Bank supports Żabka Group’s IPO, signals confidence in company’s strong performance
By Nigina Mirbabaeva
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has reduced its equity stake in Polish convenience specialist Żabka Group. The Bank sold 9,656,885 shares as part of Żabka Group’s initial public offering (IPO) on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and retains a minority shareholding in the company.
The Bank became a shareholder in Żabka Group in 2017 alongside CVC Capital Partners, one of the leading private equity groups globally. Since then, Żabka Group has been on a path of sustainable and innovative growth.
The Bank is proud to have supported Żabka’s journey to its IPO as both a shareholder and provider of debt financing. The success of the company’s stock-exchange debut is evidence that the Polish market is an attractive investment destination for local and international investors. As a continuing shareholder, the EBRD remains confident in Żabka’s future prospects and will continue to support its development.
Żabka Group is the ultimate tech-powered convenience ecosystem, comprising Poland’s leading convenience retailer, with more than 10,500 stores operated under a franchise model, and newly launched store operations in Romania.
This is the latest IPO of an EBRD-supported company. The Bank is also a shareholder and major investor in many of its region’s leading food retailers, including Profi, Rohlik and Korzinka.
The EBRD is among the leading institutional investors in Poland. Since the start of its operations in there in 1991, the Bank has deployed almost €15 billion(US$16.2billion) in capital in the form of debt and equity in 544 projects across the country. Last year, the Bank deployed a record €1.3 billion in Poland.
