The private investment officer is launching a platform that targets development capital and buyout deals.

Stanhope Capital, the UK-headquartered investment office, has launched a platform that draws together entrepreneurs and investors who can pool their knowledge to find portfolio companies.

The offering is called the Stanhope Entrepreneurs Fund and will pursue development capital and buyout deals, targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises across Europe, including the UK. Business areas covered by the fund include consumer, food, education and “disruptive” services.

Entrepreneurs will act as “anchor investors” to the fund and when required, active non-executive members of the boards of the portfolio companies. The SEF will also act as a forum enabling investors to have a say in the selection of portfolio companies and incentivise them to bring deals to the fund. 

The fund is backed by five anchor investors: Bruno Moineville, a founding partner of Altice, the telecom; Pierre Cuilleret, co-founder of The Phone House in 1996, a French mobile phone retailer, which was sold to The Carphone Warehouse in 2000; Leon Seynave, co-founder of Mitiska, formerly a listed holding with stakes in several retail companies such as Carpetland, Brantano, AS adventure and Fun; he also co-founder of Vente-Exclusive.com, the online private sales player in Belgium; Mark Moran, CEO and leader of the management buyout of Mater Private Hospital and holder of various non-executive directorships, and Daniel Pinto: CEO and founding partner of Stanhope Capital.

The fund will be managed by Stanhope Capital’s private equity team, in collaboration with the anchor investors. Stanhope and the anchor investors will be responsible for sourcing transactions, managing the portfolio, and existing investments.