AIRICA
AIRICA is a company.
Financial History
Leadership Team
Key people at AIRICA.
AIRICA is a company.
Key people at AIRICA.
Aurica Capital is a Barcelona-based private equity firm founded in 2015, specializing in growth capital through significant minority stakes in leading Spanish middle-market companies with strong competitive advantages and expansion potential.[1][2][4] Its mission centers on partnering with entrepreneurs to drive organic growth, acquisitions, and international expansion, targeting firms with €30M turnover and €4-5M EBITDA via €10-50M tickets held for 4-7 years.[1][2] The firm manages funds like Aurica III, with new 2023 lines in Search Funds (Aurica Search Fund I, aiming for 15-20 SME investments) and alternative assets, emphasizing sectoral focus, generational succession, and international exposure via a 360° service model.[1][5] With 26 investments and backing from investors like Sabadell, Aurica impacts Spain's startup and SME ecosystem by providing expansion capital and operational support.[2][3]
Aurica Capital emerged in 2015 as a spin-out from Banco Sabadell, transitioning from bank-balance-sheet investments to an independent asset manager launching its first fund, Aurica III.[2][4] Key partners Ramón Mas, Ferrán Conti, and Iván Plaza lead the firm, drawing on prior positive experiences in growth capital to professionalize the model with over 20 investors, including Sabadell.[2] The evolution included buying 80% of the fund manager's capital from the bank for talent alignment, followed by 2023 expansions into Search Funds and alternative assets management, reflecting a natural progression toward diversified, autonomous strategies.[1][2]
Aurica Capital rides the wave of Spain's middle-market growth and generational succession trends, capitalizing on post-2015 private equity maturation amid economic recovery and EU funds.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with rising demand for expansion capital in SMEs facing international competition, where market forces like organic scaling and M&A favor firms with €5M+ EBITDA.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by bridging banks and entrepreneurs, fostering 15-20 Search Fund-backed companies and alternative assets, thus amplifying SME internationalization and innovation in a fragmented Iberian market.[1][3]
Aurica's trajectory points to scaling its 2023 Search Fund and alternatives lines, potentially building 15-20+ portfolio firms amid Europe's private equity upswing.[1][5] Trends like ESG mandates, international co-investments, and SME digitization will shape growth, evolving its influence from Spanish growth specialist to pan-European player with deeper tech and infrastructure exposure.[3][5] This positions Aurica to sustain its ascent as a leading minority-stake partner in high-potential middle-market deals.
Key people at AIRICA.