Calash is pleased to announce that it has strengthened its presence in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and European Union (EU) with the opening of a new office in Sofia, Bulgaria, to meet growing demand in the region for professional advisory services.
This on-the-ground presence in the EU will support the Calash team as it helps investors and companies to navigate an increasingly busy and complex M&A and investment environment. The CEE region has seen an uptick in deal activity and rapid growth in the renewables market, which, paired with a deepening talent pool of market and financial experts, has made the region an increasingly attractive location in which to operate.
Total disclosed private equity buyout value in the CEE region rose to €5.4 billion in 2023, an increase of 33% year-on-year, with total disclosed exit values in region soaring by 91% to €5.6bn, the second-highest annual exit total on recent record, according to data from ION Analytics. This comes amid a recent global resurgence in deal volumes, which has seen growth of 17% in 1H24 to €1.46 trillion.
The Calash team will be led by its CEE head Mario Petrov, and focus on providing due diligence, strategy and broader advisory services to investors and management teams, with a strong focus on cross-border M&A advisory.
Iain Gallow, Calash director, said: “Calash has worked extensively across the broader European market throughout its two-decade history, and is pleased to now have a centre of operations within the EU. Our work is increasingly sector agnostic and multinational, reflecting the value our clients place on Calash’s professionalism and ability to get to grips with complex markets and technologies.
We have already completed several advisory projects in Bulgaria and have a strong pipeline of upcoming work, which we are excited to now be able to execute from the beautiful surroundings of Sofia.”
Mario Petrov, Calash head of CEE, said: “Bulgaria and Central and Eastern Europe represents a region of high growth, with strong inbound and domestic investor interest into key sectors, such as renewable energy and TMT. Calash will leverage its deep experience of working with institutional investors to fill a gap in the local market for high-end and credible transaction due diligence and corporate advice.”
The Calash office is located in the heart of Sofia, where the team will be ideally placed to engage with the city’s advisory and investment community.
To find out more, or to discuss opportunities and transaction advice in the region, reach out to Mario.
