Sandberg makes second investment in retail sector with Phase buy

• Sandberg acquired Terno in 2016, making the retail sector one of its five core investment pillars
• The firm intends to expand its product portfolio as well as the number of retail stores
• Sandberg is a private equity firm with assets over €340m under management

Sandberg Capital has acquired a 70 percent stake in Phase, a Slovak and Czech designer and seller of seating products.

Phase, established in 2007, sells seating products for the middle to high-end consumer segment. The company employs more than 50 people, with revenues over €18 million in 2021. Martin Duras, founder of Phase, will retain a 30 percent stake and will remain in the company’s leadership.

With this acquisition, the firm intends to expand its product portfolio as well as the number of retail stores.

Sandberg invested in Phase from its second €130 million fund launched in 2021.

“Sandberg’s strategy is to invest in promising Slovak and Czech companies and to support founders or managers who have built successful businesses,” said Michal Rybovic, partner at Sandberg Capital. “Considering the regional success of Phase, we see enormous potential for expanding the product portfolio and retail stores.”

This acquisition marks Sandberg’s second investment in the retail sector. The firm had acquired Terno in 2016, making the retail sector one of its five core investment pillars.

Sandberg’s other acquisitions include TITANS Freelancers, Daktela, GreenFox Academy, and Quantox Technology.

Sandberg, founded in 2014, is a Slovak-based private equity firm that invests in small and mid-sized enterprises in Slovakia and the CEE region in the sectors of IT, telecommunications, agriculture, education, and retail. It manages assets over €340 million on behalf of private and institutional investors, including the European Investment Fund.