Oakley Capital, a leading pan-European private equity investor, is pleased to announce that Fund IV has agreed the strategic combination of portfolio company WindStar Medical (“WindStar”) with Merz Lifecare to create one of the leading providers of over-the-counter (“OTC”) health and wellbeing products in the DACH region. On completion, the Merz Group will hold a majority stake in the holding. The transaction is expected to be completed once all regulatory approvals have been obtained.
Oakley invested in WindStar in 2020 to scale the business through continued product innovation and organic growth. With Oakley’s support, WindStar has expanded the business by growing its Power Brands SOS and Zirkulin, by extending its private label customer base with new perfumery customers, and by addressing the “Well-Health” market segment, which focuses on high-quality OTC-products for feel-good, wellness, care, and protection.
