Utrecht, The Netherlands – Gilde Healthcare Services (Gilde), a growth capital fund specialised in Healthcare Services, has acquired a significant minority stake in elderly care provider Stepping Stones Home & Care (Stepping Stones) of the Netherlands to fund further growth of the company.

Stepping Stones operates a chain of nursing homes providing care for elderly with Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions that need continuous support. The nursing homes offer a safe, protected and continuous care environment with affordable services tailored to the needs of residents (www.steppingstonesbv.nl).

Stepping Stones founding managers Arthur Scherpenzeel and Christiaan Sap commented:

“We are thrilled with the investment from Gilde. This investment not only enables us to expand the number of locations but we will also benefit from Gilde’s hands-on approach and healthcare expertise.

Jasper van Gorp, Partner of the Gilde Healthcare Services fund said:

“We were impressed by Stepping Stones’ ability to provide a very high quality yet affordable care home service. We believe that there is a considerable need for this type of service which can co-exist alongside care provided by the public sector in the Netherlands. This investment is aligned perfectly with our investment focus on high growth healthcare services companies.