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Seven Energy International Has Secured US$100M in Financing From Investors (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Nigeria-based integrated gas company Seven Energy International has secured US$100 million in financing from investors. Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek, emerging markets-focused private equity firm Capital International Private Equity, multinational banking and financial services company Standard Chartered, development finance institution International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC subsidiary IFC Asset Management Company (IFC AMC) invested US$50 million by way of an… Read More
Emerging Markets Private Capital Fundraising and Investment Decline in 2015
Emerging Markets Private Capital Fundraising and Investment Decline in 2015; Bright Spots in Infrastructure and Real Assets, Credit and Venture Capital EMPEA’s just-released emerging markets (“EM”) private capital Year-End 2015 Industry Statistics reveal that private capital fund managers—inclusive of private equity, private infrastructure and real assets and private credit—raised US$44 billion for emerging markets in 2015, a 17% decline from… Read More
Golden Gate Ventures Leads a US$3.5 Million Seed Financing Round for Grana (Asia)
Hong Kong-based online clothing retailer Grana has secured an additional US$3.5 million in seed funding led by Southeast Asia-focused early-stage venture capital firm Golden Gate Ventures. Venture capital firm Mindworks Ventures and Hong Kong-based luxury retailer Bluebell Group also participated in the round. Grana will use the capital to develop new products and expand internationally. Read More
Denham Capital-backed Nexif Energy Acquires a Controlling Interest in Viet Hydro (Asia)
Nexif Energy, a Southeast Asian independent power producer formed with the backing of energy-focused private equity firm Denham Capital, has taken a controlling interest in Vietnam-based hydro power project Coc San through the acquisition of a majority stake in Vietnam-based power producer Viet Hydro. Coc San, a run-of-the-river 30 MW hydro power project, is expected to commence electricity generation by… Read More
Unitus Impact’s Livelihood Impact Fund Reaches a US$45 Million Final Close (Asia)
Unitus Impact, an investment arm of Unitus Group, has reached a final close for its Livelihood Impact Fund with US$45 million in capital commitments. Investors included Australia-based pension fund Christian Super, development finance institution Overseas Private Investment Corporation and two philanthropic organizations: the eBay Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Livelihood Impact Fund will primarily invest in early-stage companies in India. Read More
Aasaanjobs Raises a US$5 Million Series A Round from Aspada, IDG Ventures India and Inventus (Asia)
Aspada Investment Advisors, an investment firm focused on small- and medium-sized enterprises in India, has led a US$5 million Series A financing round for India-based recruitment service provider Aasaanjobs. Venture capital firms IDG Ventures India and Inventus Capital Partners also participated in the round. Aasaanjobs will use the new capital to further automate its recruitment marketplace and expand to other… Read More
AfricInvest and Siparex Reach a First Close for Fonds de Co-Localisation Franco-Tunisien (MENA)
Pan-African private equity firm AfricInvest and private equity firm Siparex have reached a first close for the Fonds de Co-Localisation Franco-Tunisien (FCFT) with EUR20 million (approximately US$22.4 million) in capital commitments. The fund was promoted and equally subscribed by France-based investment bank Bpifrance and the Tunisian branch of the French development agency Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. FCFT, which will… Read More
Rockaway Capital Leads a US$2 Million Financing Round for Gjirafa (CEE and CIS)
Global technology venture capital firm Rockaway Capital has led a US$2 million financing round for Albania- and Kosovo-based search, e-commerce and online advertising platform Gjirafa. The company, which caters to the Albanian language community, will use the new capital to digitize and index information in Albania and Kosovo and build a native online advertising network for the region. Read More
Investec Africa Private Equity Fund 2 Reaches a US$295 Million Final Close (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Africa-focused asset management firm Investec Asset Management has reached a final close for Investec Africa Private Equity Fund 2 (IAPEF 2) with US$295 million in capital commitments. Investors in the fund included pension funds, endowments, funds of funds and development finance institutions. IAPEF 2 focuses on consumer sector businesses in Africa and has already invested in three companies: South Africa-based… Read More
Amethis Finance and PCM Capital Partners Complete a Follow-on Investment (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Amethis Finance, a fund manager that provides debt and equity financing to companies in Africa, and private equity fund manager PCM Capital Partners (PCP) have completed a follow-on investment through a capital increase and convertible bonds in Côte d’Ivoire-based oil and gas distributor Pétro Ivoire. The Kadio-Morokro family, the family of the company’s founder, also participated in the transaction. PCP… Read More
Karma Ventures Reaches a First Close for its Initial Fund (CEE and CIS)
Estonia-based early-stage venture capital firm Karma Ventures has reached a first close for its debut fund with EUR40 million (approximately US$45 million) in capital commitments. The fund will focus on early-stage companies in Europe. Investors in the fund included Estonia-based investment company Ambient Sound Investments and the Baltic Innovation Fund, the fund of fund initiative launched by the European Investment… Read More
Amadeus Capital Partners Leads a US$40 Million Funding Round for Travelstart (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Technology-focused venture capital firm Amadeus Capital Partners has led a US$40 million financing round for South Africa-based online travel agency Travelstart. South Africa-based mobile telecommunications company MTN Group also participated in the round. Travelstart will use the new capital to expand into key markets and to grow its team and product offerings. Read More