American investment firm General Atlantic joins the company of a very small number of foreign investors who have taken on Russian projects, with the recent announcement regarding the acquisition of a significant stake in Kaspersky Lab. General Atlantic has acquired a 20% stake in the company for an amount that could be as high as USD 200 million. With the completion of the transaction they will be the second-largest shareholder after CEO Eugene Kaspersky, who owns 50%.
Most of the shares acquired by General Atlantic came from Kaspersky co-founder and chairman Natalya Kaspersky. In an unrelated development, Kaspersky Lab says it’s planning an IPO within the next couple of years.
Kaspersky Lab (www.kaspersky.com)
Kaspersky Lab is one of the most well-known names in computer security and anti-virus software, having been an industry leader for more than 13 years.
On an international scale, Kaspersky is the number four producer of computer and IT security solutions in th world. Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro hold the top three spots respectively.
Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab employs more than 2,000 people. The company reported total net revenues in 2009 of USD 391 million.
General Atlantic (www.generalatlantic.com)
Established in 1980, General Atlantic is an international private equity firm specializing in providing investment capital for growth companies. The firm prides itself on bringing sector expertise to all their projects, with special attention given to business services, energy, financial services, healthcare, Internet and media, and emerging markets.
At present General Atlantic manages total assets near USD $17 billion. The company’s headquarters are located in Greenwich, CT, USA.
04/02/2011
Central & Eastern Europe, Internet, E-Commerce & E-Services, Investment, Private Equity News, Russia, Software & Information Technology, USA