Arcapita acquires interest in midsized companies with an emphasis on the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Arcapita's portfolio contains 14 active and 61 exited investments. Selected past investments include:
Viridian Group - a leading independent energy company operating across Ireland – Acquired in 2006, exited in 2016.
PODS - provider of portable storage and moving solutions for residential and business customers. Acquired in 2007, exited in 2015.
Tensar - a provider of site construction solutions - Acquired in 2005, exited in 2014.
Jill Acquisition, LLC - retailer of women's apparel, accessories and footwear – Acquired in 2011, exited in 2015.
Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. - an international retail coffee business – Acquired in 2000, exited in 2011.
South Stafford - water utility company that supplies water in the English Midlands – Acquired in 2004, exited in 2007.
Roxar – an independent technology services company, dedicated to developing solutions to optimize reservoir production for the global oil and gas industry – Acquired in 2006, exited in 2007.
Real estate
Arcapita acts as principal of real estate investments. The firm's senior management has completed transactions worth $15 billion of real estate investments. Arcapita focuses of the following sectors: industrial and logistics assets, self-storage, residential and senior living. Arcapita currently has 10 real estate investments under its management, and 26 prior investments. Selected past real estate investments include:
ARC Real Estate Income Fund – a joint venture with Al Rajhi fund to acquire logistics and retail properties – Vintage year 2010, exited in 2015.
Riffa Views – joint venture with Bahrain International Golf Course Company to a golf course residential community – Vintage year 2004, exited in 2014.
Arcapita Asian Industrial Yielding I – joint venture with Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd, to acquire industrial properties in Singapore. Vintage year 2008, exited 2010.
Mutlifamily I - joint ventures with Archstone-Smith to acquire apartment complexes in the United States. Vintage year 2000, exited in 2005.
Mutlifamily II - joint ventures with Archstone-Smith to acquire apartment complexes in the United States. Vintage year 2000, exited in 2005.
Arcapita was founded in 1997 by prominent GCC businessmen. During that time, Islamic banking started to gain popularity, but the industry lacked Shari’ah compliant investment opportunities. Arcapita's Shari’ah compliant model was created offering private equity and real estate alternative investments. Arcapita's first exit was Computer General Incorporated in December 2000. Computer General was a global provider of telecommunications mediation systems.
2003–2007
In 2003, Arcapita opened its London office to handle private equity and real estate investments in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. In the year that followed, Arcapita acquired Church's Chicken, a quick-serve chicken restaurant chain, based in the United States. In 2005, First Islamic Bank, Crescent Capital Inc. and Crescent Capital Europe rebranded to Arcapita to unify their global brand across three offices in Atlanta, Bahrain, and London.
2008–2012
Arcapita recorded a performance of $360 million in fiscal year 2008, and extended their geographical presence by opening an office in Singapore that would handle investments in Asia. In 2010, Arcapita moved to its new headquarters in Bahrain Bay.
2013–2017
In 2013, Arcapita completed its restructuring which was initiated in 2012. This restructure was due to the effects of the worldeconomic crises that lead Arcapita to file for Chapter 11. A year later, Arcapita raised a new equity capital from shareholders to fund its growth strategy. In 2017, Arcapita along with Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain, acquired a controlling interest in NAS United Healthcare Service, making it Arcapita's first private equity investment since the capital raise.
Every investment made by Arcapita and its subsidiaries is approved by a four-member Shari'ah advisory board. In accordance with Islamic Shari'ah law, the company does not invest in any businesses which offer credit or charge interest, or any other product that conflicts with Shari'ah law. According to representatives of the company, the Shari'ah advisory board does not make decisions about the financial merits of investments, and does not play a role in hiring or promotion of employees.
