Meet the Team Behind Merito’s Real Estate Strategies

At Merito Partners, we believe that success comes from having the right people, clear goals, and strong responsibility. That’s why our real estate investments are not just about finding good opportunities — they are about putting the right experts in charge.

Our real estate platform, Merito Partners Real Estate Management AIFP, is built on two main strategies:

  • Working with top developers through smart partnerships to build strong, market-ready projects.
  • Finding hidden value in special situations, like old or underused buildings, and turning them into high-performing assets.

Each strategy is led by a dedicated team with the knowledge and motivation to get things done. This setup allows us to take on a wide range of projects — from improving city areas to creating more affordable housing — always aiming for strong returns for our investors and a positive impact on the cities we work in.

Unlocking Alpha: Partnering with Agile Developers

In real estate, the biggest profits don’t come from big, standard new developments with low margins. The real opportunity is with small, smart developers who know the market well — they find overlooked buildings, win auction deals, or buy real estate that others miss. These projects can deliver much better returns.

But small developers often struggle to raise money. They usually collect funds one project at a time from many investors, which takes time and distracts them from their main job — delivering great results.

At Merito, we offer a better way. We provide reliable funding and work as a single, professional partner — making the process faster and simpler for developers, while protecting our investors’ interests.

Here’s how we do it:

  • Strong oversight. We track how capital is deployed and spent, keep investors informed, and maintain control in each project through Merito-appointed board members and shareholder agreements that govern key decisions.
  • Developers invest alongside us. We only work with developers who have a proven track record and who invest 15–35% of the capital themselves. This ensures they are fully committed to the success of each project.
  • Investor protection first. We use a structure that returns money to investors before profits are shared. This helps reduce the risk for our investors.

In this market, speed and credibility close deals—not capital alone. Our edge is in removing friction for developers while giving investors structures they can trust. After just two months in market, we’ve launched our first partnership project—and we’re on track to become the go-to equity partner for the region’s most compelling opportunities.

This strategy is led by Oto Davidovs, Real Estate Fund Partner at Merito Partners. Oto holds a BSc in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and brings over a decade of experience in corporate banking and private advisory, having worked firsthand with these developers.  

  • Private Advisory: Guided developers on capital raises and deal structuring, bridging the gap between their vision and institutional capital.
  • Head of Lending Department: Managed a €300 M+ loan portfolio, structuring finance for developers across the Baltics.
  • Deal Origination: Personally originated and underwrote loans for entrepreneurial developers—earning deep insight into their strengths and challenges.

Unlocking Value in Special Real Estate Situations

This strategy is driven by Merito’s in-house team with deep local presence and full execution capabilities. It focuses on special situation real estate — underappreciated, undervalued, or mismanaged assets where value can be unlocked rapidly through targeted action.

The approach is fast, flexible, and driven by deep market access. Whether it’s acquiring assets ar attractive valuations, converting use types, breaking up properties for partial sales, or restructuring tenancy and operations to enhance cash flow, this team thrives in dynamic, deal-driven environments. .

This strategy is led by Jānis Šīns and Igors Terehovs, both respected veterans of the Latvian real estate sector with long-standing leadership roles at Latio, Latvia’s premier property investment and brokerage firm.

  • Igors Terehovs, also a Real Estate Fund Partner, has over 15 years of experience in asset management and investment advisory. Over his career, he has managed more than €250 million in real estate transactions, covering a diverse range of asset classes and investor profiles. He holds a Diploma in Finance from the London School of Economics, equipping him with a sharp global outlook paired with deep local expertise.
  • Jānis Šīns, Real Estate Fund Partner, brings over 20 years of experience in real estate investment brokerage and strategic team leadership. A serial and verified investor, Jānis has a consistent track record in high value-add real estate projects, supported by a strong academic foundation from BA School of Business and Finance.

Together, Jānis and Igors combine institutional-level investment discipline with street-level insight, enabling Merito to capture opportunities that others overlook — and deliver tangible, high-yield results.

Merito Partners Newsletter April 2025

UPDATE NO. 13
APRIL 2025

Greetings from Merito Partners

We’ve reached a key milestone: over EUR 100 million now trusted to Merito Partners by more than 170 private and institutional investors. In just 2.5 years, this trust has been built by offering a fresh and flexible approach to private equity in the Baltics — through 15+ tailored investment opportunities with strong returns and controlled risk. From funds and HoldCo to high-yield bonds, our investors value the range and quality of opportunities we deliver. Thank you to our investors and partners for trusting our vision. This milestone is just the beginning. There are many more ideas and projects in the pipeline that will be shared with you soon.

Mikus Janvars
Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Merito Partners

Should you be interested in joining our ever-growing investor base, don’t hesitate to reach out to investor.relations@meritopartners.com

Succesion-Driven Opportunities:

Unlocking the Next Wave of Investments in the Baltics

The Baltics are entering a new phase of succession-driven deals. With many first-generation entrepreneurs approaching retirement, ownership transitions are accelerating. At the same time, geopolitical shifts have led some international investors to exit, creating unprecedented opportunities for local capital. At Merito, we are capitalizing on this trend. We identify high-potential businesses at key transition points and open the door for our investors to participate early. We scout the market for the next wave of succession-driven opportunities.  We are eager to share two fresh investment cases where more than 40 investors have already committed over EUR 20M.

Baltic Family Capital (BFC)

Inspired by over 100 successful consolidators in Scandinavia (e.g., Visma, Indutrade, Lifco), BFC is the first permanent equity house designed for Baltic SME founders seeking a credible exit route. Using a buy-and-build strategy, BFC aims to create a EUR 100M revenue group by 2030, built from 2 to 4 platform companies and many decentralized businesses.

BFC targets resilient companies with high, stable margins, offering mission-critical products or services and serving diverse customer bases. Preferred sectors include business services, niche manufacturing, and value-add distribution, with EBITDA between EUR 500K and EUR 5M. 

BFC is led by Alex Prokofjevs — a true Baltic citizen (born in Lithuania, raised in Latvia, married to an Estonian) — and a dedicated team already actively mapping the market. Company plans to list within the next 5 years, opening new growth and liquidity opportunities for the investors.

Lignord Group

Lignord Group is the first Baltic consolidator focused on mid-sized sawmills — a core sector of the region’s traditional, export-driven wood processing industry. 

These businesses are often facing succession challenges, with founders nearing retirement age (average 60+), low investment appetite, outdated sales models, and a lack of digital adaptation and long-term strategy. At the same time, they offer robust access to raw materials, strong long-term client relations and high-quality asset base. Moreover, the market is deep with tens of companies fitting the description in Latvia alone.  

By consolidating 5–8 regional players, Lignord Group aims to create a strong group with professional management, focused on proactive sales, process digitalization, strategic financial planning, and unlocking synergies. 

Within 5 years, Lignord Group targets to become a stock exchange candidate, offering retail investors a chance to co-own a player in one of the Baltics’ most sustainable industries. 

We continue to seek similar succession-driven investment opportunities and are excited about the value these trends can unlock for our investors. We believe this is the momentum!  

Latvia`s Solar PV Champion:

Focus on operations and portfolio resilience

As many already know, this is one of our earliest projects. It is now fully developed, with 86 investors contributing EUR 20M in equity. Together with the bank financing, a total of EUR 44M was invested to develop 8 solar PV parks with a total capacity of 71.6 MW.

The project was completed in Q3 2024 and is now fully operational. In 2024, consolidated PV plant revenue exceeded EUR 2.2M and EBITDA was EUR 1.8M, in line with the budget given that some of the plants were commissioned during the year.

Given the strong performance and in line with initial plans, we started exploring the sale of the portfolio in the second half of 2024. While we received interest, negotiations have been slow—mainly due to geopolitical tensions, high interest rates, and uncertainty around the PPA market in the Baltics. The current conditions do not support a sale that would meet our investors’ expectations.

Meanwhile, a major shift has occurred in the market: the disconnection from the BRELL network has added uncertainty to the energy landscape but has also improved revenue projections for producers with existing capacity, including Merito and Saules Energy. The new situation has opened up an opportunity to increase long-term revenue potential and resilience of the portfolio by adding battery capacity. We are currently in discussions

Leading Self-Storage Operator in the Baltics:

BOX Storage Scaling

In 2023, Merito launched Merito Self Storage Fund with a clear mission — to build the leading self-storage operator in the Baltics. Just a year later, BOX Storage project has achieved impressive milestones and is building strong market momentum. 

The timing could not be better. In the Baltics, self-storage space per capita is around three times lower than the European average and more than five times lower than in the Nordics. Meanwhile, across Europe, the self-storage sector has shown consistent growth: rentable space has increased at a compounded annual growth rate of over 8% since 2015, with the number of facilities growing by 13%. Importantly, the sector is resilient — even through the market growth the occupancy rates have remained above 78% over the last eight years, showing strong and increasing demand. 

BOX Storage is positioned right at the center of this opportunity. By early June, we anticipate the opening of our flagship Go Planet location in Riga — offering over 4,000 m² of self-storage space. At the same time, we are finalizing our first locations in Vilnius and Tallinn. By then, BOX Storage’s operational network will cover six prime locations across the Baltics, offering over 12,000 m2 of leasable self-storage space across the Baltics. 

But this is just the beginning. By the end of the year, we plan to add up to four more locations, expanding our footprint to approximately 30,000 m² of rentable space. This will complete the establishment phase and mark the start of a new stage — active marketing and client acquisition.

Our growth strategy combines the transformation of underused spaces with targeted M&A deals. The Baltic self-storage market remains significantly underserved, and we see a clear path toward consolidation, value creation, and eventual exit, whether through a strategic sale or a potential listing. 

What makes us confident about this project?

  • Low-risk profile: The real estate we acquire typically holds market value exceeding acquisition cost, providing strong downside protection. 
  • Experienced team: Our management team brings proven experience in scaling operations and delivering results. 
  • Multiple growth levers: We are growing organically by converting spaces and through smart acquisitions. 
  • Attractive industry dynamics: Self-storage valuations are compelling, supported by strong demand, stable cash flows, and multiple exit scenarios. 
  • Future-ready model: We are committed to sustainable principles and leverage tech-driven solutions for efficiency and better customer experience. 

Investors still have a window to join the BOX Storage journey as we continue raising investments through the summer. With clear market leadership within reach and a platform built for long-term value creation, BOX Storage is set to become the undisputed self-storage champion of the Baltics. 

Welcome to Go Planet BOX Storage opening

Save the Date – May 27

We’re excited to invite you to the kickoff event for our Merito Self-Storage Fund flagship location – Go Planet, at Gunāra Astras Street 2B, Rīga. This will be the largest and most advanced self-storage facility in the region, setting a new standard for the market. We’d be glad to have you join us for this milestone celebration.

First Liquidity Event Confirmed:

Adaptive Media Sets the Stage for Target Fund II Investors

2025 is shaping up to be a milestone year for Target Fund II investors. We are pleased to announce the first liquidity event from our investment in Adaptive Media, marking a major achievement for the Fund.

In 2024, Target Fund II raised EUR 4.3M in capital and acquired a 74% stake in Adaptive Media SIA.

Adaptive Media’s strong financial performance drives this momentum. The company closed 2024 with a consolidated net profit of EUR 1.26M — a 26% increase compared to 2023. Growth was fueled by a significant expansion of gross profit in key markets, including France, Spain, Romania, Brazil, and Mexico, with most of these markets more than doubling their gross profit year-over-year.

These results validate our investment approach: acquiring businesses with solid fundamentals, enhancing operational efficiency, and accelerating international growth.

Importantly, the first regular dividends for all shareholders are expected to be paid already in Q2 2025 — a major step towards delivering early and consistent liquidity to our investors.

Special Real Estate Investments:

Finalizing Restructurings and Exploring Exit Opportunities
We continue working dynamically across our real estate projects, pushing through restructurings, optimizing operations, and carefully reviewing different exit scenarios to unlock value for our investors.

Kaleju Street 18/20 – Riga Old Town
At our residential property on Kaleju Street, the focus is on completing renovation and furnishing works ahead of the summer high season. Four rental units are currently under construction, and the last long-term tenants are preparing to vacate soon.
Our goal is clear: maximize the building’s rental potential and optimize running costs during the most active rental period. In parallel, we have initiated exit discussions (building sale) and are carefully reviewing all available options to ensure the best outcome.

Pasta Street 6 – Riga Old Town
At our second residential project on Pasta Street, commissioning is in its final stages. We are preparing to launch 86 fully furnished, ready-to-rent units into the high-season short-term rental market.
Once operations are fully underway, we will start evaluating and processing different exit opportunities. The strategy is to capture the strong market momentum and deliver a well-timed exit once the building’s revenue potential is fully demonstrated.

Ulmaņa Gatve 2 – Riga Industrial Asset
At our industrial property on Ulmaņa Gatve, work continues to optimize cash flow and strengthen the tenant mix. We are actively renewing agreements with existing tenants and onboarding new ones to improve cash flow stability.
In parallel, we are preparing several development and renovation scenarios, including sketches, cost estimates, and potential project roadmaps. The upcoming quarter will be focused on selecting the optimal value-creation path and preparing the building for its next development stage.

Across all properties, the main objective remains the same: move fast, drive operational improvements, and explore the best exit scenarios to deliver strong results for our investors.

We are actively working to prepare new real estate investment opportunities for our investors.