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Serbian biscuit and confectionery producer
Unlocking a market-leading brand as a platform for domestic and export expansion
| COUNTRY |
Serbia |
RETURN | 4.5x |
| GP | Mid Europa Partners | GROWTH | +28% EBITDA |
| INVESTMENT | EUR 51 million (with LP co-invest.) | ||
| SECTOR | Consumer food products | INVESTMENT TYPE | Buyout |
| INVESTMENT | April 2015 | FUND OWNERSHIP | 100% (incl. LP co-invest.) |
| EXIT | June 2019 | EXIT ROUTE | Trade sale |
Investment rationale
Prior to the investment, Bambi was a leading biscuit and confectionery producer with a well-recognized brand, Plazma, in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The company’s robust financial performance despite challenging economic conditions confirmed the strength of its business. Mid Europa Partners (MEP) saw the opportunity to refocus Bambi on its core advantages and leverage its market position for further growth.
Deal history and structure
Mid Europa Partners acquired Bambi together with two other companies (jointly Danube Foods Group, restructured and renamed Moji Brendovi Group post-investment). Bambi, listed on the Belgrade Stock Exchange, was controlled by Imlek, another listed company from the group. Mid Europa successfully tendered for the shares of Imlek and Bambi and then de-merged the companies. MEP and its LP co-investors invested EUR 51 million for 100% of Bambi.
In this section
Private Equity in CEE: Creating Value and Continued Growth
Invest Europe
The report offers an in-depth study of private equity’s role in innovation and economic development across Central and Eastern Europe through detailed case studies of companies backed by private equity investors during 2015-2019.