RTPR has assisted the private equity fund Innova Capital in relation to the acquisition of a majority stake in NETOPIA Group, one of the best known payment service providers (PSP) in Romania. The group also includes services provided by mobilPay Wallet, web2sms and Kartela. The transaction is subject to the Competition Council approval and the fulfilment of the conditions precedent agreed by the parties.

The project team was coordinated by Alina Stavaru (Partner), who was supported by Ana Maria Barbu (Senior Associate) for the transaction documents, and further included Cezara Urzica, Andrei Tosa (Managing Associates), Flavia Mincu, Filip Marinau, Maria Luca and Irina Marinescu (Junior Associates) for the due diligence process. Roxana Ionescu (Partner) and Serban Halmagean (Associate) will advise on the merger control notification of the transaction to the Competition Council.

“I am happy that we had the chance to work again with the Innova Capital team for a new important project. In the autumn of 2020, we were announcing the signing of the acquisition of PayPoint Services SRL and Payzone SA by Innova, one of the firsts deals that predicted the unfreezing of the M&A market in the context of the pandemic. Now we have made an excellent team once again for a new investment in a successful business. Thank you for your trust and we are ready for the next challenges”, said Alina Stavaru, Partner of RTPR.

The extensive experience of RTPR’s Corporate/M&A team in private equity deals and its client portfolio in this sector recommend the law firm as the first choice for private equity funds for their transactions in Romania. Last year, RTPR signed 26 M&A transactions, out of which 10 private equity deals. Legal 500, Chambers & Partners and IFLR1000, the most reputed international legal directories, rank RTPR’s Corporate/M&A practice in first tier in the annual rankings for the law firms in Romania, and the team’s lawyers are recommended as Leading Lawyers in individual rankings.

Selected private equity deals in which RTPR have recently advised are set out below:

• GreenGroup, a company in the portfolio of private equity fund Abris Capital Partners, on the acquisition of UAB Zalvaris, the largest industrial waste management company in Lithuania, as well as on the acquisition of UAB Ecso, a Lithuanian LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) recycling company
• Integral Venture Partners on its investment in Medima Health, a chain of medical clinics with a national presence, specialised in imaging and radiology
• Enterprise Investors on the sale of Noriel, the largest toys and games retailer in Romania, to Sunman Group
• Catalyst Romania on the acquisition of a minority stake in Evolution Prest Systems S.R.L., the company that owns the e-commerce website www.evoMAG.ro
• Dual role on the investment of the private equity fund Morphosis Capital in Cronos Med Group, leader in aesthetic medicine in Romania
• Sarmis Capital on the acquisition of a majority stake in Corporate Office Solutions (COS), the leading integrated office fit-out services provider in Romania
• Morphosis Capital and a consortium of investors from Belgium, on the acquisition of a majority stake in EMI Equipement Maintenance Industrie, market leader in industrial access systems
• Abris Capital Partners and GTS Global Intelligence S.A. on the acquisition of Knowledge Investment Group SRL, operating under the Lummetry.AI brand, a Romanian artificial intelligence business
• Oresa on the acquisition of logistics and industrial park Solo Iasi from Tester Group owned by Romanian businessman Bogdan Pitigoi
• Enterprise Investors on the sale of Profi supermarket chain to Mid Europa Partners, the largest deal ever completed by a private equity fund in Romania and the largest deal in the retail sector in the country’s history