The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested €15 million in a five-year senior unsecured bond issued by IDEAL Holdings in Greece worth a total of €100 million.
IDEAL Holdings SA is a Greek investment company specialising in middle-market buyouts and growth-capital investments, and is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. The company’s portfolio currently spans three sectors: department stores (including the flagship Attica Department Stores), information technology (IT; including cybersecurity and trust services) and manufacturing.
The proceeds of the bond will be directed towards refinancing a loan raised to fund the acquisition of the department store business, repaying existing bank debt and supporting future acquisitions.
In the context of the EBRD’s engagement, IDEAL Holdings has committed to pursuing renewable energy investments with a generation capacity of at least 3 MWp to source energy to cover a large part of its manufacturing segment’s annual energy needs.
IDEAL Holdings has also committed to signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles to solidify its commitment to gender equality across its investee companies.
The EBRD’s participation will contribute to the development and long-term financial viability of Greece’s debt capital markets, making them more resilient, and improving transparency and disclosure standards for Greek bond issuances.
To date, the EBRD has invested €7.2 billion in 106 projects in the corporate, financial, energy and infrastructure sectors of the Greek economy.
Source: European Bank