Genesis Capital Announces First Closing of GPEF II at €40 Million

Genesis Capital, the Prague-based Czech private equity firm, recently announced the first closing of its new fund, Genesis Private Equity Fund II (GPEF II). The total size at first closing is €40 million, with the target size being €60 million. Several investors with a solid track record of activity in the Czech and Slovak Republics have come on board with GPEF II. These investors include Czech banking giant Česká spořitelna, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Belgian PE firm Gimv, and global commercial bank Landesbank Baden-Württemberg. Final closing of the fund is expected by the middle of next year.

GPEF II
GPEF II has been established to provide private equity funding to small and mid-sized companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The funding will be provided primarily as either growth capital or buyout funding, and will typically be anywhere from €2 million to €6 million per investment. The fund will focus on companies in a wide range of sectors with strong growth potential. Companies active in both domestic markets and exports will be considered. Industries GPEFII is particularly interested in include consumer goods, business & industrial services, energy, IT, manufacturing, media and retail.

Genesis Capital Ltd. (www.genesis.cz)
Genesis Capital was founded in 1999 to provide private equity funding in the Czech and Slovak markets. To date it is the only PE firm managing funds that are dedicated to the Czech and Slovak Markets and funded by international investors. The firm’s first two funds, which have since closed and been invested, represent 10 years of activity and nearly € 90 million worth of investments being managed by Genesis. The firm is currently managed by seven industry professionals and is based in Prague.