Dating and then marriage: the inside story on how Direct Capital invests

Rod and Leigh Jenden handed over the Wet & Forget business to Direct Capital in April. (Image: NZME)

Wed, 04 Sep 2024

Don’t say private equity; say private capital. New Zealand’s largest private company investor, Direct Capital, has inked three high-profile deals this year, including the acquisition of Wet & Forget, a home cleaning products company. Directors Hugh Cotterill and Heath Kerr say that, unlike private equity leveraged buyouts, Direct Capital doesn’t heap debt on the businesses it invests in or strip out costs. They say one of the challenges for the founders they invest in is that Direct Capital often adds costs,...

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