Novator Partners

Novator Partners LLP is an English private equity investment firm, based in London and owned by Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson from Iceland.[1]

For other uses, see Novator.

Assets

The company specializes in investments in companies based in emerging markets, with a focus on telecommunications,[2] pharmaceuticals,[3] social gaming,[4] financial services and natural resource sectors. In addition, Novator operates a Private Equity Fund and a Credit Opportunities Fund.

The communications sector acquisitions of the investment firm includes
  • In 2003, Novator acquired a 70% stake in Czech telecoms company České Radiokomunikace for £120m. It owns 39.23% of the shares in T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s. (one of the two largest mobile operators in the Czech Republic). Novator sold the stake three years later for £942m.[5]
  • Novator acquired the largest single stake in Finnish telecom company Elisa in 2005 for around £100m. The stake was sold in 2007 for £311m.[5]
  • Novator acquired a controlling stake in Finnish telecom Saunalahti.[5]
  • Novator acquired a 65% stake in Bulgarian Telecommunications Company for an undisclosed sum. In 2007 the stake was sold for £855m.[5]
  • Novator acquired a large stake in Polish telecom P4.[5]
  • Novator acquired a large stake in Polish telecom Netia in 2006.[6] Netia has the second-largest fixed-line network in Poland. Netia and Novator announced that they are going to build a 4th mobile network in Poland.[7]
  • Novator acquired a large stake in Forthnet, a Greek Internet service provider (ISP).
  • Exista acquired 100% of Nova (Iceland Telecom).
  • In 2015, Novator acquired 100% of WOM (Chile) (formerly Nextel Chile) in Chile.[8]
  • 2020, Novator Partners buys majority stake in Colombia's Avantel telecommunications company. Chris Banister "el tío WOM" will lead the new "WOM Colombia".[9]

Financial sector acquisitions included
  • An 18.27% stake in the Economic & Investment Bank (EIBank) in Bulgaria, which was previously 100% owned Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's domestic partner Tsvetelina Borislavova.[10]

Acquisitions in the gaming world
  • in 2016 Novator invested in Zwift, a multiplayer online indoor cycling game in Series A funding that reached $27 million.[11]
  • in 2019 Novator, led a $22.33 million funding round to further develop a multiplayer online space colony simulation game called Seed. Novator was joined by Lego Ventures, the investment entity of the Lego brand. Birgir Ragnarson, partner at Novator,was appointed Klang's chairman of the board.[12]
  • in August 2019 Lockwood Publishing announced a funding round led by existing investors and new shareholders Novator. The round was led by CCP Games CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson. The total amount was not specified.[13]

Other acquisitions included
  • In 2007, Novator bought out other shareholders in Actavis, an Icelandic pharmaceutical company.
    • Actavis acquired the New Jersey-based generic drug company Amide Pharmaceutical for US$500 million in 2005.[14]
    • Actavis acquired Indian research company Lotus Laboratories[15]

References
  1. Lott-Lavigna, Ruby (3 November 2016). "From billionaire to bust and back again: Thor Björgólfsson on rising from rock bottom (twice)". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  2. Cave, Andrew. "How Iceland's Thor Bjorgolfsson Lost $4B in Eight Months". Forbes. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  3. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304724404577295550816517824. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Loritz, Mary. "Berlin-based game studio Klang raises €20 million to develop its virtual space colony, Seed | EU-Startups". Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  5. "Who is Thor Bjorgolfsson, Iceland's lone billionaire?". Invest in Greece. 20 January 2006.
  6. "25.01.2006 Information on acquisition of Netia's shares". netia.pl. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014.
  7. "ABC Money – Finance News". ABC Money. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  8. "New telecoms player grows fast, turns heads in conservative Chile". Reuters. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  9. "Novator Partners enter the Colombian market".
  10. "Bjorgolfsson gets EIBank, pursues Bulgarian Telecommunication Company – Business – The Sofia Echo". sofiaecho.com.
  11. "Zwift, a multiplayer game that's making indoor athletics more social, just raised $27 million". TechCrunch. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  12. "Klang raises $22.3 million for MMO space colony simulation Seed". VentureBeat. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  13. "Lockwood Publishing closes funding round led by Novator, CCP Games CEO". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  14. "Novator takeover of Actavis closes". Reuters. 18 July 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  15. "Sale and Purchase Agreement". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
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