The International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group has invested €40 million in Enterprise Fund IX, a private equity fund managed by Enterprise Investors, the institution said. Enterprise Fund IX will be able to provide the capital needed for development to medium-sized companies in Poland and other countries in the region, including Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.
The fund will invest in various sectors, with a focus on consumer products and services (retail and financial services), export manufacturing and information technology (IT), which are key to creating jobs and increasing the competitiveness of the region.
She informed that the IFC is looking at projects that take advantage of the geographical proximity of Poland and Ukraine.
IFC reported that in a survey of private equity firms in the region, 88% of respondents said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had a negative or significantly negative impact on fundraising.
“As a counter-cyclical investor, IFC delivers and mobilizes capital where it is most needed by making direct investments and partnering with ecosystem-key fund managers such as Enterprise Investors,” said IFC Central & Southern Europe Director Ary Naïm, quoted in message.
IFC’s portfolio of investments in Poland as of July 2023 amounts to USD 725 million.
The International Finance Corporation is one of the five organizations that make up the World Bank Group. It is the largest development institution dealing exclusively with the financial sector. Its activity is based not only on financing investments, but also on mobilizing capital and providing advice.