Horizon Capital, a U.S. private-equity firm investing in fast-growing tech and export-oriented companies in Ukraine and the near region, is pleased to announce that its vintage 2017 Fund III has taken top prize in the 2022 FT/IFC Transformational Business Award: Transformational Finance Solutions Impact Investing category. Winning this prestigious award marks a first for the firm, achieving global recognition for its impact investment approach, and results achieved, in Ukraine and Moldova.

The 2022 edition of the FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards, the leading global initiative that highlights and promotes ground-breaking, long-term private sector solutions to major development challenges, is presented by the Financial Times (FT) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, marking 17 years of collaboration that have had a substantial impact on the way financial and non-financial organizations approach sustainable investment. This year’s winners were selected across three core categories: Transformational Finance Solutions, highlighting the most innovative impact funds that are helping to scale up promising opportunities; Transformational Human Capital Solutions; and, Transformational Climate Change Solutions. The judging panel evaluated how organizations are harnessing disruptive technologies and business models to achieve impact and scale, recognizing and showcasing innovation, impact, replicability, financial viability and sustainability.

“A sincere thank you to the FT/IFC for honoring Horizon Capital’s Fund III as the recipient of this notable award. On behalf of our entire team at Horizon Capital, we are delighted to be recognized for our focus on delivering impact investment solutions in Ukraine and Moldova (“Region”), and the results that we have achieved alongside our partners/visionary entrepreneurs backed in Fund III,” said Lenna Koszarny, Horizon Capital’s Founding Partner and CEO. “Especially rewarding is that the judges recognized our standing as the largest institutional investor in Ukraine’s fast-growing IT sector, and our laser-focus on spurring entrepreneurial activity in our Region, including backing women-led businesses, creating well-compensated job opportunities, and delivering modern essential services that improve quality of life in Ukraine and Moldova. With the backing of our esteemed investors, Fund III has achieved substantial impact, which is expected to continue going forward. Based on 2021 results, 9,000 new jobs have been created resulting in more than 24,000 people employed across the portfolio, including nearly 15,000 women. We will continue to prioritize high impact through our latest fund, $250 million Fund IV, which attracted $125 million at its first closing in September 2022, by: a) supporting economic growth, job creation and business resilience by prioritizing high-value add, export-oriented industries; b) furthering inclusion by improving access to capital for SME’s and women-led businesses; and, c) mobilizing private capital through our focus on technology, knowledge-based and new-economy sectors.”

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Horizon Capital (www.horizoncapital.com.ua) is the leading private equity firm in Ukraine, backed by over 40 institutional investors with over $1.2 billion under management in six funds from investors with a capital base exceeding $570 billion, raising over $580 million in growth capital to back visionary entrepreneurs from Ukraine and Moldova in just over 5 years. Horizon Capital-managed funds have invested in over 160 companies employing more than 77,000 people in the Region. Horizon Capital is a value-added investor, backing visionary entrepreneurs leading transformational businesses in Ukraine and the near region.