Norway's Telenor (TEL.OL) and Bain Capital have formed a consortium in the $6 billion auction for mobile company Polkomtel, a source said, a rare example of a strategic bidder getting together with private equity. The combination will spread the cost of funding what could be Poland's largest-ever deal, according to Thomson Reuters data, and narrows the field of bidders to five from seven going in to the second round. Telenor's operational expertise and Bain's dealmaking experience were also factors in the combination, a person familiar with the matter said. Poland would represent new exposure in a large emerging market for Telenor, which faces stagnating sales in the Nordic region.
Source
