Limited Partners’ Perceptions of the Central Eastern European Venture Capital and Private Equity Market

Abstract

Growth expectations and institutional settings in central eastern Europe are assumed favorable for the establishment of vibrant venture capital and private equity markets. However, there is only a little risk capital market activity in the region. This article examines the obstacles to institutional investments in central eastern Europe through a questionnaire addressed to limited partners worldwide. The respondents provide information about their perceptions of the region. The protection of property rights is the dominant concern, followed by social criteria, such as the belief in the entrepreneurial management quality of local people, and the lacking size, and liquidity of the central eastern European capital markets. However, limited partners appreciate the growth expectations and the deal opportunities and rank the region as attractive as India and China.