Amid recent activity in the market, Olympia Group CEO Andreas Athanassopoulos discussed the factors that can put a Greek business on the radar of major international investors. Speaking at the Athens Mastercard Innovation Forum 2026, he outlined the characteristics that can turn such interest into an investment deal.
It was recently announced that the deal would see UK-based Hg acquire 70% of Entersoftone, the private equity firm specialising in software and services, which manages more than $110 billion in assets.
The deal values the Greek business software company at just over €1 billion. Under the new ownership structure, Olympia Group will retain a 15% stake, Imker Group 14% and Frank Cohen 1%, with Hg taking control of the company.
What international investors are looking for
Against the backdrop of the Entersoftone deal, Olympia Group CEO Andreas Athanassopoulos was asked what major international investors look for in Greek businesses.
He said the key factor in attracting international capital is the business itself and its prospects, regardless of the country in which it operates. “Investors look at the business. If the business isn’t good, no matter what the country does, it will never get anywhere,” he said.
Referring specifically to Hg’s assessment of Entersoftone, Mr Athanassopoulos said the UK investment firm carried out exceptionally thorough due diligence, focusing mainly on the Greek company’s technological capabilities and growth prospects.
“Hg put Entersoftone under the microscope, to a degree that even alarmed us,” he said, explaining that particular weight was given to its products, their technological foundations, their potential for further development and their compatibility with artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Mr Athanassopoulos, a decisive factor in the investment decision was the finding that Entersoftone had the foundations on which to build a long-term investment plan with a five-to-10-year horizon. Only after these characteristics had been assessed did attention turn to the country in which the business operates.
The role of the local partner
Another factor that played an important role in Hg’s investment decision was the presence of a reliable local partner on whom it could rely to carry out its investment plan in Greece.
As Mr Athanassopoulos explained, it was important for the UK firm not only to identify such a partner, but also to ensure that the partner would remain invested.
How the investment environment is changing
Mr Athanassopoulos also discussed changes in the international investment environment, noting that foreign investors no longer have the “easy wins” of the past, when interest rates were particularly low and it was easier to seek returns through investment.
In this context, he stressed that investors are now focused on the business itself and whether it can live up to their expectations. “An investor putting one billion into Greece sees at least two billion over the next five years. If they don’t see that, they will never invest,” he concluded.