Columna Capital at IPEM Paris 2024

In September, Columna Capital’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Rory Devlin, took the stage at IPEM 2024 Paris during the Venture & Growth Equity Summit. He participated in the "Race for Scale & Renewed Growth" panel, joining a distinguished group of industry leaders to discuss the evolving growth equity landscape.

The panel highlighted several key trends shaping the future of growth equity:

• Market Evolution: Competition in growth equity and venture markets has intensified over the past decade, with entrepreneurs demanding more than just capital. Investors must now deliver specialized sector expertise and a deep understanding of adaptable business models to drive success.

• Investment Strategies: In today’s environment, sustainable, proven business models take precedence over speculative, hyper-growth bets. The panel underscored the importance of focused value creation plans and strategic buy-and-build approaches that realize true synergies.

• Standing Out in a Crowded Market: With more GPs entering the space, differentiation lies in building trust, maintaining consistent engagement with management teams, and offering tailored support that entrepreneurs value.

• Continuation Vehicles (CVs): The discussion also spotlighted CVs as a vital tool for fostering long-term partnerships. When aligned with LP interests, CVs provide flexibility, unlock growth opportunities, and extend the lifecycle of high-performing assets while offering flexible liquidity.

At Columna Capital, these insights resonate deeply with our approach. Our sector expertise in healthcare, animal health, insurance services, and agri-food, combined with trusted partnerships and collaborative value creation strategies, positions us to deliver sustainable growth for our portfolio companies. As early adopters of CVs, we’ve seen firsthand how this tool can ensure continuity, reduce disruption, and unlock new market opportunities for the benefit of both businesses and LPs.

We’re proud to have been part of such a forward-looking discussion and thank IPEM Paris for organizing another outstanding event. We also extend our gratitude to Rory’s fellow panelists for their invaluable insights: Pierre Barel of Federated Hermes, Keith Davidson of Scottish Equity Partners, Xavier Lazarus of ELAIA, and Alessandro Scortecci of CDP Venture Capital.

The growth equity landscape continues to evolve, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of these dynamic changes.

Read more about our investment approach.