Project Description
An equity investment of up to EUR 10 million in favour of Practica Venture Capital III (the "Fund") targeting early-stage technology driven companies in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The project will form part of the Bank's Early-Stage Innovation Facility II ("ESIF II"), a EUR 200 million facility through which the EBRD selectively invests in commercially-oriented early-stage venture capital funds.
Project Objectives
The Fund will make equity and quasi-equity investments in early-stage technology driven companies in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, collectively the "Target Region".
Transition Impact
ETI score: 73
The project is presented under ESIF II. The Fund is expected to contribute to the Competitive and Resilient transition qualities through supporting innovative early-stage start-ups and increasing the availability of funding for early-stage innovation in the Target Region. In addition, the project is aligned with the Innovation area of intervention outlined in the EBRD Approach to Accelerating the Digital Transition 2021-2025.
Client Information
PRACTICA VENTURE CAPITAL III KUB
Practica Venture Capital III KUB (the "Fund") is a limited partnership established under the laws of Lithuania. The Fund will be managed by Practica Capital Management UAB (the "Fund Manager" or "Practica"), a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Lithuania.
EBRD Finance Summary
EUR 10,000,000.00
An equity investment of up to EUR 10 million.
Total Project Cost
EUR 70,000,000.00
The target size of the Fund is EUR 70 million.
Additionality
The Bank's commitment will enable the Fund to achieve a closing at or above EUR 70 million, allowing the Fund Manager to build a diversified portfolio and provide capital to support the expansion of the Fund's early-stage technology portfolio companies.
Environmental and Social Summary
Categorised FI (ESP 2019). The Fund will be required to comply with EBRD's Performance Requirements 2, 4 and 9, implement the EBRD Environmental and Social Risk Management Procedures for Active Equity Funds, and submit Annual Environmental and Social Reports to the Bank.
Technical Cooperation and Grant Financing
N/A
Company Contact Information
Tomas Andriuskevicius
tomas@practica.vc
+370 686 13486
https://practica.vc
Antakalnio g. 17-2, Vilnius, Lithuania
Implementation summary
PSD last updated
25 May 2023
Understanding Transition
Further information regarding the EBRD’s approach to measuring transition impact is available here.
Business opportunities
For business opportunities or procurement, contact the client company.
For business opportunities with EBRD (not related to procurement) contact:
Tel: +44 20 7338 7168
Email: projectenquiries@ebrd.com
For state-sector projects, visit EBRD Procurement:
Tel: +44 20 7338 6794
Email: procurement@ebrd.com
General enquiries
Specific enquiries can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
Environmental and Social Policy (ESP)
The ESP and the associated Performance Requirements (PRs) set out the ways in which the EBRD implements its commitment to promoting “environmentally sound and sustainable development”. The ESP and the PRs include specific provisions for clients to comply with the applicable requirements of national laws on public information and consultation as well as to establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of stakeholders’ concerns and grievances, in particular, about environmental and social performance of the client and the project. Proportionate to the nature and scale of a project’s environmental and social risks and impacts, the EBRD additionally requires its clients to disclose information, as appropriate, about the risks and impacts arising from projects or to undertake meaningful consultation with stakeholders and consider and respond to their feedback.
More information on the EBRD’s practices in this regard is set out in the ESP.
Integrity and Compliance
The EBRD's Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) promotes good governance and ensures that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all activities of the Bank in accordance with international best practice. Integrity due diligence is conducted on all Bank clients to ensure that projects do not present unacceptable integrity or reputational risks to the Bank. The Bank believes that identifying and resolving issues at the project assessment approval stages is the most effective means of ensuring the integrity of Bank transactions. OCCO plays a key role in these protective efforts, and also helps to monitor integrity risks in projects post-investment.
OCCO is also responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in EBRD-financed projects. Anyone, both within or outside the Bank, who suspects fraud or corruption should submit a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer by email to compliance@ebrd.com. All matters reported will be handled by OCCO for follow-up. All reports, including anonymous ones, will be reviewed. Reports can be made in any language of the Bank or of the Bank's countries of operation. The information provided must be made in good faith.
Access to Information Policy (AIP)
The AIP sets out how the EBRD discloses information and consults with its stakeholders so as to promote better awareness and understanding of its strategies, policies and operations following its entry into force on 1 January 2020. Please visit the Access to Information Policy page to find out what information is available from the EBRD website.
Specific requests for information can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM)
If efforts to address environmental, social or public disclosure concerns with the Client or the Bank are unsuccessful (e.g. through the Client’s Project-level grievance mechanism or through direct engagement with Bank management), individuals and organisations may seek to address their concerns through the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM).
IPAM independently reviews Project issues that are believed to have caused (or to be likely to cause) harm. The purpose of the Mechanism is: to support dialogue between Project stakeholders to resolve environmental, social and public disclosure issues; to determine whether the Bank has complied with its Environmental and Social Policy or Project-specific provisions of its Access to Information Policy; and where applicable, to address any existing non-compliance with these policies, while preventing future non-compliance by the Bank.
Please visit the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism webpage to find out more about IPAM and its mandate; how to submit a Request for review; or contact IPAM via email ipam@ebrd.com to get guidance and more information on IPAM and how to submit a request.
