Highlander Partners Acquires Majority Stake in Ares, a Leading Romanian Provider of Interventional Cardiology Services

On July 3, VCBeat (WeChat official account: vcbeat) learned that Highlander Partners, a private investment firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Ares, a private clinic in Romania.

This acquisition is part of Highlander’s nationwide initiative in the United States to onboard new companies and drive growth. Ares Group will leverage this opportunity to expand its existing operations, bringing high-end interventional cardiology care services to more patients in Romania.

Ares, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Bucharest, is a leading private hospital group in Romania, currently operating five branches. Its medical team comprises renowned experts and leaders in interventional cardiology from Romania and across Europe. The company is dedicated to replacing traditional surgeries with minimally invasive treatments. In addition to developing treatment protocols based on interventional cardiology, Ares also has a presence in interventional radiology, pediatric angiology, gynecology, and other fields.

Interventional CardiologyInterventional cardiology is a novel diagnostic and therapeutic technique for cardiovascular diseases, bridging the gap between medical management and surgical intervention. It is an invasive diagnostic and treatment approach. Without the need for open-heart surgery, physicians use imaging guidance to introduce catheters through percutaneous vascular access into the affected areas of the heart. Specific catheter-based techniques are then employed to diagnose and treat cardiac conditions. Procedures in interventional cardiology include coronary angiography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with stenting, balloon mitral valvuloplasty, radiofrequency ablation, pacemaker implantation, interventional treatment for congenital heart disease, and intracoronary thrombolysis. As one of the most advanced approaches currently available for the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, this field is undergoing rapid development.

Following the completion of this acquisition, Ares Group founders Oren Iancovici and Iulian Plescan will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Development Officer, respectively.

Dr. Oren Iancovici commented, “We are fully prepared to join forces with our new partners to drive continuous innovation in the field of cardiovascular internal medicine in Romania and expand our business operations across the entire country. The Highlander team, with its extensive investment experience in the healthcare services sector, is a strong strategic partner for us.”

Ben Slater, President and CEO of Highlander, added, “Our team has previously been successfully involved in several healthcare investments in Romania, and we are delighted to work closely with the visionary founder of Ares. We believe that Ares holds significant growth potential and social impact.”

Highlander is a private investment firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA. Established in 2004, the firm manages approximately $2 billion in assets. Highlander focuses on sectors including light industry, basic materials, food, business and industrial services, and distribution. Its investment strategies encompass private equity and mezzanine investments, backed by extensive operational and investment expertise. Through acquisitions and investments, Highlander Partners helps companies achieve sustainable growth and create shared value.

(Compiled by Zhou Hui)