Aplan Equity PartnersPatient Capital
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Private equity

A funded and independent investment platform dedicated to the growth of small and mid-sized companies

Patient capital and value creation through operational transformation

Aplan Equity Partners backs B2B small and mid-sized companies through periods of transition, across France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Northern Italy.

Our investment approach →
Investment approach

Tailored capital, active support, realistic growth plans

We invest where we can articulate a genuine value-creation thesis, drawing on our operating experience or our network. We are not a pure capital provider.

Strategy

A target portfolio of five to eight companies, driven to a new stage of scale and performance.

Capital base

A funded platform: our capital is committed by our financial partners rather than raised deal by deal. This is what separates us from an independent sponsor, and it lets us commit early and execute without financing risk.

Geography

Primary focus on France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Northern Italy. Elsewhere in Europe, opportunistically.

EBITDA target

€2–8 million (or CHF equivalent).

Transaction types

Primary LBO, geographical expansion, succession and managerial transition.

Instruments

Equity, quasi-equity and mezzanine-style instruments. Majority, or minority with significant influence. We always take a board seat.

Sectors

Preference for B2B and industrial businesses with resilient demand and attractive growth prospects.

Growth plan

Co-built with management, with operational and strategic support across a deliberately limited number of portfolio companies.

Exit horizon

A formal review at five to seven years, with the ability to stay longer when it serves the business.

Value creation

Sustained momentum, from entry to exit

A systematic, hands-on toolkit deployed from the first day of due diligence through to exit, combining strategic operational support alongside management with active stewardship of the financial strategy: balance-sheet structuring, financing, cash discipline and capital allocation. EBITDA growth is the engine of value creation; multiple expansion is the upside, never the thesis.

At entry

Pre-investment planning

  • Deeper diligence, alongside sector operators and experts
  • Value creation plan and 100-day roadmap agreed with management upfront
  • Board composition and incentives set from day one
During the holding period

Disciplined, hands-on execution

  • Organic growth: international expansion and transformational investments
  • Systematic build-up: screening at signing, synergy plan, integration
  • Operating levers: pricing, distribution and procurement
  • Talent, ESG and digital: C-suite hires, succession planning, CRM and digitalisation
At exit

Exit readiness from day one

  • Buyer universe mapped at entry and revisited every year
  • Continuous dialogue with strategic and financial acquirers
  • Equity story and ESG credentials consolidated to maximise exit value
Team

Investors and operators, side by side

The team combines twenty-five years of private equity with twenty-four years of hands-on industrial leadership. Two further senior hires, already identified, will join upon first and second close, scaling the platform in step with capital deployed.

Johnny el Hachem

Johnny el Hachem

Founding Partner
Geneva, Switzerland · French, English, Arabic

Twenty-five years in finance and private equity. Former Global Head of Private Equity at Edmond de Rothschild, he orchestrated the launch of Trajan, Amethis and Elyan. Beyond his financial structuring and deal execution expertise, he has a deep LP and GP network across Europe, the Middle East and beyond, and extensive governance and board experience across multiple sectors.

Mathieu Lenglin

Mathieu Lenglin

Founding Partner
Geneva, Switzerland · French, English

Twenty-four years in the automotive and industrial sectors. CEO of Tesla France and Switzerland for ten years, he drove the brand’s European scale-up and saw hyper-growth from the field, having previously rolled out Nissan’s electric vehicles and launched Infiniti in Europe. He brings hands-on operational leadership, closeness to the teams he runs, agility and a proven track record in step-change value creation and business transformation.

Investment Partner

Joining upon first close

A decade of private equity across several geographies, focused on small and mid-sized companies. A versatile investor, spanning origination, execution and portfolio support.

Operating Partner

Joining upon second close

Three decades as an entrepreneur and investor, bringing hands-on operational leadership to portfolio companies and reinforcing both the financial and the operating side of the platform.

Contact

Let’s talk

Email
contact@aplanep.com

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