Three of the private equity industry's local heavyweights gathered in Warsaw last month to speak to Private Equity International about the region's prospects. Stanislaw Knaflewski of Enterprise Investors, Zbigniew Rekusz of Mid Europa, and Petr Rojicek of Alpha Associates explained how the industry is helping to drive the local economy out ofthe downturn. more
Three veterans of Central and Eastern European private equity recently gathered in Poland’s capital to assess the damage wrought by the crisis and consider how the industry now moves forward. more
Enterprise Investors managing partner Robert Manz – a 20-year veteran of private equity in Central and Eastern Europe – talks to Real Deals about the new economic reality, getting deals done in 2010 and the looming spectre of regulation. more
Few people know that two American business visionaries, John Birkelund and Robert Faris, have played a big role in economic changes in Poland. In 1990, they launched the Polish-American Enterprise Fund together and set up the Enterprise Investors company, becoming pioneers of the private equity sector in Poland. more
Enterprise Investors has started up a venture capital fund for small firms. Private equity firm Enterprise Investors (EI) has created its first venture capital fund, Enterprise Venture Fund I (EVF I) to finance the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. more
WARSAW – As a boy, Grzegorz Darlak played cowboys and Indians astride his make-believe horse - a rocket-shaped vacuum cleaner made by Polish company Zelmer SA. more
On May 1, the day that Poland became a member of the European Union, Great Britain opened its borders to Polish workers. It was a generous gesture, considering that the citizens of the 10 new member-nations will not have full free-movement rights until 2006. But it was also a harbinger of some uneasy alliances that are beginning to form within the newly expanded EU. more
"The emergence of the domestic stock exchange as an exit mechanism enriches the breadth of options and improves the prospects for mid-market buy-outs in Central Europe." more
Remarks by Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State, John Birkelund, PAEF Chairman of the Board and Ambassador William Taylor (excerpts). more
Jacek Siwicki. Manager of the largest venture capital group in the Central and Eastern Europe region. Since 1990 the funds have pumped US $600 million into the bloodstream of the Polish economy. They are now set to expand into the other CEE markets. more