think
speak
invest
Over
$2 billion
invested
Over
100 years
global investment experience
Consistent
market-leading
cash-on-cash returns
For over 20 years, discerning investors have trusted our global private equity expertise to unlock exceptional value.
Combining investment experience, structuring know-how, legal expertise and an extensive market network, the speak team is your partner in defining and achieving your private equity goals. We offer expert advice and bespoke solutions.
Your Trusted Partner for Private Equity
speak provides personal and tailored advice to institutions and family offices covering all aspects of private equity.
- ✓ Portfolio Advice
- ✓ Investment Analysis
- ✓ Transaction Analysis
- ✓ Structuring Advice
- ✓ Team Education
- ✓ Governance Roles
Bespoke Private Equity Strategies
In addition, speak offers targeted strategies with a focus on private equity secondary transactions and co-investments in the mid-market in Europe. We can deliver returns to our investors irrespective of the market cycle.
many views,
one voice
The founders have invested and worked together since 2008. speak is composed of professionals with complementary skills and extensive experience in private markets.
Our founder team has gender parity and our varied backgrounds lead to lively discussions, helping us challenge assumptions and generate investment ideas. Fluent in French, English, German and Italian,
the founder group has roots in Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Asia. Our track record speaks for itself — we have consistently made attractive returns in both fair and foul economic cycles.
“With my legal and structuring background, I appreciate the impact of good advice. There is enormous satisfaction in developing smart solutions for complex challenges, enabling our clients to make the most of their private equity investments.”
Aruna Arasu
“As an investor rooted in an entrepreneurial family, I thrive on strategic thinking and the pursuit of long-term goals. I take particular satisfaction in advising clients on private equity strategies - analysing their needs, crafting tailored approaches, and seeing the impact of disciplined investment over time.”
Daniela Hauenstein
“We seek the best opportunities for great returns - the challenge lies in spotting them when others might miss out and ensuring they thrive - we are in it for the long haul, emphasizing trust, integrity, and building lasting relationships.”
Giovanni Locatelli
“I have always enjoyed a challenge. Hard-to-access markets with limited information can provide fantastic returns for investors who have the right experience and network.”
Henry Potter
speak works with its partner company EastPeak Invest , which focuses on central and eastern Europe.
We speak private equity. A disciplined, professional approach is the key to success in private markets. The speak team is here to support your organisation on that journey.
Private Equity Advice
The speak team has extensive experience in constructing private equity portfolios with top-tier managers worldwide. We also support clients in analysing, rebalancing, and restructuring their portfolios. We work with institutions and family offices on how to reach their goals regarding this asset class.
For investors with a portfolio already in place, this includes closing gaps by buying stakes in existing funds on the secondary market or reducing exposure by selling assets, maximising results in various market environments.
We support our clients in finding the ideal way of getting to a targeted long-term private market exposure, whether in absolute terms or relative to their total assets.
Secondaries and Co-investments
Our deep understanding of and experience in private markets enables us to offer investors access to highly attractive investments. speak specialises in secondaries and co-investments in growing and mid-sized private companies, whether directly or as part of a portfolio, where we believe we can unearth the best investment opportunities with the potential to outperform. In these strategies we currently have more than EUR 500m of assets under advice.
Values
We are a cohesive group of professionals who care about making a difference: to our portfolio, to our investors and to the ecosystem we operate in. We look for companies with a commitment to gender balanced leadership, where ESG is integral to the business. We invest in industries that share our values. It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s good business, and an important component of delivering our investors the best risk-adjusted returns.
