Kartesia makes first investment in Croatia with refinancing of Optimapharm

Kartesia, the European specialist provider of capital solutions for small and mid-sized companies, is pleased to announce that it has provided a loan facility to support The Rohatyn Group (“TRG”) and the Founders of Optimapharm (“Optimapharm” or “the Company”) in the refinancing and growth financing of the Company.
Optimapharm is a leading Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) for complex clinical trials, with a full-service offering and coverage of multiple therapeutical areas, with a focus on oncology. The company is based in Zagreb, Croatia, but operates at a pan-European level, managing clinical trials in 30 countries and serving well-known, blue-chip pharmaceutical, biotech and medical devices companies in Europe and North America.

The Rohatyn Group is a global asset management firm with expertise in emerging markets and real assets, and strong expertise investing in Eastern Europe and the Healthcare sector. It acquired a majority stake in the Company from its founders in May 2020 and has since supported the Company in its international expansion via acquisitions and organic growth initiatives.

Kartesia has supported the Company and its shareholders with a unitranche loan and a capex & acquisition line, which will be used to refinance the Company and provide additional funds to support Optimapharm with its future growth plans. The capital for this investment comes from Kartesia’s Senior Opportunities I (KSO I) fund and is Kartesia’s first investment in Croatia. Given Optimapharm’s contribution to medical innovation and human health, this transaction also demonstrates Kartesia’s continued focus on companies with a positive societal impact.

Harold Chatelus, Managing Director at The Rohatyn Group said: “Optimapharm is a well-positioned and efficiently managed pan-European company with strong roots in Eastern Europe. We are glad to have secured Kartesia as a lender, whose team were able to swiftly structure a flexible financing solution that has enabled the Company to complete various strategic acquisitions in a timely manner and efficiently execute the transaction.”

Giuseppe Mirante, Senior Advisor at Kartesia, added: “We are very pleased to announce our first financing partnership with TRG and our first investment in Croatia. TRG is a very entrepreneurial global private equity investor with a strong track record in healthcare. They are actively backing a successful and growing CRO that has embarked on an exciting growth path outside their original markets. We look forward to supporting TRG and the Company in their further expansion plans.”