Gulf Capital, a prominent private equity firm with investments spanning from the GCC to Asia, has announced that its portfolio company, the CWB Group, has acquired a majority stake in Hahn & Hahn Group, a leading African Intellectual Property Services Provider. This strategic move positions the CWB Group as a super-regional firm, extending its intellectual property (IP) services across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, totaling 100 countries. With this acquisition, the CWB Group solidifies its status as a global leader in IP services.
Hahn & Hahn Group, established in 1951 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, boasts extensive experience in patent and trademark services. The firm has represented numerous top-tier international companies across the African continent. Over the decades, Hahn & Hahn Group has established a robust network of offices and trusted agents in Africa, combining both organic growth and strategic acquisitions. With a team of seasoned professionals amassing over 100 years of IP expertise and a robust technology platform, H&H brings substantial value to the CWB Group.
This acquisition builds on the CWB Group’s previous strategic move in February 2023 when it acquired Petošević, another prominent intellectual property services provider based in Luxembourg. Petošević offers IP and related services across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. These acquisitions are aligned with the CWB Group’s vision of delivering regional and local expertise to its growing client base through a single, unparalleled firm. With expanded geographical reach and H&H’s patent expertise, the CWB Group enhances its ability to serve clients across different jurisdictions. As a unified entity, the CWB Group brings new partners into its community, comprising founders and IP professionals who share a common vision of delivering high-quality IP services consistently across more than 100 countries.
Dr. Karim El Solh, Co-Founder and CEO of Gulf Capital, expressed his enthusiasm for the CWB Group’s expansion into the fast-growing African continent through the acquisition of Hahn & Hahn. He emphasized Gulf Capital’s commitment to building global leaders from the Gulf region and welcomed the H&H management team to the CWB family.
Victor Williams, Director at Hahn & Hahn, expressed excitement about the partnership with CWB, highlighting the unique opportunity to create an unparalleled IP firm. He emphasized the importance of protecting inventors’ rights worldwide and how H&H’s geographical and patent expertise complements and strengthens the value proposition to the combined clients.
Halim Shehadeh, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the CWB Group, noted the company’s previous focus on the Middle East and North Africa, expanding to Eastern Europe and Central Asia with the acquisition of Petošević. With Hahn & Hahn on board, the CWB Group gains comprehensive coverage of the entire African continent. Shehadeh underscored that no other IP firm currently offers the extensive global coverage and on-the-ground services across 100 countries provided by the CWB Group.
Mohammad Madani, Managing Director at Gulf Capital, concluded by emphasizing their commitment to accelerating portfolio company growth through strategic acquisitions. He highlighted the collaboration between CWB, H&H, and Petošević as the right combination to transform the IP service industry in global growth markets. Through these acquisitions, the CWB Group now offers unparalleled IP services rooted in local expertise and a vast network of on-the-ground offices, essential for navigating diverse legal frameworks across growth markets.
