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Last Friday, 17 November 2017, some 200 entrepreneurs, investors, business partners and employees celebrated Invision’s 20th anniversary in the restaurant “Rüsterei” with its industrial flair on the Sihlcity site. SRF “Tagesschau” host Florian Inhauser led through the evening and by a series of interviews highlighted why entrepreneurs and investors have put their trust in Invision for the past 20 years.
Entrepreneurial partner for growth and succession solutions
Three of the entrepreneurs, who decided to undertake part of their journey jointly with Invision, explained why:
Dr. Thomas Kirchhofer, CEO of the Parkresort Rheinfelden Group, explained that at the time Invision reached out to him, he was not yet thinking about his imminent succession and was rather sceptical of private equity firms. “I asked 20 entrepreneurs about Invision, and all of them returned positive feedback.” Florent Rondez, CEO of the Swiss Education Group, who has been working with Invision since 2008, also confirms Invision’s collaborative approach – although operational management remains with the company, Invision stands at his side at all times and supports its portfolio companies in developing and executing milestones such as add-on acquisitions, internationalization and management expansion. Finally, Frank Litz, co-owner of TonerPartner, a leading ink and toner online retailer, explained that having the opportunity to stay involved in his life’s work and knowing to have a strong and trustworthy partner at his side for the targeted growth was the decisive factor in choosing Invision for his succession.
The three entrepreneurs summarized: “In the end it’s all about the people which make the difference at Invision.”
Satisfied investors
Florian Inhauser inquired Invision’s recipe for success – the investors’ answers were unequivocal. Nathalie von Niederhäusern from BlackRock emphasized that apart from the funds’ positive performance, Invision’s partners are the reason for BlackRock being a very satisfied investor for many years and that she very much appreciates the relationship with Invision. Andreas Hellmann from LGT Capital Partners pointed out that Invision differentiates itself by the ability to find investment opportunities in high-quality companies with strong management teams, despite the currently competitive market environment. Furthermore, regionally anchored investors rely on Invision, as well: Werner Hunkeler from Luzerner Kantonalbank anecdotally told the audience how LUKB managed to get into business with Invision as a financing bank and, after several years of cooperation, took advantage of the investment opportunity when a new Invision fund was launched.
Foundation for the next 20 years
Invision’s Frank Becker, Martin Staub and Marco Martelli closed the event thanking entrepreneurs, investors and numerous business partners for their continued trust over the years and the good cooperation.
Frank Becker also made a confident glance into the future. He promised: “We will not stand still”, and announced the launch of a new fund next year as well as the opening of an office in the Bavarian capital Munich. These developments lay the foundation for the next 20 years and with that the 40th anniversary of Invision.