IEC in new hands: what Krippa plans for the exhibition giant

11 June 14:09

Maxim Krippa, a well-known Ukrainian businessman who owns the Parus business center, the Ukraina Hotel, and the NAVI esports team, has become the new owner of a controlling stake (75%) in the International Exhibition Center (IEC) in Kyiv. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

This complex is the largest exhibition facility in Ukraine, which makes the deal a significant event for the country’s real estate and business market.

Context of the deal

In May 2025, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine granted permission to Citadel Ventures Cyprus Limited, a Cypriot company whose beneficiary, according to YouControl, is Krippa, to acquire control over another Cypriot company, A.T.V.T. Business Expo Holdings Ltd. which owns 50.04% of IEC LLC.

The beneficiaries of IEC LLC are the directors Anatoliy Viktorovych Tkachenko and Viktor Viktorovych Tkachenko. Anatoliy Tkachenko and Olena Tkachenko directly owned 12.49% of the LLC.

Another 24.98% is owned by the venture corporate investment fund Asborne, whose beneficiary is Marina Dorokhina, the daughter of Vagif Aliyev, a well-known Kyiv-based retail real estate developer.

Details of the deal

Krippa said that investing in Ukrainian real estate is not only a business decision for him, but also a symbol of faith in the country’s future:

“I have been investing in real estate for almost 20 years – globally and in Ukraine. For me, any deal in Ukraine is a symbol of faith in the country’s future and its investment attractiveness for international partners.

The agreement covers the acquisition of 50.04% of the IEC’s authorized capital through the Cyprus-based A.T.V.T. Business Expo Holdings Ltd. and the shares of Anatoliy and Olena Tkachenko, which together make up 75% of the ownership.

“We have now formalized our agreements regarding this facility and will work on what we already have. The transaction concerns not only the A.T.V.T. share, which owns 50.04% of the IEC’s authorized capital, but also the shares of Anatoliy and Olena Tkachenko, with the total acquired ownership stake amounting to 75%,” he said.

Plans for IEC

Maxim Krippa emphasized that the IEC has significant potential for development as a key platform for large-scale industry and business events that present modern Ukraine to the world. Among the businessman’s priorities:

Retaining the IEC’s professional team of more than 130 employees.
Rethinking the concept of the facility to make it more innovative and inclusive.
The possibility of changing the purpose of the complex in the future depending on market trends and audience needs.
Testing new event formats to attract a wider audience.

“I do not rule out the possibility of changing the purpose of the facility in the future. We will take into account global trends and focus on market and audience demand, and possibly test new formats,” he said.

Currently, Krippa has no plans for a large-scale reconstruction or expansion of the building, considering its condition satisfactory for current needs.

IEC financial performance

In 2024, the IEC showed significant growth: revenue increased by 71.4% to UAH 83 million, and net loss decreased by 3.3 times to UAH 7.1 million.

These figures demonstrate the revival of the center’s activities despite Russia’s war against Ukraine and the difficult economic conditions in Ukraine.

What is known about the IEC

The International Exhibition Center in Kyiv is a unique complex with an area of 73.23 thousand square meters, of which 38.68 thousand square meters are exhibition halls.

The complex includes four pavilions of different sizes (from 6.6 to 10.85 thousand square meters), 18 entrance groups and 20 loading gates for convenient transportation of large-sized exhibits.

IEC positions itself as a leading venue for exhibitions, conferences and other large-scale events in Ukraine.