Dragon Capital is a Ukrainian
investment management
Investment management is the professional asset management of various securities, including shareholdings, bonds, and other assets, such as real estate, to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of investors. Investors may be institut ...
company founded by
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
businessman and partners in 2000 in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
. It works in the sphere of financial services; provides a full range of investment banking and brokerage services, private investment, asset management for institutional, corporate and private clients.
In 2016-2020, Dragon Capital, together with its foreign partners, invested more than $600 million in real estate, of which more than $500 million are Kyiv and
Kyiv region
Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...
. The investment partner, among others, is the American financier, stock market investor
George Soros
George Soros ( name written in eastern order), (born György Schwartz, August 12, 1930) is a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist. , he had a net worth of US$8.6 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated mo ...
.
The company sells
war bonds
War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are a ...
of Ukraine.
History
The company was founded by Tomas Fiala in cooperation with partners in 2000 in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
.
In 2007-2017,
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
, one of the world's largest banks, owned a minority stake in Dragon Capital. In 2017 Dragon Capital bought back shares from Goldman Sachs although the latter acquired 25% stake in New Ukraine PE Holding Limited.
In 2008, Dragon Capital, together with East Capital Bering Ukraine Fund, acquired 70% of
Chumak's (food company) shares, but sold its stake in 2019.
In April 2017, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted a search at the company office. They were looking for Russian Stakhanovets software on employees' computers. Then, former Prime Minister
Volodymyr Groysman
Volodymyr Borysovych Groysman, sometimes transliterated as Volodymyr Borysovych Hroisman ( uk, Володи́мир Бори́сович Гро́йсман; born 20 January 1978), is a Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukrain ...
backed the company.
In 2017–2019, it acquired a number of different commercial properties: Victoria Gardens shopping center (Lviv), Sky Park shopping mall (Vinnytsia), Eco Tower (
Zaporizhia
Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запоріжжя) or Zaporozhye (russian: Запорожье) is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It is the Capital city, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zapor ...
) business center, Horizon Park Business Center (Kyiv), Aladdin shopping mall (Kyiv), logistics centre Arctic (Kyiv), Smart Plaza Obolon shopping mall (Kyiv), West Gate Logistic (logistics complex).
In 2019, the company acquired a minority stake in
Ciklum
Ciklum is an international software development and IT outsourcing company founded in Denmark in 2002. It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
The company has software development centers and branch offices in the United Kingdom, Unite ...
(IT company).
In October 2019, it indirectly acquired the assets of Kyivska Rus Bank, namely an office building.
In December 2019, the company entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of
Idea Bank
Idea Bank Spółka Akcyjna (currently Bank Polska Kasa Opieki Spółka Akcyjna) (formerly GMAC Bank Polska SA) was a bank in Poland, which began operations in 1991 and was taken over by Bank Pekao, Bank Pekao SA on 3 January 2021 as a part of comp ...
and New Finance Service's shares for UAH 1.368 billion, but at the end of June 2020 terminated the agreement.
June 24, 2020 - Dragon Capital made a deal to acquire the Falby pharmaceutical logistics complex.
In 2020, Dragon Capital acquired a 6 floors building for the
Kyiv School of Economics
Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) is an undergraduate and graduate school of economics and management in Kyiv, Ukraine, founded in 1996 by the Economics Education and Research Consortium (EERC) and the Eurasia Foundation. KSE has an agreement with ...
.
September 22, 2020 - the company announced the construction of the E40 Industrial Park on the 27th kilometer of the Zhytomyr highway.
December 3, 2020 - Dragon Capital bought the Industrial Park in Riasne-2.
In 2021, Dragon Capital New Ukraine Fund LP, managed by Dragon Capital, has completed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Treeum, which includes the financial portals Finance.ua and Minfin.com.ua.
In April 2021, Dragon Capital acquired UnexBank.
In May 2021 owner
Olena Prytula
Olena Yuriivna Prytula ( uk, Олена Юріївна Притула; russian: Алёна Юрьевна Притула; born March 10, 1967) is a Ukrainian journalist, the former editor-in-chief, owner (and earlier co-founder) of the ''Ukrayi ...
sold 100% of the corporate rights of Ukrainian
online newspaper
An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical.
Going online created more opportunities for newspa ...
Ukrayinska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...
to Dragon Capital.
The parties agreed that the editorial policy of the newspaper would remain unchanged.
According to Dragon Capital the investment was "another step towards supporting
free media and
freedom of speech in Ukraine
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving one ...
."
[Tomasz Fiala became the new owner of Ukrainska Pravda]
Ukrayinska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...
(26 May 2021)
Europe Virgin Fund
In July 2010, Dragon Capital established a regional private equity fund, Europe Virgin Fund, which operates assets in Ukraine,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
and
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
. The fund has already attracted investments from the
EBRD
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is an international financial institution founded in 1991. As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies. Initially foc ...
, Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets,
Black Sea Trade and Development Bank
The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international financial institution serving the eleven member founding countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, a regional economic organization. It supports economic development an ...
, and other investors. During its existence, the Fund has invested in a number of pharmaceutical companies (Sperco Ukraine), consumer goods (Tissico Limited), marketing (PRIME Group), private security (VENBEST Group), etc.
Dragon Capital New Ukraine Fund
The fund was established in November 2015. Its anchor investors are Dragon Capital and the Ukrainian Redevelopment Fund, which is managed by
Soros Fund Management
Soros Fund Management, LLC is a private American investment management firm. It is currently structured as a family office, but formerly as a hedge fund. The firm was founded in 1970 by George Soros and, in 2010, was reported to be one of the mos ...
. The fund was created to invest in the
Ukrainian economy
The economy of Ukraine is an Emerging market, emerging, mixed economy located in Eastern Europe. It grew rapidly from 2000 until 2008 when the Great Recession began worldwide and 2008–2009 Ukrainian financial crisis, reached Ukraine. The econo ...
and provide financial and managerial support to companies to increase efficiency, modernize technology and ensure long-term growth.
New Ukraine PE Holding, which is part of the Dragon Capital group of companies and whose main shareholder is the Dragon Capital New Ukraine Fund, has completed the acquisition of the Prime and Eurasia business centers at PJSC BTA BANK. BC "Eurasia" and BC "Prime" - business centers of class A, located in the business center of Kyiv on the street. Zhylyanska. Their total area is 33,423 and 9,140,000 m2, respectively. "By entering the office real estate sector, we have diversified our investments and demonstrated faith in the further resumption of business activity in Ukraine," said Tomasz Fiala, CEO of Dragon Capital.
NV
In 2014, a weekly socio-political print magazine NV was created and subsequently a Ukrainian-Russian news website was launched too. In 2017, Dragon Capital acquired Radio Era which became the basis for newly launched Radio NV.
References
{{Reflist
Financial services companies established in 2000
Investment management companies of Ukraine