The Greek market is experiencing a wave of activity across multiple sectors, with M&A, energy, real estate, and startups all drawing strong investor interest, according to Drakopoulos Partner Petros Fragkiskos.
"The Greek market is currently in a very strong phase, and there is a general sense of optimism," Fragkiskos begins. 'We are seeing activity across multiple industries, each of which is generating substantial legal work. Naturally, M&A remains a central pillar, and recent months have brought a steady flow of deals. This is particularly evident in education, where foreign investors are increasingly viewing private schools as an attractive long-term growth sector.”
Continuing, Fragkiskos notes that energy has also been a major driver and reports that the real estate sector is booming, supported by landmark projects such as the Hellinikon development in Athens, which continues to capture attention both domestically and internationally. Alongside this, the tourism and hospitality sectors, especially in Greece's islands, remain magnets for capital, with no signs of slowing demand. "Tourism remains a powerhouse, generating around 25% of GDP, with 33.2 million arrivals in 2024, and this figure is expected to grow further in 2025."
Additionally, Fragkiskos highlights M&A activity within the tech sector and the startup ecosystem. "We regularly see investors participating in pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds. Because so many of these companies already operate internationally, the deals often involve complex cross-border elements," he says. "This creates a diverse and dynamic pipeline of legal work, touching on everything from structuring to compliance."
As for the drivers behind these levels of activity, Fragkiskos points to a mix of tax and financial incentives, such as the Non-Dom regime and family office incentives, as well as Greece’s overall momentum. "Moody’s upgraded Greece’s credit rating to investment grade, from Ba1 to Baa3, reflecting improved public finances and economic stability," he says. "One of the key factors is Greece’s golden visa framework, which continues to be very attractive to non-EU investors. Under this scheme, residency can be obtained by investing EUR 500,000 in private equity or venture capital, or EUR 250,000 in registered start-ups under Elevate Greece, the government’s official start-up registry. These comparatively accessible thresholds have encouraged investors to consider Greece not only for lifestyle reasons, but also as a platform for broader business activity,” he says.
At the same time, compliance has become an important theme. "The EU’s AI Act, which will come fully into force within two years, is already influencing how companies structure their operations. Similarly, the EU Accessibility Act, which was transposed into Greek law this summer, imposes new obligations. Companies are eager to understand and prepare for these changes, generating significant advisory demand,” Fragkiskos explains.
Finally, focusing on the origins of this investment interest, Fragkiskos says that it primarily stems from the United States, the EU, and the UK, which remain the leading sources of investment. "However, we are also seeing significant interest from investors in the Mediterranean region, particularly in Israel. Together with Greece’s sectoral strengths and clear reform agenda, these trends suggest that the market will remain active for the foreseeable future," Fragkiskos concludes.
