DLA Piper advises Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition of Displate

DLA Piper has advised Mid Europa Partners, a leading private equity investor in Central and Eastern Europe, on the acquisition of a majority stake in GWD Concept (Displate), from its founders, Credo Ventures and Miton Capital. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2020.

Displate, founded in 2013 by Karol Banaszkiewicz, Edward Ruszczyc and Jacek Świgost (who remain significant minority shareholders of the business), is a leading global online metal prints marketplace that connects more than 40,000 visual creators and more than 30 licensed brands to a customer base of enthusiasts in more than 50 countries. The Company is active in a number of verticals including gaming, movies, anime, music, travel and sport. The platform has over 1.4 million artist-generated designs which it prints on high-quality metal plates.

Mid Europa Partners is a leading independent private equity firm focused on the growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Operating from London, Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest and Istanbul, Mid Europa Partners has raised and managed funds of approximately EUR5.3 billion. The acquisition of Displate follows Mid Europa’s successful investment in Allegro in Poland, and highlights its increased focus on companies operating in the broadly defined e-commerce sector.

DLA Piper’s Corporate team in Warsaw was led by partner Jakub Marcinkowski and counsel Rafał Kluziak with the support of senior associate Michał Gintowt and associate Jakub Szczygieł. Ewa Kurowska-Tober (Head of Intellectual Property and Technology in Warsaw and Global Co-Chair of Data Protection, Privacy and Security), senior associate Olga Leśniewska and associate Paulina Ciupa were responsible for the intellectual property and technology aspects of the transaction. Alongside the DLA Piper team, Mid Europa Partners was advised by Raymond James, OC&C, PwC, Palladium Digital and Ramboll Environ.