2025 Year-End Newsletter

Update No.17
December 2025

Greetings from Merito Partners

As we approach the end of 2025, this is the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and appreciate the journey Merito Partners have taken. Each year brings its own momentum, but 2025 stands out as a period where many of our long-term efforts translated into tangible progress. Before we turn the page to a New Year, we are pleased to share the milestones achieved, celebrate the wins, and highlight the opportunities shaping the road ahead of us.

Reflecting on 2025: Main Milestones

Our investor community continued to grow meaningfully throughout 2025, now exceeding 220 unique investors who share our mission of making private equity more accessible and transparent. This year, we also proudly surpassed €150 million in assets under management and administration, reaffirming the trust our investors place in us and the relevance of the opportunities we develop across sectors.

Strengthening Our Team

To support our expanding investment portfolio and ambitious pipeline, the Merito Partners team has grown to over 20 professionals , with additional recruitment ongoing. This expansion strengthens our capabilities across deal execution, project management, fundraising, portfolio oversight, legal, and compliance – ensuring we are well prepared to meet the needs of our growing investor base and the increasing scale of our investment initiatives.

Key Milestones Across Our Portfolio

Merito Partners now manages 10 investment funds and oversees more than 20 active investment projects across energy, real estate, growth equity, buyout and evergreen strategies. Key achievements this year include:

  • Sustainable Energy Fund — we are progressing in obtaining financing to initiate the upgrade of our 71.5 MW solar PV portfolio with the integration of a 120 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The upgraded platform is targeting commercial operations in Q3 2026, significantly enhancing revenue resilience and long-term value.
  • Merito Self Storage Fund — BoxStorage has become the No. 1 self-storage platform in the Baltics, now operating 14,500 m² of leasable space across eight locations. Fundraising has been successfully completed with €17.8 million raised from 60 investors. The next phase focuses on operational excellence, utilisation growth, and continued market consolidation.
  • Real Estate Special Situation Funds — All projects launched in previous years have outperformed expectations, already returning 40% of committed equity to investors. These results underline the potential to exceed 20%+ net annual returns over the full investment cycle.
  • New Real Estate Projects in 2025 — This year, we executed four new special situation real estate deals, aligned with our dual strategy of Partnering with developers and Repositioning undervalued assets. These initiatives leverage Riga’s position as the most affordable EU capital for housing and growing demand for serviced living formats. More on this approach is available in our July newsletter.
  • Evergreen Investments — In 2025, we deepened our work with evergreen structures — long-term investments designed for compounded value creation and dividend yield. Among the first few cases, we also launched Lignord Group (wood processing sector consolidator) to advance succession-driven opportunities in the key Baltic industry.
  • Growth Equity Portfolio Highlights — Our growth equity portfolio continues to demonstrate strong performance. MyCabin doubled its scale in 2025, while our Laundromat network expanded to nearly 100 locations across 10 countries. These milestones provide a robust platform for continued growth, internationalisation, and future value creation.

What’s Next: Building on Momentum

As we reflect on the achievements of 2025, we also look ahead with confidence and determination. Merito’s investment strategy remains anchored in identifying niche opportunities, building scalable platforms, and offering investors access to high-quality private market deals.

The upcoming months will give investors the chance to evaluate three different projects.

🐄 Project Truffle — Strategic Acquisition in Baltic Agribusiness

Project Truffle marks Merito’s entry into one of the most resilient, asset-backed sectors in the Baltics – agribusiness. We are currently in the final stages of acquiring a vertically integrated livestock farming group from a US investment fund, opening the door to long-term, income-focused value creation.

The business combines a high-efficiency operational core with a substantial portfolio of owned agricultural land, while maintaining full control over its value chain, including in-house feed production. An experienced management team with decades of sector expertise will remain at the helm, reinvesting alongside Merito and ensuring strong alignment of interests.

Structured as an evergreen investment and supported by debt financing from a leading Baltic investment bank, Project Truffle focuses on strong cash yield generation backed by stable cash flows and more than 20 years of operating history. The investment is anchored in real assets, conservative structuring, and a clearly defined long-term value creation strategy.

🚑 MeDi Group Platform for Healthcare Services Consolidation

MeDi Group represents Merito’s expansion into one of the most resilient and socially essential sectors in the Baltics – healthcare. Driven by long-term structural trends such as an aging population, historically low healthcare spending, and steady market growth, the platform is being developed to build a scalable, professionally managed outpatient care group across the region.

In partnership with healthcare industry expert Dins Šmits, MeDi Group is designed as a long-term consolidation platform, bringing together high-quality clinics across diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation, and wellness. The first foundations are already in place: the initial investment round is nearing completion, securing both the central management team and the first clinic.

MeDi Group aims to combine strong governance, medical excellence, and operational discipline – creating a business that delivers resilient cash flows, scalable growth, and a meaningful contribution to the sustainability of the Baltic healthcare ecosystem.

🏗️ Riga Real Estate: Special Situations Projects

At Merito, we see Riga not only as a capital rich in history, but as one of Europe’s most overlooked real estate investment markets – a city where disciplined, hands-on execution can still unlock exceptional value.

We are currently preparing at least two new real estate investments under our proven renovate–convert–realise model. These are special situations in prime locations: underappreciated or underutilised assets that can be repositioned to meet today’s demand for quality urban living and short-term accommodation.

Each project is structured as a focused, single-asset strategy, combining active asset management with institutional oversight. Beyond financial returns, these projects contribute to the thoughtful revitalisation of Riga’s urban fabric – delivering value with discipline, creativity, and aligned capital.

If the abovementioned projects aligns with your long-term investment interests, and you’d like to explore it further, please let us know.👋 We’ll be happy to provide more details and answer any questions.

Merito Partners Newsletter October 2025

Update No.16
October 2025

Greetings from Merito Partners

As the investment landscape enters a traditionally active season, Merito Partners continues to pursue opportunities with strong fundamentals and clear value-creation potential. Our pipeline remains active — especially in real estate special situations — but this time we want to highlight another theme that is attracting growing interest from our investors: evergreen investments.

In this edition, we share how these structures are evolving in our region and introduce two new evergreen projects that Merito Partners is currently developing.

What Are Evergreen Investments — And Why Are Investors Increasingly Turning to Them?

In today’s changing markets, many investors are looking for stability and long-term value. Evergreen investments are designed without a fixed end date. Unlike traditional private equity funds that must sell their assets within 5–7 years, evergreen funds offer flexibility, longevity, and compounding growth — making them more attractive to long-term investors.

Our favorite holding period is forever
Warren Buffett

Globally, family offices, pension funds, and institutional investors are allocating more capital to evergreen platforms. Why? Because these structures allow for:

  • Long-term value creation without the pressure of short-term exits
  • Recurring dividend yields and reinvestment possibilities
  • Capital compounding, driven by steady earnings and strategic reinvestments
  • Strong alignment with management, often resulting in more patient and sustainable business growth

Returns in evergreen structures come from two sources: regular dividends from cash flow and value growth of the business itself, measured through independent valuations. This way, investors enjoy income today and compounding growth over time.

Evergreen funds are becoming a global trend. Below are some useful reports and articles that explain why investors are paying more attention to this model:

  • What’s in Your Evergreen Private Equity Strategy? — KKR (2025) – KKR
    A detailed guide on structuring evergreen PE strategies, discussing valuation, liquidity, fee structure, and operational challenges.
  • Evergreen Funds – 2025 Market Overview — Hamilton Lane – explore.hamiltonlane.com
    An uptodate market overview, forecasting that evergreen funds could grow to represent 20 % of private markets within a decade.
  • Global Private Markets Report 2025 — McKinsey & Company – McKinsey & Company
    A major industry report that highlights how fundraisers are exploring new vehicles (including evergreen structures) beyond traditional closed‑end formats.

Evergreen Investments by Merito Partners – How This Works?

Merito Partners began working with evergreen strategies in 2024. Since then, interest from our investors has grown quickly. Projects like Baltic Family Capital and Lignord Group show how evergreen structures can be used to build resilient, regionally rooted companies with stable cash flows and growth potential.

In the Baltics, this model is especially relevant. Traditional private equity funds sometimes buy excellent businesses but are forced to exit at the wrong time, often missing out on long-term value creation . With a smaller investor pool and fewer liquidity options in the region, this challenge is even stronger. Evergreen structures remove this pressure, letting value grow naturally. We focus on resilient businesses with clear competitive advantages such as:

  • Stable, predictable cash flows
  • Loyal clients and strong brand reputation
  • Diversified revenue streams across markets
  • Unique management or team expertise, with skin in the game
  • Regulated or contractual income sources
  • Tangible assets that provide security and options

By focusing on these businesses, Merito plans to build evergreen investments that withstand market cycles, pay reliable dividends, and grow in value over time.

We go further by combining evergreen structures with succession-driven opportunities:

  • Many first-generation entrepreneurs in the Baltics are retiring and want trusted successors, often at fair entry prices;
  • Some foreign investors are exiting due to geopolitical shifts, creating attractive local entry points.

Globally, evergreen funds typically target 8–12% net annual returns, depending on sector and strategy, with dividends often reinvested to boost compounding (Hamilton Lane, 2025). At Merito, we aim higher by combining evergreen structures with succession-driven opportunities, creating a model for premium long-term returns that offers investors steady income, growth, and the flexibility to stay invested in great businesses without the pressure of forced exits. At the same time, we are not — and will not be — opposed to opportunistic exits. While our focus is on long-term value creation, we manage each company in line with best private equity practices, ensuring they are always prepared for discussions with potential buyers should attractive opportunities arise.

New Evergreen Investment Opportunities: Wrapping up 2025

At Merito Partners, we are expanding our evergreen investment strategy into two new sectors with strong fundamentals and long-term growth potential. These opportunities are designed to combine stable cash flows with scalable expansion, creating resilient platforms for future value creation.

MeDi Group – Healthcare Services Consolidation

Healthcare remains one of the most critical industries in the Baltics, shaped by favorable trends such as an aging population, historically low spending, and consistent 7–9% annual market growth over the past decade. With an initial capital target of €5 million, MeDi Group will initiate consolidation of high cash-flow healthcare businesses across multiple verticals, through both M&A and greenfield investments.

The strategy aims to unlock significant upside through:

  • Valuation multiple arbitrage;
  • Centralized administrative functions;
  • Professionalized business development and finance resources.

The project is targeting dividend generation from 2029 and a target net IRR of 15%+. The project is led by an experienced healthcare sector CEO investing significant personal capital, supported by a strong professional network. The first investment — a greenfield clinic with consultations, surgery, and inpatient facilities — is already underway, with a second transaction expected within 3–6 months. We plan to team up with doctors in each of our practice areas, ensuring long-term alignment.

Project Truffle – Baltic Agribusiness Buy-Out

Agribusiness continues to be one of the most resilient sectors, and Project Truffle focuses on acquiring the most efficient farming group in the Baltics. With an equity requirement of approximately €10 million, this leveraged buy-out is structured as an evergreen investment, facilitated by a leading Baltic investment bank.

The business is highly attractive:

  • Favorable entry valuation with a valuable arable land portfolio included;
  • A proven management team with decades of sector expertise and significant personal investment rolling over their stake in the business and co-investing alongside Merito;
  • Strong free cash flow from day one, delivering double-digit net dividend yield, Large tangible asset base providing clear downside protection, complemented by rich recurring cash flows.

If you would like to learn more about our evergreen initiatives and stay updated on upcoming opportunities such as MeDi Tech and Project Truffle, please register your interest below. We look forward to building the next generation of resilient, long-term businesses together.

Click here to apply. 👋

Merito Partners Newsletter July 2025

Update No.15
July 2025

Greetings from Merito Partners

Real estate has long been regarded as a cornerstone of resilient investment strategy and at Merito Partners, we are elevating this asset class through a distinctive approach built on special situations, club deals and high-return strategies with sound risk management.

In this edition we share key insights from our market analysis, review of short-term hospitality in Riga, updates on our latest portfolio developments, and highight upcoming opportunities. We are also proud to introduce our two dedicated teams driving the execution of these projects.

Riga: A Hidden Gem in Europe

Recent economic trends show something that many smart investors are starting to see — Riga is one of the best places in the Baltics to invest in housing. Here’s why:

  • Homes are more affordable in Riga than in other Baltic capitals. The average family in Riga can buy a home that is over 1.5 times bigger than what a family in Tallinn or Vilnius can afford.
  • Mortgage loans are much smaller in Riga — about 60% lower than in other Baltic cities, even though loan conditions are similar.
  • Wages are growing, interest rates are falling, and home prices are stable. This creates a good moment for buying property.
  • There’s less competition. Fewer large developers are active in Riga compared to Tallinn and Vilnius.
  • Riga is one of the few capital cities in Europe where a typical family can still buy a spacious home (over 90 m²), unlike in Western Europe, where homes have become less affordable.

These factors make Riga one of the most overlooked and potentially most rewarding — real estate markets in the European Union.

Sources: Swedbank Macro Research – Baltic Housing Affordability Report (2024); Colliers Latvia; Comparethemarket.com – European Housing Affordability Data. https://www.swedbank-research.com/english/baltic_housing_affordability/2024/q4/hai_2024_q4_final.pdf

Short-Term Hospitality: The Best Use for Apartments in Riga’s Historic Centre

Recent trends clearly show that short-term rentals are becoming the most attractive way to use apartments in the centre of Riga. Here’s what makes this market so promising:

  • Riga offers the best value in the region. Apartment prices are low, and rental returns are high compared to other nearby capitals.
  • Riga was named the most affordable city in Europe for short trips in 2025 by the Financial Times.
  • The number of short-term rental apartments has grown by 50% in the last 10 years. Around 2,500 units are active during peak season.
  • Occupancy is solid at around 60%, and prices are still among the lowest in Europe — even lower than in cities like Bucharest and Chisinau.
  • Global Airbnb trends show Riga could grow 5 times bigger, reaching up to EUR 50 million in yearly revenue.
  • More professional operators are entering the market. Right now, only 25% of rentals are managed professionally, but service quality is quickly improving.
  • New hotels are being built in Riga’s Old Town, which shows strong confidence from big players like Mogotel and AmberStone.
  • Demand for serviced apartments is growing — especially from business travelers, military and embassy staff, and international students.
  • Short-term rentals give owners more flexibility, allowing them to sell the property at any time, unlike long-term rental contracts.

All of this makes short-term rentals the smartest and most flexible way to use apartments in Riga’s city centre.

Strong Teams Driving 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.

👉 Read here to meet the Team Behind Merito’s Real Estate Strategies

Case Studies: Merito in Action

We believe that results speak louder than words. In a dedicated article, we share the early outcomes of two of our real estate projects in Riga’s Old Town — Kaleju Street 18/20 and Pasta Street 6. These case studies reflect our approach to value creation through thoughtful upgrades, efficient operations, and careful planning.
If you’re interested in how we apply our strategy in practice, we invite you to take a closer look.

👉 Click here to read the full case studies.

New Investment Opportunities: Join the Next Chapter

Riga is becoming one of Europe’s top real estate markets — with strong fundamentals, good affordability, and low competition. At Merito Partners, we’re preparing new investment opportunities to match this momentum.

We offer focused club deals for 10–20 investors, combining equity and bank loans to fund high-return projects quickly. These deals move fast, so early interest is key.

  • Deal size: EUR 2–5 million equity + debt
  • Merito invests alongside you: at least 10% in every project
  • Target returns: 20–30% net IRR

If you would like to be considered for future co-investment opportunities, you are welcome to submit your interest via our investor application form.

Click here to apply. 👋

We look forward to exploring new possibilities together.