The story behind the founder
Founder & President, BALFIN Group
Samir Mane is the Founder and President of BALFIN Group, one of the most prominent investment groups in Southeast Europe. In 1993, two years after moving to Vienna, he founded Alba-Trade, laying the foundation for what would become the Group.
Today, BALFIN Group comprises around 85 companies across nine sectors, including retail, real estate, tourism, banking, and education, and operates in 13 countries across Europe and North America.
In 2025 and 2026, Forbes included him on its list of the world’s billionaires, making him the first Albanian to achieve this distinction. He has also been honoured by the Presidents of Austria and Albania for his contributions.
Through the Mane Foundation, he supports initiatives in education, health, poverty alleviation, arts and culture, and the environment.
Companies within BALFIN Group
The numbers that define BALFIN Group
Founded in Vienna in 1993, BALFIN Group has grown into a cross-border investment group with a diversified portfolio across Europe and North America.
Figures from the BALFIN Group Annual Report 2025, as of 31 December 2025.
Landmark achievements that shaped a region
One landmark from each of the nine industries in which BALFIN Group operates, from Albania's first shopping mall to the country's first MGallery hotel.
QTU
Tirana, Albania2005
Tirana Logistic Park
Tirana, Albania2012
Tirana Business University
Tirana, Albania2014
Green Coast
Albanian Riviera2015
Entry Into Banking
Tirana, Albania2019
Balfin Asset Management
Albania2023
Green Coast Hotel – MGallery
Albanian Riviera2025
HyperActive
Prishtina, KosovoFamily entertainment
Clean Energy
Western BalkansSolar & windBuilding an even greater future
More than three decades after Alba Trade, the Group keeps expanding across Europe and North America, while Mane Foundation carries its commitment to society.
across two continents
Move near a country to zoom in, or drag the globe to rotate it.