- EQT, which co-founded Fiberklaar in 2021, has agreed to sell
its stake to co-shareholder Proximus
- Since 2021, Fiberklaar has successfully become the leading
independent fiber-to-the-home provider in the Flemish region of
Belgium
- Today, Fiberklaar has many active construction projects across
Flanders and is well on track to bring fiber to households
throughout the region
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is pleased to announce that
the EQT Infrastructure V fund ("EQT") has signed an agreement to
sell its majority stake in Fiberklaar (the "Company") to its
co-shareholder Proximus, Belgium's
largest telecom operator, for a purchase price of EUR 246 million.
Headquartered in Ghent, Fiberklaar is Flanders' leading
independent fiber-to-the-home provider, rolling out a large-scale,
open access network to households and small businesses. Today,
Fiberklaar has many active construction projects across Flanders
and is well on track to bring fiber to households throughout the
region. Fiberklaar was founded as a joint venture in 2021 by EQT
and Proximus, marking EQT's first partnership with a national
telecoms incumbent.
Applying its experience in developing strong fiber companies in
Europe and North America, EQT, alongside Proximus, has
supported Fiberklaar in creating an efficient rollout engine to
build a fiber network accessible to all operators. Since its
formation, Fiberklaar has played an instrumental role in
accelerating fiber deployment in the Flemish region, driving
digital inclusion in Belgium which
continues to lag other European countries in terms of fiber
coverage.
Having achieved significant milestones during its ownership,
EQT's exit is a natural next step for Fiberklaar. The Company now
begins a new chapter in its journey to increase access to
high-speed connectivity solutions in Belgium, while playing a role in Proximus'
possible future cooperation agreements to roll-out fiber in
Flanders.
Ulrich Köllensperger, Partner within the EQT Value-Add
Infrastructure Advisory team, said: "Private capital has a huge
role to play in supporting companies solving connectivity gaps and
modernizing digital infrastructure. We are pleased to have helped
Fiberklaar scale so quickly together with Proximus, drawing on our
vast experience of multiple fiber-to-the-home rollout projects
across geographies. We thank the entire Fiberklaar team for their
contribution and look forward to following the Company's journey as
it continues to foster digital inclusion and contribute to the
prosperity of the Flemish Region."
Guillaume Boutin, CEO Proximus,
said: "Over the past three years, Fiberklaar, with full support of
EQT Infrastructure and Proximus, has transformed from a start-up
into a strong deployment engine. Becoming the only shareholder of
Fiberklaar will allow us to work more closely together and further
increase the efficiency and quality of the fiber roll-out in
Flanders, while capturing the value generated by synergies."
Jo van Gorp, CEO Fiberklaar,
said: "I am very grateful to EQT for their great cooperation and
support and look forward to the next phase of our partnership with
our sole shareholder Proximus. Fiberklaar has played an
instrumental role in accelerating fiber deployment in the Flemish
region, driving digital inclusion in Belgium which continues to lag other European
countries in terms of fiber coverage. We have achieved many
impressive milestones over the last years with our most valued
employees, construction partners and suppliers. With the valuable
experience and know-how of the Proximus Group and the good
relations with our stakeholders, Fiberklaar is well positioned to
continue its mission to further roll out its high-quality and
future-proof fiber network open to all."
The closing of the transaction is expected in the coming
days.
Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com
This information was brought to you by Cision
http://news.cision.com
https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-to-sell-its-stake-in-fiber-to-the-home-network-fiberklaar,c4018724
The following files are available for download:
https://mb.cision.com/Main/87/4018724/2927035.pdf
|
PR_EQT sells
Fiberklaar_25.07.24
|
https://news.cision.com/eqt/i/compare-fibre-paov9-7vbmi-unsplash,c3321669
|
compare-fibre-PAOv9-7VBMI-unsplash
|
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eqt-to-sell-its-stake-in-fiber-to-the-home-network-fiberklaar-302206904.html