J&T ARCH INVESTMENTS, a fund for qualified investors, has become an indirect minority shareholder in EMMA ALPHA HOLDING, the main investment platform of the EMMA CAPITAL group of Jiří Šmejc. Its shareholding will be 8.1%.
The investment of EUR 100 million (approximately CZK 2.5 billion) draws on a number of successful projects and the long-standing business relationship between the two groups. This marks the realization of a long-term ambition to expand mutual cooperation in the area of financing even into equity investments.
That ambition was made reality by the signing of an agreement between the Fund and MEF HOLDINGS LIMITED for an indirect minority investment in EMMA ALPHA HOLDING LIMITED. In addition to Jiří Šmejc, other key managers also hold minority stakes in the holding.
“At J&T level, we have a number of successful projects with EMMA CAPITAL. This investment is therefore fully in line with our philosophy to invest in partnerships built over many years. Moreover, EMMA ALPHA’s existing portfolio aptly enriches our fund’s diversification with stakes in privately owned companies, particularly in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Recently completed transactions and the historical track record of the EMMA Group give us confidence in the potential for attractive returns in the years to come,” says Adam Tomis, member of the Investment Committee of J&T ARCH.
Pavel Horák, Investment Director of EMMA CAPITAL, adds: “Bringing in an external investor is a step in a wholly new direction for us. We view this as a kind of exploration, one which may expose us to untapped opportunities for our further growth. At the same time, I believe that for many reasons J&T ARCH is the ideal partner for such a step.”
ABOUT EMMA CAPITAL:
EMMA Capital is a private investment holding founded in 2012 by Jiří Šmejc. In recent years, it has focused mainly on markets in the European Union, but it is present, too, in other markets within Europe and Asia. The holding usually plays an active role in the companies where it acquires an equity stake, participating in their management, development, and possible restructuring. Its investment priorities are retail and customer-oriented companies.