Enterprise Investors acquires 32.4% of shares in Tahe Outdoors
Tallinn, 14 March 2014 — Enterprise Venture Fund I (EVF), the venture capital fund managed by Enterprise Investors (EI), has purchased 32.4% of shares in Tahe Outdoors, the leading European watersports company. The total value of the transaction was EUR 3.4 million.
Tahe Outdoors is a top manufacturing and distribution company in the field of high quality watersports equipment in Europe, with 25 years of experience. It offers a full range of kayaks, canoes, paddles and related accessories under five brands: Tahe Marine, Egalis, Zegul, Trapper and Beluga. The company has two factories in Estonia and one in France, and currently employs 90 people. Tahe Outdoors’ sales network covers more than 35 countries worldwide, including markets as exotic as Chile, Venezuela, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Martinique.
“The company is a growing and profitable business that is systematically gaining market share. It is already the biggest kayak supplier in Scandinavia – Europe’s most demanding market,” said Alek Wasiukiewicz, a vice president at Enterprise Investors, who is in charge of this investment. “Tahe’s modern production facility is one of the company’s many competitive advantages. Moreover, its production and transport cost structure as well as shorter delivery times give Tahe an advantage on the European market over Asian and American producers.”
“This partnership will safeguard the company’s strategy to become the European leader in watersports equipment,” commented Janek Pohla, president of Tahe Outdoors. “It confirms the quality of our value proposition, which we have built by developing our brands and modernizing our value chain. We will continue to introduce the industry’s newest materials and cutting-edge technologies.”
Enterprise Investors was advised by law firm Tark Grunte Sutkiene, and Tahe Outdoors was advised by law firm Lextal.
Enterprise Investors is one of the largest private equity and venture capital firms in Central and Eastern Europe. Active since 1990, the firm has raised eight funds with total capital exceeding EUR 2 billion. To date the funds have invested EUR 1.6 billion
in 132 companies across a range of sectors and exited 104 companies with total gross proceeds of EUR 2.1 billion.
For further information please contact:
Enterprise Investors:
Alek Wasiukiewicz, Vice President
Anna Czywczyńska, Public Relations Consultant
tel.: +48 22 458 8500
Tahe Outdoors:
Janek Pohla, President
tel.: +372 600 8969+372 600 8969