Awards
The proposed nominees are listed in the six categories: Private Equity Investment of the Year, Venture Capital Investment of the Year, Founder of the Year, Investor of the Year, Exit of the Year and Fundraising of the Year. The Award Committee Members will decide on the final nominees and on the final awards criteria. Join the BestInvest conference and learn who are this year’s winners.
Private Equity Investment of the Year (2019&2020)
Venture Capital Investment of the Year (2019&2020)
Exit of the Year (2019&2020)
In November 2020, Prosperus Invest successfully realised the exit from its investment in Dalamacija hoteli, operating under the Aminess brand as the majority shareholder of Korcula hotels and Orebic hotels.
This exit strategy was realised through a trade sale to the strategic partner, Laguna Novigrad, under the ownership of Auctor Holding, a joint partnership of Oleg Uskokovic and J&T Private Equity Group Croatia Investmenst from Prague.
The realisation of this exit strategy is part of the fund investment cycle since Prosperus FGS is nearing the end of its term and has a mandate and a responsabiliy to exit all of its investments. Laguna Novigrad will continue developing Dalmacija hoteli to develop them in one of the leading Croatian hotel groups.
Mezzanine Management operates for more than 20 years as the leading mezzanine investor in the CEE region and has recently rebranded Accession Capital Partners (ACP). During the 18-month investment period, Optimapharma significantly scaled up the operations by completing three strategic acquisitions in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Austria, and thereby becoming the leading European company for clinical research trials.
In May 2020, Mezzanine Management successfully exited its investment in Optimapharm, the leading European biotech company specialized in clinical research trials, through a sale to the US-based private equity fund operating under the Rohatyn Group. Mezzanine Management invested in Optimapharm through its fund AMC Capital IV, and EUR 10 million investment comprised of both mezzanine facility and minority ownership stake.
Fundraising of the Year (2019&2020)
• Fil Rouge Capital (FRC) completed the first closing in April 2019 under the the Croatian Venture Capital Initiative (CVCi). CVCi was launched by the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the EIF to accelerate the development of the Croatian venture capital market. FRC has been one of the most active VC investors in the region successfully deploying capital in over 50 Croatian companies and supporting the Croatian startup ecosystem.
• Invera Equity Parters completed the first closing in July 2020 with cornerstone investors including both EIF and EBRD. Although Invera Equity Partners is the first time PE fund team, they are well known and established in the region coming IMAP SEE (ex Ascendant Capital).
• Invera is looking to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises and small- and mid-caps while holding majority positions in prospective portfolio companies.
• Prosperus Invest has successfully completed the first closing for their third fund, Prosperus Growth, in December 2020, fundraising EUR 51 million for investment in the Croatian growth companies under the CROGIP programme co-sponsored by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR).
• This is Prosperus Invest’s third fund, and their investors in the previous two funds continued to support them in their third fund.
• Provectus Capital has successfully completed the first closing for their first fund, Adriatic Structured Equity, in September 2020 supported by the CROGIP programme co-sponsored by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR).
• Target final closing for the fund is EUR 100 million. The fund has made first two investments in 2021 in Keindl Sport and Dental Polyclinic Arena.
Founder of the Year (2019&2020)
Investor of the Year (2019&2020)
• Enterprise Investors is the oldest and one of the largest private equity funds in CEE, active since 1990 and raising nine funds with total findraised capital exceeding EUR 2.5 billion. Enterprise Investors invested EUR 2.billion in 147 companies, exited 135 realizing the total gross proceeds of EUR 4.2.
• Enterprise Investors acquired 2 Croatian companies: retail chain Studenac and chain of bakeries Pan-Pek, as well as Intersport operating in Slovenia and Croatia.Enterprise Investors is the oldest and one of the largest private equity funds in CEE, active since 1990 and raising nine funds with total findraised capital exceeding EUR 2.5 billion. Enterprise Investors invested EUR 2.billion in 147 companies, exited 135 realizing the total gross proceeds of EUR 4.2.
• Enterprise Investors acquired 2 Croatian companies: retail chain Studenac and chain of bakeries Pan-Pek, as well as Intersport operating in Slovenia and Croatia.
• Mid Europa is is a leading buyout investor focused on the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe with over EUR 5.3 billion of funds raised and managed since inception.
• Mid Europa Partners made 3 investments so far in Croatia: minority stake in M+Grupa and majority stake in chain of bakeries Mlinar, as well as Calucem in 2005.
