BC Partners

The telecommunications sector has found itself in a new cycle of acquisitions and mergers at the European level, as well as in Greece.

BC Partners on Monday announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the majority equity stake in Metropolitan College and IEK AKMI, two top education centers in Greece, for an undisclosed sum.

Under the terms of the agreement, Constantinos and Kalliopi Rodopoulou - the founders of the education group - will remain as shareholders and continue supporting the business.

BC Partners announced the sale of the majority stake in Pharmathen to the international private equity firm Partners Group. The transaction values ​​the company at 1.6 billion euros.

Pharmathen was founded in 1969 and was acquired by BC Partners in 2015 for 475 million euros and is now the leading European company in the field of drug administration technology, the announcement said.

The Managing Partner of BC Partners speaking to "Capital"

Nikos Stathopoulos is Managing Partner in the BC Partners fund, which is a majority shareholder in United Group, the company that acquired BTC in Bulgaria and the media group around NOVA TV. The London-based fund BC Partners manages assets worth more than 23 billion EUR in Europe and the US.

The deal for the acquisition of a 33% stake in Forthnet between the BC Partners investment group and the creditor banks of the Greek telecommunications company was all but sealed on Friday, with the only issue still pending being the bridge funding of 15 million euros from the British group to Forthnet for the period until the acquisition is approved by the competition authorities.

Forthnet's creditors have entered into exclusive negotiations with BC Partners, whose subsidiary, United Group, has offered to acquire the Greek telecommunication company. In addition to obtaining Forthnet's shares from its creditors, this will also entail taking on its obligations and financing the company until the completion of the agreement. It has asked for nothing from the banks.

Forthnet's creditor banks have received a second proposal for the acquisition of the troubled telecommunications service provider's loans.

The Balkan telecommunications and media company United Group, owned by BC Partners, has announced that it has agreed to acquire Bulgaria's leading telecommunications operator Vivacom, Reuters reported. The amount at which the transaction will be executed is not disclosed.

United Group's General Counsel, Steve Leroy, said nothing would change after the private equity firm BC Partners this week acquired a majority stake in the largest alternative pay-TV company in former Yugoslavia.

"The future plans for the companies within the group, including the N1 news network, will not change," Leroy told BIRN.

A private equity firm, BC Partners, is to take over majority ownership of Serbia's largest cable company, United Group, from the US-based equity firm, KKR, which will downgrade to minority owner, BC Partners and KKR announced jointly on Thursday. 

"BC Partners is the final buyer of KKR's stake," BC Partners told BIRN on Thursday.