Equity Thursday

Session 1:

From the investor perspective, Tomasz Hajduk of Abris Capital Partners and Marko Galic of Provectus Capital Partners added their insights to the macroeconomic trends presented by Absolvo's Founding Partner, Lenard Horgos. These included geopolitical and economic shifts that are reshaping the PE environment. They highlighted that after a period of inflated valuations and unpredictable capital raising conditions, investors now see stabilizing trends and greater clarity for deployment. The volume of CEE PE buyouts remained relatively stable compared to 2022 and 2023, and there was a slight increase in PE-backed exits, which is a promising sign for liquidity. However, deal values have decreased, reflecting a normalization from the overheated levels of 2021 and early 2022.

Both firms noted a gradual reactivation in the market, driven by well-capitalized players with deep regional experience. A supporting survey shown by Lenard also highlighted that 91% of respondents expect PE activity to increase in 2025, especially through market consolidation and buy-and-build approaches. At the same time, macroeconomic factors like geopolitical instability and slowed economic growth will continue to weigh on strategies.

Central to their strategies is the buy-and-build model. Provectus and Abris Capital both emphasized targeting fragmented markets, consolidating smaller players into dominant groups, and creating platform companies that are structurally scalable and strategically differentiated. Marko Galic shared how Provectus built leading regional players in healthcare through this approach, while Abris highlighted business model reinvention and tech-enabled revenue models as key levers for growth.

Session 2:

From the Founder perspective, the second session featured Tamas Gyanyi of WTS Klient Hungary and Jozsef Nyiri of Finshape, moderated by Ivan Gyuracz Nemeth from Absolvo. Both founders described how private equity involvement brought not only financial resources, but also structure, capital, and expertise to enable their next phase of growth. As said, “We became more efficient. We didn’t just grow in size—we grew up as an organization.”

In both cases, the decision for involving a PE on board wasn’t about a lack of ambition but about enabling the next phase of that ambition through structure, capital, and expertise. Operationally, both founders experienced more structure, more KPIs, and real accountability. Cultural integration was another focus, with both firms emphasizing intentionality and communication to maintain unity amid expansion.

The lessons from this session reinforce a broader truth: when aligned with the right partner, private equity can be a powerful force for long-term, people-centric value creation.

Trends:

A noteworthy trend discussed was that of VC-backed firms approaching PE as a next step when growth slowed and IPO paths seemed limited. As said from Investor side “We step in with majority control, operational expertise, and turn them into profitable add-ons, underlining PE’s role in guiding these firms to profitability and scalability."

The role of ESG and AI in value creation also featured prominently. ESG is now embedded in investment processes, with structured improvement targets post-acquisition and management bonuses tied to ESG performance. Meanwhile, AI is being selectively integrated for market mapping, reporting automation, and even content automation for e-commerce platforms, providing significant productivity gains.

Both panels concluded with a grounded but positive note. Investors and founders alike emphasized that uncertainty creates opportunity, and that the future of private equity in CEE lies in strategic clarity, active value creation, and partnerships with entrepreneurs who are ready to evolve. As one founder summarized, “I’m a better leader now because of it.”

Equity Thursday once again demonstrated Absolvo’s commitment to building bridges between capital and talent, strategy and execution, and ambition and transformation - helping to shape a more resilient and mature private equity ecosystem in CEE.

If you are interested in the sessions in full:

• Check out the PE outlook for 2025-26, future investment strategies and hot topics such as AI for PE investments here
• Check out how PE-backed firms change operationally and build resilient, growth-ready companies once PE is on board