Yana Investment Partners

Yana operates a deal-by-deal partnership model rather than running a traditional in-house private equity platform. For each transaction, Yana collaborates with a local ‘deal partner’ — typically an experienced private equity professional, operator, or entrepreneur who has built their own investment firm. Yana, its deal partners, and its Industrial Advisory Partners all invest substantial personal capital, then open the remainder of the opportunity to institutional and family-office co-investors.

Deal partners are independent investment firms led by veteran deal-doers, often former senior partners at established private equity firms. They operate locally, bring proprietary deal flow, drive due diligence, and oversee value creation at the portfolio company level. Yana has built a network of these partnerships across Europe, though it does not publicly name specific deal-partner firms.

Yana relies on its network of local deal partners to source transactions, describing the opportunities as ‘off-market.’ Because each deal partner has deep roots in a specific country or sector, they can access companies that rarely appear in broad auction processes. Yana then brings capital and portfolio-level governance to these locally originated situations.

Yana targets European small-cap companies with enterprise values typically between €20 million and €150 million. It participates in growth financing, majority buyouts, management buy-ins, spin-offs, and build-up strategies. The firm takes majority or significant minority positions, aiming to build diversified portfolios of around 15 companies over time.

Yana offers both. Investors can entrust Yana with the systematic build-up of a direct investment portfolio by committing to its funds, or they can review and invest in individual transactions on a deal-by-deal basis, allowing them greater control over specific exposures.

Yana reduces concentration risk by constructing portfolios diversified across countries, sectors, deal types, and deal partners. By limiting activity to roughly 4–5 transactions per year and maintaining a target portfolio of around 15 companies, the firm creates a curated but diversified set of small-cap European assets. Personal co-investment by deal partners provides further alignment.

Yana does not concentrate on a single sector. Its publicly disclosed portfolio spans tech-enabled financial services (PayPlan), tech-enabled legal services (Lexer), tech-enabled marketing services (The Factory), IT managed services (Complea), and testing, inspection, and certification (TIC Holding). The firm describes its reach as 'sector specialist across multiple industries' without claiming specific sector exclusions.