Kleinwort Capital Limited ('KCL') announced today that it will change its name to August Equity, effective immediately. Accompanying the name change is the release of a new company logo, which will begin appearing on the website and all company related materials starting today.
The name change complements the company's evolutionary process but will not result in changes to the company's strategy. August Equity will remain focused on investing in UK growth companies valued between £10 million and £100 million in the four specialist sectors of media, technology, healthcare and specialist manufacturing, and aims to continue the drive forward as a leading independent firm.
The original Kleinwort Capital name was part of a joint venture started in November 2001 with Dresdner Kleinwort Capital, the private equity division of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Kleinwort Capital Trust, a quoted investment trust managed by KCL. Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein has now exited this joint venture.
Richard Green, Managing Director at August Equity, said:
We are proud to take on this new identity, remaining at our core the same company with a new name. We already have strong brand recognition and resonance amongst our key audiences. The name change reflects the new ownership of the business, and the potential is very good for the company to build on its existing brand awareness and strong market position, given the many positive attributes key stakeholders associate with it today.
We are excited about the future and we remain focused on leveraging our remarkable team of talent, which currently includes ten investment professionals with niche expertise in one or more of our four specialist sectors, to continue to deliver great returns for our investors. We're also proud to enjoy strong senior level stability, with six directors who have been with the team for a total of 64 years. As a team, we conduct our business very successfully, and look forward to moving the company forward.
In additional recent news, on 6 March, the company announced that it took two new investors on board - Swiss-based Partners Group and F&C Private Equity Trust plc. Both bought out Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein's ('DKW') £60 million commitment in the firm's latest fund - Kleinwort Capital Partners IV. Partners Group acquired 75 per cent of this commitment whilst F&C Private Equity Trust plc purchased the remainder.