributions to Paid in Capital) of 1.8x and a MoIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) of 2.2x

We have implemented different investment strategies (i.e. generalist /sector focused, equity/quasi equity, equity minority/majority, buyouts) and a variety of successful exit strategies (i.e. IPO, trade sale, secondary sale, MBI, buyback)

2. PROVEN ABILITY IN RAPIDLY ADJUSTING INTO CHANGING ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL MARKET CONDITIONS

We implemented successfully our investees’ Business Plans with the appropriate market driven modifications (i.e. downsizing when deemed appropriate, secured alternative financing)

We pursued investments in businesses that could be grouped (within a sector) and achieve scale, aiming at attracting international investors’ interest and enabling self-engineered type of exit

We proved our ability in successfully navigating through the rough waters of the unprecedented Greek crisis since we managed to keep investment objectives on track, safeguard the unity and the coherence of our funds and restore their positive outlook

We successfully attracted alternative financing when the bank financing window was abruptly closed in Greece, (e.g. international & domestic vendor financing)

3. PROVEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP APPROACH

Having also handled majority stakes through our previous funds, we have learned to assume and carry over successfully the full spectrum of operational & strategic tasks and responsibilities of the entrepreneur/business owner

Thus, having sat on both sides of the table, we fully understand the entrepreneur’s inherent considerations and challenges

4. PROVEN ABILITY IN MOBILIZING OTHER FINANCIAL BACKERS

We have mobilized additional funds of over €125m from other financial backers (financial institutions, co-investors, vendors etc) on behalf of our investee companies

Portfolio

We have a strong track record of delivering results and standing by our commitments towards both our investors & investee companies

Contact us

Address

10 Kifissias Ave.
GR 151 25 Maroussi,
Athens
Phone / Fax

T. +30 210 8171900
F. +30 210 8171969
Email

info@hellenic-cp.com

EquiFund investment platform (https://www.espa.gr/el/pages/EquiFund.aspx) is an initiative created by cooperation between the Hellenic Republic and European Investment Fund (EIF). It is financed by the Greek ESIF Fund of Funds TAESYM under the European Union / European Regional Development Fund / Operational Programme EPANEK, the EIF and private investors, with the objective to facilitate access to finance, mainly to SMEs, by developing the Venture Capital/Private Equity (“VC/PE”) in Greece in cooperation with selected Financial Intermediaries.