INVL, a leading alternative asset manager in the Baltics, has established the INVL European Banking Opportunities Fund, a fund of up to EUR 200 million that will invest in the capital of banks in Central and Eastern Europe. The fund's investment geography will cover European Union member states and candidate countries.
The rules of the closed-end fund for informed investors were approved by the Bank of Lithuania on 8 October. The fund will be able to invest in both controlling and minority stakes in banks, as well as participate in capital increases.
“The economies and banking sector of Central and Eastern Europe are growing faster than in Western Europe, but they still lack capital. We see opportunities to invest on attractive terms where we can contribute to the growth of banks as a long-term shareholder,” says Vytautas Plunksnis, Head of Private Equity at INVL.
An opportunity for informed investors
The minimum investment in the fund is EUR 0.5 million, with a planned maximum fund size of up to EUR 200 million. The planned term of the fund is 6 years, with an option to extend for a further 4 years. The fund's investment units are being distributed by the brokerage firm INVL Financial Advisors, which operates under the brand name INVL Šeimos biuras in Lithuania, and as INVL Family Office in Latvia and Estonia.
“Transactions of this type in private equity are usually undertaken by institutional investors. This fund is a rare opportunity for private investors to invest alongside them,” says Asta Jovaišienė, Head of the INVL Family Office.
According to her, an investment in the fund is intended for investors who can tolerate higher risk. Due to the higher-than-usual minimum investment threshold, the fund is aimed at those who are able and willing to participate directly in large private equity transactions.
The first fundraising stage of the fund is intended to be completed by the end of 2026.
Experience in the financial sector
The Invalda INVL group has been active in the financial sector for more than three decades.
Invalda INVL, together with an INVL fund, holds more than 14% of the shares in maib, the largest bank in Moldova. Along with consortium partners – the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Horizon Capital – the combined stake is over 38%. Invalda INVL is also the largest shareholder in Artea, a bank operating in Lithuania, holding a stake of nearly 20%.
These investments are characterised by long-term value creation. From 2018, when a consortium of investors became the largest shareholder of maib, until the end of 2025, the bank's assets grew more than threefold, while its loan portfolio grew 3.6-fold. Meanwhile, from Invalda INVL’s entry as a shareholder in 2015 until the end of 2025, the assets of Artea bank (formerly Šiaulių bankas) increased 3.7-fold and its loan portfolio 4.8-fold.
The group also includes a company providing family office services in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as a pension fund management company in Latvia. Previously, the group also managed other financial companies – the investment bank Finasta with its group of the same name, and an insurance brokerage business, all of which it profitably sold.
About INVL Asset Management (INVL)
INVL is the leading Baltic alternative asset manager. We aim to deliver the best risk-return ratio for investors and a positive economic impact in the regions where we operate. The Invalda INVL group manage or have under supervision more than EUR 2.3 billion of assets across multiple asset classes including private equity, forests and agricultural land, renewable energy, real estate as well as private debt. The group’s scope of activities also includes family office services in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, management of pension funds in Latvia, and investments in global third-party funds. For further information, visit www.invl.com/en/.
About INVL Family Office
INVL Family Office is one of the largest multi-family offices in the Baltic states, overseeing more than EUR 1 billion in investment assets on behalf of families across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. INVL Family Office prepares and updates investment strategies for individuals and legal entities, analyses third-party investment products and services, represents clients in dealings with such providers, offers wealth transfer planning and other investment services. INVL Family Office is part of the Invalda INVL group, which has been operating for more than 30 years. For more information, visit: www.invlfamilyoffice.com.
Further information:
Vytautas Plunksnis, Head of Private Equity at INVL Asset Management,
vytautas.plunksnis@invl.com
