AS Starman

Starman was an Estonian cable television and Internet service provider company founded in 1992 and located in Tallinn. Since December 2016, Starman Estonia is wholly owned by Elisa.[1][2]

Starman
IndustryCable television
Internet service provider
IP Telephony
Founded1992
FounderIndrek Kuivallik
Peeter Kern 
Defunct2018
HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
ParentElisa 
Websitewww.starman.ee

Starman was the largest cable television company in Estonia[3] and in the Baltic countries.[4]

History

Starman was founded in 1992 by Peeter Kern and Indrek Kuivallik.[5] Peeter Kern served as the company's CEO until his unexpected death in 2014.[6][7]

In 2013, the Swedish investment company East Capital Explorer bought 51% of Starman's shares from the company's founders.[8]

In 2015 Starman bought the Lithuanian telecommunications company Cgates, with funds from the majority shareholder East Capital Explorer,[9] but the Lithuanian branch was again separated in a later acquisition.

In March 2016, East Capital Explorer intended to sell its 63% share to American investment firm Providence Equity Partners for €81 million,[10] but Starman's minority shareholder Polaris Invest (owned by founder Indrek Kuivallik) used their pre-emptive rights to make the purchase instead.[1][11][12] In December 2016, Starman Estonia was wholly acquired by Finnish telecommunications company Elisa for €151 million; this deal did not include the Lithuanian branch.[1][2][13]

References
  1. "Finland's Elisa acquires Estonia's Starman". Digital TV Europe. 14 December 2016.
  2. "Finnish telecom Elisa buys full holding in Starman Estonia". ERR. 13 December 2016.
  3. "CNBC launches on Starman in Estonia", CNBC, 10 July 2014.
  4. "Starman and Nokia to Deploy First Nationwide 10-Gigabit Residential Network in Europe", Fiber Optics Weekly Update, 10 June 2016  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  5. "Starmani asutaja ostab senise suurosaniku välja". Äripäev (in Estonian). 10 May 2016.
  6. "Ootamatult lahkus Starmani asutaja Peeter Kern". Äripäev (in Estonian). 11 March 2014.
  7. Inselberg, Kadri (12 March 2014). "Suri Starmani asutaja ja juht Peeter Kern". Postimees (in Estonian).
  8. "East Capital Explorer buys majority stake in Starman". Postimees. 3 May 2013.
  9. "East Capital Unveils Acquisition of Cgates in Lithuania", SeeNews Nordic, 22 December 2014.
  10. "Swedes sell Starman to Americans", Postimees, 15 March 2016.
  11. Dziadul, Chris (14 December 2016). "Finland's Elisa to buy Starman". Broadband TV News.
  12. "Kuivalliku Polaris sai õiguse osta Starman". Postimees (in Estonian).
  13. Reisenbuk, Karel (12 December 2016). "Elisa ostab Kuivallikult Starmani". Postimees (in Estonian).


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