2001–2002
2002
December 2002 Management Buy-in Acquisition of Body Basics
Benson Oak advised on the management-led buy-in (MBI) of Body Basics, the leading own-label specialty body care retailer in Central Europe, with operations in four Central European countries. Benson Oak provided financial advisory services in all stages and aspects of the transaction, as well as management and supervision of legal due diligence, documentation and structuring.
July 2002 Appello Series B Equity Financing
Springboard, a venture capital fund advised by Benson Oak, led an investment round into Appello (formerly known as Check IT), a software company specializing in voice and messaging solutions. Investment proceeds were used for business development of Appello’s product suite of voice and messaging applications.
January 2002 České dráhy EUR 54.3 million KfW Financing
This bilateral loan, provided by KfW, consisted of two parts. Part I, in an amount of EUR 46 million, had a 17-year maturity and was guaranteed by the Czech government; its proceeds to be used for the modernization of Railway Corridor I. Part II, in an amount of EUR 8.3 million, had a 7-year maturity and was not guaranteed; proceeds were used for building a GSM-R telecommunication system along Railway Corridor I.
2001
September 2001 Sale of Intelek, s.r.o. to Advanced Electronic Support Products, Inc.
Benson Oak advised Intelek on the sale of all of its shares to the strategic buyer AESP. Intelek, based in the Czech Republic, builds enterprise telecommunications networks and is a manufacturer of wired and wireless network hardware. AESP, based in the US, manufactures and distributes telecommunications network connectivity products and customized solutions for equipment manufacturers worldwide.
July 2001 Středočeská energetická CZK1 billion Commercial Paper Program
This commercial paper program was committed and partly underwritten. Two dealers, Komerční banka and ČSOB, participated in the distribution and underwriting of the notes.
July 2001 Check IT Series A Equity Financing
Springboard, a venture capital fund advised by Benson Oak, provided Series A Financing to Check IT, a.s., a software company specializing in voice and messaging solutions.
June 2001 Schemantix EUR1 million First-Round Equity Financing
Benson Oak assisted Schemantix, a software company specializing in e-business connectivity solutions, to raise its first round equity financing. The GIMV Czech and Slovak SME Fund provided half of the funds raised and a number of private investors the remainder. This financing was completed at one of the most difficult times for a technology firm to raise capital.
June 2001 Sale of 90% Equity Stake in ČS Factoring
Benson Oak advised the investment and financial services firm eINVEST on the sale of its 90% stake in ČS Factoring, a company providing factoring and forfaiting services and the third largest factor, by turnover, in the Czech Republic. The stake was sold to Česká spořitelna for an undisclosed consideration.
April 2001 Purchase of Minority Stake in Grisoft
Springboard, a venture capital fund advised by Benson Oak, purchased a minority stake in Grisoft, Inc., the leading provider of anti-virus software in the Czech Republic and a significant anti-virus company world-wide.