In May 2017, Helios Investment Partners invested USD100m+ in GBfoods Africa (GBFA), a Ghana-based global culinary products manufacturer operated by Barcelona-based holding company Agrolimen, with a portfolio of low-cost, staple food categories, including tomato paste, mayonnaise and bouillon cubes.
With Helios’ support, GBFA increased localizing food production and created over 1,000 new jobs for people who were previously unemployed and had limited job prospects, keeping employment in agriculture and manufacturing in the continent. The local tomato-growing operations alone have created new jobs for 700 tomato harvesters, 80% of which are women. Local production also limits price increases for local consumers from currency depreciation and supply chain disruptions like those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.