Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft and Commerzbank join forces: Aim to create a leading European asset manager for sustainable investment strategies

Hamburg, 18 January 2024 – Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft announces that it has agreed a strategic partnership with Commerzbank. As part of this partnership, Commerzbank acquires a 74.9% stake in Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft. Aquila Group, as seller, reaffirms its long-term commitment to the company and will continue to play a leading role in shaping its future growth. 

With the cooperation, Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft extends its offering in clean energy, green infrastructure and sustainable real estate investment solutions to private clients and a wide range of institutional and business clients. The collaboration is aimed at significantly accelerating Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft’s growth and developing the company into one of the leading asset managers for sustainable investment strategies in Europe. 

Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft is expected to benefit from Commerzbank’s strong brand and its broad distribution network of almost 11 million private and corporate clients, 26,000 corporate client groups and a global network with a presence in more than 40 countries. In line with Commerzbank’s aspiration to facilitate the energy transition, the bank is to gain access to Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft’s investment expertise, enabling it to expand its market position in real asset investments. 

The cooperation marks an important milestone in Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft’s corporate history and forms the basis for mutual growth. It ensures managerial independence of Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft as it remains autonomous in operations, investment decisions, product development and brand representation. Simultaneously, Commerzbank’s customers will gain access to attractive private markets assets through this partnership. Continuity is also assured at the leadership level. The existing management and fund management teams of the company will retain their roles. Parent, Aquila Group, remains committed for the long term and will sustain its central role in shaping future growth of Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft. The partnership is enhanced by cooperation agreements between Commerzbank and Aquila Group, from which investors and both parties will benefit. 

The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction. It is also subject to the necessary official authorisations. The transaction is expected to be closed within the second quarter 2024. 

Roman Rosslenbroich, CEO and Co-Founder of Aquila Group, comments: “Since 2006, the core focus of our business at Aquila Group has been to contribute to the decarbonisation of the global economy. The shift towards renewable energy and a ’green industrialisation’ opens up investment opportunities that not only offer attractive returns, but will also become increasingly important due to the rapidly growing capital requirements in the coming years. Against this backdrop, we are intensifying our efforts to mobilise private capital. The partnership with Commerzbank significantly expands our client network, facilitates the swift development of new, attractive investment products aimed at a net-zero economy and strengthens Aquila Group's position in the market. Together with Commerzbank, we plan to significantly enhance Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft's prominent role as a sustainable real asset investor and expand it internationally.”  

Thomas Schaufler, Member of the Board of Managing Directors responsible for Private and Small-Business Customers at Commerzbank, says: “As the bank for Germany, we have the ambition to actively shape the sustainable transformation of the economy and to direct financial flows into green projects. The strategic partnership with Aquila Group and the majority stake in Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft are a growth accelerator for our engagement in sustainable investments. Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft excellently complements our expertise in Commerzbank and Commerz Real. With the transaction, we are significantly increasing the range of products in sustainable asset management for our customers and will expand our market position even faster. We are very well positioned with Yellowfin, Commerz Real, our stake in Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft and our asset management.”