Oliver Kolbe

Oliver Kolbe is a private-equity investor with more than 20 years in the industry. He began his career in leveraged buyouts, running mid- and large-cap LBO transactions for AlpInvest Partners (a core division of The Carlyle Group). He subsequently headed the direct-investment division of Equity Partners, a German private equity firm focused on small/mid-cap and complex buyout transactions, where he spent roughly four years.

Around 2009 he co-founded Silver Investment Partners (silver-ip.com) alongside partners Mark Elborn and Philipp Amereller. Silver Investment Partners is an independent equity investor for succession solutions and growth financing, backing small and mid-sized DACH companies (typically €5–100M in revenue) via majority and minority stakes. The firm is headquartered in Königstein, near Frankfurt — the source of the +49 6174 913 80 0 phone number and the silver-ip.com email domain still used for Kolbe's contact.

More recently, Kolbe co-founded and serves as Managing Partner of SENCO Hydrogen Capital (SENCO Capital), a sector-focused private equity firm investing along the energy-transition and hydrogen value chains. Alongside CEO & Managing Partner Carsten Schmeding, he leads investments in profitable European mid-market companies whose products support the energy transition and energy security. SENCO's Hydrogen Equity Fund reached a first close in June 2024 and has attracted backing that includes a €50 million commitment from the European Investment Fund.

Kolbe holds an MBA in Banking & Finance from the University of Birmingham (Birmingham Business School, 2004–2005), a business degree from Pforzheim University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Central England.

• Invests in profitable, established mid-market companies, not early-stage startups — typically double-digit-million-euro revenue businesses.
• At SENCO: a thematic, sector-focused strategy "investing in growth-oriented mid-sized companies in Europe whose products and services support the energy transition and ensure energy security," spanning energy generation, transport, storage and use — from component manufacturers to system providers and specialized services.
• Equity tickets of roughly €10–15 million, taking either majority or minority positions.
• At Silver Investment Partners: succession solutions and growth financing for DACH SMEs, long-term, entrepreneurial and partnership-oriented, in companies with ~€5–100M revenue (core €10–50M).
• Values operational and buyout experience: his background is in LBOs (AlpInvest/Carlyle) and direct investments (Equity Partners), so he brings structuring and control-deal expertise rather than a seed-stage mindset.