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Ferreira de Sá, a company backed by private equity firm Sherpa Capital, has acquired 100% of Desistart from its founder, a Portuguese company dedicated to the production and marketing of luxury carpets.

Founded by Henrique Ferreira and Rosa de Lurdes de Sousa Marques, Desistart has experienced rapid growth in recent years due to its product quality and access to new markets, which has doubled its sales since 2017 to 3 million euros per person per year . Desistart has approximately 45 employees, and currently more than 80% of its overseas sales come from countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria. In terms of EBITDA, due to the nature of its luxury goods industry, the company's profit margins are high, which allows it to continue to reinvest in new product development and increased customer service. In recent years, the rapid growth in demand for Desistart carpets has caused its factories to become saturated with production. The entry of the Sherpa into the company's capital through the "Unique Rugs" company will enable it to promote its growth by supporting the development of greater production capacity. The two companies are highly complementary because they cover the same product range, both at the production and commercial level. In addition, they are very close to each other, which enables them to produce important synergies in the development of concepts, customers, products, suppliers, etc. The company also plans to support its business development with new financial and operational resources, and partners such as Sherpa Capital can provide and develop new product categories for its customers. In addition, due to the founders' extensive experience, knowledge of the industry, and good business relationships with customers, they will keep in touch with the company and maintain non-executive functions. Henrique Ferreira, founder and administrator of Desistart, said: “From the very beginning, Sherpa understood this project and the challenges Desistart faced. I knew that the continuity of the company depends on taking this step because Sherpa helped us Provided strategic vision, management and financial capabilities, as well as the operational experience we need. For all these reasons, I am very grateful to be part of this initiative and new phase. The acquisition of Desistart was after Sherpa Capital acquired a majority stake in Ferreira de Sá In October 2019, this was the first investment made directly from Spain by a fund managed by Sherpa Capital. Ferreira de Sá was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Espinho (Porto). It is a well-known company in the carpet industry. For example, Desistart also has a clear international mission. More than 80% of its sales come from overseas. David Foncillas, CEO of Ferreira de Sá, said: “The merger of Desistart will continue to promote Ferreira de Sá’s international business by expanding its product range and strengthening production capabilities. The growth of the company enhances the company’s position as a leader in European luxury carpets. There is no doubt that this acquisition is the first step in the development of our project. It is an honor to continue to rely on the support of the existing management team (founding family) at this new stage, who have extensive experience and knowledge in this field, as well as good business relationships. "CSSM acted as Sherpa Capital's legal counsel in this transaction.