Janoschka Family and SüdBG Sell to Blue Cap
Kippenheim/Stuttgart/Cologne – Blue Cap AG has signed a purchase agreement to acquire all shares in Janoschka AG. In connection with the transaction, GÖRG advised Blue Cap on the syndicated financing. The sellers are members of the Janoschka family and Süd Beteiligungen GmbH of Stuttgart. Janoschka is an internationally active provider of integrated prepress solutions for the packaging industry.
Janoschka AG, headquartered in Kippenheim, Baden-Württemberg, employs approximately 1,500 people and operates production facilities in twelve countries. The group comprises two units: Janoschka is responsible for graphic reproduction and the manufacture of printing and embossing tools, while Linked2Brands operates as a premedia production agency and provides support for packaging design and preparation. Together, the two units cover key steps in the prepress value chain for the packaging industry. Its customers include, in particular, packaging manufacturers and brand owners in the FMCG sector. In fiscal year 2025, the company generated revenue of approximately 90 million euros.
From Blue Cap’s perspective, Janoschka has an international footprint, a robust business model, and further potential for growth. Key areas for this include automation, efficiency gains across the global production network, and greater value capture.
Founded in 1976 by Manfred Janoschka, Janoschka is now considered the market leader in the international prepress industry. SüdBG joined the company in 2017 as part of a capital increase to finance the Janoschka Group’s international growth and a simultaneous management buyout, and, together with the founding family and the supervisory board, supported management in implementing its targeted growth strategy. This included automating production and increasing the level of digitization throughout the value chain. In addition, the international production sites in Asia—particularly in Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines—as well as in Turkey, Poland, and Mexico, were expanded to offer customers worldwide comprehensive technical expertise, innovations, solutions, and services for gravure and flexographic printing.
During its partnership with SüdBG, Janoschka has expanded and broadened its service portfolio. Janoschka now employs approximately 1,500 people and generates revenue of over 90 million euros.
The partners have agreed not to disclose the details.
Under the leadership of Partner Dr. Thomas Lange, GÖRG provided comprehensive advice to Blue Cap AG on the restructuring of Janoschka AG’s syndicated financing.
Advisors to Blue Cap AG: GÖRG Partnership of Attorneys mbB
Dr. Thomas Lange (Lead Counsel, Partner, Finance, Cologne), Eva Geuenich (Senior Associate, Finance, Cologne), Jannik Gesekus (Associate, Finance, Cologne).
Advisor SüdBG:
M&A: IMAP M&A Consultants AG (Henning Graw, Christoph Gluschke, Philipp Crocoll, Alexander Köhler, Levin Kieselhorst)
Legal: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (Dr. Christoph Brenner, Stefan Riedl, Maria Teodorescu)
About Süd Beteiligungen GmbH (SüdBG)
SüdBG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) and has been supporting small and medium-sized enterprises for more than 50 years with customized equity and quasi-equity solutions in the context of succession planning, growth financing, and changes in ownership.
As one of the leading private equity firms in the German-speaking world and a long-term investor, SüdBG has supported over 70 companies over the past 10 years with approximately 600 million euros and a broad network to foster sustainable corporate development.
For more information, visit www.suedbg.de.