The history of NPM Capital at a glance

Founded in 1948 during the reconstruction era

NPM Capital was founded in 1948 under the name Nederlandse Participatie Maatschappij (NPM). The company began shortly after the Second World War at the height of the reconstruction period in the Netherlands. The Dutch government at that time followed an active policy of industrialisation and earmarked a large proportion of the dollars it received from the United States as part of the Marshall Plan for this purpose. The majority of the funds were consequently allocated to large industry.
This meant that small-and medium-sized companies often encountered great difficulty during this period raising the necessary funds for further growth. A number of banks and insurance companies recognised this need and established NPM to invest particularly in these companies on a risk-bearing basis.

The early 1980s: The dawn of real competition
NPM operated as a monopolist in the field of equity investment in the share capital of companies for a number of years. This monopoly was, however, eliminated when De Nederlandsche Bank decided in 1980 to also allow financial institutions to invest in the risk-bearing capital of companies. And a year later the Dutch government went on to adopt a scheme that enabled the establishment of new venture capital companies whereby the Dutch government would guarantee 50% of any losses. It was a development that attracted numerous new organisations to the field and suddenly created a climate of full competition. This ultimately led to the development of a mature venture capital market that made operating in the field of equity investment more attractive and challenging.

Strong growth from 1983
In the years that followed, NPM Capital has achieved spectacular growth in terms of the number of investments, the portfolio value and profitability. In keeping with this upward course, the decision was made in 1989 to float the shares of NPM on the Amsterdam stock exchange. This stock exchange quotation remained in place until 2000 when SHV Holdings acquired ownership of all the shares in NPM Capital via a public bid.

2000 and beyond: Changed focus of investment policy
Following the acquisition by SHV Holdings, NPM Capital began to focus its investment policy more on medium-sized Dutch companies. This has resulted in the number of investments being reduced from approximately 170 to the current total of 30.