Funds managed by CapMan Buyout have agreed to sell Solera Beverage Group to the listed beverage company Royal Unibrew A/S.

Solera Beverage Group is a leading importer and distributor of wine and other beverages in the Nordic monopolised markets. The group houses over 700 world-renowned brands and sold over 44 million litres of beverages, reaching sales of NOK 1.9 billion in 2020.

Royal Unibrew, the Danish multi-regional beverage company listed on OMX Copenhagen, has today entered into an agreement to acquire the shares in Solera Beverage Group from Funds managed by CapMan Buyout. The acquisition will add Norway and Sweden to Royal Unibrew’s geographical footprint while complementing the already established business in Finland.

“During CapMan’s ownership period we have developed the business both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions. We have seen strong organic growth, on the back of a stable and non-cyclical industry, through several operational initiatives. For example, Solera has expanded the number of brands represented, developed the Multibev business focusing on low and non-alcoholic beverages, and established several own brands during the years.” tells Johan Pålsson, Co-Managing Partner at CapMan Buyout.

“We believe Royal Unibrew is a good new owner of Solera. The strategic fit is strong between the two companies and the combined platform will accelerate the development of the two companies. I want to thank the entire Solera organisation for great cooperation over many years” Pålsson continues.

“I am pleased to welcome Royal Unibrew as a new owner of Solera Group. The combination forms a strong platform for a multi-beverage business across the Nordics and around the Baltic Sea, and I look forward to further develop and grow the business together. At the same time, I want to thank CapMan for their instrumental support in developing Solera during their holding period into a pan-Nordic player with a strong multi-beverage offering.” says Ole Petter Wie, Group CEO of Solera.

CapMan Buyout IX fund made the investment in Solera Beverage Group in 2011. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2021. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Lincoln International acted as financial advisor and Wiersholm as legal advisor to CapMan Buyout in the transaction.

About CapMan

CapMan Buyout is part of CapMan Group, a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value-creation in its portfolio companies and assets, with assets under management of close to €4 billion. CapMan has a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. The investment strategies cover Private Equity, Real Estate and Infra. CapMan also has a growing service business that includes procurement services, wealth management, and analysis, reporting and back office services. Altogether, CapMan employs around 150 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Luxembourg. We are a public company listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001 and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2012. Read more at www.capman.com.

About Royal Unibrew A/S

Royal Unibrew is a leading regional multi-beverage company providing strong brands to our main markets Denmark, Finland, Italy, Germany, France and the Baltics, and to 65+ countries in the rest of the world. We serve our consumers by offering high quality beverages within beer, malt beverages, soft drinks as well as ciders, ready-to-drink, juice, energy and water products. In addition to our own brands, we offer license-based international brands from PepsiCo and Heineken in Northern Europe.