Romanian entrepreneur Iulian Stanciu has sold the stake he owned in eMAG Group to Napers-owned consumer internet group and technology investor Prosus, 17 years after taking over the company and 14 years after the signing of the partnership with Napers.

For Stanciu, the deals mark the transition from entrepreneur to investor as he will accelerate investments in “companies and projects that can create value added for Romania.” He will also focus on access to capital, mentorship, know-how, and connecting local companies to large markets. “The objective is to support entrepreneurship infrastructure that Romania needs in order to develop more companies able to become regional leaders,” an announcement explains.

The areas of focus will include sectors such as energy, healthcare, industry, and technology, alongside continued support for entrepreneurship, the financial sector, and investment funds.

“I would like to thank my colleagues at eMAG, the management team that made this exceptional journey possible, and the partners at Prosus, who have supported the development of local e-commerce through access to capital and know-how over the years. I am equally grateful to our partners, sellers, and the millions of customers who place their trust in us. All of this technology, developed here in Bucharest and exported across the region, has created a technology champion that will continue to grow rapidly in a sector that is still in the early stages of development,” Iulian Stanciu said.

“Until now, I have been a player, that is, an entrepreneur. Now I am moving into the role of coach, that is, an investor. I want to help companies and entrepreneurs grow; perhaps we can create ten eMAGs over the next ten years, across a variety of industries. Romania is not short of talent or entrepreneurs. What we lack is equity capital and venture capital. I will put money to work, back into the economy,” he added.

The change does not impact “eMAG’s commitment to the markets in which we operate, and Prosus, our majority shareholder for the past fourteen years, remains committed to our goal of growing e-commerce across the region,” Tudor Manea, CEO, eMAG Group, explained.

The company is moving forward with its investment plan for the next fiscal year, with a budget of RON 1.2 billion, it said. These investments will be directed toward logistics and delivery infrastructure, AI, and financial services.

(Photo: the company)

simona@romania-insider.com