Australian food manufacturers represent a compelling value creation opportunity in the lower mid-market.

We acquire profitable businesses that sit below the radar of generalist private equity and employ a focused buyout strategy, a defined operating playbook and an embedded partnership with Oppenheimer.

SECTOR-SPECIALISED PRIVATE EQUITY

Food manufacturing has its own economics.

Input costs, formulation complexity, food safety, retailer requirements, freight, labour and export readiness all shape how a business should be assessed, improved and eventually sold.

Food manufacturing has its own economics.

Input costs, formulation complexity, food safety, retailer requirements, freight, labour and export readiness all shape how a business should be assessed, improved and eventually sold.

A dedicated approach to value creation

Unrivalled operating edge

The partnership

OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY ALONGSIDE THE CAPITAL.

For Founders

The partnership

About Oppenheimer

Ingredient manufacturing and food technology
Founded in 1870
100% Australian-owned
Operations: Australia, India, China and Malaysia

In-house capability

Food scientists
Formulation specialists
Flavour technologists
Procurement experts

At every stage

From the first site visit
Applied through diligence, ownership and into exit
Deepens what we see in a business and how we grow it

The partnership

Unrivalled operating edge

For Founders

OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY ALONGSIDE THE CAPITAL.

Better diligence. Lower execution risk.

For investors

Better diligence. Lower execution risk.

Sector focus

Better diligence on margin quality and cost structures

Clearer views on capacity, yield and plant efficiency

Realistic assessments of retailer, foodservice and export potential

A more defined set of likely strategic buyers at exit

In-house food scientists and manufacturing capability are embedded into every acquisition through Apta’s partnership with Oppenheimer, a global ingredient manufacturer and food technology group.

Technical innovation

What we screen for

A network of relationships

Margin profile

Strategic exit relevance

Governance gap

Operating leverage

What we screen for

Sector fit

Succession context

A network of relationships

We are well positioned to identify succession-led businesses, giving us first-mover access to the right deals.

That means no competitive auction or inflated entry multiples, giving investors access to opportunities, where manufacturers with proven products and real operating capacity have the potential to become significantly stronger under structured ownership.

Margin improvement identified and acted on

Pricing, working capital and expansion

Apta moves quickly on domestic and international expansion opportunities, and refines pricing and working capital, converting operating improvements into measurable EBITDA growth.

The right people in the right structure

Lean, functional leadership

Apta bolsters existing capabilities and installs experienced functional leaders, building a management layer to scale sustainably.

Better systems and decisions

Systems and digital infrastructure

Legacy tools and manual processes are replaced and digital tools and infrastructure is introduced early creating visibility, accountability and the data to inform growth plays.

Structure built for growth

Financial & operational discipline

Apta works inside the business from day one, building formal budgets, setting measurable targets and implementing controls that reduce operational risk and create a foundation for exit.

The Playbook

MBA London Business School, founded Gasan Investments and Rebecca Vallance, former CVC and Ford Motor Company.

MBA INSEAD, former Co-CEO of Zai (fintech, successful trade sale), Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered Ventures.

Chairman of Oppenheimer Group, 30+ years in global food ingredients, joint ventures exceeding $1bn in collective value.

Kate
Hillyar

Management Team

Combined experience across several domains and in Private Equity, Investment Banking, Management Consulting and Advisory, Technology, Consumer, Manufacturing and Food Production.

General Partners

Vanessa Sammut joins as Head of Marketing, bringing two decades of experience across technology, fintech, agri-food and manufacturing. Vanessa leads Apta’s brand, messaging and investor communications, and works across the portfolio as a CMO partner to sharpen positioning, go-to-market execution and sales enablement.

Felicity Zhao joins as Head of Finance, bringing 10 years' experience in financial governance, investment reporting and compliance. Felicity leads financial operations across Apta's funds, trusts and multi-entity structures, strengthening financial controls and supporting investment oversight across the group.

Selsa Evani joins as Digital Marketing Specialist, bringing 4 years' experience in marketing operations, CRM and paid campaigns across consulting, retail and SaaS. Selsa manages paid ads, social media, email marketing and website content, driving performance through data-led optimisation across the portfolio.

Kate Hillyar joins as Head of Capital Formation and Investor Relations, bringing more than 20 years’ experience across funds management and superannuation in Australian and global institutions. Kate leads capital formation and investor relationships for Apta’s current and future funds.