Financial market sources say Axxess Capital is looking to sell 25% in BitDefender in a EUR150 million to EUR180 million deal.
Axxess Capital, which is run by Horia Manda and other private investors, owns 40% in BitDefender.
Axxess and BitDefender have hired Deutsche Bank to find investors to buy into Romania’s most powerful IT group, the sources added.
Horia Manda and BitDefender officials turned down ZF’s request for comment on the information.
BitDefender is controlled by the Talpes family – Florin and Mariuca, who established it more than two decades ago. BitDefender first specialized on the antivirus solutions market, and then expanded to the entire cyber security solutions market.
Florin Talpes keeps the financial information about the group that operates throughout the world with its security solutions secret. The only data available for Romania indicate EUR87 million revenue in 2015. Romania is just part of the BitDefender business.
If Axxess Capital finds investors willing to pay the asking price, the entire group should be worth more than EUR600 million.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)