Evli is the first asset management company in Finland to start co-investing in unlisted equities with its own dedicated team. The new co-investment activities will be lead by Ilja Ripatti, who has an extensive and international background in private equity, particularly in co-investments.
Co-investments open the door to attractive direct unlisted investments for Evli's clients alongside the world's best fund managers. The co-investment activity in international unlisted equities with a dedicated team is the first of its kind in the Finnish asset management industry. Co-investments will strengthen Evli's already strong foothold in alternative investments.
Through co-investments, Evli will make direct minority stake investments in target companies in Europe and the US together with leading international private equity firms. Co-investments are typically offered to investors without underlying fees or at significantly reduced rates, making it a particularly attractive opportunity for enhanced return potential. Thanks to these cost savings, clients will be able to benefit from better return potential for a selected level of risk.
Ilja Ripatti has been appointed to lead Evli's co-investment activities. Ripatti brings to Evli a unique level of experience in co-investments and direct investments. Prior to joining Evli, he was responsible for co-investments at Ilmarinen for ten years, where he made nearly 100 co-investments and direct unlisted investments in a wide variety of target companies. In addition to the many investment projects he’s been involved in, he has also direct work experience with private equity investors as a secondee at KKR and as a project consultant at Bridgepoint, helping a target company with its growth strategy.
"Under Ilja's leadership, Evli will be the first entity to offer this exciting investment opportunity to wealthy private investors and professional investors. In addition to his unique background in co-investing, Ilja is an experienced veteran in the finance industry. We are delighted to welcome him as part of the wide range of experts we have at Evli," says Kim Pessala, Managing Director of Evli Fund Management Company.
"It is fantastic to be able to create something new together with Evli and build a more attractive investment offering for clients. Evli's extensive network and expertise create unique opportunities to source and execute co-investment projects," adds investment director Ripatti.
Co-investments enable Evli to participate in major international investment rounds.
"Through co-investments, Evli will become part of the investor group involved in the world's most interesting unlisted companies. At the same time, we are building an even tighter international fund network for Evli and becoming even better at fund selection, which will benefit our clients in the long run," concludes Ripatti.
