Catalyst Romania strengthens its team and appoints two former investment CEOs, Andreea Pipernea and Nick Kovacs, to explore new opportunities in the local market

Bucharest, July 22nd, 2024

The two seasoned investment professionals, Nick Kovacs, former CEO of Agista, and Andreea Pipernea, former CEO of NN Pensii, are joining Catalyst Romania as Senior Advisors. With extensive careers in finance spanning decades and rich experience in investments, Nick Kovacs and Andreea Pipernea will provide advisory support for the current portfolio, aiding in governance for companies in which Catalyst Romania has invested. They will also play a role in generating new investment opportunities and in fundraising initiatives for upcoming investment funds.

“We are thrilled to welcome Andreea and Nick to the Catalyst Romania team, where they will contribute to the growth of companies within our second fund’s portfolio and help identify future business leaders. Leveraging their wealth of experience, we aim to introduce new financing mechanisms for industries with growth potential in Romania and the region,” stated Alin Stanciu, Partner at Catalyst Romania.

Andreea Pipernea is currently an independent member of the Board of Directors of maib, the largest bank in the Republic of Moldova with plans to list on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and Managing Partner at APlus Advisory, an M&A consulting company. Former CEO at NN Pensii, Andreea has previously held executive positions at Citibank, Erste, RBS and ABN Amro in Romania and is also an angel investor and business advisor for a number of local start-ups.

“Throughout my 25 year career in financial services, I have always been close to entrepreneurs and their ambitious initiatives. I am delighted to join the Catalyst Romania team, contribute to the growth of the fund’s portfolio and identify new investment opportunities. I am eager to discover new teams and entrepreneurs, new business ideas as diverse as possible, in order to support them, together with Catalyst Romania, in their growth process”, Andreea Pipernea, Senior Advisor Catalyst Romania.

With an extensive experience in banking, private equity and M&A, Nick Kovacs has been supporting Romanian entrepreneurs in the last 15 years, in various fields of activity, both as an investor and in several executive positions: as CEO of Agista Investments, as a member of the board of the investment platform ROCA X, part of Impetum Group, as a member of the Investment Committee at the private equity company ROCA Investments.

Together with the Catalyst Romania team, we will continue to build a strong player in the growth-equity market, designed to contribute to the most competitive and robust business environment. I believe in the potential of the local business environment, we have more and more entrepreneurs who understand the need to partner with growth funds, and I believe that there is a need for as many initiatives in this direction for our economy, as there is a direct correlation between private equity investments and the economic development of the country”, Nick Kovacs, Senior Advisor Catalyst Romania.

About Catalyst Romania

Catalyst Romania, one of the leading venture capital funds in Southeast Europe focused on technology investments, launched its first fund in 2012 with a total capitalization of €15 million. Catalyst Romania Fund I was funded through the JEREMIE Romania initiative. In February 2022, it launched its second investment fund with a capitalization of €50 million. Catalyst Romania Fund II was set up with the support of the European Investment Fund (EIF) as an anchor investor, to invest capital from JEREMIE Romania Reflows, the InnovFin Program of the European Union and contributions from other private investors.

Catalyst Romania has already invested in 16 companies, among them market leaders such as SmartBill, Vola.ro, ESX and AdServio, as well as companies with international exposure such as Seedblink, HunchAds and OmniConvert. The fund has already marked a number of successful exits, such as SmartBill, VectorWatch and Green Horse Games.

About Nick Kovacs

Nick Kovacs is a seasoned private equity, M&A and real estate investor and entrepreneur with over 15 years of investment, deal closing, banking and real estate experience, including nine years in investment fund management. Nick actively invests in local capital markets and private equity funds. In his view, the private equity industry is the key to the development of the Romanian economy. In his decisions, Nick emphasizes the direct correlation between the presence of investment funds in an economy and its degree of development and, consequently, aims to contribute to the development of the two in tandem.

About Andreea Pipernea

Andreea Pipernea has 25 years’ experience in financial services, with proven expertise in banking, asset management, private pensions, insurance and capital markets. She is currently an independent member of the board of directors of the largest bank in the Republic of Moldova, and as a Business Advisor she is involved in guiding companies through the M&A process, with a focus on maximizing the final value of transactions for the benefit of entrepreneurs. She is passionate about the entrepreneurial business environment, and through her collaborative approach she creates strategies that stimulate growth and optimize the financial performance of businesses.