- KKR (NYSE:KKR) is buying two minority stakes in European online marketplaces for $175M. The first digital business called Scout24 Schwiez operates car and real estate websites, while the second called Omnimedia is an online advertising agency.
- The new move outlines KKR's private equity focus toward fast-growing digital businesses.
- "This is the future of private equity," said Philipp Freise, who leads KKR's European media industry team. "We have to become solutions providers and invest much more flexibly. In many cases, it doesn't matter if we don't use debt or have a majority stake. If you like a business, you have to partner and be creative in how you offer entrepreneurial capital."