Prodco Caviar acquires Telenet shares through management buy-out

Europe- and LA-based prodco Caviar has acquired the shares in the company that have been held by Belgium’s Telenet through a management buy-out.

Bert Hamelinck

As a result of the acquisition of the shares, which had been held by Telenet since May 2021, Caviar’s three founders – Bert Hamelinck, Mathias Coppens and Michael Sagol – together with several members of the company’s own management, regain majority ownership.

They are supported by the Together Fund, led by Alexandra Lebret, and by Flemish technology investor and founder of Supernova, Jürgen Ingels.

In addition to its core activities, Caviar runs a network of sister companies including Roses Are Blue, Sputnik and Versus Production.

“This new shareholder structure, with strong involvement from our own management, enables us to realise our ambitions even further. We will continue to invest in high-quality content, support talent development and strengthen our international partnerships. Our goal remains to tell stories that have impact both locally and globally,” said CEO Hamelinck.

Telenet’s CEO John Porter added: “With this step, we are sharpening our focus on Flemish stories and digital innovation, while Caviar can fully dedicate itself to further international growth. We naturally look forward to continuing to collaborate on projects that make a local impact and wish Caviar and its new partners continued success.”

With offices in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London and Los Angeles, Caviar was founded in 2005 and is known for films such as the Oscar winning Sound of Metal, Adil & Bilall’s Rebel and The Soundman, as well as television shows such as The Expedition: Patagonia, The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes, Down The Road, The Way Out and 99 to Beat.