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New chapter for tbi bank as Advent completes acquisition

27 february 2026 #News

The American investor’s global experience and expertise in business and financial services will further support the bank’s business growth and building up first-in-class products and services for consumers

tbi bank, the fastest-growing challenger bank in the SEE region, has been officially acquired by Advent International. One of the world’s largest and most experienced global private equity investors, Advent has more than €85 billion in assets under management* and an extensive background investing in the business and financial services sector.

The transaction, initially announced in April 2025, was finalized today after the European Central Bank (ECB) granted regulatory approval in mid-February 2026.

Closing the deal marks an important milestone not only for our organization, but also for the banking sector in the SEE region. Advent’s global experience in financial services will support us in accelerating our growth, further enhancing our products, and continuing to deliver smooth digital banking through our mobile and online platforms.

Petr Baron

CEO of tbi

I would like to sincerely thank Petr Baron for leading the entire process with confidence, transparency, and outstanding professionalism. My gratitude also goes to the entire tbi bank team, who successfully navigated this transaction while continuing to deliver strong business results. This team commitment, in addition to Advent’s support, strengthens my belief in our continuous growth.

Ariel Hasson

Chairman of the Supervisory Board, tbi bank

The completion of the acquisition of tbi bank reinforces Advent’s long-term commitment to Central and Eastern Europe, where we continue to deploy capital by combining deep local insight with global expertise. We look forward to working with Petr, Ariel, and their team to further strengthen tbi’s position as a leading technology-driven bank in Southeast Europe.

Milan Kulich

Managing Director at Advent

This acquisition builds on Advent’s significant expertise of investing in regulated financial institutions and payments companies globally. We believe tbi bank is well-positioned for its next phase of growth, and we are committed to investing further in its digital capabilities and customer offering.

Alfred Dersidan

Director at Advent

With Advent’s support, tbi bank also plans to further strengthen cooperation with its network of 38,000 merchant partner stores across the region, providing customers with even more accessible, transparent, and flexible financial solutions. tbi bank is well known in the Bulgarian market for its free daily banking package with super app and neon card, which eliminates a range of traditional banking fees, provides fully digital financing, and offers a fee-free option to split payments into instalments.

*Assets under management (AUM) as of September 30, 2025. AUM includes assets attributable to Advent advisory clients as well as employee and third-party co-investment vehicles.

About Advent International

Advent is a leading global private equity investor committed to working in partnership with management teams, entrepreneurs, and founders to help transform businesses. With 16 offices across five continents, we oversee more than EUR €85 billion in assets under management* and have made 448 investments across 44 countries. Since our founding in 1984, we have developed specialist market expertise across our five core sectors: business & financial services, consumer, healthcare, industrial, and technology. This approach is bolstered by our deep sub-sector knowledge, which informs every aspect of our investment strategy, from sourcing opportunities to working in partnership with management to execute value creation plans. We bring hands-on operational expertise to enhance and accelerate businesses. As one of the largest privately-owned partnerships, our 655 colleagues leverage the full ecosystem of Advent’s global resources, including our Portfolio Support Group, insights provided by industry expert Operating Partners and Operations Advisors, as well as bespoke tools to support and guide our portfolio companies as they seek to achieve their strategic goals.