Czech Portal Centrum Sells Majority Stake To Private Equity

NetCentrum, the publisher of the number-two Czech portal Centrum, has sold a controlling stake to the Warburg Pincus private equity fund for an undisclosed amount. Warburg, which also has an investment in Indian portal Rediff, took a majority stake but NetCentrum founders Ondrej Tomek and Oldrich Bajer retain minority holdings, AP reports. Centrum plays second fiddle to Seznam, in which Lycos Europe offloaded its share earlier this year, but each has experienced big growth along with the Czech Republic’s net sector this year. Previous Centrum investors were Intel (NSDQ: INTC) Capital and Baring Communications Equity. The value of the portal is estimated at euro100 million ($147 million), Czech media have reported.