Capricorn Partners ready for the future

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Capricorn Partners, which was founded in 1993 by Dr Jos B. Peeters. Over these three decades the company developed into a solid and diversified manager of venture & growth capital and equity funds. Capricorn now manages several funds around the themes of cleantech, health and digital with a total of around € 600 million in assets under management. A diverse 30 people strong team manages these funds for our investors, with dedication and passion.

To build on this development and to ensure continuity of Capricorn Partners, a number of changes in the governance of the company have been implemented. After building the company from scratch and being at the operational helm for thirty years, Jos Peeters leaves the daily management to become Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jos Peeters commented:

• Seeing Capricorn Partners evolve from a one-man company into a diversified specialised asset manager which is investing where technology impacts most, with eight Partners who are also shareholders, has given me an enormous satisfaction and makes me proud. I am thankful to all the investors that supported us in this journey, to the committed board members and specialist advisors that guided us and to all members of staff who made my dreams come true. With Sabine Vermassen, Yves Vaneerdewegh, Katrin Geyskens and Rob van der Meij taking responsibility for the daily management as Managing Partners, I am confident that Capricorn Partners is in able hands to continue to grow and to play its role in our unique technology based entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The Board of Directors is also seeing some other changes with the departure of Professor Dr Philippe Haspeslagh, Liesbet Peeters and Jan Cerfontaine. The Board of Directors would like to thank them for their valuable contributions during the past years. A special thanks goes to Philippe Haspeslagh who has been the Chairman of the Board for most of the life of Capricorn Partners. The company wants to recognise his contribution by granting him the title of Honorary Chairman.

In addition to Hilde Famaey and Maud Watelet, two independent directors whose mandates were renewed, we are happy to announce that two new members are joining the Board of Directors: Dr Anneleen Peeters and Bart De Smet. Anneleen Peeters has extensive professional experience as researcher, deputy chief of cabinet and is currently working at the VDAB (the employment service of Flanders), where she is managing the department General Policy and Strategy and is acting as secretary to the Board of Directors. Anneleen will represent the majority shareholder in the Board. With Bart De Smet a high-profile independent director joins the Capricorn Board. Bart was CEO of Ageas, one of Europe's larger insurance companies, for more than 10 years and in October 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ageas. He was also President of VBO-FEB and is Chairman of the Board of Heilig Hart Ziekenhuis Leuven, Board Member of KU Leuven, De Eik Group, Guberna and Euroclear.

We are convinced that with the current team, Capricorn Partners, supported by a powerful Board of Directors and carried by a broad Partner base, is ready for the challenges and opportunities in the years and decades ahead.