Central and Eastern Europe private equity investment hits record high
Private equity investment in Central and Eastern Europe saw a year-on-year increase of 113 per cent and hit a record high of €3.6bn (£3.23bn) last year.
European investors from outside the region provided 38 per cent of the capital raised, and global backing, driven by US investors, contributed 26 per cent, research by Invest Europe revealed.
The growth underlines a trend across Europe as the total amount of investment increased year on year to €71.7bn – the second highest level on record.
Enterprise Investors managing partner Robert Manz said: "International investors are drawn to the region's attractive economic growth, strong consumer spending and private equity fund managers with proven ability to identify high-growth investment opportunities."
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Two private equity backed business that emerged from the region are Czech cyber security company Avast software, which listed in May, and Polish food store chain Dino Polska, which expanded to 630 stores before its IPO last year.
"Record levels of private equity and venture capital investment into companies across Central and Eastern Europe are helping to create regional and global success stories," Manz added.
Three quarters of the record investment was in the consumer goods and services sector while technology while technology followed at 11 per cent.
Polish companies took 71 per cent of the total capital followed by firms in Romania, Hungary and Latvia respectively.
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