Page 11 - bne_Tech_11_2018

Investment
November 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 11
Almost fifty percent of French Le Nouveau Monde sold to Czech media investor
French banker Matthieu Pigasse, co-owner of the French Le Monde, has sold 49% of shares in Le Nouveau Monde holding to Czech Media Invest (CMI) of Czech investor and billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, reported AFP, with reference to the management, on October 25.
The news on possible ownership changes in
a traditional French daily has raised concerns about its independence and future. Its manage- ment announced on October 25 that any changes will be made only with the agreement of editors, employees and other shareholders. Each of the parties will have a right to veto.
At the meeting with the employees and editors,
Pigasse said that the sale had been made already “a few days ago”. He stressed that Kretinsky
will be a minority shareholder and will not have control over the newspaper.
Kretinsky’s CMI also bought the French weekly Marianne this year and is about to finish an acquisition of the Lagardere Group media group.
According to Forbes, Kretinsky is the fifth richest Czech (with assets worth CZK59bn), just behind the owner of investment group PPF Petr Kellner, Prime Minister Andrej Babis, betting company Sazka Group owner Karel Komarek and real- estate magnate Radovan Vitek.
Russia's Alfa Bank invests in fintech fund Corviglia Capital
One of Russia's largest private banks Alfa Bank became the anchor investor of fintech fund Cor- viglia Capital with over $500mn, the CEO of the bank Vladimir Verkhoshinskiy told Reuters on October 22.
Reportedly the fund will invest $10mn-50mn in fintech projects for up to five years, planning to invest a total $250mn in the first three years of
operations. The Luxembourg-based fund will be ran by the former chair of Alfa Bank Petr Smith.
Reuters reminds that currently the leaders on Russian fintech investment market are state behemoth Sberbank and private Tinkoff Bank of Tinkov Credit Systems (TCS). The two banks have recently made the headlines on development of remote biometric identification systems.