Longtime CPG investor Emil Capital Partners is now ECP Growth, as the private equity firm used the $100 million closing of its Fund IV yesterday to reveal its new name and strategy.
The Greenwich, Conn.-based group will now focus on “investing in growth-stage entrepreneurial businesses creating products, solutions, and technologies across the consumer value-chain in North America,” according to a statement released yesterday.
The new fund is not CPG-specific, but will rather target “high-potential companies” generating at least $10 million in revenue; investments will range between $5 million and $20 million, favoring businesses within 18 months of achieving profitability.
“The fund will focus on investing in solutions that enhance human mobility across life stages, deliver personalized health and wellness experiences, and optimize resource efficiency in daily living — supported by the firm’s deep expertise in consumer behavior, emotional purchasing drivers, and changing living dynamics,” the company stated.
The move represents a new chapter for Emil Capital, which was founded in 2011 through a partnership with family-owned German holding company Tengelmann Group, which also operates its own venture arm Tengelmann Growth Partners for majority investments into “growth-oriented small- to medium-sized companies.”
The group’s portfolio includes a range of food and beverage brands over the years, including recently sold A Dozen Cousins, protein specialists Aloha, Bare Snacks, Base Culture, NextFoods (Goodbelly and Cheribundi) and others.
ECP is also a stakeholder in brands operating in beauty, digital media, apparel and other consumer industries.
“Since our founding in 2011, ECP has built a successful track record of partnering with early-stage consumer businesses in North America,” said Marcel Bens, CEO of ECP Growth, in the release. “This next phase is a natural evolution for our firm, as we look to partner with growth-stage companies at every step of the consumer value-chain, while also refining our focus on specific resilient categories and attractive growth segments.”
“Today, the ECP team has the wide-ranging expertise and capabilities necessary to help founders and entrepreneurs across a variety of sectors navigate complex growth challenges, and we look forward to forging new partnerships as we begin to deploy Fund IV under our new brand and refocused strategy.”
Responding to questions from BevNET yesterday, a spokesperson for ECP contrasted Emil Capital’s approach — backing high-potential founders across consumer categories — with its new strategy that reflects “a more transformation-driven focus.”
“Going forward we will target high-potential companies at the intersection of major market transformations and evolving consumer needs,” said ECP. “This next phase is supported by our deep expertise in consumer behavior, emotional purchasing drivers, and the changing dynamics of how people live, move, and consume.”
With regards to CPG, the fund will look towards companies that are creating infrastructure solutions through the convergence of AI, consumer data, and product innovation. It’s an approach that can “translate to everything from functional food and beverage brands addressing specific wellness needs to B2B technology solutions that help CPG companies better serve their customers through improved supply chain automation or digitized commerce experiences.”
“This evolution has been building over our nearly 15 years of investing experience. We’ve observed a fundamental shift in the consumer landscape: from an era focused on democratized access to goods and services, to one where consumers expect curated, personalized experiences,” said the spokesperson. “Our growth-stage focus allows us to partner with companies that have proven their initial market fit and are ready to scale – these businesses often have the clearest path to profitability and the strongest fundamentals in the current economic environment.”
This story has been updated.