Claridge Israel: Stephen Bronfman private investment firm
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Claridge Israel is differentiated by its family office mindset, flexible investment approach, global relationships, value creation capabilities, strong integrity and long term investment horizon.

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About Us

Building together. Making an impact. Creating a legacy.

Claridge Israel


Headquartered in Herzliya’s High Tech Business area, Claridge Israel is an investment firm focused on growth investments in innovative companies with a technological advantage

  • The firm was initiated through a partnership between Claridge Inc., the Stephen Bronfman Family Office, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, one of Canada’s largest institutional investors.
  • In Q4 2020, Claridge Israel also welcomed Sweet Park Capital, the Family Office of the Bensadoun Family (founders and owners of global retailer Aldo), as an investor in the partnership


We share an investment philosophy that aligns our interests with those of our partners and together we further expand the potential of our portfolio companies

  • We are patient, long-term investors with relationships around the world.
  • We offer the necessary infrastructure and capital to support promising, revenue generating companies with growth potential.
  • As experienced investors, we have expertise in identifying transformational opportunities and adding value to portfolio companies.
  The Bronfman family has been an active private equity investor in Israel for over five decades

  • Claridge has invested more than $800M in Israel over the last twenty years and is committed to supporting Israel’s fast-growing, talent rich economy.
  • This partnership lays a foundation for a new generation of Bronfman family investing in Israel. Claridge, now representing the interests of the Stephen Bronfman Family, manages investment interests in the food, technology, energy, entertainment, and real estate industries, among others.
  • With a history of actively investing and substantial philanthropic initiatives, the Bronfmans have maintained a strong connection with Israel for several decades. Through its well-established foundation and network in Israel, Claridge, together with its partner CDPQ, is pursuing new business opportunities in the region to continue building on past experience and success.


Partnership with a leading institutional investor

  • CDPQ is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2023, it held $434 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.


Additional, reputable Family Office joined partnership in 2020

  • Sweet Park Capital (“SPC”) is the investment arm of the Bensadoun Family Office. Located in Montreal, Canada. Aldo Bensadoun, the founder of The ALDO Group, is the Chairman of SPC and remains active in SPC’s activities. The ALDO Group grew from humble beginnings in 1972 to become a global business with over 3,000 points of sale in over 100 countries. The Bensadoun Family Office was founded in 1995 and has been investing across various asset classes including public markets, private equity and real estate.


Growth Technology Investing

Actively backing the entrepreneurial spirit with more than capital.

 Criteria  Investment Strategy  Differentiation  Added Value  Management Style


Criteria





We are a growth-oriented investor with experience across a variety of economic sectors. We seek to partner with and invest in high-quality businesses with technological depth as well as strong and defensible market positions. These types of businesses tend to have the following characteristics:

Outstanding, committed management teams
  • Experienced, successful, and ambitious teams demonstrating deep industry insight.
  • Management with “skin in the game” invested alongside us.
  • Strong, positive corporate culture.
  Industries with attractive fundamentals
  • Compelling long-term industry and growth fundamentals.
  • Minimal risk of obsolescence and disintermediation.
  • Meaningful barriers to entry.
  • Attractive return on invested capital.


Companies with high revenue growth potential and profitability (or clear path to profitability)
  • Outpacing industry revenue growth.
  • Healthy operating margins.
  • Opportunities to implement operational value creation initiatives.
  Differentiated companies with global potential
  • Demonstrated market leadership and technical advantage.
  • Strong brands and intellectual property.
  • Competitive advantages that provide the ability to withstand material changes in the economic environment.


Investment Strategy





We target late stage, growth oriented, Israel related companies with a strong technological or other unique competitive advantage. Our flexible approach is well-suited to management teams and owners seeking a value-added and long-term partner. In this role, we often provide strategic and operational support, relationships, capital to fund growth initiatives, and a more conservative approach to leverage.

Investment structure
  • Majority or significant minority equity investments.
  • We have the flexibility to pursue a range of investment structures as well as transaction types.
    • We evaluate each potential transaction based on its own merits. We favour simple investment structures that meet the unique needs of sellers.
    • We prefer control, but also invest in significant minority situations where we have strong influence over the company’s destiny.
Investment Size / Equity Cheque
  • Minority or majority investments of between $10m - $40m equity contribution.
  • We have the capability to underwrite larger transactions and we are willing to work with partners.
Ownership Types

  • Our approach can appeal to family-owned businesses and select public and sponsor-owned companies.

Transaction Types
  • Growth capital.
  • Management led buy-outs.
  • Shareholder liquidity.
  • Ownership transitions.


Differentiation





We are differentiated by our entrepreneurial family business mindset, flexible investment approach, global relationships, value creation capabilities, strong integrity, and long-term investment horizon.

Patient Capital
  • We have a longer-term outlook than most investors. Unlike traditional private equity firms, we have an owner mindset and a longer time horizon to allow for the maximization of value with each of our operating companies.
  • Not having a predetermined fund life gives us the flexibility to make long-term decisions for the well-being of the company.
Flexible investment structuring
  • Broad investment mandate gives us the flexibility to pursue a range of investments types.
  • Simple investment structures meet the unique needs of sellers.
  • We can be a significant minority partner and although we prefer to invest at the equity level, we have the ability to invest throughout the capital structure of the company (mezzanine debt and equity).
Balanced approach to leverage
  • We understand the benefits and risks of financial leverage.
  • We use conservative leverage and construct optimal capital structures to provide sufficient flexibility to maneuver through economic cycles and reinvest cash flows to grow the business.


Added Value





This is why we are a successful private equity investor:

Extensive international network
  • Our and our investors’ investments span North America, Europe, and Asia.
  • Our Investors and our investment professionals have extensive relationships with senior decision makers in multiple industries on a global scale. Our portfolio companies leverage the relationships that the we and our investors have built through decades of doing business.
Strong strategic and operational support
  • Our executives have distinguished international track records with large and small organizations in diverse sectors. This broad experience allows us to guide management teams through challenging decisions.
  • Global perspective enables us to identify sectors with potentially better opportunities, make key introductions to new markets, recruit new personnel, and make acquisitions.
Financial expertise
  • Comprehensive financial expertise and extensive relationships in the business and financial community can be leveraged by our portfolio companies in the context of mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and financings.
Governance
  • We take governance seriously and adhere to the highest industry standards. Our governance requirements are similar to those of institutional funds and relate mostly to capital allocation and reporting.
  • We work closely with our portfolio companies and assist where we can but are not involved in the day to day operations of our portfolio companies preferring to delegate responsibility to our management teams.
  • We put in place strong boards formed with members that bring experience and sector knowledge to our partners.


Management Style





Our management style plays a major role in our success and it is one of the reasons entrepreneurs and management teams want to work with us. We are not only chosen for our capital, but also for the type of partnership and guidance we can offer. Claridge Israel challenges its portfolio teams to excel and, through respectful and symbiotic relationships, we tend to complement our partners well. Claridge Israel’s differentiating characteristics go far beyond the expected in the industry, and upon meeting our team, new partners quickly realize what makes us unique. Our portfolio teams are put together to reflect a unique mix of experience and entrepreneurial spirit, which has proven to be extremely efficient. Hard-working and honest, our staff is entirely committed to growing your business in a way that is as enjoyable as it is profitable.  
  • Open and direct communication.
  • Regular, on-going dialogue.
  • Collaborative approach with management.
  • Trust and integrity – we keep our word.
  • Focus on true value creation, not short term profits.
  • Result oriented.
  • Good corporate citizen.


 

Our Portfolio Companies

 



Our Investment Team

A unique mix of entrepreneurial thinking, operational experience, deep financial expertise and integrity.



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Contact us

Address: Claridge Israel
89 Medinat Hayehudim St., 11th flr. Herzliya Pituach 4614001 Israel
Phone: +972-9-8991620