Zumex signs a strategic alliance with Columna Capital

Livingstone’s industrial team has advised the shareholders of Zumex Group (“Zumex” or the “Company”) on the sale of a majority stake to Columna Capital in order to accelerate the Company’s growth and international expansion. Livingstone Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to the transaction. Its financial terms have not been disclosed.

Zumex is the global leader in designing, manufacturing, and commercializing automatic fruit and vegetable juicing technologies. The Company sells a broad portfolio of premium juicing solutions with IoT functionalities for the food service and retail segments in over 100 countries worldwide. Zumex historically specialized in solutions for freshly squeezed orange juice due to its low ecological impact compared to other food staples and its health benefits for consumers. The Company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Valencia, Spain, with primary strategic locations in France, the US, and Mexico.

Columna Capital is an entrepreneurial lower mid-market, pan-European private equity firm selectively investing in opportunities in Western European countries to drive strategic growth and execute consolidation opportunities through its buy-and-build expertise. Columna’s ability to align incentives and execute transformational impact on its portfolio is core to its culture and value proposition. It specializes in the agrifood, animal health, insurance, healthcare, and services industries. Columna was founded in 2009 and operates from offices in London, Lugano, and Luxembourg.

Zumex’s leading industry position is driven by its core product innovation and development. The Company’s premium solutions allow its customers to address the growing consumer demand for natural and fresh products. Their recent launch of the Zitrux machine, the world’s first self-cleaning, IoT-enabled juicing station, represents an additional milestone in Zumex product ingenuity and engineering excellence.

“The partnership with Columna Capital represents the start of a new chapter in Zumex’s history. The Company will benefit from Columna’s sound financial support, its strong entrepreneurial approach, and proven growth expertise,” said Víctor Bertolín, founder of the Company, who added: “We would like to thank Livingstone for their excellent guidance throughout the sale process, handling the different challenges that have arisen during the past months.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Mr. Bertolín and the Zumex Group on this compelling journey. Zumex’s outstanding team and innovation capabilities, coupled with their ability to offer the best value proposition to customers, will be key to consolidating Zumex’s worldwide leadership position,” said Jaime Bachs Lobo, Principal at Columna Capital. Similarly, Michael Tose, Partner at Columna Capital, added: “Over almost 40 years, Victor has built Zumex to be the global leader in juicing solutions. We are delighted to support Zumex in the next phase of its development.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Zumex’s shareholders, advising them throughout the process of selling a majority stake. The entry of Columna Capital brings a very experienced team with a strong track record that will enable Zumex to remain the world’s leading company in fruit and vegetable juicing technologies. We would also like to highlight the collaboration and experience of the entire management team of the Company. Their good management and leadership have been a key asset throughout the process, and we wish them every success in their future together,” said Eleuterio Abad, Partner at Livingstone in Spain.

Livingstone served as the exclusive financial advisor, and BORSO Abogados as legal and tax advisor to Zumex.