goetzpartners advised the shareholders of JuwelKerze

Fortlane Partners advised the shareholders of JuwelKerze JewelCandle GmbH (“JuwelKerze” or “The Company”), a strongly positioned social media & influencer marketing platform for premium scented candles with jewellery, on the sale of a majority stake to GALA Kerzen group ("GALA Kerzen"), a portfolio company of Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s leading mid-market private equity investors.

GALA Kerzen is one of the leading candle manufacturers with headquarters in Germany, producing and selling candles around the world for over 40 years. GALA has two manufacturing sites, one at its headquarters in Wörnitz, Germany, which specialises in highly automated, large volume orders and a second site in Sopron, Hungary, fulfilling the business’ packaging and labour intensive orders. Following the acquisition by funds managed by Equistone in 2016, GALA Kerzen recently announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Ramesh Flowers, an Indian manufacturer and exporter of potpourri, air fresheners, incense sticks, candles and decorative products, as part of its currently pursued inorganic growth strategy.

Berlin-based start-up company JuwelKerze has achieved tremendous growth over recent years due to a sophisticated digital strategy. Via established collaborations with influencers and the close customer contact with more than one million fans and followers on social media across Europe, JuwelKerze was able to build a strong brand and a loyal online community. "Through this strategic partnership we’ve achieved an instrumental part of our vision of a globally successful candle brand. JuwelKerze gains a global production and distribution network and GALA Kerzen grows through the extension of its digital capabilities, which are underrepresented in the candle market. It’s a great synergy for both sides.”, comments Martin Werle, founder of JuwelKerze.

Fortlane Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to the selling shareholders, further underlining our competence as sell side advisor of choice in the eCommerce industry. The transaction is subject to approval by the German antitrust authority and is currently expected to close by early April 2018.

ABOUT JUWELKERZE
Established in 2012, the Company offers its premium surprise products under the "JuwelKerze" and "JewelCandle" brands in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and the UK through various online shops. Around 50 employees work at two German locations and one Polish branch. JuwelKerze’s strong brand, its loyal online community and the highly effective blend of social media, influencer and performance marketing make the Company Europe’s eCommerce leader for premium scented candles with jewellery.
 

TRANSACTION TEAM

Dr. Gernot Wunderle
Managing Partner

Markus Rosen
Associate

Julius Adrian Rieker
Analyst