The new group plans to position itself among Czech ICT market leaders VYDIS, a leading Czech supplier of ICT solutions, made significant progress in its plan to become one of the most significant players on the market. VYDIS has successfully completed the acquisition of CESA and ŠINDY, thereby significantly expanding the scope of the services offered by the newly formed group. Both acquisitions, which will serve as a springboard for further expansion on the domestic market for VYDIS, have been planned since 2010, when the private equity fund GPEF II managed by Genesis Capital became the majority owner of VYDIS.
VYDIS acquired one hundred percent of the shares in CESA and ŠINDY by purchasing them from their founders and owners. For VYDIS, the acquisition of CESA means primarily the addition of ICT infrastructure installation and servicing, instrumentation and control, as well as HW/SW service integration. By purchasing ŠINDY, VYDIS, focused thus far primarily on the construction in the telecommunications sector, deepens its offering in the area of the development and servicing of metallic networks and the outsourcing of related services. In this segment, ŠINDY enjoys a strong position thanks to its long-term partnership with Telefónica Czech Republic. All three companies presently employ approximately 330 people and their annual cumulative sales amount to about 500 million Czech crowns.
“Both acquisitions, CESA and ŠINDY, supplement the current focus of VYDIS, opening up room for acquisition of new contracts and thereby further strengthening the market position of the entire group,” said Radan Hanzl, member of the Management Board of VYDIS and a partner of Genesis Capital. According to him, the sound financial situation of the two companies also played an important role in their acquisition, as did the experience of their management teams. “Furthermore, the entire group will benefit from the synergies that will result in cost reductions,” added Hanzl.
“The acquisitions of CESA and ŠINDY relate to the capital entry of Genesis Capital into VYDIS almost two years ago. It opened the way for our company to develop into a modern, dynamic, effective, and professionally managed group,” said Petr Kysučan, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of VYDIS a.s.
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VYDIS a.s.
VYDIS a.s. has operated on the Czech and Slovak markets since 1994. It is a leading domestic supplier of comprehensive ICT solutions and products, optic and metallic network design and development, and measuring systems and software. It is also an authorized partner of several international producers of measuring equipment and ICT products. VYDIS works for the most discerning clients from among operators and technology companies, major developers, construction companies, design organizations, and firms of architects, as well as for public administrative authorities and municipalities. In recent years, VYDIS has noted a significant increase in its headcount and revenue. In 2010, it had 90 employees and revenues of CZK 209 mil.
CESA a.s.
The Pardubice-based company CESA a.s. was established in December 1990. It focuses on comprehensive deliveries of communication systems, LAN computer networks, WAN, including active network elements, economic information systems for the sphere of finance, logistics, and production management, including e-business solutions, EZS, EPS, CCTV, and BIS systems and equipment for wireless data transmission. CESA also develops systems for automatic energy management in industry, the management of technology and technological processes in buildings, and data transmission security systems, and it engages in other activities in the sphere of information technologies. Its systems have earned several prestigious awards, including Czech Made, the MSV Gold Medal in 93, and the Economia Hospodářské noviny award for the product of the year. Presently, CESA has 60 employees and its revenues in 2010 amounted to 125 million crowns.
ŠINDY, spol. s r.o.
ŠINDY, spol. s r.o., was established in Liberec in 1997 by Lubomír Šindelář and Vítězslav Šindelář, who continue working at the company. Since its establishment, ŠINDY has focused primarily on the development and servicing of cable routes and networks, and it can cover any area with cable lines on the basis of broadband coaxial and optic or metallic networks. Its main client is Telefónica Czech Republic, to which it provides service outsourcing. Presently, ŠINDY’s registered seat is in Prague and it has a branch in Liberec. In the 2010 financial year, it had revenues of 120 million crowns and employed more than 130 people.
Genesis Capital
For more than ten years, Genesis Capital has been offering financing to small and midsize companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to support their growth and development. Via its private equity funds, Genesis Capital has already supported more than twenty dynamic Czech and Slovak businesses, many of which have become cutting edge in their chosen field, thanks to their relationship with Genesis Capital. In total, Genesis Capital has provided more than 2 billion Czech crowns in growth capital for companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Since its inception in 1999, Genesis Capital has managed three private equity funds with a total volume of almost € 100 million. The first two funds have already fully committed their capital. At present, Genesis Private Equity Fund II, with a volume of € 40 million, is open and available to finance prospective investments. The companies into which Genesis Capital has invested include AB Facility, pietro filipi, CCS, ETARGET, Gumotex, Energetické strojírny Brno, Roltechnik, Profimedia, Vydis, GTH CATERING, and others.
In the present environment, marked by difficult access to standard bank financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, Genesis Capital funds provide an advantageous alternative for acquiring the required capital for companies with growth potential; the funds also focus on buy-out financing. Their investors include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Česká spořitelna, the Belgian investment company Gimv or the Finnish investment company eQ Private Equity.