Your partner in
sustainable growth
Hodler Asset Management is a Budapest-based private equity firm focused on the broadly defined agri-food sector across Central and Eastern Europe. With nearly two decades of experience, we are committed to transforming regional businesses into competitive, future-ready market leaders.
About Us
We execute targeted investments through both proprietary capital and private equity funds across Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. We currently manage two private equity funds with total committed capital of EUR 160 million.
The CEE region is undergoing fundamental structural transformation. We see opportunity where others see complexity — focusing on succession and ownership transition, the professionalisation of SMEs and mid-sized businesses, market consolidation, and talent development as the foundations of long-term value creation.
History
Hodler Asset Management evolved from a founder-led private holding structure into a professional investment platform. What began as an entrepreneurial business transitioned into a family office model and ultimately developed into an institutional asset manager with dedicated fund structures.
Founding of East Grain
Launch of the GTK Talent Development Program
Investment in Agrovir
Investment in Crush Distribution
Investment in Chem System
Establishment of Hodler Capital
Investment in UBM Feed Romania
Establishment of Hodler Asset Management
Launch of Fund I
Investment in Poultry Group
Investment in Gyulai Agrár
Launch of Fund II
Investment in Superior Foods
Partial exit from East Grain
Exit from Gyulai Agrár
Exit from Flair Plastic
Investment in VERTIKAL Group
EUR 160m
assets under management
20+
Years of investment and entrepreneurial experience in the agri-food sector
2
Active funds and 6 private equity transactions
14
Colleagues
10+
Co-investment partnerships
3
University-level talent development programs
Our Values
Our team has built its experience at leading corporations, investment firms, and advisory companies across the region. Beyond their institutional background, several of our members are also active as private investors across various sectors, further broadening the depth and range of expertise we bring to every investment.
We believe lasting value creation requires active and responsible ownership. We take board seats, work closely with management, and stay deeply involved in the strategic and operational development of our portfolio companies. We primarily seek majority positions, but remain open to joint-control or minority investments where strategic alignment and shared values are present.
We typically invest between EUR 5–50 million in equity per transaction. For larger opportunities, we leverage our extensive co-investor network to scale capital flexibly. Based on our strategic focus, transactions in the EUR 5–25 million range represent our core sweet spot.
We believe operational and technological modernisation is one of the most tangible sources of value creation in the agri-food sector. We actively support our portfolio companies in adopting digital tools, process improvements, and modern management practices — helping them transition from entrepreneurial operations to professionally run, competitive businesses.
We believe long-term value creation is naturally aligned with environmental, social, and governance responsibility. In the agri-food sector, this means strengthening sustainability across the entire value chain. Our investments support renewable energy adoption, animal welfare, and digital traceability solutions, enhancing efficiency, competitiveness, and the transition toward regenerative agriculture and sustainable growth.
One of the greatest challenges facing the agri-food sector is the migration of talented young professionals to other industries. Our group plays an active role in three university talent development programmes, supporting the professional growth of future sector leaders and helping build the pipeline the industry needs.
Team
Miklós Kerezsi
Chairman, Founder
Miklós Kerezsi is the Chairman and Founder of Hodler Asset Management, established to manage and develop investments across the agri-food sector in Central and Eastern Europe. He has nearly 30 years of experience in building and managing businesses along the agricultural and food value chain.
More about Miklós Kerezsi →
Gyula Köbli
Non-executive board member
Gyula has been with Hodler Asset Management since 2022, previously serving as CEO and now as a non-executive board member. He provides strategic oversight and governance to the organisation.
More about Gyula Köbli →
Alpár Kiss-Griz
Chief Executive Officer
Alpár has been with Hodler Asset Management since 2017 and became CEO in 2025. He is responsible for the firm’s strategic direction, business development, and overall operations.
More about Alpár Kiss-Griz →
Zoltán Verbó
Chief Investment Officer
Zoltán has been with Hodler Asset Management since its inception and serves as Chief Investment Officer and Board Member. He is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s investment strategy and deal pipeline, as well as leading the growth of the investment team.
More about Zoltán Verbó →
Pavle Nikezic
Country Manager Serbia
Pavle joined Hodler Asset Management in 2022 and serves as Country Manager for Serbia. He is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities, executing transactions, and managing portfolio companies. He currently serves as interim CEO of Superior Foods, a poultry processing company and one of Hodler’s active portfolio investments.
More about Pavle Nikezic →
Antónia Csiszár
Chief Operating and Compliance Officer
Antónia Csiszár joined Hodler Asset Management in 2022 as Operations Leader and Compliance Officer, supporting the business across administrative, operational, and compliance functions. Together with her colleagues, she oversees all back-office tasks of the investment funds.
More about Antónia Csiszár →
Gerbrant De Boer
Senior Advisor
Gerbrant has been working for Hodler Asset Management since 2023, contributing in various capacities. From 2023 to 2024, he focused on supporting the Romanian and Serbian poultry operations as a board member of the respective local entities. In 2025, he assumed oversight of the Serbian poultry operation, leading its modernisation programme. He currently serves as an adviser to Hodler’s founder.
More about Gerbrant De Boer →
Máté Bodnár
Investment Associate
Máté joined Hodler Asset Management in 2022 and is an Investment Associate. He is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities, deal execution and portfolio monitoring.
More about Máté Bodnár →
Dénes Barta
Investment Associate
Dénes joined Hodler Asset Management in 2022 and directly supports the founder, Miklós Kerezsi, in daily and strategic duties. He oversees the performance of portfolio companies, facilitates communication across the group, and identifies operational synergies. He also leads selected strategic and cross-functional initiatives and is responsible for Hodler’s university talent programs.
More about Dénes Barta →
Dávid Urbányi
Investment Analyst
David joined Hodler Asset Management in 2025 as an Investment Analyst. In this role, he supports the end-to-end assessment of investment opportunities and plays a key part in group-wide controlling, building financial models and business plans, coordinating performance tracking across the group, and maintaining close collaboration with portfolio companies.
More about Dávid Urbányi →
Máté Ujvárosi
Investment Analyst
Máté joined Hodler Asset Management in 2025 and is an Investment Analyst. He is responsible for supporting the CEO in daily and strategic duties, as well as evaluating investment opportunities and managing the portfolio.
More about Máté Ujvárosi →
Ábel Zsigmond
Intern – Investment Analyst
Ábel joined Hodler Asset Management in 2024 as an Analyst. He is responsible for preparing monthly controlling reports, monitoring portfolio performance, as well as delivering analyses of key economic and financial trends, including in-depth market and competitor research.
More about Ábel Zsigmond →
Gabriella Ruttkay
Office Manager
Gabriella joined Hodler Asset Management in July 2022 and serves as an Office Manager. She is responsible for supporting the company’s day-to-day operations and contributes to the efficient handling of daily tasks through her precise and reliable approach.
More about Gabriella Ruttkay →
Júlia Hegyiné Szakonyi
Back Office Executive
Julia joined Hodler Asset Management in 2022 to strengthen the operations team. With a background that blends people-focused communication and structured administrative expertise, she brings a thoughtful, reliable approach to keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly.
More about Júlia Hegyiné Szakonyi →Our Investment Strategy
We primarily invest in the agri-food and consumer sectors across Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on companies with complex operations where, in addition to capital, professional expertise and active ownership are essential. A core element of our investment strategy is close collaboration with founders and management teams, supporting companies in reaching their next stage of development.
Our focus is on entrepreneurially driven businesses with strong growth potential, supported by the following structural drivers:
- Generational transition – A wave of founder-owned businesses without clear succession creates a structural window for institutional buyers with operational depth.
- Governance and operational development – Family-owned and founder-led companies frequently operate below their potential, with clear upside through professionalisation, process improvement, and hands-on management support.
- Fragmented markets – Low horizontal consolidation across CEE agri-food and consumer creates meaningful scale and integration opportunities for active investors.
- Capital structure inefficiency – Regional businesses are frequently either overleveraged or entirely equity-funded, creating opportunity for financial investors who can establish and manage an optimal capital structure.
- Structural demand shifts – Rising incomes, urbanisation, and evolving consumption patterns are reshaping demand across food and consumer categories.
- Strategic sector relevance – Food security, supply chain resilience, and sustainability targets are elevating agri-food and consumer to policy priority status across the region.
Our focus covers the entire agri-food value chain in its broadest sense, including all adjacent and supporting industries.
Equity ticket size: EUR 5–25 million
Majority ownership, or minority stakes with control rights alongside like-minded co-investors
Transformational impact via governance, capital, and strategic oversight
Our Portfolio
We are built on strong entrepreneurial foundations. Originating from our founder’s grain trading business, our portfolio has expanded over the years through targeted investments, with these companies forming the backbone of Hodler.
The establishment of two private equity funds in partnership with Hungarian institutional investors enabled us to execute a deliberately designed and structured acquisition strategy, which we continue to pursue today. Our portfolio companies now span the entire agri-food value chain across Central and Eastern Europe, reflecting both our operational heritage and our role as an active private equity investor.
