• The launch follows the appointment of a dedicated public equity team in 2023 and marks the first expansion from private equity into public equity investing by Lightrock.
• The strategy invests in public equities globally, capitalising on the team’s expertise in active management, engaged ownership, and thorough fundamental research, complemented by Lightrock’s deep knowledge in ESG and Impact.
• The strategy has been seeded with more than €400 million of capital and it will seek to outperform its benchmark, the MSCI World Small Cap Index

Lightrock, a global investment platform that backs purpose-driven companies, today announces the launch of its Lightrock Global Small-Cap strategy. The strategy’s launch took place in the second half of April, and it has been seeded with more than €400 million of capital, the majority of which has already been invested. The launch follows the appointment of an experienced and dedicated public equity team in 2023, comprising Maarten Vankan, Chris Kaashoek, Luuk Jagtenberg, Michiel van Dijk and Tessa Sosef.

The strategy invests in listed global small-cap companies, leveraging the team’s strengths in active management, engaged ownership, and comprehensive fundamental research. This approach, combining research proficiency with along-term investment horizon, aims to uncover and exploit market inefficiencies, and, potentially, the taking of contrarian viewpoints. The portfolio will include 50-75 stocks, focusing on companies that possess strong fundamentals with solid balance sheets. Lightrock’s strategy will seek to outperform its benchmark, the MSCI World Small Cap Index.

This strategy aligns with Lightrock’s proprietary Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Impact frameworks. It will benefit from the specialised expertise of Lightrock’s dedicated Impact & ESG Team, which will also support the comprehensive integration of ESG considerations into the investment approach as well as effective engagement with portfolio company leadership teams.

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Pal Erik Sjatil, Managing Partner and CEO of Lightrock: “The launch of this strategy demonstrates our dedication to fostering positive change and nurturing mission-driven enterprises in a new asset class, aligning with investors’ increasing demand for approaches that further environmental or social considerations in the global small-cap space. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our investors for their confidence and support in our journey towards a more sustainable future.”