Venturing out for capital

The value of all venture-capital (VC) related transactions worldwide decreased by 16.7 percent last year. The drop is being seen mostly in Europe, while in the US the level of venture-capital investment remained relatively flat. However, not everyone in Europe is experiencing a drop in inflows. In Poland, VC investment is rising, and companies claim the VC business here has great prospects for the future.

The value of the US, European and Chinese VC markets combined equals $27.4 (zł.87.2) billion, Poland's share in the cake is still small. The UK alone can claim $1.23 (zł.4.67)-billion worth of deals followed by France with $0.78 (zł.2.96) billion. All of these figures dwarf those in Poland, but experts say Poland's potential is head and shoulders above the rest, especially in hi-tech sectors.

"[Venture business companies] have more money than before, only there are still not many projects in Poland," Waldemar Sielski, a director with MCI Management says. "[VC] is no longer a casual business. It became systematic, methodological and tense. The situation in the country regarding VC business is splendid. Competitiveness is improving the market, as more private investors and foreign investment funds are appearing."