Buyer landscape

Likely buyers · Industrials in Netherlands.

Prepared 2026-08-28 with GP Intel · deterministic scoring, published weights: gp-intel.com/methodology/league-tables

How companies like this sold · 32 verified exits: 38% to sponsors, 59% to corporates and platforms, 3% via IPO. Route shift since 2020: sponsors 36% (was 42%), corporates and platforms 59% (was 53%), IPO 4% (was 4%) (sector-wide).

The list: 25 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 of 120 matched buyers, including 55 geographic expansion candidates without a local platform yet. A first round of the Tier 1 names plus the expansion buyers covers the demonstrated demand.

Financial buyers · 25

Tier 1 · Very High · score 70+

1. Waterland Private Equity SponsorVery High94

38 platform investments in Industrials · 56 in Netherlands · 39 deals 2024–26

Waterland Private Equity Fund IX (WPEF IX) · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €70-525M

48 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 19 per fund.

Backed Cooper Turner Beck, 2026 · Industrials, UK

2. IK Partners SponsorVery High92

75 platform investments in Industrials · 22 in Netherlands · 52 deals 2024–26

AUM €13.8B · IK Partnership Fund III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €10-75M

18 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 13 per fund.

Bought SELATEK from Amplio, 2026 · Industrials, Sweden

3. SPIE PE-backedVery High87

66 acquisitions in Industrials · 17 in Netherlands · 24 deals 2024–26

Active in Netherlands since 2007.

Added on BLOCK Group, 2026 · Industrials, Czech Republic

4. Bpifrance Investissement SponsorVery High87

27 platform investments in Industrials · 35 deals 2024–26

AUM €57.3B · Bpifrance Amorçage Industriel · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €1-8M

Accelerating: 30 deals in the last 2 years vs 4.5/yr before.

Backed Gillet Tools, 2026 · Industrials, France

5. IGI Private Equity SponsorVery High87

18 platform investments in Industrials · 8 deals 2024–26

AUM €169M · IGI Sustainable Transition Fund · 2024 vintage · deploying

Accelerating: 6 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.3/yr before.

Backed WeBlade, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

6. IK Partners (IK Small Cap III) SponsorVery High86

70 platform investments in Industrials · 22 in Netherlands · 39 deals 2024–26

AUM €13.8B · IK Partnership Fund III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €10-75M

18 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 13 per fund.

Backed Francks Kylindustri, 2025 · Industrials, Sweden

7. IK Partners / GIC / Keensight / Parquest / management SponsorVery High86

71 platform investments in Industrials · 21 in Netherlands · 38 deals 2024–26

AUM €13.8B · IK Partnership Fund III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €10-75M

18 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 13 per fund.

Backed Francks Kylindustri, 2025 · Industrials, Sweden

8. PAI Partners SponsorVery High86

33 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 26 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

9. Audacia SponsorVery High86

21 platform investments in Industrials · 27 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.8B · Audacia Capital Développement IV · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €4-30M

45 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 12 per fund.

Backed Geolinks, 2026 · Industrials, France

10. Inflexion (Partnership Capital III) SponsorVery High86

9 platform investments in Industrials · 2 in Netherlands · 25 deals 2024–26

AUM €11.0B · Inflexion Buyout Fund VII · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €90-675M

Accelerating: 15 deals in the last 2 years vs 5.0/yr before.

Bought Salto Systems from Peninsula Capital, 2026 · Industrials, Spain

11. PAI Partners / ADIA SponsorVery High85

29 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 17 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

12. EQT SponsorVery High84

51 platform investments in Industrials · 9 in Netherlands · 51 deals 2024–26

AUM €291.0B · EQT X · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €440M-3.3B

53 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 11 per fund.

Backed Fujitec, 2025 · Industrials, Japan

13. PAI Partners (Fund VIII) SponsorVery High84

28 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 17 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

14. PAI Partners (Mid-Market Fund) SponsorVery High84

28 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

15. PAI Partners (Mid-Market) SponsorVery High84

28 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

16. PAI Partners and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan SponsorVery High84

28 platform investments in Industrials · 4 in Netherlands · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Tecnova HT, 2026 · Industrials, Italy

17. Sodero Gestion, CENCD SponsorVery High84

16 platform investments in Industrials · 22 deals 2024–26

AUM €350M · Transmettre & Pérenniser III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €2-15M

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Crea Equipement, 2026 · Industrials, France

18. Ardian, Finint Infrastrutture SponsorVery High83

126 platform investments in Industrials · 7 in Netherlands · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Munich Electrification, 2026 · Industrials, Germany

19. Bridgepoint SponsorVery High83

32 platform investments in Industrials · 8 in Netherlands · 43 deals 2024–26