fi-compass Showcase 2019 submission – watch a video story from the Slovak Investment Holding

Watch time: 6min 42sec

This ‘fi-compass Showcase 2019’ submission is a video story how four innovative Slovak companies were able to grow and expand thanks to received equity investment, co-financed with European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and provided by the Slovak Investment Holding (SIH), the fund of funds managing ESIF financial instruments in Slovakia. In this video, Ivan Lesay, the CEO of SIH, explains how this state-owned financial institution supports promising companies in Slovakia through ESIF financial instruments and what type of innovative companies are in the main focus of SIH.

The video showcases the following final recipients benefitting from SIH’s equity investments:

• KOOR is a Slovak energy services company, improving energy efficiency in buildings in an environment-friendly way. In the video, Milan Orlovský from KOOR explains how the company was able to grow thanks to the ESIF co-financed equity investment from SIH: “Today, we have more than 200 projects of all sizes, be it small, middle-size or large, and who knows where it will end as we have taken only up to 5 percent of the market until now.”

• GA Drilling is a hi-tech drilling company from Slovakia. Igor Kočiš from GA Drilling describes in the video the company’s research process which resulted in the development a new drilling technology using plasma, making drilling much easier, quicker and cheaper. He also discusses how he perceives SIH as an investor from the perspective of a final recipient.

• Boataround is a worldwide boat and yacht reservation portal, based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Thanks to SIH’s investment, the company was able to proceed with product development, staff training and marketing. Jana Escher from Boataround remembers: “Back when we were starting our business, we had two employees, and provided our services in two language versions. We currently employ over 30 people, our webpage is in 18 languages, and we have around-the-clock customer service.”

• GreenWay operates more than 250 stations in Slovakia and Poland making it the largest network of electric charging stations in Eastern Europe. The majority of the stations are fast charging stations. Peter Badík from GreenWay describes how the company secured in 2018 financing for further development of the company, including an ESIF equity investment from SIH and a loan from the EIB. This support enabled the company to develop their investment plan, which should result in the installation of more than 800 stations in the countries of operation.