Novator Finance Bulgaria has acquired additional 14.63% of Economic and Investment Bank (EIBank) from two local physical persons (Tsvetelina Karagiozova and Svetoslav Bozhilov) and one legal entity (Kateks AD). The fund now has direct ownership of 48.63% of the bank’s equity and probably has indirect control of additional shares. Novator Finance Bulgaria is owned by Iceland ’s billionaire Thor Bjorgolfsson, who has purchased 18.72% of EIBank for EUR 24.8 million in January 2006 and has raised his stake to 34% through a capital hike operated two months later. EIBank is the country’s 9 th largest lender. It reports a total asset value of BGN 1.38bn (EUR 705mn) as of the end of 2006 and a full-year net profit of BGN 30mn. The bank’s market share is estimated at 3.3% in asset terms.