Learn more about Horizonte Venture Management and the people behind Horizonte’s Management Team

Experts in corporate finance and private equity in Austria and Southeast Europe

Horizonte Venture Management (“Horizonte”) is a private equity and corporate finance firm with a track-record of more than 30 years in Austria and Southeastern Europe. Horizonte invests in companies and provides consulting services to companies to raise capital from institutional investors including bank loans as well as mezzanine and equity capital.

Established in 1985 it is the oldest Venture Capital firm of Austria. Recognizing early the economic potential after the fall of the Iron Curtain and capitalizing on the old tradition and reputation of Austria in the region the firm soon expanded its investment territory to the former countries of Yugoslavia. Horizonte has been active in Slovenia since 1994 and has since then gradually invested into companies in the whole region of former Yugoslavia. So far Horizonte has invested in 35 companies in the region and has achieved an average multiple of 2.8 on the companies sold.

Horizonte has always been cooperating closely with local banks and financial institutions thus leveraging the equity with bank loans and leasing facilities. So far € 175 million have been contributed by banks to finance investments, acquisitions and working capital of Horizonte’s portfolio companies.

In its investments Horizonte acts as a partner who actively supports and shares the risk with entrepreneurs who have realized the economic opportunities arising from structural, technical, legal, environmental or political changes in the economy before awareness has grown in the general public and who intend to use and to benefit from these opportunities. As a consequence of the partnership Horizonte and the partner also share the success.

We have gained extensive know how and expertise how to strategically structure projects and how to behave tactically in crucial situations in order to optimize chances and to minimize risks. The firm has a track record in the development of companies with above average growth and in the selection of outstanding entrepreneurs (see Track Record), the latter being the most important single factor for a success. The sustainability of our investments is proven by the further successful subsistence of our investee companies sold. In the course of our long and sustainable history in the region we have established strong relationships with all major banks and financing institutions in the region enabling us to achieve a significant leverage of our equity invested (see Performance of Horizonte Slovene Enterprise Fund). Horizonte is an independent company owned by the firm’s management.

The Management Team

Dr. Alfred Matzka, Partner
holds a doctorate in business administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He worked at the Austrian Ministry of Trade and subsequently as a consultant to small and medium sized companies. After three years with an accounting and auditing firm he joined FGG in 1981 and led FGG’s division for risk financing and turn-around management. Dr. Matzka joined Horizonte in 1988.

Dr. Matej Penca, Partner
Ljubljana has been head of Horizonte’s office in Ljubljana since 1994. Dr. Penca holds a Ph.D. in chemistry of the University of Ljubljana and wrote his doctoral thesis on Decision Algorithms for Chemical Information Systems. Prior to joining Horizonte he was an associate professor at the University of Ljubljana, and a Visiting Fellow at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) design of IR search medule for the Chemical Information System (CIS) run by NIH and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Penca was a Principal Investigator on several projects funded by the Slovene Research Community and the USA-YU Joint Board. He later was director of the Informatics Department at SMELT global project management, Ljubljana and Counsellor to the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Government of Slovenia.

Mag. Martin Wodak, Managing Partner
Studied business administration at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and passed the CPA (Chartered Public Accountant) exam in Manchester (NH, USA). He started his professional career at Head Tyrolia Mares (HTM) Sports Group in various financial functions. For many years he has worked as a management consultant in the fields of corporate strategy and sales excellence and also held positions as interim manager. He joined Horizonte in 2000.