Südamekodud, Estonia’s largest provider of elderly care services, has brought in Penta Hospitals International, a leading healthcare and long-term care group in Central Europe, as its strategic investor. The goal is to accelerate investments in Estonia and the Baltic States, bring international expertise to the region, and develop Südamekodud into the leading elderly care provider in the Baltics.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of Südamekodud. During this time, the company has grown into Estonia’s largest provider of elderly care services. Südamekodud has been one of the driving forces behind the development of Estonia’s care sector, contributing both to improving service quality and creating new care places.
According to the current owners of Südamekodud, bringing in a strategic shareholder is the company's natural next stage of development, supporting both its continued growth in Estonia and its expansion into the Baltic market.
“About a year ago, the shareholders of Südamekodud came to the conclusion that the next stage of development would be expansion into the other Baltic countries. Our goal is to develop Südamekodud into the leading elderly care company in the Baltics and contribute to the development of the care sectors in Latvia and Lithuania,” said the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Südamekodud Martin Kukk.
Penta Hospitals International, which will acquire 100% of the shares of Südamekodud, is one of Central Europe’s leading providers of healthcare and long-term care services, operating hospitals, outpatient medical centres, elderly care homes and home care services in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The transaction concerns the company’s ownership structure but will not result in any changes to the day-to-day operations of Südamekodud. The company’s identity, values and people will remain the same. The management team will continue in their current roles, all services will continue as usual, and the company’s strategic direction will remain unchanged. For residents, their loved ones and employees, the transaction will not affect everyday services or working arrangements.
“Südamekodud is a highly respected company operating in the important and rapidly developing fields of healthcare and social care. We highly appreciate Estonia’s thoughtful approach to demographic change and its efforts to create a supportive environment for the development of elderly care. For Penta Hospitals International, entering the Estonian market through Südamekodud means expanding into our fourth European Union market as well as taking a strategic step in the field of elderly care, which we consider one of the most important challenges across Europe, including Central Europe and the Baltic States. Our goal is to support Südamekodud in its continued growth and development while respecting the company’s strong reputation, extensive network and dedicated team that has been built over the years,” said CEO of Penta Hospitals International Peter Lednický.
According to Martin Kukk, Estonia’s care sector has made remarkable progress over the past ten years, but Estonia and, in fact, the entire Baltic care sector will require significant investments in the coming years. “We want to build new elderly care homes, develop our services and provide older people with increasingly high-quality care. To achieve this, we need a strong long-term partner who believes in the future of this sector as much as we do. In addition to capital, it is also important that our partner has deep industry expertise and a strategic interest in developing elderly care services,” added Kukk.
“We have reached the point where the next stage of growth would require significantly larger investments than ever before. Building a company operating across the Baltics requires investments that would not have been realistic using only the resources of the existing shareholders. Therefore, we sought a partner capable of supporting our ambitions with both capital and industry expertise,” Kukk added, noting that after a thorough process, the strongest alignment was found with Penta Hospitals International.
“This partnership gives us access to the knowledge and best practices that Penta Hospitals has accumulated over decades while developing hospitals and long-term care services in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. It gives us the opportunity to learn from one of Europe’s leading healthcare and care organisations, benefiting our residents, employees and the entire Estonian care sector,” said the Member of the Management Board of Südamekodud and Head of Quality and Services Keiu Talve.
Südamekodud is Estonia’s largest provider of elderly care services. The group includes 12 elderly care homes across Estonia, providing a home for more than 1,500 residents and employing 750 people. The homes are located in Tartu, Käru, Piigaste, Lihula, Värska, Saaremaa, Kunda, Kohtla-Järve, Valkla, Paide, Merivälja and Pirita in Tallinn. Construction is nearing completion in Hiiu, Tallinn, where Nõmme Südamekodu, the group’s 13th elderly care home, will provide a safe and modern home for 170 older people. Südamekodud’s mission is to develop living environments where people can enjoy a safe, comfortable and dignified old age.
Penta Hospitals International is one of Central Europe’s leading providers of healthcare and long-term care services. The group operates hospitals, outpatient medical centres, elderly care homes and home care services in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. With 53 hospitals, 62 outpatient medical centres, 61 elderly care homes, 8 home care providers and more than 22,000 employees, Penta Hospitals International combines medical expertise, investment capacity and a people-centred approach to care. In 2025, the group generated revenue of €1.5 billion and invested more than €530 million in healthcare infrastructure and next-generation care services. The acquisition of Südamekodud marks Penta Hospitals International’s expansion into its fourth European Union market and confirms the group’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for high-quality long-term care in Europe’s ageing societies. Penta Hospitals International is part of the Penta Investments Group.
Penta Hospitals International in numbers
Südamekodud AS
Register code 14168513
Karjavälja st 4, Tallinn 12918
info@sudamekodud.ee