Foreigners purchased 2,406 companies in the Czech Republic last year, marking the lowest number of acquisitions in the past six years.
However, investments were made in larger companies, with the total equity tripling to 7.6 billion Czech crowns. While Ukrainians and Slovaks traditionally dominate the acquisition market, buyers from other countries are leading in terms of share capital.
“Over the past five years, entrepreneurs have struggled with economic uncertainty and changes in global politics and regulations, which has undoubtedly dampened buyer appetite,” said Kateřina Klosová from Dun & Bradstreet, the company that published the data.
Although the number of transactions decreased, their total value tripled, highlighting a shift in focus toward higher-value acquisitions rather than the volume of deals. “This indicates that foreign investors are now more focused on acquisitions with higher value rather than on the number of deals,” Klosová explained.
As in previous years, Ukrainians and Slovaks were the largest foreign buyers, acquiring 580 and 526 companies, respectively. Despite their long-standing dominance, their appetite for Czech companies dropped to its lowest point in six years. In comparison, Ukrainians purchased 897 companies in 2019, while Slovaks bought 690. Meanwhile, Americans bought just 52 companies last year.
The total value of deals in 2024 amounted to 7.6 billion Czech crowns, a threefold increase compared to 2023. Cypriot owners made the most acquisitions, although the opaque ownership structures of local companies often make it difficult to identify the true owners. Germans and Spaniards followed Cypriots in terms of the number of deals made.
