Riverside Expands Dastex Group with pure11 Acquisition

Third Add-on Enhances Product Portfolio and Market Reach in the DACH Region

CLEVELAND, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Riverside Company (Riverside), a global investment firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market, announced an affiliated European fund has signed a definitive agreement to invest in pure11 GmbH (pure11), a German distributor of consumables for cleanrooms and other controlled environments, from its founders. The investment is the third add-on in 16 months to Riverside's portfolio company Dastex Group GmbH (Dastex), a specialized cleanroom garment and consumables distributor in Europe. Closing of the deal is subject to customary approvals by the competent regulatory authorities.

Founded in 2007, pure11, through third-party brand distribution as well as its proprietary brand CELOS®, offers a broad product portfolio including gloves, wipes, disposable garments, and swabs. The company, headquartered in Grünwald, Germany, primarily serves customers from the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries, but also optical glass, automotive, and pharmacies.

Damien Gaudin, Partner at Riverside Europe who led the deal, commented: "With pure11, Dastex continues its expansion strategy in Europe, acquiring a sizeable independent cleanroom consumables player in the DACH region. The company has established a robust market presence through its experienced commercial sales force and strategic distribution partners. This success is further bolstered by maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and leveraging its strong technical expertise. Besides strengthening Dastex's market positioning in the DACH region, the addition of pure11 will further improve the product offering of the Group, diversify end-market exposure, and enable Dastex to integrate a strong management team in place at pure11." 

The owner and Managing Director of pure11, Julian Kropp, added: "I am incredibly proud of the pure11 team's success over the past years. The strategic combination with Dastex is the right move for pure11, which will enable us to reach ambitious growth targets even faster by leveraging the combined strengths of two top notch companies. The entire management team and I are excited to start the next chapter, as there couldn't be a better partner sharing our values of strong commitment, excellence in services, and product innovation. We are convinced that our customers, suppliers, and employees will benefit significantly from this new partnership."

Linda Vereycken, CEO of Dastex, stated: "Alongside the rest of our management team, I am delighted to announce the strategic acquisition of pure11, which promises mutual benefits and growth for the Group. Pure11 has rapidly built its market position in Germany and neighboring countries. Acquiring pure11 consolidates the strengths of two complementary firms, enhancing our cleanroom expertise and services. This move is a significant stride toward establishing our position as one of the leading cleanroom specialists in the EU, with the goal of becoming the most trusted partner for our clients. This acquisition highlights Dastex's ability to identify opportunities that align with our values, vision, and European expansion strategy."

Riverside acquired Dastex and its first add-on Vita Verita mid-2023. Continuing its buy-and-build strategy, the company added AET, a leading independent player in Norway, in April 2024. The acquisition of pure11 marks another step towards building a leading European platform in cleanroom contamination control, well-positioned to grow organically and via acquisitions. Dastex serves the resilient and growing cleanroom industry, helping customers in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, semiconductor and other high-tech industries to meet ever stricter quality and regulatory standards.

Working with Gaudin on the deal for Riverside were Vice Presidents Maxime Meulemeester and Nicola Tomaschko, Senior Associate Sebastiaan Pauwels and Senior Legal Counsel Peter Parmentier.

About The Riverside Company

The Riverside Company is a global investment firm focused on being one of the leading private equity and flexible capital options for business owners and portfolio company employees at the smaller end of the middle market by seeking to fuel transformative growth and create lasting value. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has made more than 1,000 investments. The firm's international private equity and flexible capital portfolios include more than 140 companies.

Riverside Europe is an integral part of the Riverside's broad global network and has been active in Europe since 1989. Riverside believes a truly global presence provides insight into local conditions, culture and business practices, making team members better business partners. For more information, visit: www.riversidecompany.com.

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