The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is supporting the EfTEN Special Opportunities Fund — the first special opportunities-focused real estate fund in the Baltic region with a clear focus on investments in assets that need injection of additional equity or quasi-equity capital to execute on a business plan.
The EBRD will provide an up to EUR 20 million equity commitment to EfTEN-Capital-managed Usaldusfond EfTEN Special Opportunities Fund (“EfTEN SOF”). This will be the EBRD’s second investment in a real estate fund managed by EfTEN Capital, following the bank’s EUR 30 million capital commitment to Usaldusfond EfTEN Real Estate Fund 4 in 2019.
According to an EfTEN press release, “EfTEN SOF was launched in January 2024 to invest in across all real-estate-asset classes, including residential, across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The fund will pursue a strategy targeting development projects that need additional capital and operational real estate assets facing funding gaps. The fund will aim to achieve very high energy efficiency in its projects, at least 10% better than national ‘nearly Zero Energy Buildings’ standards which align with the EBRD’s green goals as set out in the Bank’s Green Economy Transition framework.”
“We are proud to strengthen our partnership with EfTEN Capital, through our investment in its new special opportunities fund,” said Tomas Kairys, EBRD Head of Baltic States. “Our investment will not only support greater energy efficiency across the real estate sector in the Baltic States, but will also contribute to the strengthening of the private equity sector regionally – two of the EBRD’s priorities in the Baltic region.”
“We are proud to support a leading market player like EfTEN Capital in increasing and diversifying its range of strategies,” added Vlaho Kojakovic, EBRD Head of Real Estate. “Our investment will contribute to its continued institutional development and will provide the necessary liquidity to address a specific financing gap in the market. This project is fully in line with our new real estate strategy, reflecting our commitment to supporting innovative market solutions and enhancing the resilience of the real estate sector in the region.”
Viljar Arakas, CEO of EfTEN Capital, added his insight as well. “EfTEN SOF is the first ever fund in the Baltic States which provides capital for real estate projects that are in an early stage or do not yet qualify for the sufficient senior lending,” he noted. “The fund aims to fulfill the gap that has been created from the tightened banking sector financing conditions and decreased interest of foreign investors towards the Baltic property sector. The fund’s preferred cases are the ones where together with joint control of existing owners we can successfully take real estate projects to the successful exits. We expect to exit the projects in a 3–4 year horizon. The fund will provide financing through both, equity and debt capital. EBRD’s sizable commitment is a proof that the viability of the fund’s investment strategy has been recognized on the highest international level.”
The EBRD has invested nearly EUR 1.2 billion through 117 projects in Estonia, more than EUR 1 billion through 112 projects in Latvia, and almost EUR 1.6 billion through 131 projects in Lithuania.
Image source: ebrd.com
