EBRD lends Uzbekistan's Star Group up to €17.7M for retail expansion
What's the deal? The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has extended a debt facility of up to €17.7 million ($20 million) to Uzbekistan's Star GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The loan covers working capital and funds expansion of the group's beauty retail chain in Tashkent and Samarkand.
What's the endgame? Star Group — which trades through Support Samarqand, BloomshopDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Star Distribution, and Star FMCG — will use the money to widen its regional footprint and broaden its product range. The project also carries grant support from the EBRD and the Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund to build a corporate governance action plan.
Why now? The facility marks a step up from a $14 million loan the EBRD extended to Star Group in 2024, which backed a warehouse, regional expansion, and more efficient delivery. This time the bank is doubling down on an existing borrower rather than a new market entrant.
The expansion: Alongside the loan, the EBRD will run a mentorship programme for women at Star Group, aimed at retaining female employees as the retailer grows across the two cities.
The signal: The deal fits a wider EBRD push to deepen private-sector financing in Uzbekistan, where it has invested almost $7.3 billion across 219 projects, most of it in private enterprise. A comparable recent move — a €15 million loan to distributor Green Line TradingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — points to active competition to scale consumer-goods distribution nationwide.
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