Profesia now part of a UK media group Daily Mail and General Trust

At the end of the last month, on October 28th, 2005 contracts were made and entered into based on which the company Lapcom, Kft became the sole proprietor of the company Profesia spol. s r.o. having acquired a 100% stake.

Lapcom is the Hungarian representative of Northcliffe International, a division of Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT) - one of the major British media companies publishing for example the dailies Daily Mail and Evening Standard and the owner of the job server www.jobsite.co.uk (No. 2 on the UK market) that has interests in television, radio and exhibition market as well as in other fields.

ÑThe acquisition of the company Profesia.sk is connected with a clear strategy of the Daily Mail and General Trust media group, which is to expand on the publishing and media market. The acquisition of the job server Profesia.sk shall highlight the companyís leading position on the internet job market already assumed in the UK. We hope our experience in managing the related portfolio shall improve the efficiency of customer services,ì said Oto Lanc, the Executive Director of the company Profesia and a representative of DMGT.

ÑBy selling Profesia to the British media group DMGT the Slovak-American Enterprise Fund made one of the most successful investments in its history. In 5 years, which is an ideal time-span for a finance investor to stay in a company, SAEF was able to reach an investment appreciation rate, i.e. inner rate of return more than 70 percent p.a.ì, said Matej Fekete, the Investment Director of the Slovak-American Enterprise Fund (SAEF). Considering the risk rate that the project presented for SAEF, it is an extraordinarily successful investment. The acquisition of Profesia by SAEF may be considered a great example of a venture capital investment.

ÑWe have established Profesia within the company ui42 already in 1997; short after the Internet was launched in Slovakia, as one of a few very good ideas. Owing to the support and work performed by experts focusing on the real needs of both people and companies and thanks to the well designed and deployed web application, in the course of time Profesia became the leader on the Slovak internet job market. We consider the sale of Profesia to a strategic investor a proof of the right orientation of ui42 towards the synergy of real professionals and professional internet softwareì, so Martin Krupa, the director of the company ui42, the previous co-owner of the company Profesia.

Since its establishment in 1997, the portal www.profesia.sk has become the biggest and the most visited job portal in Slovakia. Profesia has been awarded many national and international awards in various fields:

The 2000 award for the management and development of human resources in the category Human Resources Project 2000.

1st prize in the category Electronic market and the support of small and medium size enterprises in the prestigious Slovak competition for the best multimedia internet site and a CD/DVD ROM In Slovakia - ìSlovakPrix MultiMedia 2003ì.

In 2004 Certificate and the gold medal Slovak Gold in the category ìServicesì, as the very first internet service.

In 2004 - 4th prize and in 2005 ñ 6th prize in the ranking of the fastest growing technology firms set up by the company Deloitte - Fast 50 Central Europe in the category ìRising Starsì.

ÑJust like the acquisition by SAEF in 2000 represented a development shift for Profesia from the period of childhood into the period of adulthood, we perceive the acquisition by DMGT as a step forward into the big world. When we realize the changes Profesia went through in five years of cooperation with SAEF, it is really interesting to imagine what its position shall be in the five years to comeì, said Dalibor Jakuö, the Managing Director and the founder of Profesia.

Slovak American Enterprise Fund is a venture capital and private equity investing its financial resources into small and medium sized enterprises in Slovakia. The fund focuses on development investment for private companies which present a complete and sound business plan, possess an experienced and credible management team, and have growth and income potential and a sustainable competitive advantage.

Since the very beginnings of its existence until the end of September 2005 SAEF has reinvested over USD 42 millions. Within the Direct Capital Investment Programme USD 38 millions were invested in 45 Slovak companies in form of an increase of capital stock (USD 20 millions) or loans (USD 17 millions). Using the Small Loan Programme the Fund has granted loans to 51 companies amounting to USD 4 millions.