Private Equity/Venture Capital Sector Specifics in Certain Clusters of Countries Within Europe

Development of private equity/venture capital market (PE/VC) is an opportunity for economic growth, as it partially complements the equity gap affecting companies from the SME sector, which cover a significant portion of the total number of enterprises. The main goal of this work is to define the characteristics of the PE/VC sector in particular groups of European countries, distinguished using taxonomic analysis based on their convergent traits. In the study, special emphases are on identifying: the size of the market, its financing structure and the split of capital between sectors. The article is based on: broad literature, latest statistical data collected by EVCA, as well as, the latest research reports on the PE/VC market. Proper specification of this market is extremely important as it allows a better understanding of the mechanisms affecting the analysed sector.