Netherlands $14 Billion Europe Software Private Equity Firm Main Capital Partners Raised $6 Billion (€5.25 Billion) for 2 Software Private Equity Funds in 6 Months with 1) €4 Billion for Main Capital IX & 2) €1.25 Billion for Main Foundation III to Invest €5 Million & €150 Million Ticket Size in Resilient & Profitable Lower Mid-Market Enterprise Software Companies in Benelux, DACH, Nordics, France, UK & North America, Founded in 2003 by Charly Zwemstra & Lars van ‘t Hoenderdaal
27th June 2026 | Hong Kong
Netherlands-based Europe software private equity firm Main Capital Partners ($14 billion AUM) has raised $6 billion (€5.25 billion) for 2 software private equity funds in less than 6 months with 1) €4 billion raised for Main Capital IX & 2) €1.25 billion raised for Main Foundation III to invest €5 million & €150 million ($5.7 million to $171 million) ticket size in resilient & profitable lower mid-market enterprise software companies in Benelux, DACH, Nordics, France, UK & North America. Main Capital Partners was founded in 2003 by Charly Zwemstra & Lars van ‘t Hoenderdaal. Announcement (24/6/26): “Main Capital Partners, a specialized European Enterprise Software investor, announces today that Main Capital IX and Main Foundation III have together closed over €5.25 billion in commitments. Main Capital IX closed at a hard cap of €4 billion and Main Foundation III reached a hard cap of €1.25 billion, together representing a more than twofold increase over their predecessor funds and increasing Main’s total Assets under Management to over €12 billion. Both funds were oversubscribed, reflecting sustained and growing investor demand for Main’s highly differentiated lower mid-market Enterprise Software strategy. In line with prior fundraises, Main received continued support from its existing LP base, with a re-up rate exceeding 120%. Alongside re-ups from existing investors such as Hamilton Lane, both funds also attracted meaningful new commitments from a broadened global institutional investor base. New investors primarily came from the United States, Asia, and the Middle East, and comprised sovereign wealth funds, public pension funds, and insurance companies, including reputable names such as the State Teachers’ Retirement System of Ohio, the Korean Teachers’ Credit Union, and AkademikerPension. The pace and scale of commitments secured, despite a continued challenging fundraising environment and geopolitical tensions, reflect Main’s consistently strong investment performance and its more than 20-year specialization in lower mid-market Enterprise Software buyouts. Over the course of its history, Main has realized 38 exits with a weighted average gross return of 4.7x and a loss rate well below 0.5%. Main will continue to execute on its proven lower mid-market Enterprise Software strategy, investing equity tickets between €5 and €150 million in profitable, resilient software businesses and building these into larger, scalable cross-border software groups through a combination of organic growth and targeted M&A. Main will maintain its deep focus on its core geographies — Benelux, DACH, the Nordics, France, and North America — and, as a meaningful strategic expansion, will begin actively pursuing platform investments in the United Kingdom with these new funds. The UK represents one of Europe’s most dynamic and mature Enterprise Software markets, and Main’s local operational model and sector expertise position it well to build lasting relationships with software founders and entrepreneurs in that market. Main is acutely focused on the profound transformation that artificial intelligence is bringing to the Enterprise Software industry. AI is rapidly reshaping how software is built, sold, and scaled, creating a new frontier of growth opportunities across Main’s core product-markets, from HealthTech and GovTech to Infrastructure and PropTech. Main’s proprietary Market Intelligence & Performance Excellence capabilities, combined with an active portfolio of over 55 Enterprise Software companies, position the firm well to identify where AI is generating durable value and to support portfolio companies in embedding AI into their products and operations. Main believes that the convergence of consolidation dynamics and AI-driven innovation makes the current environment one of the most compelling for Enterprise Software investing in the firm’s two-decade history.”
“ Netherlands $14 Billion Europe Software Private Equity Firm Main Capital Partners Raised $6 Billion (€5.25 Billion) for 2 Software Private Equity Funds in 6 Months with 1) €4 Billion for Main Capital IX & 2) €1.25 Billion for Main Foundation III to Invest €5 Million & €150 Million Ticket Size in Resilient & Profitable Lower Mid-Market Enterprise Software Companies in Benelux, DACH, Nordics, France, UK & North America, Founded in 2003 by Charly Zwemstra & Lars van ‘t Hoenderdaal “
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Charly Zwemstra, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Main: “Main was among the first movers in European software buyouts, and for more than two decades we have built an unrivalled track record of creating larger, more resilient software groups from the lower mid-market. Securing commitments for Main Capital IX and Main Foundation III of over €5 billion is a powerful validation of our strategy and of the enduring trust that our LP base places in us. We stand at an inflection point for the Enterprise Software industry: we believe AI is unlocking a new wave of growth and value creation opportunities, and Main’s deep sector expertise, proprietary data capabilities, and disciplined operational approach position the firm well to capture this opportunity for our portfolio companies and our investors alike.”
Jorn de Ruijter, Partner and Head of Fund Structuring & Investor Relations at Main: “The speed and scale at which we secured over €5 billion in commitments, surpassing our prior combined fundraise more than twofold, is a direct testament to Main’s long-term investment performance and the depth of our LP relationships. A re-up rate of more than 120% is something we are truly proud of; it reflects not just confidence in our track record, but genuine conviction in what we are building at Main. We are grateful to both our existing and new investors for their trust. With Main Capital IX and Main Foundation III, we are well-equipped to continue driving the consolidation in the fragmented European & US software markets, to expand into the United Kingdom, and to pursue the opportunities that AI is creating across the Enterprise Software industry.”
Main Capital Partners – Main Capital Partners is a software investor managing private equity funds active in the Benelux, DACH, France, the Nordics, and North America with approximately EUR 12.0 billion in Assets under Management. Main has over 20 years of experience in strengthening software companies and works closely with the management teams in their portfolio as a strategic partner to achieve profitable growth and larger international software groups. Main has approximately 100 employees operating out of its offices in The Hague, Düsseldorf, Stockholm, Antwerp, Paris, and an affiliate office in Boston. Main maintains an active portfolio of over 55 software companies. The underlying portfolio employs approximately 15,000 employees. Through its Main Social Institute, Main supports students with grants and scholarships to study IT and Computer Science at Technical Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. Furthermore, Main is the founder and organizer of the yearly Main Software 50 Awards and the Main Insight Event, hosted in The Benelux, DACH Region, and Nordics.
Netherlands $14 Billion Europe Software Private Equity Firm Main Capital Partners Raised $6 Billion (€5.25 Billion) for 2 Software Private Equity Funds in 6 Months with 1) €4 Billion for Main Capital IX & 2) €1.25 Billion for Main Foundation III to Invest €5 Million & €150 Million Ticket Size in Resilient & Profitable Lower Mid-Market Enterprise Software Companies in Benelux, DACH, Nordics, France, UK & North America, Founded in 2003 by Charly Zwemstra & Lars van ‘t Hoenderdaal
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