BaltCap to acquire Baltic Ticket Holdings, the leading ticketing company in the Baltics and Belarus

BaltCap Private Equity Fund III (BPEF III) acquires majority in Baltic Ticket Holdings OÜ to further back the growth of the ticket selling network in the Baltics and beyond. A minority share is acquired by co-investor Sven Nuutmann, who will serve as group CEO. The current management team will continue with the company. The transaction is subject to competition clearance.

Founded 1997 in Estonia, Baltic Ticket Holdings (BTH) is the largest ticketing services provider in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus operating Piletilevi AS, Bilesu Serviss SIA, Nacionalinis bilietu platintojas UAB and Kvitki Bel as the main platforms.

BTH main line of business is ticket sales through digital platforms and a network of over 700 physical sales points. In 2019, over 6 million tickets to more than 36,000 events were intermediated. In addition, BTH offers marketing and consultation services. BTH has experience in serving a wide range of cultural and sports events, also including the largest events in the region with more than 100,000 participants.

Co-investor Sven Nuutmann will also be serving as group CEO. Nuutmann is a seasoned expert in the media industry and he brings extensive experience in building companies as a CEO. „This investment allows to further develop BTH platforms and improve its service offering. The business and the management team are familiar to me and thus, provide a smooth transition into my new role. I’m eager to start a new chapter of BTH growth story with the current team,” Nuutmann commented.

Jaanus Beilmann, longtime member of BTH management board says the investment assures international competitiveness of the Estonian rooted BTH. He is excited to partner up with the new owners. „Sven and BaltCap team have a great track record of developing successful strategies for digital businesses. Building on their extensive experience and having access to BaltCap’s international platform with presence across the New Nordics will lead BTH´s future success,” Beilmann assures.

Oliver Kullman, partner at BaltCap sees growth potential in the market and values BTH track record in digital ticketing solutions. “Although 2020 was a rough year for culture and entertainment, we believe the market will quickly recover once Covid-19 restrictions are eased. We plan to use the recovery phase to invest in upgrading the company’s digital products and solutions,” Kullman comments. “I look forward to working with the current management team, who have developed the group to its current position, and welcome Sven’s extensive experience that will help develop BTH further,” Kullman adds.

The buy-side advisers in the transaction were Cobalt, PwC and Civitta. The transaction value and other details have not been disclosed.

About BaltCap Private Equity Fund III

Private Equity Fund III (BPEF III) invests in innovative companies in the Baltic and Nordic countries following buy-and-build strategy. BPEF III was established in co-operation with European Investment Fund (EIF), the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), LHV pension funds, SEB pension funds from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, eQ Asset Management and also family offices. EIF has invested through Baltic Innovation Fund 2 (BIF 2, an initiative created by cooperation between the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania and EIF) and EIF’s investment in BPEF III also benefits from the financial backing of the European Union under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (“EFSI”) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing.

About BTH

Baltic Ticket Holdings OÜ is the holding company operating AS Piletilevi, Bilesu Serviss SIA, Nacionalinis bilietu platintojas UAB, Kvitki Bel companies in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus, respectively. The company provides ticketing services via its websites (www.piletilevi.ee, www.bilesuserviss.lv, www.bilietai.lt and www.kvitki.by) as well as more than 700 sales points.

Additional information:

Oliver Kullman
BaltCap, Partner
+372 56 463 642
oliver.kullman@baltcap.com
www.baltcap.com

Sven Nuutmann
+372 513 2881
sven.nuutmann@gmail.com