AAA AVG taps bond not stock market

AVG taps bond not stock market

Czech Republic-based security software maker AVG Technologies has shelved plans for its flotation in favour of trying to raise up to $300m in a bond, according to newswire Reuters.

Ashish Patel, a managing director and a member of the management review committee at Intel Capital, the in-house venture arm of the US-based chip maker, joined AVG last year.

Patel was previously a board member at AVG for three years on behalf of Intel Capital after the corporate venturer took a minority stake of 20% as part of a recapitalization of the company in 2005.

Founded in 1991, AVG, formerly known as Grisoft, first received private equity backing in 2001 when Prague-based investment bank Benson Oak took a stake before becoming 100% owner in 2004. It then sold 65% to Poland-based private equity firm Enterprise Investors and Intel Capital a year later for $52m.

In October, US-based growth investor TA Associates invested $200m in AVG at a reported $900m company valuation for a minority stake, with Enterprise being cut from 45% to 35%, according to news provider VentureWire.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *