Viridor Acquisition & Valuation

Viridor was acquired by KKR for $5.3B in January 2020, a 7.2x multiple on $736M of revenue.

Viridor acquisition price

$5.3B

Acquired by KKR · Jan 2020

Viridor revenue at acquisition

$736M

Last twelve months · Jan 2020

Viridor revenue multiple at acquisition

7.2x

EV/Revenue · Jan 2020

Viridor EBITDA multiple at acquisition

18.5x

EV/EBITDA · Jan 2020

Viridor Overview

About Viridor

Viridor is a United Kingdom waste management company providing collection, recycling, and resource recovery services for municipal, commercial, and industrial waste streams. The firm operates over 40 energy-from-waste facilities and recycling centers processing millions of tonnes annually, including clinical and hazardous materials. Viridor generates renewable energy through incineration and anaerobic digestion plants across England and Wales. Acquired by KKR in 2017, the Devon-headquartered company employs thousands and supports the national circular economy.


Founded

1956

HQ

United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B & B2G & B2C

Revenue model

Services

Revenue

$771M (Dec 2025)

Valuation

$9.3B (Dec 2025)

Viridor Acquisition

Viridor was acquired by KKR for $5.3B on 10 January 2020.

The acquisition price implies a 7.2x revenue and 18.5x EBITDA multiple on $736M of revenue.

Viridor is one of the UK's leading recycling and residual waste businesses, specializing in material recovery facilities (MRFs) and residual waste management. The company was owned by Pennon Group Plc, a water utility and waste management company. On March 18, 2020, Pennon announced the sale of Viridor to Planets UK Bidco, a newly formed company established by funds advised by KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts), for an enterprise value of £4.2 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis. The transaction included potential additional consideration of up to £200 million contingent on future events. This was one of the first large acquisitions agreed after the coronavirus pandemic hit global markets, and the deal was expected to complete in summer 2020, subject to Pennon shareholder approval and European Commission merger control clearance. Pennon intended to use the £3.7 billion net cash proceeds from the sale to reduce borrowings and make shareholder returns while retaining funds for operational excellence and growth in the UK water industry. The valuation represented an EV/EBITDA multiple of 18.5x, reflecting KKR's acquisition of a mature platform with significant recycling and waste management operations across the UK and Denmark.

Viridor acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
10 Jan 2020PE buyout$5.3B7.2x18.5x

Viridor Valuation

Viridor is currently valued at $9.3B, based on its secondary sale in December 2025.

Viridor valuation by funding round

Viridor valuation by funding round
DateStageValuationRevenue Multiple
Dec 2025Secondary$9.3B12.1x

Viridor Revenue

Viridor's latest recorded revenue is $771M, as of its secondary sale in December 2025. At a $9.3B valuation, that implies a 12.1x revenue multiple.

Viridor revenue by funding round

Viridor revenue and valuation multiple by funding round
DateRevenue *ValuationRevenue MultipleStage
Dec 2025$771M$9.3B12.1xSecondary

* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.

Viridor Funding History

Viridor has 1 recorded secondary share sale and no primary funding rounds.

Viridor funding rounds
DateStageValuationDeal Summary
Dec 2025Secondary$9.3BViridor is the UK’s leading operator of Energy-from-Waste facilities, managing 12 EfW plants that process over 3.5 million tonnes of waste annually and generate more than 2,100 GWh of energy, powering nearly 800,000 homes. The company aims to become the UK’s first carbon positive waste management firm by 2045. On December 22, 2025, infrastructure investor Equitix signed an agreement to acquire a substantial minority stake in Viridor Group from KKR, with a path to increase ownership to up to 50%. This transaction builds on Equitix’s existing 35% stake in Viridor’s energy division and follows its prior investments, including a 20% stake acquired in 2021 and an increase to 35% in 2023. KKR, which acquired Viridor in 2020 at an enterprise value of £4.2 billion, targeted a £7 billion valuation including debt for this partial exit, with Equitix’s proposal offering the highest valuation among bidders. Viridor provides waste recycling services to local authorities and has transformed under KKR’s five-year ownership into a sector leader with best-in-class operations, a pioneering carbon capture and storage program, and an ambitious EfW development pipeline. The deal supports Viridor’s long-term growth strategy alongside continued partnerships with KKR and Equitix.

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Acquisitions by Viridor

Viridor has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by Viridor was on February 28th 2023. Viridor acquired Quantafuel for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Viridor

Quantafuel
Description
Quantafuel is a Norwegian chemical recycling company that converts mixed plastic waste into low-carbon synthetic oil products and feedstock for new plastics. Headquartered in Oslo, it operated a demonstration plant in Skive, Denmark and developed pyrolysis and purification technology with industrial partners. The company generates revenue from sales of recycled hydrocarbon products and from technology and plant development projects.
HQ CountryNorway
HQ City
Oslo
Deal Date28 Feb 2023
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Viridor Competitors

Viridor competitors include listed companies like Zurn Elkay, Canmax Technologies, Umicore and Grupo FCC, and private ones like Redwood Materials and FCC Medio Ambiente.

Public and private companies comparable to Viridor
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Zurn ElkayUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1.7B$374M$7.6B4.3x
Canmax TechnologiesChinaChinaPublicly listed$1.1B$162M$6.5B3.4x
UmicoreBelgiumBelgiumPublicly listed$22B$1.3B$6.1B1.8x
Redwood MaterialsUnited StatesCarson City, NVPrivate$200M-$6B30.0x
Grupo FCCSpainSpainPublicly listed$11B$1.5B$5.8B0.8x
FCC Medio AmbienteSpainMadridPrivate--$4.4B-

Viridor Public Comps

Viridor is no longer listed, but its public comps include Zurn Elkay, Canmax Technologies, Umicore, Grupo FCC, Casella, Kurita Water, GEM, Cleanaway, Clean Harbors and GFL Environmental.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Zurn Elkay$1.7B$374M4.6x4.3x20.8x15.9x
Canmax Technologies$1.1B$162M6.6x3.4x46.0x9.9x
Umicore$22B$1.3B0.4x1.8x5.9x7.0x
Grupo FCC$11B$1.5B0.9x0.8x6.7x5.5x
Casella$1.8B$369M3.8x3.5x19.1x15.2x
Kurita Water$2.6B$602M2.1x2.0x9.1x9.1x
GEM$5.5B$825M1.6x1.3x11.0x9.8x
Cleanaway$3.1B$520M1.9x2.1x11.3x9.1x

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Common questions about Viridor

When was Viridor founded?Viridor was founded in 1956.
Where is Viridor headquartered?Viridor is headquartered in United Kingdom.
Is Viridor publicly listed?No, Viridor was acquired by KKR in January 2020.
Who acquired Viridor?Viridor was acquired by KKR in January 2020.
How much was Viridor acquired for?Viridor was acquired for $5.3B in January 2020, a 7.2x revenue multiple.
What is Viridor's valuation?Viridor was last valued at $9.3B in its secondary sale in December 2025.
What is Viridor's revenue?Viridor's latest recorded revenue is $771M (December 2025).
What is Viridor's revenue multiple?Viridor's latest valuation implies a 12.1x revenue multiple ($9.3B valuation on $771M of revenue).
Which companies are comparable to Viridor?Companies comparable to Viridor include Zurn Elkay, Canmax Technologies, Umicore, Redwood Materials, Grupo FCC and FCC Medio Ambiente.
How many companies has Viridor acquired?Viridor has acquired 1 company, including Quantafuel.

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