UMG Investments, owned by the SCM Group, has completed four merger and acquisition (M&A) deals since April this year, Investment Director Nadiia Kaznacheieva said at the CFO Forum 2020 held in Kyiv this week.

"We believe in this country, in the business where we work, and we continue investing. Since April, we have completed four M&A deals and opened two new businesses built from scratch," she said.

Kaznacheieva said that the first such enterprise is the Ukrainian Mineral Fertilizers plant in Kryvy Rih, and the second, of a smaller scale, is the utilization of coal mine methane.

According to her, two projects were carried out in the mining segment, in which the company invests as a strategic investor, but these transactions are not public and are not disclosed.

Another investment was the purchase of a minority stake in Feednova, which is implementing a project to build a plant for the production of high-protein feed additives and animal fats in Busk (Lviv region), the investment director said.

"The importance of a domestic investor is sometimes underestimated. If domestic investors do not invest, it is difficult to expect the arrival of international investors," Kaznacheieva said.

She added that in the context of the coronavirus epidemic, when even physical movement is limited, attracting foreign investors is even more difficult. "Now is the time of our, local investors, there is money in Ukraine," the investment director said.

Speaking about the business of UMG Investments and its approaches to investment, Kaznacheieva said that the company operates as a private equity fund, and expects high returns from projects – IRR 25% and higher.

"What are the criteria, where we invest – industries that are growing and which, most importantly, will grow. Unlike Horizon Capital we don't invest in FMCG. We have a different view of projects: more focused on B2B and export or import substitution," Kaznacheieva said.

According to her, the white clay mining business from the assets of UMG Investments (VESCO) is the second largest such business in the world. "We will work further, and I believe that we will be number one in the world," the investment director said.

She said that among the portfolio companies there is also the largest operator for the processing of waste and by-products.