Sustainable Cities

Gimv Sustainable Cities partners with entrepreneurs to realize the sustainable economy of the future.

Our core infrastructure is outdated and ill-prepared for the energy transition. A reduction of carbon emissions throughout the entire supply chain is required. Resources are scarce and need to be (re)used as efficiently as possible.

These developments drive the demand for products and services that contribute to a more sustainable and efficient economy. Ambitious entrepreneurs and management teams can rely on Gimv Sustainable Cities as a partner to build leading companies that provide such solutions.

Why Gimv Sustainable Cities?

Growth
Buy-and-build, organic growth through international expansion, capacity expansion or strategic partnerships, strategic repositioning, etc.
Finance excellence
Refinancing, reporting & KPI setting, working capital management, etc.
Human capital development
Board & management capabilities, succession planning, recruitment & retention of
service delivering staff, etc.
Operational excellence
Production automation, IT upgrades & digitalisation, trainings, etc.
Sustainability maturity
Decarbonisation, energy efficiency, waste management, etc.

Investment focus

Construction & Infrastructure
Modernising infrastructure
Energy, Environment & Materials
Contributing to the energy transition, reducing the use of natural resources and ensuring sustainable use of materials
Transport, Logistics & Mobility
Decarbonising, multimodalising and making the logistics chain intelligent
Business services
Making business operations sustainable, efficient and professional

Investment criteria Investment criteria Investment criteria

Investment criteria

Ambitious and innovative companies with a solid market position and strong growth potential.

Small to medium-sized companies with capital requirements of EUR 5 to 75 million.

Companies headquartered in the Benelux region, France or DACH countries.

Companies with strong management and a clear corporate vision of social added value.

Itineris

Building a successful business overseas Building a successful business overseas Building a successful business overseas

Building a successful business overseas

Millions of New Yorkers receive a high-quality bill through the software developed by Ghent-based Itineris!

Why the United States?

Itineris provides integrated business solutions fully focused on power, gas and water distributors and retailers. Internationalisation is therefore a logical consequence of the niche in which the company operates. It is key to think about which markets are best suited for Itineris' products and solutions.

As a supplier to the larger utilities, a long implementation cycle is an important factor to take into consideration. It is smarter to target one particular market with a lot of potential instead of betting on multiple markets. For Itineris, the large and homogeneous market of the United States was a logical choice. The energy and water sector is highly regulated. So there are big differences per national market. Some of Itineris' software is generic, but a large part of it must also be developed market by market. The choice of the United States meant that Itineris only had to thoroughly adapt their software once.

At the time, Gimv invested in Itineris to help finance its internationalisation to the United States. Such a project fitted perfectly into Gimv's investment philosophy. It was from a strong belief in Itineris' internationalisation potential that Gimv then also took on the role of sparring partner: thinking along with management, looking out for strategic opportunities and helping to set priorities.

Establishing footprint in the United States

Itineris was able to immediately take important steps forward in the United States with the acquisition of Crimson Oak, a consultancy with a focus on the utility sector. Itineris quickly reached a certain critical mass. Trade-offs about local anchorage, culture, identity and size are essential strategic considerations in any internationalisation trajectory.

To win contracts in America, it is important to be able to present oneself as an American company. 'Americans buy from Americans'. Itineris first had to build a necessary credibility with good references. The company approached this systematically and step by step: starting with smaller cities and then growing to larger clients. Itineris won the water contract for Baltimore as its first major customer in 2014, followed by Boston in 2017. New York then followed in April 2019 after a long negotiation process that took more than two years. That was a really big project for Itineris, a 'transformational gamechanger'. Both investors and directors were great supporters for this business opportunity.

Since then, Itineris has continued this intense business development with landmark leads in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom and continental Europe.