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bne Invest
March 1, 2019 www.intellinews.com I Page 13
Russia’s Sberbank may acquire or refinance Rambler’s debt
bne IntelliNews
Russia’s state-owned retail bank Sberbank is in talks to buy news and media group Rambler, although the rumors were denied by Sberbank and Rambler.
According to another leak, Sberbank may refi- nance Rambler’s loan at Trust, the government’s new “bad bank” that it took over in September 2017 mini-banking crisis.
Rambler Group includes internet holding Rambler & Co (Rambler.ru, Lenta.ru, Gazeta.ru, events magazine Afisha and others), the largest cinema chains in Russia – Cinema Park and Formula Kino (every 7th cinema in the country) and online cinema Okko (~17% market share and RUB1.38bn ($21mn) revenue in 2017).
“There are no financials for the group, so hard
to estimate the business. [Russian financier] Alexander Mamut acquired 50% of Rambler in 2017 for $295mn, executing an option agreement with [Norisk Nickel owner] Vladimir Potanin concluded in 2013,” BCS said in a note.
“Rambler is a relatively small business, but we do not see much strategic synergy in the acquistion. Refinancing loans at Trust bank could be negative for company, as bank consolidates bad debt,” BCS Global Markets said in a note.
bne:Tech
May, 2018 www.intellinews.com @bneintellinews
Avast to enter London bourse in bid to raise up to $1bn Jaroslav Hroch in Prague
Avast, which owns the popular consumer antivirus company AVG, will apply to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange in the hope of raising $200mn (CZK4.1bn) in primary proceeds from an IPO, the Czech-founded company announced on April 12.
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St Petersburg's start-up scene flourishes on high talent and low costs
Contents
Avast to enter London bourse
in bid to raise up to $1bn 1 Avast to enter London bourse in bid to raise up to $1bn 2 St Petersburg's start-up scene
flourishes on high talent and low costs 3 Romania entrepreneur aims to put home-grown UAV defence technology industry on the map 6
FinTech
Russia's mobile major MTS increases stake in Ozon to 16.7% 9
Blockchain
Romanian startups at the heart
of blockchain energy trading rally 10
Central Europe
Russian-Lithuanian startup Gosu.ai
raises $1.9mn from Russian and
French investors 13
Eurasia
Iran hit by cyber attack that left US
flag on screens 14 Iranian government set to block hugely popular Telegram messaging app 15 Iran's black market phone disconnection drive pushes up legal mobile imports 15
Eastern Europe
Internet catches up with TV on Russian
ad market 17 Sales of connected appliances jump
in Russia 17 Russia's HeadHunter Group seeks
to raise $250mn with NASDAQ IPO 18 Russia ranks second in the world
for digital piracy 18 Russian messaging service Telegram raised another $850mn with ICO 19
Southeast Europe
Russia's HeadHunter Group seeks
to raise $250mn with NASDAQ IPO 20
The Regions This Month 21
Filip Brokes in St Petersburg
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