Kakhi Bekauri and Giorgi Chkheidze, co-founders and equal 33% shareholders of supermarket chain Ori Nabiji, are set to become shareholders in microbank Crystal through Lotus Impact Finance. The company will receive a 20.01% stake in Crystal as a non-cash capital contribution.
According to documents submitted to the business registry, Lotus Impact Finance will acquire a total of 727,367 Crystal shares in two stages: 198,155 shares by March 31, 2027, and a further 529,212 by September 30, 2027. The transaction will increase Lotus’s share capital from GEL 100,000 to GEL 643,581.
Following an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on October 24, Bekauri and Chkheidze each hold 36.45% of Lotus Impact Finance, while Crystal co-founder Archil Bakuradze owns 27.1%. Bakuradze, who is a member of Crystal’s supervisory board and director of Lotus, confirmed the acquisition to BMG but declined to disclose further details.
The National Bank of Georgia has confirmed the suitability of Lotus and its jointly acting shareholders in connection with the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Crystal.
According to the company, Lotus is bringing together Crystal’s founding shareholders and new investors to develop an investment, corporate governance and technology platform. Its strategic priorities include supporting entrepreneurship and agriculture in Georgia’s regions, promoting technological innovation and eventually expanding into regional markets.
