- Argos Wityu acquires a majority stake in Lavatio through its Argos Climate Action fund (Article 9 SFDR). This transaction marks the first investment by this environmental buyout fund in Germany and its third in Europe.
- The objective is to accelerate the company’s growth and the environmental transition, concentrating on more sustainable textiles, a decrease in energy and gas consumption and more efficient use of water and detergents.
- The company’s management team and BNP Paribas will invest alongside Argos Wityu.
The European independent private equity firm Argos Wityu, through its Argos Climate Action fund (Article 9 SFDR), has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Lavatio GmbH from funds advised by Ufenau Capital Partners. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.
Lavatio, headquartered in Hünfeld, Germany, provides textile rental and laundry services to more than 2,200 active customers in the hotel, restaurant and catering as well as healthcare and workwear segments in Germany and Switzerland. The company is a one-stop shop for all services related to laundry (purchasing, logistics, washing, ironing, drying, quality control, return), currently processing more than 230 tons of laundry per day. Lavatio operates eight laundries under seven local brands. In addition, the company has more than 50 partner laundries, extending its geographic reach.
Growth and Environmental transition objectives
Argos Wityu will support Lavatio to grow organically and through add-on acquisitions. Organic growth will be pursued by expanding capacities at the group’s existing sites, while the acquisition of additional laundries offers chances for further expansion.
At the same time, in line with Argos Climate Action’s purpose, a special emphasis will be placed on accelerating the company’s environmental transition. Decarbonisation levers that have been identified include for example the sourcing of textiles with a lower carbon footprint, a higher share of green electricity and a generally lower energy and gas consumption as well as higher efficiency in the use of water and detergents.
Lavatio is the third investment of Argos Climate Action after Bracchi, an Italian market leading multi-niche transport and logistics company, acquired in 2023, and Groupe Routin, a French-based manufacturer of high-end syrups and ingredients for drinks, acquired in 2024. The goal of this decarbonisation fund is to shape European sustainable leaders, aiming to reduce the CO2 intensity of its portfolio companies by at least 7.5% annually.
A market with strong decarbonisation opportunities.
Environmental awareness in the laundry market is rising, notably among hotel customers. Many hotel chains have committed to net-zero targets, boosting demand for sustainable laundry services. Offering more sustainable solutions and reducing its carbon intensity by at least 7.5% per year will meet the expectations of society and consumers and allow Lavatio a differentiation in the market.
Fabian Söffge, Partner at Argos Wityu, said: “Lavatio is among the top players in the laundry service market in Germany and has a great position to benefit from the expected overall market growth as well as from the increasing demand for sustainable solutions. We look forward to working with the management team and supporting them in their ambitious growth plans”.
Frank Hermann, Managing Partner at Argos Wityu said: “Lavatio is a perfect fit for our Argos Climate Action fund. Our Article 9 SFDR environmental buyout fund aims at speeding up the environmental transition of companies to build a competitive edge in the market. Lavatio has a lot of potential in that respect.”
Lars Blechschmidt, CEO of Lavatio commented “We feel that the Argos Climate Action approach is exactly the right one for our Group to take the next steps and that our teams share the same ideas and values and will work together very well. Being sustainable has become a true differentiator in the market and we look forward to focusing on our transformation while further growing our business.”
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Argos Wityu Team: Frank Hermann, Fabian Söffge, Tobias Kappis, Onur Yirik
Advisors
Buyer’s commercial advisor: Bluemont
Buyer’s environmental and ESG advisor: H&Z
Buyer’s financial and tax advisor: Rödl & Partner
Buyer’s legal advisor: Oppenhoff & Partner
Buyer’s tax structuring advisor: P+P Pöllath + Partners
Buyer’s debt advisor: Clearwater International
Buyer’s insurance advisor: MRH Trowe
Buyer’s legal financing advisor: McDermott Will & Emery
Argos Wityu
Coralie Cornet
Communication Director
ccc@argos.fund
+33 (0)6 14 38 33 37
Argos Wityu
Sara Günnewig
Press contact for DACH region
sg@sguennewig.de
+49 178 854 9636
About Argos Wityu / argos.wityu.fund
One firm, two strategies. Argos Wityu is an independent European private-equity group that supports the growth of mid-sized business and back their management teams.
With more than €1.8bn assets under management, over 35 years of experience and more than 100 businesses assisted, Argos Wityu operates from offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Luxembourg, Milan, and Paris. The group seeks to acquire majority stakes and invests between €10m and €100m in each investment of its two strategies:
- The Argos Climate Action fund (SFDR 9) aims at shaping European sustainable leaders by making their ‘grey-to-green’ transition.
- The Argos Mid-Market fund helps companies implement ownership transitions to accelerate growth
About Lavatio / www.lavatio-gruppe.de
Lavatio is a leading B2B laundry group in the German-speaking region. As a full-service provider, the company rents and launders a wide range of textiles. These primarily include bed, terry, and table linen for the hospitality, restaurant, and catering sectors, workwear for industry and commerce, as well as laundry for care and healthcare facilities.
Lavatio is headquartered in Hünfeld and operates eight laundries under seven local brands throughout Germany with more than 750 employees.
