Christopher Backes
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Hey Christopher — similar IB → PE path (CS & Greenhill in London on my end). been thinking a lot about proprietary origination in european mid-market lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Christopher, looks like we share a similar IB → PE path, though I was at CS & Greenhill in London not Morgan Stanley and Goldman like you. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas were never really connected. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounding over time. curious if that's still how most funds operate or if I'm behind the times? — Russ
Hey Christopher, looks like we came up through a similar IB → PE path, though I was in London doing growth equity at Treis not building a mid-market platform across Europe like you're doing at Edgecap. the pattern I keep seeing with most funds is weirdly consistent — strong thesis, solid network, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas are never really connected, so every deal is virtually sourced from scratch. nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at Edgecap? — Russ
hey Christopher — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling from Pitchbook or Grata, maybe using ChatGPT to help qualify, dumping it into a spreadsheet. each piece kind of works, but there's no system of record tying it together. the people, tools and ideas are all disconnected so everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Axiom work through that. curious if you've hit the same wall at Edgecap? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — most funds have 10 things ahead of it on the priority list. the funds I've seen crack it early just tend to compound deal flow in a way that's hard to replicate later. if it ever moves up the list, I'm easy to find. — Russ
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Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Christopher Backes Title: Co-Founder & Partner Fund: Edgecap Partners Background: Prospect Summary: Christopher Backes Current Focus: Christopher is a Private Equity Investor and the Co-Founder & Partner at Edgecap Partners, a mid-market private equity firm based in London. He currently serves as a Member of the Supervisory Board for Comac Medical, a leading European CRO/SMO business in which Edgecap acquired a majority stake in 2023. His firm targets investments of EUR 10-100 million in high-quality European companies, focusing on B2B software, healthcare, and growth capital. Background: He has over a decade of experience in investment banking and private equity. Prior to founding Edgecap in 2022, he was a B2B Software Private Equity Investor at PSG and a Principal at Novalpina Capital LLP. He also spent several years at Morgan Stanley across their Technology (Menlo Park), Industrials (London), and Swiss Investment Banking (Zurich) divisions. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and studied at Queen's University. Key Skills: Private Equity, Investment Banking, B2B Software Investing, Board Governance, Financial Modeling, Valuation, and Technology M&A. Recent Activity and Post Quotes: - May 22, 2025: Shared news regarding a major expansion for his portfolio company, stating: "Comac Medical Group, backed by Edgecap Partners, is pleased to announce the acquisition of ILIFE CONSULTING, a Paris-based early-phase CRO with strong expertise in oncology, rare diseases, and complex biotech trials." - April 28, 2025: Highlighted organizational growth, noting: "We’re proud to announce key leadership appointments and our ongoing international expansion... This growth reflects our commitment to innovation, excellence, and delivering greater value to our partners and patients." - September 21, 2023: Promoted his attendance at industry events, stating: "I'm excited to attend BIO-Europe 2023, November 6–8, 2023 in Munich. Join me to meet one-to-one!" - June 9, 2023: Announced a major deal completion: "EdgeCap acquires majority stake in Comac Medical, founder and management retain significant minority interest." - March 9, 2023: Celebrated a successful funding round for a portfolio company: "Roofit.Solar successfully raises €6.45 million to boost integrated solar roofs... Together with them, we are ready to take Roofit.Solar to the next level!" Fund details: - Description: Edgecap is a mid-market private equity and growth capital firm targeting investments into high-quality companies in Europe. Backed by family capital, we seek to deploy EUR 10-100 million equity per investment and partner with ambitious founders and management teams to develop strong local businesses into pan-European and global champions. Edgecap was founded by Kristjan Piilmann and Chris Backes, who have over two decades of combined private equity and investment banking experience at bulge bracket firms including PSG Equity LLP, Novalpina Capital LLP, Morgan Stanley, Citi and Goldman Sachs. - Website: https://edgecap.eu/ - Location: London, England, United Kingdom - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Edgecap Partners Christopher Backes recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Edgecap Partners, co-founded by Christopher Backes, focuses on mid-market private equity investments in Europe, targeting sectors with long-term growth potential. Backes has experience from firms like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Edgecap recently invested in Comac Medical Group.