Merged into Nexters Global, ticker now GDEV
KSMT

Completed

Nexters Global

GDEV
First $9.70
Merger $9.94
2%
Merger +6mo $8.06
17%
Merger +1yr $6.38
34%
Recent $2.20
77%

Kismet Acquisition One Corp

Sponsors: Kismet Sponsor
Raised
$250M
CIK
1814824
SPAC Ticker
KSMT
Merger
Nexters Global
Merged Ticker
GDEV
Focus
Telecommunications, Technology, Consumer
External link: SEC Filings

SPAC Team

Leadership

Ivan Tavrin, serves as our founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Tavrin is the founder and principal of Kismet Capital Group, a private investment group, which he founded in 2017 and has managed since its inception. In that capacity, and as part of Kismet Capital Group’s investment strategy, Mr. Tavrin, through special purpose entities controlled by him, acquired LLC Gallery Service in 2018 and acquired an indirect controlling interest in Vertical LLC in 2019. From 2012 to 2016, Mr. Tavrin served as chief executive officer of PJSC MegaFon, or MegaFon, the second largest telecommunications operator in Russia as of December 31, 2016, having led its US$1.8 billion initial public offering and dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and Moscow Exchange in 2012, which was the largest initial public offering of a telecommunications company in Russia at that time. Mr. Tavrin oversaw MegaFon’s growth from 27% to 30% of market share between 2012 and 2015 and a more than two-fold increase in the OIBDA-Capex in the same period. Prior to this, Mr. Tavrin founded UTH Russia Limited, or UTH, one of the largest independent media broadcasting groups in Russia and served as its chief executive officer from its inception in 2009 to 2011. Mr. Tavrin has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of UTH from 2012 to 2016. In 2015, he led UTH in a transaction to acquire a 75% interest in CTC Media which was at the time listed on Nasdaq. Under new leadership, CTC Media’s profitability improved significantly within the first 12 months of operations after the time of the acquisition. In 2011, UTH formed a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company, or Disney, resulting in Disney buying 49% of one of UTH’s television channels for $300 million, the only transaction between Russian shareholders and a major U.S. film studio of such scale.

In 2019, Mr. Tavrin led an acquisition of an indirect controlling interest in Vertical LLC, one of the leading independent telecommunications infrastructure operators in Moscow. In 2018, Mr. Tavrin, through LLC Media-1, completed an acquisition of LLC Gallery Service, the second largest out-of-home (OOH) advertising operator in Russia and the largest digital OOH operator across the country. In 2013, Mr. Tavrin purchased a significant minority stake in VK, a leading social network in Russia, from its founder facilitating a resolution of a complicated corporate situation. The following year, he sold this stake to Mail.ru Group, VK’s major shareholder, which later became a critical step for Mail.ru Group to consolidate control in VK and alignment of interests of all stakeholders. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Tavrin held a controlling stake in Netbynet, one of the leading fiber to the home (“FTTH”) operators in Moscow and central Russia, or NBN. He aided NBN’s expansion through the acquisition of 30 local internet service providers and subsequently sold NBN in an auction process, in which MegaFon was the successful bidder. Starting in 2006, Mr. Tavrin built “Vyberi Radio,” a leading regional radio network via a roll-up of 55 stations. In 2001, Mr. Tavrin founded Regional Media Group, which he subsequently merged into a television network TV3, becoming its largest individual shareholder and president, and grew the combined business through the acquisition of numerous regional television assets. He then sold the company to Prof-Media for approximately $550 million. Mr. Tavrin currently serves as a board member of Holding Vyberi Radio LLC and Disney Channel Russia. Mr. Tavrin is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

We believe that Mr. Tavrin is well qualified to serve as a director due to his wide-ranging experience in media, telecommunications and technology, and his broad network of contacts.

Per Brilioth has agreed to serve on our board of directors as an independent director upon the closing of this offering. Since 2007, Mr. Brilioth has been managing director and a board member of VNV Global Ltd. (formerly Vostok New Ventures Limited), an investment company investing in early and growth stage companies, and he is a director of Vostok Emerging Finance Limited, an investment company listed in Sweden that invests in growth stage private fintech companies. He is also chairman of the board of Pomegranate Investment AB, a Swedish investment company and of Telegram Record, a private holding. Mr. Brilioth currently serves on the boards of Babylon Health, Docplus, Property Finder, Voi Technology, OneTwoTrip, Naseeb Networks, Inc., and is an observer at BlaBlaCar.

Previously, Mr. Brilioth was head of the emerging markets section at Hagströmer & Qviberg Fondkommission AB from 1994 to 2000. Mr Brilioth served as chairman of the board of Black Earth Farming Limited, a company that invests in the Russian agricultural sector from 2006 until 2012, and continued to serve on the board until 2014. He also served on the board of RusForest AB from 2010 to 2016, a forestry company operating in Russia. Mr. Brilioth holds a Master of Finance from the London Business School, and is a graduate of Stockholm University.

We believe that Mr. Brilioth is well qualified to serve as a director due to his leadership experience of investment companies, particularly in the area of early and growth stage companies.

Verdi Israelyan has agreed to serve on our board of directors as an independent director upon the closing of this offering. Since June 2016, Mr. Israelyan has served as a managing partner at Grishin Robotics Advisors Limited, an early-stage venture capital firm. He previously held both the chief operating officer and chief financial officer positions of Mail.ru Group between November 2010 and June 2013, and August 2011 and June 2013, respectively. Mr Israelyan served as a director of Mail.ru Group between 2013 and 2016. He was a partner at DST Global between 2009 and 2010. Prior to this, he co-headed CIS operations of the European Special Situations Group at Goldman Sachs in Moscow and worked in the Investment Banking Divisions at both Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Israelyan holds an M.B.A. from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in the Netherlands.

We believe that Mr. Israelyan is well qualified to serve as a director due to his executive leadership and investment banking experience.

Clifford Tompsett has agreed to serve on our board of directors as an independent director upon the closing of this offering. Mr. Tompsett served in various roles at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) from 1979 to 2017. Mr. Tompsett was a partner at PwC until he retired in June 2017. He was an audit partner until 2003 when he then specialised on capital markets and transaction work advising companies on the execution of complex transactions on the London, U.S. and Hong Kong markets. He founded and led PwC’s Global IPO Centre and founded and built PwC’s Equity Advisory business. He has significant experience working with companies in Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and other emerging markets, including companies in the telecommunications, media and technology sector, on preparing for an IPO, including advice on corporate governance, financial reporting, controls and risk management. He also has extensive experience working with special purpose acquisition companies on their IPOs and initial acquisitions.

Mr. Tompsett is Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Cello Health plc and a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Reed Global Limited, the recruitment business. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and has an MA in Chemistry from Oxford University.

We believe that Mr. Tompsett is well qualified to serve as a director due to his wide-ranging experience in complex capital markets transactions.