CPE Capital 9
CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity) is Australasia’s most experienced private capital manager, investing across the mid-market in Australia and New Zealand. The firm works as a close partner with owners and senior management teams to execute growth strategies, drive operational improvement and unlock long-term value. Founded in 1987 by Bill Ferris AC and Joe Skrzynski AO, CPE has deployed over A$4.5 billion and completed 86 platform investments since inception.
CPE Capital has broad sector experience, with particular expertise in education, healthcare, food & beverage, logistics, financial services and niche manufacturing. It often targets firms with export potential or offshore operations.
CPE Capital Fund 9 is a 2020 vintage fund with $729 million in investor commitments, raised to pursue control investments in established, market-leading mid-market businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
Portfolio Companies
At investment in August 2021, Adventure Online was Australia’s leading online cycling and outdoor adventure retailer, operating under the Pushys and Bikebug brands. The business served more than 130,000 customers nationwide and offered a catalogue of over 40,000 products across all major cycling categories.
The thesis aims at enhancing the business’ online customer experience, expand distribution partnerships with global cycling brands and improve inventory management to drive sustainable earnings growth.
Adventure Online remains an active investment in CPEC 9, positioned as the national leader in cycling e-commerce with strong brand equity, an omnichannel presence and growing operational momentum.
The thesis was to merge Rocla and Civilmart to create Australia’s second-largest player in the sector,n Cilvilmat, leveraging enhanced manufacturing scale, decentralised customer service and expanded distribution to deliver high-quality precast products efficiently across key states.
CPEC 9 sold Civilmart in 2024 to CRH, an Irish building materials company for a media reported $400 million. At exit, Civilmart was Australia’s second-largest precast concrete products manufacturer with a national footprint across NSW, QLD and SA.
At investment in October 2022, Ambrose Construct was a specialised project management and head contractor servicing insurance companies across Australia, with a focus on residential building repairs and catastrophe-related restoration.
The thesis is focused on consolidating the fragmented insurance repair market, strengthen systems and leadership capabilities and scale the business into a national platform with strong catastrophe response expertise.
Ambrose remains an active investment in CPEC 9, operating with a strong pipeline and positioned as a leading national provider of insurance restoration services with scalable infrastructure and long-term insurer relationships.
At investment in February 2024, Modus Projects was a leading provider of facilities maintenance, construction and fit-out services to tier-one corporate and government clients across Australia.
CPEC’s thesis is aimed at expanding wallet share with existing blue-chip clients, diversify the customer base and pursue selective M&A opportunities to build out a scalable national services platform.
Modus Projects remains an active investment in CPEC 9, supported by strengthened contract coverage, operational efficiencies and a growing portfolio of high-profile corporate and government clients.
At investment in November 2024, ABF was a national manufacturer of fresh sausages, burgers, smallgoods and value-added meat products, operating five production facilities across Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The company supplied major supermarkets including Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.
The thesis is focused on broadening ABF’s product lines, optimising sales mix to drive profitability and pursue bolt-on acquisitions to expand capacity and market share in the value-added meat category.
ABF remains an active investment in CPEC 9, positioned as a national leader in fresh and value-added meat products with entrenched supermarket partnerships and a clear pipeline of acquisition-led growth opportunities.
