Who we are?
Value Quest is a Polish private equity fund investing in mid-market companies. We offer capital and true strategic partnership to build outstanding businesses. Our track record includes many turnarounds, carve-outs and buyouts in traditional sectors, as well as successful early stage company investments in new technologies.
We consider ourselves long-term partners, investing capital as well as bringing industry, operational and financial expertise. Our belief is that successful transition to a next stage of development depends on our ability to attract and retain the best possible people who share our vision and passion. Our success derives from small team focus, experience, determination and ability to work together with our business partners. We develop great companies offering strategic advice, operational excellence and financial resources.
We believe in hands-on management and are actively involved, offering extensive expertise, experience and networking. We help expand the scale of operations, increase efficiency and optimize structures and processes to create sustainable value for our businesses.
The VQ team is a significant investor in the fund, aligning common goals with managers, company owners and the fund investors, in the success of each investment.
How do we work?
Value Quest invests in Polish companies to become a substantial shareholder, focusing on contributing to greater success. We look for investments with capital requirement between PLN 10 to PLN 50 million.
We have a flexible and expedient approach to the investment process, which allows us to participate in the most complex and demanding projects. Furthermore, we are ready to invest in projects in which capital requirements exceed VQ’s investment capabilities. In such cases we co-invest with our institutional investors or business partners. Our investment horizon encompasses three to ten years.
We are interested in the following types of projects:
Growth capital
We look for companies with the potential for dynamic development, which have experienced management teams, unique products, technology, service or market position. We offer capital and strategic support which help companies improve their competitive positions by expanding into new markets, introducing product and price leadership and growing productivity with high added value. Our actions are targeted at turning companies into leaders in their chosen market niche(s). Our priority sectors include: IT, innovative manufacturing, selected infrastructure and logistics, healthcare, biotechnology, innovative B2B and B2C services and new technologies across all branches of the economy.
Enterprise buyout
We look for managers who are ready to take over ownership of the companies they run (MBO). We are also interested in partnering with managers who have a vision for the development of a target company and look for buyout capital (MBI). We work with experienced managers who possess the expertise, skills and determination allowing us to align our interest and share a common vision and goals to increase value within VQ’s investment horizon.
Restructuring
We actively seek companies which have found themselves in financial or operational distress, but at the same time have a portfolio of proven products, services or well established competitive advantages. We help to prepare the restructuring plan, secure adequate financing and execute its implementation. Our offer is directed at company owners, management boards and insolvency administrators.
Innovative or value added young companies
We have passion for participating in the continuing success of the Polish technology sector. We understand the challenges faced by young companies which require extensive capital outlay at early development stage, and we are able to see their potential. We invest in projects which are based on innovative technologies or ideas and which may be co-financed from public funds or innovation programs. We are prepared to enter projects at their construction or early development stage.
Our investment team
Mariusz
Banaszuk
Value Quest founder
and CEO.
Value Quest founder and CEO. He became involved with the Warsaw Equity Group, a private equity fund, in 1999. He was responsible for investments and coordinated the investment team’s work, serving as CEO and managing partner of Warsaw Equity Group (WEG) in the years 2007–2015. He completed more than fifteen investments in WEG. His projects included investments in a manufacturer of military electronics and IT – WB Electronics, as well as TOP and Otmuchów (consumer goods), Gadu-Gadu instant messenger, Vigo Systems (new technologies), Baltchem (chemical logistics) and numerous projects in the real estate sector. The returns generated during his stewardship were well within first quartile return parameters.
Prior to joining Warsaw Equity Group, Mariusz Banaszuk worked in the Corporate Finance Department at ING Barings and at Price Waterhouse in Poland and the US, acting as advisor on M&A transactions and fundraising. He worked for Harvard University and Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs in the years 1990–1992, when they were engaged in preparing the initial Polish economic transformation. Mariusz Banaszuk is a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics.
Jarosław
Zemło
Investment
Director
Jarosław Zemło is a Value Quest Investment Director, responsible for selecting potential investments and completing their realization, as well as engaging in the supervision of and cooperation with portfolio companies. He has been involved in the oil and chemical industry for 23 years. He has served as the CEO in companies owned by one of the world leaders in the sector, Oiltanking GmbH, which is part of the Holding Marquard & Bahls AG, gaining over a decade of worldwide experience in this business. Jarosław Zemło contributed to the company’s dynamic development by running numerous successful projects in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, where the group’s main customers were the world’s major oil and petrochemical companies. Jarosław Zemło became Oiltanking Polska’s Managing Director and overtook responsibility for the entire CEE region in 2005. In the years 2012–2015 he worked in the Warsaw Equity Group as Investment Director in charge of the projects in the infrastructure sector. Moreover, he was member of the supervisory board and CEO of Baltchem S.A., which remains a portfolio company of the Warsaw Equity Group.
Jarosław Zemło graduated from the University of Physical Education, Copenhagen Business School and advanced management programs at INSEAD (France) and the University of Michigan (USA).
DOMINIK
ROŻKO, CFA
Investment
Manager
Dominik Rożko is a Value Quest Investment Manager, responsible for screening potential investments, running the investment process and monitoring portfolio companies. Before joining Value Quest, he worked as an investment analyst at Warsaw Equity Group, where he screened and evaluated private companies as well as monitored portfolio companies in the sectors of new technologies and consumer goods. Prior to that, Dominik worked for mBank Brokerage House, where he took part in developing OTC services for the clients of the brokerage house and carried out financial market analyses. Dominik gained additional experience in corporate banking at ING Bank.
Dominik Rożko is a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics and the University of Białystok. He holds an investment advisor license no. 488 and a stockbroker license no. 2692. He is also a CFA charterholder.
WOJCIECH
BUJAS, CFA
Investment
Manager
Wojciech Bujas is a Value Quest Investment Manager, responsible for screening potential investments, running the investment process and monitoring portfolio companies. He gained his experience while working as an investment analyst at Warsaw Equity Group, where he was responsible for a range of aspects related to private equity and venture capital investments, including financial modeling, conducting due diligence and preparing recommendations. Prior to that, he worked as a stockbroker at X-Trade Brokers and Raiffeisen Bank brokerage houses.
He graduated from Warsaw School of Economics and Warsaw University of Technology. He holds an investment advisor license no. 448 and a stockbroker license no. 2733. He is also a CFA charterholder.
Mariusz
Banaszuk
Value Quest founder
and CEO.
Value Quest founder and CEO. He became involved with the Warsaw Equity Group, a private equity fund, in 1999. He was responsible for investments and coordinated the investment team’s work, serving as CEO and managing partner of Warsaw Equity Group (WEG) in the years 2007–2015. He completed more than fifteen investments in WEG. His projects included investments in a manufacturer of military electronics and IT – WB Electronics, as well as TOP and Otmuchów (consumer goods), Gadu-Gadu instant messenger, Vigo Systems (new technologies), Baltchem (chemical logistics) and numerous projects in the real estate sector. The returns generated during his stewardship were well within first quartile return parameters.
Prior to joining Warsaw Equity Group, Mariusz Banaszuk worked in the Corporate Finance Department at ING Barings and at Price Waterhouse in Poland and the US, acting as advisor on M&A transactions and fundraising. He worked for Harvard University and Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs in the years 1990–1992, when they were engaged in preparing the initial Polish economic transformation. Mariusz Banaszuk is a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics.
Jarosław
Zemło
Investment
Director
Jarosław Zemło is a Value Quest Investment Director, responsible for selecting potential investments and completing their realization, as well as engaging in the supervision of and cooperation with portfolio companies. He has been involved in the oil and chemical industry for 23 years. He has served as the CEO in companies owned by one of the world leaders in the sector, Oiltanking GmbH, which is part of the Holding Marquard & Bahls AG, gaining over a decade of worldwide experience in this business. Jarosław Zemło contributed to the company’s dynamic development by running numerous successful projects in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, where the group’s main customers were the world’s major oil and petrochemical companies. Jarosław Zemło became Oiltanking Polska’s Managing Director and overtook responsibility for the entire CEE region in 2005. In the years 2012–2015 he worked in the Warsaw Equity Group as Investment Director in charge of the projects in the infrastructure sector. Moreover, he was member of the supervisory board and CEO of Baltchem S.A., which remains a portfolio company of the Warsaw Equity Group.
Jarosław Zemło graduated from the University of Physical Education, Copenhagen Business School and advanced management programs at INSEAD (France) and the University of Michigan (USA).
DOMINIK
ROŻKO, CFA
Investment
Manager
Dominik Rożko is a Value Quest Investment Manager, responsible for screening potential investments, running the investment process and monitoring portfolio companies. Before joining Value Quest, he worked as an investment analyst at Warsaw Equity Group, where he screened and evaluated private companies as well as monitored portfolio companies in the sectors of new technologies and consumer goods. Prior to that, Dominik worked for mBank Brokerage House, where he took part in developing OTC services for the clients of the brokerage house and carried out financial market analyses. Dominik gained additional experience in corporate banking at ING Bank.
Dominik Rożko is a graduate of Warsaw School of Economics and the University of Białystok. He holds an investment advisor license no. 488 and a stockbroker license no. 2692. He is also a CFA charterholder.
WOJCIECH
BUJAS, CFA
Investment
Manager
Wojciech Bujas is a Value Quest Investment Manager, responsible for screening potential investments, running the investment process and monitoring portfolio companies. He gained his experience while working as an investment analyst at Warsaw Equity Group, where he was responsible for a range of aspects related to private equity and venture capital investments, including financial modeling, conducting due diligence and preparing recommendations. Prior to that, he worked as a stockbroker at X-Trade Brokers and Raiffeisen Bank brokerage houses.
He graduated from Warsaw School of Economics and Warsaw University of Technology. He holds an investment advisor license no. 448 and a stockbroker license no. 2733. He is also a CFA charterholder.