PRIVATE EQUITY AS FINANCING SOURCE FOR SMES – AN OUTLOOK

Abstract

Nowdays, one of the main barriers against the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are related to difficulties in accessing finance. These obstacles have multiple causes, such as cyclical, structural but should be also considered the international economic background. SMEs are still dependent on bank loans for their external financing, therefore, suitable alternatives should be considered. Private Equity is an essential source for start-up, young and growth companies to create and add value, often through research and innovation. Anyway, equity should not be regarded as a substitute for traditional SME financing instruments. Rather, it serves a specific group of SMEs (including startups), which contribute in a great extent, to the innovativeness, productivity and development of the overall economy. In this paper, there are highlighted the importance of equity finance for SMEs in different stages of their development (creation, survival and growth), the main trends and evolutions in the European market of the private equity funds and some prospects regarding the private equity financing.

Keywords

• financing
• private equity
• SMEs
• prospects