PLG group, one of the reputable ticketing groups in the Baltics and Central Europe, has signed an agreement to acquire iaBilet, a well-established Romanian ticketing platform, from Resource Partners, one of the largest CEE private equity firms, alongside the company’s founders, who will remain engaged in the business and are expected to continue contributing to its development, including at board level. The sale, agreed eight months after Resource Partners’ initial investment, marks a highly successful exit for the Fund, delivering expedited returns to its investors. The transaction was signed on 20 May and will become effective following the fulfilment of customary closing conditions and completion of regulatory procedures.
Founded in 2012, iaBilet has become one of the Romania’s best-known ticketing platforms. The platform provides ticketing services for a broad range of entertainment events in Romania.
Resource Partners acquired its majority stake in the business in September 2025. During the holding period, iaBilet delivered strong commercial and operational momentum, onboarding several of Romania’s flagship festivals and rolling out a broad suite of new products and services – spanning both consumer-facing features that enriched the ticket-buying experience, as well as self-service tools that gave event organizers greater autonomy and analytics.
The acquisition forms part of PLG group’s strategy to further develop its technology and ticketing capabilities in the region, while also accelerating the group’s international expansion activities. According to PLG group founder and Chairman of the Management Board Sven Nuutmann, the company remains focused on markets where it sees long-term growth potential and opportunities to expand its services sustainably. The management team does not impose strict geographical limitations on future expansion and believes that the network of a future strategic investor could unlock additional opportunities in new markets.
“We continue to see strong long-term growth potential across the Central and Eastern European ticketing market. Average ticket prices in the region remain approximately two times lower than in Western and Southern Europe today. In general, the live entertainment industry continues to evolve alongside inflationary trends and improvements in audience experience ,” said Nuutmann.
Nuutmann added that PLG will continue investing in AI-driven solutions, as well as in the development of shared technology capabilities across the group aimed at delivering strong functionalities for both organizers and consumers.
“Our conviction is that technology alone does not sell tickets — sustainable growth is built on strong and loyal user bases, while technology creates a smoother and more intelligent customer experience for ticket buyers. A broader regional reach, combined with strong local platforms, can create an effective sales channel for event promoters”, he noted.
“In today’s ticketing industry, marketplaces that have become consumers’ primary and most trusted channels for discovering events and purchasing tickets gain a meaningful market position. The greater the ticketing company brand recognition and consumer trust, the better the visibility for promoters and the more cost-efficiently they can reach new audiences,” added Nuutmann.
Following the acquisition, subject to closing and applicable regulatory approvals, PLG group intends to assess how its Romanian activities may be further aligned over time, including through closer operational and technological cooperation built around iaBilet. iaBilet’s current key executives — CEO Emil Ionescu, COO Razvan Manta and CTO Daniel Cute-Petric — will continue within the PLG organization and contribute to building the company’s next phase of growth.
Emil Ionescu, CEO and Co-founder of iaBilet, commented:
“This was my dream when I started iaBilet almost 15 years ago: to be part of something big, powerful and results-driven, so that we can conquer the world with our honest and game-changing services, and to innovate and grow a powerful group together. Playing not just in the local cup but in the Champions League. I am honored to be part of PLG’s dream and to grow it into reality by building a much stronger business together.”
RTPR has assisted Resource Partners, one of the largest CEE private equity funds, in relation to the sale of its entire stake in Ia Bilet SRL.
The RTPR team was coordinated by Alina Stavaru (Partner) and Andrei Tosa (Senior Associate), and further included Iulia Calin (Junior Associate). Roxana Ionescu (Partner) and Serban Halmagean (Managing Associate) advised on competition aspects of the deal.
