What if the perfect crib for your baby does not exist? Then why not design it yourself? This is what Joanna Rutges did in 2012 for her daughter, and with that Petite Amélie was born. The online retailer in children’s furniture and accessories had grown so fast since its launch that the time had come for the next step. In Mentha Capital, Petite Amélie has found an investor with whom it is able to accelerate its expansion on multiple fronts.

For Marktlink partner Remon Lustenhouwer Petite Amélie was not a stranger. “Some three years ago I came into contact with Jeroen and Joanna, CEO and creative director respectively. The unique character of the brand became quickly clear to me, all we had to do was make the company ready for sale to achieve the desired growth spurt. From M-Ready and with a clear vision, we fully analysed the company and provided them with our insights. M&A-specialist Hesse van der Werk, and Legal advisors Paul Schoenmakers and Ilja Zandbergen soon joined the dealteam.

Distinctive in the market

“The combination of having a strong own brand and full control over their own sales channels, makes Petite Amélie stand out in the market”, says Remon Lustenhouwer. “They have a successful webshop as well as a number of concept stores in various European countries. This position, together with the significant growth and opportunities of the company, resulted in above-average interest from private equity. Mentha has proven to be the right partner in several acquisitions, and has the right vision for Petite Amélie’s strategic expansion and international growth.”

Despite the ambitious growth ambitions, Petite Amélie’s story remains unchanged, according to Remon. “Under the motto ‘made by a mum’, the company has had its own unique style since the beginning, characterised by neutral colours and designs which fit perfectly in a complete interior. It started with a little crib, but soon cot beds and many other products that you can imagine in a children’s bedroom or playroom followed suit.”

Growing and realising ambitions

A few years ago, Jeroen Rutges already saw the growth opportunities for the company, so he is very happy that Petite Amélie has partnered up with Mentha Capital. “With our network of valuable partners, we have been able to grow internationally over the past few years in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and more recently also in Germany and the United Kingdom. We are convinced that Mentha’s broad experience with consumer brands and expanding companies internationally will help us realise our ambitions.”

Mentha Capital is a private equity fund which invests in active partnerships with companies that pursue growth acceleration or transformation. “Petite Amélie is a brand based on a real story and that is what you experience as a consumer”, Barend Rutten (Partner Mentha) explains. “We are impressed with how powerful the brand is, and the development in the industry also gives us the confidence that Petit Amélie will be able to continue the strong growth at an international level in the coming years.”