CapMan Russia made a first close worth EUR97 mln on its newly established CapMan Fund II late March. Nearly 3 per cent of that investment has been made in-house – by the investment team at CapMan Russia and by CapMan Plc – while the remaining has come from 10 other new and existing Limited Partners. The fund will… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Deals
AVentures Capital invests in network software developer nuPSYS
AVentures Capital has acquired a minority equity stake in nuPSYS, the world’s leading visual network software developer. AVentures Capital and nuPSYS, Inc, didn’t disclose the financial details of the Series A deal to the public. AVentures was the lead investor in the round, whereas nuPSYS is in talks with international investors to increase the size… Continue Reading
iTech Capital invested in Garpun
Russian ad tech startup Garpun which developed a box solution to provide digital agencies and corporate advertisers with a full set of tools for professional online ad management, has raised $3,5 million in its first round of funding. The round was led by Moscow-based iTech Capital PE & VC fund. The funds will be used… Continue Reading
Elbrus Capital buys into Russian B2B-Center
Russian Private Equity firm Elbrus Capital, that manages two funds with total assets of over US$ 600 million, has acquired a significant minority stake of 23 per cent in B2B-Center, the largest operator of an online procurement marketplace in Russia. The procurement platform will use the funds to expand its operations and fortify its current market position. B2B-Center… Continue Reading
Sberbank taking over Citi’s retail business in Turkey
By Andrei Skvarsky. DenizBank, a Turkish operation of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank, has clinched a deal to buy Citibank’s retail business in Turkey. DenizBank is taking over a network which, as of December 31, had gross assets and deposits that totalled 1.2bn Turkish lira (more than $650m) and 1.5bn lira (over $800m) respectively, more than… Continue Reading
Sberbank buying 12 Boeing 737 jets for leasing
Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has signed a $1b deal to buy 12 Next-Generation 737-800 airliners from Boeing to be supplied to Russian airline Transaero under Russia’s first-ever agreement on the operational leasing of imported aircraft. Sberbank will provide its operational leasing customers with “modern, world-class finance solutions”, the bank and the U.S. aircraft industry giant… Continue Reading
J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse named as IPO bookrunners for Russia’s Qiwi
Qiwi, the operator of one of Russia’s largest networks of electronic payment terminals, is considering an initial public offering of shares on NASDAQ in mid-2013 and has named J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse as the bookrunners, according to investment intelligence website Invest IQ. Qiwi, which has not disclosed its share pricing plans, would offer up… Continue Reading
Sberbank, China’s "Big Four" AgBank to do business together
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and Agricultural Bank of China (AgBank), one of the Asian country’s four largest state-owned commercial banks, have signed a memorandum of understanding pledging cooperation in a wide range of activities. {{{*}}} Trade financing and ruble and yuan settlements are some of the business lines covered by the memorandum, signed… Continue Reading
Prokhorov's Onexim completes buyout of Renaissance Capital
By Andrei Skvarsky. Onexim, a major Russian investment fund owned by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, has completed the buyout of Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital. {{{*}}} The transaction, launched in September 2012, makes Onexim the sole owner of RenCap, according to a statement from the two companies. All necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained except for that from… Continue Reading
EBRD invests US$ 24.3 million in Egyptian white goods manufacturer
The EBRD is launching its first project with an Egyptian owned company and is now actively providing support to the four reforming economies in the Middle East and North Africa. The EBRD is lending 150 million Egyptian pounds (US$ 24.3 million) to Universal Metallurgical Company S.A.E. to finance the completion of a plant that will… Continue Reading
Moscow Exchange launching T+2 deferred settlement scheme
By Andrei Skvarsky. The Moscow Exchange is launching on March 25 a T+2 settlement system, an arrangement where payment for securities that have been bought must be made no later than two business days after the transaction. {{{*}}} The exchange plans to simultaneously continue using its current T+0 immediate payment scheme until the end of… Continue Reading
Moorgate Capital advises on $243m buyout of packaging maker
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investment consultancy Moorgate Capital advised on a 160m-pound ($243m) buyout in the European {{{*}}} packaging products industry, Nicholas Mockett of the London-based advisory firm told EmergingMarkets.me. The transaction involved the sale of Contego Healthcare, a European manufacturer of cartons, leaflets, labels and foils for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, to Filtrona, a supplier of… Continue Reading
EBRD loan to restore and modernise steel production in Croatia
The EBRD is supporting the efforts to restart production at the steel factory in Sisak in central Croatia. The location has a long history of steel operations and has been a major employer. The Sisak Ironworks have been acquired by the Italian company Danieli and their steel company ABS, currently embarking on a restructuring and… Continue Reading
e-Baby commerce industry gets new investments in CEE region
In what can only be considered a boom to e-baby commerce, three independent investments have been made in companies that sell babies’ and children’s products in Europe. First, Russian VC ru-Net has invested USD 6 mln for a 25 per cent equity stake in Esky, a Russian portal that serves the young children’s market. Second investment comes in… Continue Reading
TA Ventures and Paradigm Investments participate in $2.5M Series A Round for prepaid card retailer IQcard
Paradigm Investments and TA Ventures have participated in Series A funding for IQcard, {{{*}}}} a pre-paid card operator in Russia according to Invest-IQ. IQcard is a Russian startup that allows people to purchase pre-paid cards for monetary transactions without the need to open a bank account. Founded in 2012 through the efforts of Fastlane Ventures, Direct Group and CEO Ekaterina… Continue Reading
White Square Office Centre in Moscow has a new owner
A consortium between leading developer AIG/Lincoln, Russian investment bank VTB Capital and global private investment firm {{{*}}} TPG Holdings (sellers) and the investment company O1 Properties, one of the largest owners and managers of a portfolio of high quality office properties in Moscow (purchaser), announce the completion of an investment transaction involving White Square, a… Continue Reading
Abris closes latest CEE fund on €450m
Abris has exceeded expectations to reach hard-cap for its Abris Capital Fund II {{{*}}} – despite no exits since the GP was founded in 2007. Abris Capital Partners has reached its hard-cap of €450m for a final close on its second fund targeting the CEE mid-market. A total of 21 investors came into the fund,… Continue Reading
Sberbank to lend PGP developer $218m for Moscow project
Sberbank CIB, the investment arm {{{*}}} of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank, plans to open a 10-year $218m credit line for the PGP developer to build a multi-functional shopping and entertainment centre in Moscow. The plan is sealed in a preliminary agreement signed during this week’s MIPIM international real estate show in Cannes, France, Sberbank CIB… Continue Reading
Sberbank lending $62m for two real estate projects in Krasnodar
Sberbank CIB, the investment arm {{{*}}} of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank, has pledged to provide a 10-year credit line of 1.9bn rubles ($62m) to Russian developer RAMO-M for two projects in Krasnodar in southern Russia. The loan deal was announced at this week’s MIPIM international real estate show in Cannes, France, where Sberbank CIB has sent… Continue Reading
Former Russian unit of Barclays hires investment banking chief
Moscow’s Expobank, the former Russian retail unit of British bank Barclays, has hired Nikita Riauzov, {{{*}}} an ex-top manager at Russian lender MDM, as head of corporate and investment banking. Riauzov spent nine and a half years at MDM, one of Russia’s largest private banks, first as head of corporate and investment business and then,… Continue Reading
Abraaj considering selling stake in Turkish health insurer Acibadem – Invest IQ
Abraaj Capital, the largest private equity firm in the Middle East, is considering the sale of its 50% stake in Turkish health insurer {{{*}}} Acibadem Sigorta, according to investment intelligence website Invest IQ. Last year Abraaj sold its stake in Acibadem Saglik, Turkey’s largest hospital chain, to Integrated Healthcare Holdings, a division of Malaysian government… Continue Reading
Elbrus Capital buys OSG Records Management from Aurora Russia
Elbrus Capital, Russian equity firm recently bought OSG Records Management from Aurora Russia. {{{*}}} The target company was acquired through a secondary buyout that puts its value at between USD25 and 50 mln. It is intended that the transaction will close in early March 2013, with Aurora Russia exiting the company nearly seven years after… Continue Reading
Dragon Capital invests in pharmaceutical company Sperco Ukraine
Europe Virgin Fund L.P. (‘EVF’), a private equity fund sponsored by Dragon Capital, has completed formation of a 50/50 joint venture {{{*}}} with Ucrafarma S.A., a Spanish pharmaceutical company. The partners have united their forces in Lux PHARMA Participations SA, a Luxembourg-based holding company, with Ucrafarma transferring various pharmaceutical assets including its 95% stake in… Continue Reading
Home Credit receives bids totalling $300m for Russian bonds
Home Credit, one of Europe’s leading retail lenders, has pulled off a highly successful securities project in Russia, {{{*}}} with a total of 9.4bn rubles ($300m) offered for bonds issued by its Russian subsidiary – more than three times their total par value. Sberbank CIB, the investment banking arm of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank, Raiffeisenbank… Continue Reading
RDIF, VEB, France’s CDC sign private equity promotion deal
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and VEB development bank and France’s Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC), {{{*}}} all of which are state institutions, have signed an agreement to boost private equity investment in the two countries. The deal – a memorandum of understanding – was signed in Moscow on February 28… Continue Reading
Clearstream link to Russian CSD goes live with custody fees halved
By Andrei Skvarsky. Clearstream, the clearing and settlement arm of German stock exchange Deutsche Boerse, has confirmed that its direct link to Russia’s new central securities depository {{{*}}} , the National Settlement Depository (NSD), is going live on February 28, and that it is cutting its custody fees for Russian OFZ sovereign bonds by up to… Continue Reading
EBRD intervenes to salvage Lithuania’s Ukio bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending 20m euros in co-funding an urgent effort to rescue Lithuania’s troubled Ukio bank, whose woes are seen as a threat to the Baltic country’s entire financial sector. {{{*}}} Under an agreement between Ukio’s administrator, the lender, headquartered in Lithuania’s second-largest city of Kaunas,… Continue Reading
Prostor Capital and Moscow Seed Fund invest in Car-Fin.ru project
Prostor Capital, the Russian VC fund, and Moscow Venture Investment Fund have invested {{{*}}} $400K in Car-Fin.ru project which is a service that allows you to compare different offers when choosing a car, to get credit and leasing online. Car-Fin team took part in the selection under the GTI Labs acceleration program, that is already supported by… Continue Reading
AVentures Capital invests in Ukrainian developer of technology for Google Glasses
AVentures Capital has acquired a 25% equity stake in Augmented Pixels, one of the world’s leading augmented reality technology developers. The deal closed on February 15, 2013. AVentures Capital and Augmented Pixels didn’t disclose the financial details of the Series A deal to the public. However, AVentures fund typically invests from $300,000 to $3 million… Continue Reading