Straumur-Burdaras

Straumur-Burdaras (Straumur-Burðarás Fjárfestingabanki hf.) was a prominent Icelandic investment bank that served as a major financial hub during Iceland's economic expansion in the mid-2000s. Formed in 2005 through the merger of Straumur Investment Bank and the investment company Burðarás, it became the largest investment bank in Iceland with a significant international presence in the UK and Nordics. While primarily a financial institution, the bank was deeply intertwined with the life sciences sector as the primary shareholder and financier for Actavis, which grew to be one of the world's largest generic pharmaceutical companies under its backing. Following the 2008 global financial crisis, the bank was nationalized by the Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority and subsequently restructured into the asset management company ALMC hf.