Genesis Private Equity Fund III (GPEF III), which was launched last year, announces its latest investment. The Fund acquires a 47% share in POS Media Group, a provider of point-of-sale advertising and in-store communications solutions. The main partners of the Group include leading retail chains in several countries across Central and Eastern Europe. Following the acquisition of a majority stake in the pharmaceutical company QUINTA-ANALYTICA, POS Media Group represents the second investment of GPEF III, which has a total of over EUR 80 million in committed capital for investments into small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Austria.
POS Media Group was established in Prague in 1998 as an indoor media agency. Since its establishment, the Company has been growing continuously, and today, together with its several foreign subsidiaries, is one of the largest European firms offering point-of-sale media solutions in large regional retail chains.
„POS Media Group is a highly dynamic company with a leading market position, and it has further ambitions for growth,“ says Jan Tauber, Managing Partner of Genesis Capital, the Genesis funds’ adviser. „We see great potential in this industry. Research shows that the vast majority of purchasing decisions takes place directly in the stores, at the point of purchase. Therefore, point-of-sale advertisement, which POS Media Group provides, is an increasingly effective tool of marketing communication, and we expect there will be a growing demand for it. In addition, we fully appreciate the high quality management of POS Media Group, as generally this is one of the most important criteria in our decision-making process.“
Shortly after its establishment in the Czech Republic, POS Media Group (still under the former name IMIGe) expanded to the neighbouring countries in the region – Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. After several years, the Company set up further subsidiaries in Russia and Ukraine. Today, with its regional presence in six countries, POS Media Group operates as a preferred partner of several European retail chains such as Tesco, which has cooperated with POS Media Group for more than fourteen years. Other major partners include retail chains such as Ahold, Kaufland and leading Russian retailers Magnit and Lenta. The primary demand for point-of-sale advertisement in large retail stores comes from major global FMCG brands such as Unilever, Nestlé, Danone and Coca Cola.
GPEF III acquired a 47% share in POS Media Group, while the controlling share remains in the ownership of the founder, majority owner and CEO of the Company, Mr Richard van het Bolscher. The remaining shares will be held by the Group’s top management. The corporate leadership is not changing with the entry of GPEF III. Deloitte and Kinstellar advised GPEF III during the transaction.
„Our strategy for the foreseeable future is based on organic growth, both by the means of expansion of our current portfolio of products and services, as well as via potential entry into new markets,“ says Richard van het Bolscher, CEO of the Group, while adding that it is the entry of a financial partner like GPEF III that enables the growth. „We keep developing new products and services, because the industry is continuously evolving. It is crucial to keep pace with the new technologies and trends.“
POS Media Group was founded in Prague in 1998 as IMIGe (International Media Ideas Group), initially focusing on indoor media concepts. Later, the Company reoriented towards retail and in-store media in retail chains, dynamically expanding and establishing new subsidiaries in Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.
Today, POS Media Group offers a wide range of products and services in the area of point of sale advertisement in large retail chains, complemented by marketing solutions in the form of trade promotion, sampling, merchandising, mystery shopping, digital solutions, surveys and complex advisory services. The Company is active in six countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Group’s most important partners include retail chains such as Tesco (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland), Ahold, SPAR and the leading Russian retailers Magnit and Lenta. The Company’s clients include primarily major FMCG brands such as Unilever, Nestlé, Danone and Coca Cola, who purchase point-of-sale media solutions and related services from POS Media Group. In 2016, sales of POS Media Group reached EUR 29 million. The Company employs around 170 employees, while its database also includes several hundreds of external workers contracted for special events.
Please see more at www.posmedia.cz.