{"id":8786,"date":"2017-10-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livingstagenew.wpenginepowered.com\/transaction\/ic-berlin-has-secured-investment-from-premium-equity-partners\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T13:20:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T17:20:07","slug":"ic-berlin-has-secured-investment-from-premium-equity-partners","status":"publish","type":"transaction","link":"https:\/\/livingstonepartners.com\/en\/transaction\/ic-berlin-has-secured-investment-from-premium-equity-partners\/","title":{"rendered":"ic! berlin has secured investment from PREMIUM Equity Partners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Livingstone\u2019s Consumer sector team has successfully advised the shareholder of <\/strong>ic! berlin Group<\/em><\/strong><\/a> on his succession planning solution and a significant investment through German private equity fund PREMIUM Equity Partners. Founded in 1996 in an apartment in trendy central Berlin, ic! berlin<\/em> has grown into one of the most internationally recognised premium eyewear brands.<\/strong><\/p>

Handmade in Berlin, ic! berlin<\/em> designs and produces both prescription glasses and sunglasses. The Company revolutionised eyewear through its innovative, patented, screwless hinge solution, making its glasses extremely light, flexible, comfortable and built to last. Initially known for its metal frames, over the years ic! berlin\u2019s<\/em> product portfolio has expanded to include acetate, 3D-printed polyamide and buffalo horn frames.<\/p>

Its unique and award-winning designs have helped the Company garner somewhat of a cult following over the years, with an ever growing list of eyewear aficionados, celebrities and royalty comprising the iconic Company\u2019s customer base. From its humble roots, ic! berlin<\/em> eyewear can now be found at high-end opticians and boutiques in over 60 countries across six continents.<\/p>

Today, ic! berlin<\/em> has approximately 190 employees across its subsidiaries in Europe, USA and Asia. The Company differentiates itself through its unique, patented hinge solution, its fashion-forward designs, ranging from classic and subtle to trendy and avant-garde, and the high level of quality and comfortable fit of its frames.<\/p>

\u201cIn PREMIUM Equity Partners I was able to find the right succession solution and together we will continue down ic! berlin\u2019s uncompromising path. I am pleased that our new shareholders share our excitement for our future projects. As an international sheet metal eyewear salesman, I will remain closely-connected to ic! berlin,\u201d <\/em>commented Ralph Anderl, former CEO and co-shareholder<\/strong>, who will remain involved in an advisory role for ic! berlin.<\/em><\/p>

PREMIUM Equity Partners is an equity investment firm founded in 2011 with a focus on the DACH region where it invests in strong niche companies with sales between $12m and $60m. PREMIUM provides capital to the smaller \u201cMittelstand\u201d companies to finance growth, ownership succession and spin-offs. ic! berlin<\/em> is PREMIUM\u2019s fourth investment and the first investment of PREMIUM\u2019s Mittelstandsfonds, which they established together with Bankhaus Lampe in 2017.<\/p>

\u201cThe creativity of the Company\u2019s highly dedicated employees provides the basis for ic! berlin\u2019s further growth. Over the next years, we want to continue building brand awareness and broaden the Company\u2019s distribution network even further, so that excitement for the ic! berlin brand can continue to spread worldwide. The core of this future development is ic! berlin\u2019s high quality in-house production in Berlin, which gives the Company high design-to-market capabilities,\u201d<\/em> commented PREMIUM\u2019s industry partner and Chairman of ic! berlin\u2019s<\/em> Advisory Board, Dr. Wolfgang Rebstock, former CEO of the eyewear manufacturer, Eschenbach<\/strong>. <\/p>

\u201cWe look forward to implementing the growth plan with the ic! berlin team. The Company\u2019s international presence, its production and design know-how, and the dynamism of the team provide an excellent platform for this,\u201d<\/em> added Marcel van Wijk, Managing Partner<\/strong>, and Fabian Walesch, Partner of PREMIUM Equity Partners<\/strong>.<\/p>

\u201cIt was our pleasure to closely support ic! berlin in the this latest phase of growth. We strongly believe that a successful German Mittelstand transaction like this is not only based on the identification of the right partner but even more so on the considered and hands-on management of points-of-view between all parties involved. This is where a trusted and experienced advisor can make the difference,\u201d<\/em> commented Ralph Hagelgans<\/strong><\/a>, Managing Partner of Livingstone<\/strong>, who was supported by Felix Leitloff, executive Director<\/strong>, in this transaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":3333,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"client-type":[],"region":[],"sector":[],"service":[],"transaction-type":[],"class_list":["post-8786","transaction","type-transaction","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"team_members":[1183],"date":"20171020","client_type":40,"type":[1111],"region":[370],"services":[434],"sectors":[635,639],"related_transactions":"","related_testimonials":[49345],"contacts":""},"yoast_head":"\nic! berlin has secured investment from PREMIUM Equity Partners - Livingstone Partners<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/livingstonepartners.com\/en\/transaction\/ic-berlin-has-secured-investment-from-premium-equity-partners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ic! 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