AMC V SCA SICAV-RAIF, advised by Accession Capital Partners (ACP), has partnered with INVENIO Partners, a Southeast Europe-focused private equity firm, to carve out the vocational education division of LINK Group, a leading professional education business in Southeastern Europe. This marks ACP’s third investment from its Fund V, which launched earlier this year.
LINK’s vocational division has been providing successful education for over two decades and enjoys a market-leading position in the B2C segment in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, and Moldova. The company educates over 6,000 students annually, online and in classrooms, across numerous countries through its IT Academy, Internet Academy, and Business Academy. LINK is deeply committed to equality and inclusion, offering not only complimentary seminars open to all on Saturdays but also providing free courses for people with physical disabilities. Furthermore, LINK donates hundreds of online courses to individuals in need, enhancing their employability and supporting their professional growth. These initiatives underscore LINK’s dedication to connecting unemployed individuals with employers through in-person events and online, fostering a more inclusive and empowered society.
ACP and INVENIO will support LINK’s leadership team to expand the company’s geographic footprint. Alongside this, the company’s product offering will be further developed to serve the constantly growing need for upskilling of young professionals while introducing new programmes to meet the dynamic requirements of the B2B segment.
Marko Mitrovic, Head of Western Balkans at ACP, said: “We are very impressed with what the LINK team have achieved and can see it has further to go. We believe this investment and our partnership with INVENIO will help LINK become the leading provider of IT and business professional education in Southeastern Europe and we look forward to working together on this journey.”
Tihomir Dyankov, CIO and Partner at INVENIO Partners, said: “This strategic collaboration underscores our commitment to driving growth and innovation in the professional training sector. The traction the three academies have established over the years is a testament to the expertise of their staff as well as the quality of the provided courses.”
ACP were advised by Schoenherr and Norton Rose Fulbright. INVENIO were advised by BDK Advokati and Dentons Réczicza Law Firm. The financial and tax analysis was led by KPMG Serbia. Deloitte Serbia provided legal, financial and tax advice to Link Group.
Accession Capital Partners (ACP), formerly known as Mezzanine Management, is investing from its fifth fund AMC V SCA SICAV-RAIF which launched earlier this year.
ACP has been operating in Central and Eastern Europe since 2000 through its offices in Vienna, Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague. To date, the group has raised commitments of more than €1.1bn in five dedicated growth capital funds. The funds are backed by reputable institutional investors, including the European Investment Fund, the International Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a number of banks, funds of funds, pension funds and insurance companies from Europe, the US and Asia.
For further information, please contact:
Christian Stix, Head of Investor Relations
tel.: +43 1 532 89 9019
INVENIO Partners manages a private equity and growth equity fund INVENIO Partners Fund II SCSP focused on investments in Southeast Europe. INVENIO Partners has experience in promoting and helping companies realize their full potential and enhance their performance by providing growth capital, strategic guidance, and operating support to strong management teams. INVENIO Partners discovers companies with a solid track record and potential for a leadership position in their respective industry with competitive business models and an experienced management team. The fund is supported by the European Investment Fund as its anchor investor, while also bringing onboard multiple reputable investors, including among others two of the leading pension fund managers in Bulgaria.
For further information, please contact:
Tihomir Dyankov, Chief Investment Officer