Brussels, 07 July 2010 - Private equity and venture capital firms have invested at a steady rate in companies located in Europe’s Central and Eastern European states (“CEE”) throughout the credit crunch, according to EVCA ‘s special paper Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2009 based on data collected by PEREP_Analytics and edited by the EVCA Central & Eastern Europe Task Force.

In 2009, €2.5bn of private equity was invested in the region, a similar amount to the investment levels of 2008 and 2007. By contrast, in Europe as a whole, private equity investments in 2009 contracted 60% on the previous year. As a result, investment in CEE-based companies accounted for nearly 11% of total private equity investment across Europe in 2009, up from 5% in 2008.

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Warsaw Stock Exchange Road Show

Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) is visiting the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic in the mid of June 2010. This is to promote NewConnect - a new financing and trading platform organised by the WSE and launched on August 30, 2007.

NewConnect is a market for companies with a high growth potential which want to turn their innovation (products, services) into their advantage. NewConnect is already approaching its third year of operation. To date, nearly 150 debuted on NewConnect. The listed firms have managed to gain more than EUR 125 mln for their further development. NewConnect is intended not only for Polish but also for international companies.The market has already attracted two very innovative Czech companies and other firms from the Czech and Slovakia Republics are in their preparatory process to enter the market.

Road Show Program (EN) (PDF, 171 kB)

Road Show Program (SK) (PDF, 175 kB)

Road Show Program (CZ) (PDF, 173 kB)

NESsT Private Equity Shares Campaign

NESsT Private Equity Shares Campaign kicks off to support social enterprises in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE)

In 2008, the Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) private equity industry set a new fundraising record that we should all be proud of. We collectively raised €300,000 in the first Private Equity Shares campaign to benefit the important work of NESsT, a charitable organization that we believe is making an important contribution to the development of the social fabric of CEE.

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Conference: Are innovative financial tools required today?

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Private equity industry responds to EU institutions

Brussels, 25 February, 2009 - The European private equity and venture capital industry publishes its formal submission on its role in the European economy and the future oversight of the industry, prior to tomorrow’s European Commission conference on private equity in Brussels.

Download the full press release (PDF, 40 kB)

Private Equity and Venture Capital in the European Economy (PDF, 5.16 MB)
(An Industry Response to the European Parliament and the European Commission)

Private Equity Shares Campaign 2008

Private equity industry sets fundraising record for philanthropy in Central & Eastern Europe

Over 20 CEE private equity professionals, firms and their advisors have committed nearly €300,000 to the 2008 Private Equity Shares Campaign to benefit the work of international charity NESsT in supporting social enterprises across the region.

www.privateequityshares.org

Download Private Equity Shares CEE press release (PDF, 130 kB)

Benchmarking Tax and Legal Environments - 2008

At the EVCA Policy Meeting in Brussels on 8 October 2008, EVCA launched the fourth edition of its study "Benchmarking European Tax and Legal Environments", carried out for the second time in collaboration with KPMG.

For the first time this year, the study includes contributions from Cyprus and Lithuania, thus covering in all 27 European countries. Moreover, some variables have been added, while others have been removed, changed or further developed.

EVCA Benchmarking 2008 (PDF, 1.19 MB)

EVCA Benchmarking 2008 Executive Summary (PDF, 302 kB)

EVCA Benchmarking 2008 Press Release (PDF, 77 kB)

Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2007

An EVCA Special Paper - september 2008

This document provides the annual activity statistics for the private equity and venture capital market of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2007. Fundraising fully dedicated to the CEE region and investments into the portfolio companies based in CEE more than doubled in size compared to 2006.

Download the full report (PDF, 438 kB)

Private Equity Flows to Central and Eastern Europe

Double in twelve months, says new study

Private equity in Central and Eastern Europe is continuing to see an impressive growth trend which started in 2006, according to a report released today by EVCA and its Central and Eastern Europe Task Force based on PEREP_Analytics data. The region has now seen two years of significant increases in fundraising and investment and a widening interest by investors in more sectors and countries.

Download the full press release (PDF, 52 kB)

3rd Annual - Buyouts in CEE and SEE

Structuring rewarding regional deals in a time of credit uncertainty
Warsaw, Poland
4th & 5th September 2008

In our third year this successful marcus evans conference focuses completely on CEE & SEE buyout issues, with speakers from the region and also from leading global private equity firms the conference will provide valuable and varied insight into the decision making process behind buyout strategies. The subject of financing the buyouts in the region will be scrutinised so that private equity firms can find the most efficient methods to access capital in a volatile market. Moreover through a mixture of case studies and interactive panel discussions expert practitioners will explore and examine the challenges faced by local and global private equity firms when executing and exiting deals in the region.

Download informations (PDF, 461 kB)

Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2006

An EVCA Special Paper, October 2007

This document provides an update of annual activity statistics for the private equity and venture capital markets of Central and Eastern Europe in 2006. Similar statistics for 2005 and 2004, respectively, were published in EVCA’s Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2005 (November 2005) and Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2004 (October 2005). The statistics contained here are based on the "market" approach wherein EVCA compiles information to show activity in a particular country, rather than the "industry" approach that shows the activity of fund managers based in that country. EVCA believes this gives a more accurate picture of the overall investment trends and activities in the Central European markets due to the predominance of regional funds and fund managers.

Download CEE Statistics 2006 (PDF, 217 kB)

European Venture Contest 2007 - registrations

Slovca is an official partner of the European Venture Contest 2007. The European Venture Contest is a competition for innovative ventures with the potential and ambition to reshape their industry and grow their business internationally. Participation provides a unique occasion to efficiently access a broad pan-European network of strategic partners and investors. On top of that, you will receive pragmatic support in how to present your business to an international audience. For more information and to register please go to www.europeanventureinstitute.eu. A Selection Committee of renowned investors will evaluate your profile, the best companies will then be invited to present at one of the Pitching Sessions across Europe in September – October. Participation is free. You can only win by participating so register today!

Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2005

This document provides an update of annual activity statistics for the private equity and venture capital markets of Central and Eastern Europe in 2005. Similar statistics for 2004 and 2003, respectively, were published in EVCA´s Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2004 (October 2005) and Central and Eastern Europe Success Stories (October 2004). The statistics contained here are based on the "market" approach wherein EVCA compiles information to show activity in a particular country, rather than the "industry" approach that shows the activity of fund managers based in that country.

Download CEE Statistics 2005 (PDF, 358 kB)

February 2007 - Benchmarking European Tax and Legal Environments

Dear EVCA Member

The third Benchmarking European Tax and Legal Environments has been finalised and can now be downloaded here (PDF Format, 763 kB).

The publication of the 2006 Benchmark on European Tax and Legal Environments comes at an important junction for the European private equity and venture capital industry. Amid positive growth prospects for the industry, there are a number of national tax and legal issues which prevent this dynamic economic driver from providing its full positive impetus to the diverse national economies of Europe.

The third Benchmarking European Tax and Legal Environments enables comparisons to be drawn between tax and legal environments across 25 European countries, to the extent that they affect the development of private equity and venture capital and encourage entrepreneurial activity. The aim of the survey is to highlight national practices, and engender more efficient tax and legal frameworks across Europe, since fragmentation inhibits economic growth.

EVCA Benchmarking 2006 (PDF, 763 kB)

European Venture Contest 2006

The European Venture Contest is the only pan-European competition with an exclusive focus on top early stage technology ventures ready to reshape their industry and to conquer the global market.

Download brochure European Venture Contest 2006 (PDF, 761 kB)

EVCA Barometer April 2006

Headlines of the April 2006 issue include:

Asia - fierce competitor or friendly collaborator?
Euro Zone GDP growth forecast lowered for ´07, but improved for ´06
LIBOR continued to increase, closing at 3.23% at the end of March
3,186 European M&A deals worth €213bn have taken place in 2006 so far

download EVCA Barometer April 2006 (PDF, 195 kB)

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2 April 2006

NESsT Investors Circle, an initiative, which involved a series of events in Central Europe, Latin America, London and New York. The latest of these events took place in Budapest last week.
Press summary: http://www.nesst.org/venture_invitation.asp

Last issue of NESsT NEws - electronic newsletter:
http://www.nesst.org/documents/NESsTNewsISSUE15JulSept2005_001.pdf

EVCA Barometer March 2006

Headlines of the March 2006 issue include:

Rising awareness of private equity and its effects
European and US economy expected to cool down slightly in 2007
LIBOR continues upward trend, closing at 2.983% at the end of February
2,315 EU M&A deals, worth €159bn, in 2006 so far

download EVCA Barometer March 2006 (PDF, 176 kB)

>> Archive Copies

NESsT Convenes First Budapest Investors Circle for social enterprises (9 March 2006)

Gathered for a unique agenda, over 20 corporate and nonprofit leaders met at the first ever Hungarian NESsT Investors Circle to support social enterprises in Central Europe. Guests hailed from the Hungarian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (HVCA), ING Group, Keystone, KPMG, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P., Telekom, Ernst & Young, Europe Ltd, the Open Society Institute, and the Embassies of UK and Canada.

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Venture Capital Conference in Bratislava, January 2006

Conference took place on 31.1.2006 in Hotel Borik in Bratislava. More then 60 representatives of Slovak and international companies and institutions attended the event. The audience was presented latest news on the topic "Venture Capital in Europe and Slovakia".

More: http://www.austriantrade.sk/vc.zip

International Seminar "Venture Capital in Slovakia – Myth or Reality?"

On September 2005 an international seminar was held in Bratislava, organized by Association of Entrepreneurs, SLOVCA and NADSME Agency. The main goal of the workshop was to discuss the barriers and successes of venture capital and private equity industry in Slovakia. Lack of venture capital has been identified by the government of Slovak Republic as one of the barriers which may cause competitiveness of Slovak companies and thus became one of the priorities in the MINERVA program adopted by the Slovak government in 2005.

Private Equity & Venture Capital in Central & Eastern Europe (MS PowerPoint presentation, 347 kB)

The Private Equity Economic Impact (MS PowerPoint presentation, 837 kB)

Bala (MS PowerPoint presentation, 694 kB)

AB Facility (PDF, 74 kB)

For more information please write us slovca@slovca.sk

Private Equity Confidence Survey

Fund Managers´ Expectations for Private Equity in Central Europe

download Private Equity Confidence Survey - Results of Survey - September 2005 (PDF, 328 kB)

download Private Equity Confidence Survey - Results of Survey - March 2005 (PDF, 301 kB)

EVCA 2004 Benchmarking on European Tax and Legal Environments

EVCA published its second assessment of how favourable or unfavourable tax and legal environments in Europe are for the development of private equity and venture capital in Europe and for promoting entrepreneurship and competitiveness across Europe. 19 of the 25 European Union Member States were surveyed along with Norway and Switzerland. Of the recent accession countries, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic are included.

download EVCA 2004 Benchmarking (PDF, 1.55 MB)

Central and Eastern Europe Success Stories

EVCA is publishing this collection of success stories to raise awareness of the developing private equity industry in Central and Eastern Europe. Institutional investors that provide capital to private equity funds will be impressed with the number and diversity of successful investments presented here, and are encouraged to become more active in the region. Entrepreneurs will find role models and examples in this publication that may coincide with their own needs and ambitions, and should consider raising private equity financing from the region´s professional fund managers. Finally, Central and Eastern European policymakers and lawmakers will realise that private equity financing helps numerous companies across the region to develop and plays a key role in boosting regional economic growth.

download Central and Eastern Europe Success Stories (PDF, 1.31 MB)

Benchmarking Tax and Legal Environments - 2003

The 2003 study marked the first in a long-term initiative to identify where tax and legal measures can be improved to develop a truly European private equity and venture capital environment, favourable to equity investment in Europe’s entrepreneurial growth companies.

The objective was to produce a benchmarking tool, enabling comparisons to be drawn between European Union member states’ legal and tax frameworks, insofar as they affect the development of private equity and venture capital.

download EVCA 2003 Full Benchmark Paper (PDF, 1.22 MB)

SLOVAKIA Overview

During 2002, Slovakia continued its path towards a more economically viable, democratic and prosperous future. The September 2002 parliamentary elections confirmed the pro-reform orientation. With the continuation of the reforms and improvement of the investment climate it is expected that the private sector (especially manufacturing and services) will offer an increased number of attractive investments.

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download complete SLOVAKIA 2002 (PDF, 116 kB)