Swedbank to acquire Vilnius’ Barclays Operations Centre in Lithuania
Swedbank has agreed with Barclays Operations Centre in Lithuania (BGOL) to acquire the financial technology centre Rise Vilnius.
Banks are planning to complete this transaction by 1 July 2019.
According to Dovilė Grigienė, chairman of the board of Swedbank in Lithuania, this transaction shows that Lithuania is committed to maintain high technology incubating leadership positions.
“We are ready to ensure the continuity and further development of the successful Rise Vilnius business. Swedbank’s ambitions in Lithuania are long-term, and we want to promote the creation of digital innovations that open up new opportunities for citizens, businesses and the state,” says Grigienė.
Swedbank expects close cooperation with start-ups and their community and will use its existing network to offer start-ups new development opportunities.
He emphasizes that candidates who have shown interest in acquiring Rise Vilnius have been carefully selected to ensure that the new owner continues to maintain business continuity and a good partner for current and future start-ups.
Rise Vilnius was founded in July 2016. Currently, the centre has 64 members and 34 companies hosted in its premises.
The title is misleading. Rise Vilnius is just a project initiated by Barclays in Lithuania. Rise Vilnius is kind of office used for presentations, conferences, startups, etc…