Last August, Genesis Capital announced the launch of the fourth fund focused on investments on Czech and Slovak SMEs – Genesis Private Equity Fund III (GPEF III). At First Closing, the fund had EUR 45 million at its disposal. Thanks to the considerable interest from investors, the size of commitments has recently passed the EUR 60 million mark (over CZK 1.6 billion). The Fund’s investors include Česká spořitelna, eQ Private Equity and the European Investment Fund, Genesis Capital's long-standing partners. They have been joined by Komerční banka's Investment Company (IKS KB), through which private individuals can invest into Czech and Slovak enterprises alongside their institutional counterparts, together with Kooperativa, Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna, and a local family office.
As a generalist private equity fund, GPEF III will invest into companies from all segments and sectors of economy, with the exception of real estate, arms industry, gambling, adult entertainment, and tobacco and liquor production. As its predecessors, GPEF III will provide growth capital, financing for acquisitions and management buyouts. In addition to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Fund’s geography will newly include Poland, Austria and Hungary.
"We believe that GPEF III will assist in growth of at least a dozen Czech and Slovak companies that will be interested in this type of equity financing," commented Jan Tauber, Managing Partner of Genesis Capital. "We want the new fund to replicate the outstanding performance and above-average returns of the preceding GPEF funds. For instance, the first GPEF fund, which was fully exited and liquidated in 2014, more than doubled the value of investors' initial investments during the 10 years of its existence."