Merger and acquisition deals across the Baltic States have grown in value over recent years. From online gaming to transportation, M&A has been at record levels for the past two years. Given current global challenges, this news is nothing short of spectacular.
Integrations and mergers across the state show the region still has significant room to grow. Let’s consider some of the biggest movements in the M&A niche in the past few years up close.
Air Baltic
One of the biggest M&A movements in the Baltic region in the past decade surrounds transportation. Specifically, the Air Baltic Corporation saw a portion of its stake sold to the government of Latvia in 2020. Bringing the airline service into state transportation, the deal was worth around €250 million.
Offering a 10.95% stake, this deal outpaced other big M&As in the region by at least €100 million. However, those following up on this huge deal are just as interesting.
Bolt OU
Bolt OU’s investment acquisition at around €150 million was colossal for the transport app. The service, which offers ride-hailing and deliveries across several Baltic cities, passed a major funding round in 2020.
The service is also innovating in terms of energy-saving scooters and food delivery. The acquisition/investment through D1 Capital Partners and Dasani Capital Partners didn’t go unnoticed. It was one of the biggest deals across the Baltic States last year.
Betsson and TonyBet
Betsson remains one of the best-loved betting sites on the web. With interest in lažybos internetu constantly growing, the company’s acquisition of TonyBet was widely hailed. While it has been years since the deal took place, the move is still a big stepping stone.
TonyBet, on its own, was a big player in sports bets in its base of Lithuania. The acquisition from Betsson helped to cement the now-parent company further across the Baltics. The deal initially took place for around €4 million, trading hands in 2016. That may not be as grand as some deals in our list – but it’s helped grow Betsson’s Baltic empire hugely.
In fact, it may not surprise you to see Betsson with a further acquisition in our top list…
Betsson and Betixon
Two similar names, but this further acquisition has cemented Betsson even further in terms of Baltic betting. In November 2020, the betting giant agreed to integrate Betixon, a slots studio with a growing following.
Betixon’s leading slot game brands joined forces with Betsson to bring its titles across Estonia and Lithuania. The deal has seen Betixon’s popular games share across Betsson’s already landmark SuperCasino and Betsafe services.
The move has helped Betixon find new fans across the Baltic states. This has not only allowed further growth for the acquired line, but has helped to increase Betsson’s strength. With Betixon’s expertise largely revolving around mobile slots, the move will help the acquirer embrace modern interests.
Future Acquisitions?
With records from the past two to three years showing that A&Ms have never been healthier across the Baltic states, it will be very interesting to see what happens in the years to come. Ride-hailing, online betting and air travel are very unlikely to lose popularity. However, there’s an incredible thirst for expanding resources across the broader states in 2022.
Healthcare in particular, reportedly, is growing ever stronger in the states given global movements in recent times. However, Baltic brands are growing ever-more exposed to wider Scandinavia, too. This could mean huge wins for smaller brands across eastern Europe heading towards mid-decade.
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