Pale Fire Capital closes its first decade with a €413 million portfolio and plans to invest in family-owned businesses across Europe
According to its annual report published today, Pale Fire Capital closed 2025 with a private equity portfolio valued at CZK 10 billion. The group is now broadening its investment focus and plans to enter strong family-owned businesses in Central … Read more
Pale Fire Capital partner Jan Černý says in an interview for HN that over the next five years the group plans to invest EUR 400 million in strong European companies. “An investor, as I see it, is someone who acts like a good farmer, thinks long term, helps their companies grow dynamically, but does not leave scorched earth behind,” he … Read more
Forbes, 7 May 2026, Jana Pšeničková
It has more than twenty years of history behind it and is now the largest Czech-owned domestic online marketplace. Aukro, founded in 2003 in Zlín as part of the Polish Allegro Group, underwent a rebirth several years ago.
The first came when it was bought out of Polish ownership by Václav Liška, who was … Read more
Our ROUVY app is joining forces with Zwift, the global leader in sports technology. Pale Fire Capital, as the ROUVY’s former majority owner, is acquiring a significant stake in Zwift.
Zwift, one of the world’s most successful online fitness platforms, today announced that it is adding the Czech company ROUVY to its portfolio. Over the past nine years, ROUVY has … Read more
Jan Černý has become the new Managing Partner of Pale Fire Capital. He takes on the task of building and developing the group’s private equity portfolio at a moment when one of the greatest investment opportunities in recent years is opening up for PFC — at the intersection of technology, AI, and traditional industries. The group is preparing to accelerate … Read more
The 26th edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards has unveiled the winners of the first two regional rounds, announced in late January. A panel of judges, composed largely of past laureates, selected Dušan Šenkypl, a partner at Pale Fire Capital, as Entrepreneur of the Year in Prague. The award for the Central Bohemian Region went to Michal … Read more
Aukro entered five new markets in 2025 and completed its first ever foreign acquisition. Further details were reported by CzechCrunch.
After several difficult years, Aukro has regained momentum following its takeover by Jan Barta and his partners and has now embarked on its first acquisition drive.
11 December 2025, CzechCrunch, Filip Magalhães
One of the Czech Republic’s largest auction platforms … Read more
Hospodářské noviny has revealed a new investment by Pale Fire Capital and fresh details on the growth in the value of its portfolio.
Another big bet by Barta and his partners: Pale Fire Capital invests in a French meal-voucher giant
22 December 2025, Hospodářské noviny, Michael Mareš
Discount platform Groupon, online marketplace Aukro, travel start-ups Daytrip and Davinci, cycling … Read more
At Pale Fire Capital, we believe that Czech capital should aspire to succeed under the toughest conditions on global markets. We are convinced that the same ambition is relevant for Czech science. Sharing knowledge, research methods, and experience with leading international scholars is one of the key ways to strengthen the innovation capacity and competitiveness of the Czech Republic.
This … Read more
Aukro, a leading online auction and marketplace platform in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and part of the Pale Fire Capital portfolio, expanded into five new countries this year. As a result, Aukro listings are now available in markets with over 120 million people. The company has made significant progress in its strategy to become a unique international platform connecting … Read more
