Gaius Capital closes debut fund at €50 million, raises another €6 million via co-investment vehicle

Gaius Capital, a Berlin-based private equity firm focused on business succession in the DACH Mittelstand, has announced the final close of its debut fund, Gaius Nachfolgekapital I, at €50 million.

The oversubscribed fund hit its hard cap alongside an additional €6 million raised through a co-investment vehicle, bringing the total capital secured to €56 million. The final close comes just four months after the fund’s first close at €40 million in June.

“We are very grateful to our investors for their trust and support throughout this journey. Reaching the final close at our hard cap, with significant demand from an experienced institutional investor base, is a strong endorsement of our strategy and the opportunity we see in Mittelstand succession,” said Jan Mickel, Founding Partner, Gaius Capital.

Founded in 2025 in Berlin by Mickel, Joscha Radeck, and Dr. Lukas Klipper, Gaius Capital is an independent investment firm that pursues a scalable buy-and-build strategy in the micro- and small-cap segments of the Mittelstand. The firm partners with founder- and family-owned businesses to provide collaborative succession solutions, seeking majority stakes in profitable mid-sized service companies.

The primary focus of the firm is insurance and financial services, industrial services, healthcare, and testing and inspection, across three German-speaking regions: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Unlike a conventional acquirer, Gaius also offers entrepreneurs the option to participate in the value created through a group sale via its Gaius Seller Consortium model, allowing founders to retain an economic stake in the combined entity they help build.

Since its first close, Gaius has already begun executing its strategy through its inaugural succession platform, Praevidentia Group, aimed at the insurance broking sector in Germany. The firm recently launched Alpiora Group, its second succession platform, focused on insurance advisory and brokerage in Switzerland.

Its website mentions additional succession platforms being built across sectors, including outpatient care, wealth management, compliance, and medical technology testing.

“With the fundraise successfully completed, our focus is now on deploying capital thoughtfully and building lasting partnerships with entrepreneurs across the DACH region,” added Mickel.

The firm also revealed that more than 90% of the commitments to the fund came from institutional investors across Germany, France, the Benelux region, the United States, and the United Kingdom. With the fund closed, Gaius Capital says its priority is to identify and build succession platforms in resilient-growth service industries across the DACH region. Alongside Gaius Nachfolgekapital I, the firm also manages Gaius Unternehmerkapital I, its other active fund vintage from 2025.