Capital Link Forum | Closed-End Funds and Global ETF Conference

Global Finance

GLOBAL FINANCE: an Established, Regional Leader

Global Finance is a leading private equity firm in South-Eastern Europe, with $900 million under management. Headquartered in Athens, it also has offices in Sofia and Bucharest. Founded in 1991, it pioneered private equity and venture capital in South-Eastern Europe. Over the past 16 years, it has established an excellent reputation and an exceptional investment track record.

Global Finance has an on-the-ground presence throughout the Region: Greece (since 1991), Bulgaria (1994) and Romania (1997). Through this long and firm commitment, it is now native, part of the local business tissue, with deep understanding and thorough knowledge of business cultures of the Region.
Since 1991, Global Finance has raised six private equity funds for the Region, from top-tier international and Greek investors. It has over 60 investments in the Region, demonstrating a solid track record, through both good times and bad.
It has a history of disciplined, "traditional-style" investing, through proactive origination, rigorous selection, patience in investing and holding and hands-on approach.
Global Finance provides more than access to capital and growth opportunities. It also provides access to the accumulated experience, extensive business network and resources of the most established private equity team in South-Eastern Europe.
The firm has a balanced management team: it is managed by 6 partners, all together for 5 years, 3 partners for over 10 years.

Global Finance is one of the European industry's most experienced firms having completed investments in 10 countries, in diverse economic and political environments. Representative companies in which Global Finance has invested in include:

Greece: Chipita, Germanos, Jumbo, Dodoni, Yioula, Nikas, NetMed, Eurodrip, Andromeda, ICAP
Bulgaria: United Milk Company, Familia, Mobiltel
Romania: Orange, Sicomed, Totalsoft, La Fourmi
Other countries: Temenos (Switzerland), Corporation Dermoaesthetica (Spain)

New South-Eastern Europe Fund to capitalize on Global Finance's Experience

Global Finance's most recent fund, South Eastern Europe Fund (SEEF) has had a successful first closing at �197 million in February 2006. Global Finance anticipates having a final closing by May 2007 to raise more than �300 million in total.

SEEF will primarily consider control investments and regional expansion opportunities supporting professional management teams in South-Eastern Europe (Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria). The Region is one of Europe's most dynamic areas, with fast growth, strong investment and presents outstanding opportunities, especially for "native" private equity firms. The funds were committed by a group of top-tier Greek and international institutional and private investors, including existing Global Finance investors as well as new ones. Strong investor interest confirms both the attractiveness of the region as well as Global Finance's performance record and reputation.

The new fund is a successor to Global Finance's two current funds, of similar combined size. It represents no major step-up in deal size or market targeted. Rather, it integrates current activity: same team, common operating approach, increasingly similar-type and similar-size opportunities across countries, synergistic origination effort. In addition, it enhances flexibility: in allocation (greater geographical area); choice (larger pool of opportunities); size (ability to mobilize larger amounts per transaction).

Dependable Absolute Performance, Superior Relative Performance

Since inception, Global Finance has returned 2.7 times the invested capital with an annualized return of 46% (based on its 46 realised & listed investments).Greek investments comfortably outperform the Athens stock market, for same timing of entry and exit. Investment outside Greece also compares favourably with other Central and Eastern Europe funds, as reported by the EBRD, the largest equity investor in the area.