Peninsula Capital takes majority stake in European Quality Assurance

Peninsula Capital has acquired a majority stake in EQA (European Quality Assurance), a leading player in Spain's certification, inspection, and verification services sector. The transaction takes place in a market characterized by significant fragmentation and favorable structural trends, driven by increasing regulatory requirements, growing ESG considerations, and the digitalization of compliance processes. Against this backdrop, Peninsula Capital is targeting robust platforms that can serve as a foundation for European-wide consolidation strategies. EQA fits perfectly into this approach, with an established market position and a substantial operational footprint in its domestic market. Building on this foundation, the fund plans to leverage EQA to accelerate consolidation in the Spanish certification and inspection market, while also structuring a broader growth trajectory across Europe. As part of this strategy, the development plan includes a phased expansion into key markets such as Italy and France, where the sector remains largely fragmented. Ultimately, the transaction is based on a value-creation logic combining organic growth and a buy-and-build strategy, with the goal of supporting the management team in a new phase of development and capitalizing on the sector's long-term structural trends.