Loy & Co advised the shareholders of Kulturwerke Deutschland Sprachreisen GmbH on the sale of a majority stake to Waterland Private Equity.
The Transaction
Waterland Private Equity (Waterland) has acquired a majority stake in Kulturwerke Deutschland Sprachreisen GmbH (Kulturwerke Deutschland). The remaining shares are held by the sellers.
The reinvested management, together with Waterland, plans to further accelerate Kulturwerke Deutschland’s impressive growth by expanding its market presence both domestically and internationally, including through acquisitions in existing and new business areas. The transaction was completed in November 2024.
The Companies
Kulturwerke Deutschland
Kulturwerke Deutschland was founded in 2014 as an agency for stays abroad and language travel. With the addition of another shareholder and managing director in 2020, Kulturwerke Deutschland realigned itself and has since focused primarily on student exchange programs to the USA. Through high-quality standards for optimal advice and support for participants, as well as a broad online presence, Kulturwerke Deutschland has quickly established itself as the leading German agency for arranging high school stays in the USA and other destinations such as Canada, Oceania, and Europe.
Waterland
Waterland is an internationally active private equity firm with proven expertise in developing market leaders in Western Europe, particularly through organic initiatives and strategic add-on acquisitions as part of “buy & build” strategies. Targeted investments with a long-term holding horizon enable Waterland to offer energetic and active support in all areas to ensure sustainable growth and a successful market position for its portfolio companies.
Since its founding, Waterland has supported over 1,000 companies, ranging from solid medium-sized businesses to international corporations. With a team of 190 employees in thirteen European countries, Waterland acts as a strong partner for sustainable growth. In 2023, Waterland announced the final closing of its ninth institutional flagship fund with a volume of €4 billion.
