Investisseurs & Partenaires is an impact investment group focused on supporting African Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Established in 2002 by Patrice Hoppenot and currently led by Jean-Michel Severino, I&P has invested in over 90 companies across 16 African countries, spanning various sectors such as health, transport, and microfinance. The organization aims to foster local economic development by providing capital, technical assistance, and strategic support to enhance the growth of its portfolio companies. I&P manages four pan-African funds and sponsors five additional impact funds, with a total of €135 million under management. The team, comprising approximately forty professionals, operates from Paris and seven African offices located in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Madagascar, Niger, and Senegal. Through its investments, I&P seeks to create long-term employment opportunities and generate significant social, environmental, and governance impacts across the continent.
Sahel Lab is a Nigerien laboratory that prepares mining samples for exploration actors in the country (uranium, gold) and conducts chemical, hydrologic and environmental analyses for other actors including large NGOs. Sahel-Lab was co-founded by SINERGI in 2009, after the entrepreneur M. Takoubakoye applied for a business plan competition organized by SINERGI in 2008. SINERGI invested €67,000 in Sahel Lab, taking a minority equity position and providing a long-term shareholder’s loan. Sahel-Lab has grown its activity exponentially since 2011. Today, Sahel-Lab is the leading mining laboratory in Niger, accredited ISO 17 025 and realizing 100% of the samples preparation needs of the main players in mining exploration (Gazprom, Global Uranium, etc.). Sahel-Lab has created 18 trained jobs so far and plans to grow additional mining services in the years to come.
Sahelian Seed
Venture Round in 2015
Sahelian Seed is a company whose purpose is the production, conditioning and marketing of improved seeds of rain-fed and market-garden species.
LEGENI is the first private laboratory for geothermic and environmental studies in Niger. These studies (materials and sands tests, environmental impacts studies) are essential for the professionalization of the country construction field. Until 2006, Niger had only one public under-equipped laboratory. Since its creation in 2004, LEGENI took a leading position thanks to the quality of its equipments and services. The company grew quickly mainly due to mineral investments in the north of the country.
ACEP Niger
Venture Round in 2012
ACEP Niger is a microfinance institution targetting small and very small businesses in urban areas.
CAT LOGISTICS performs customs clearance and freight transport. The company manages goods and shipping from their arrival in one of the sub-regional ports directly to the client. It has subsidiaries in the three coastal countries of the region: Cotonou in Benin, Tema in Ghana and Lome in Togo. CAT LOGISTICS has experienced very rapid growth in business volume since 2008, supported by major contracts including AREVA and the World Food Program (WFP). It operates in a particularly buoyant market with oil and mining large-scale investments. It is the only Nigerian-founded company of this size that remains independent from international firms. In 2013-2014, CAT partnered with the UN for the peace keeping mission in Mali. The company loaded equipment, vehicles and over goods from Abidjan port in Ivory Coast to the Niger River and Gao in Mali.
Saphar
Venture Round in 2006
Saphar, a Nigerian company established in 1999, is the third largest pharmaceutical distributor in the country, after two subsidiaries of international groups. The company supplies the rural and public hospitals in Niger with generics. The project initially aimed to improve the offer in these underserved areas.
SINERGI Niger is a local investment company that aims at the creation and development of small formal enterprises with investments from 30 000 to 75 000 Euros. The Sinergi approach originality stands in majority on the participation to the round table of entrepreneurs from Niger who "sponsors" the financed promoters.