Igor Čičak, Founder and Managing Partner of Provectus Capital Partners, participated in Tržišta kapitala 2026, the Croatian-Slovenian capital markets forum organised by Jutarnji list and Delo on 20 October in Zagreb.
Speaking on the panel “Capital Markets in a New Global Reality,” Čičak highlighted the importance of connecting regional investment markets to create a larger, stronger capital market and the role of private equity in financing economic growth.
“The region now has capital available. The key challenge is mobilising it, and private equity funds have proven to be an effective channel for directing capital into the real economy,” Čičak noted.
Reflecting on the development of Croatia's private equity market, he emphasised the important role of domestic pension funds, which were among the investors supporting local fund managers as they raised their first funds during the market's earlier stages of development. Since then, the market has matured considerably, with private equity funds deploying capital, executing their investment strategies and completing exits.
This progress has helped fund managers build experience and establish investment track records, while also contributing to a broader investor base. As managers raise successor funds, they are attracting an increasingly diverse pool of investors, including greater participation from private investors.
Despite this progress, significant potential remains for further market development, both through continued diversification of the investor base and stronger integration of regional investment markets. Funds pursuing regional investment strategies can attract investors from different countries and connect them with investment opportunities beyond individual national markets.
Čičak also emphasised that further capital mobilisation through private equity funds can help increase investment in regional businesses, improve productivity, enable companies to achieve greater scale and strengthen their competitiveness in international markets.