Helios Investment Partners

Helios Investment Partners, established in 2004, is a London-based private equity firm focused on Africa. It invests in a broad range of sectors, including telecommunications, media, financial services, power, and consumer goods, among others. The firm engages in various investment types such as buyouts, growth equity, and structured investments in listed entities. Helios typically invests between $15 million to $200 million per transaction, with a preference for board seats in its portfolio companies. It primarily targets Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.

Fope Adelowo

Principal

Lazarus Angbazo Ph.D

Partner and Head of Portfolio Operations - West Africa

Souleymane Ba

Partner, Investments

Tavraj Banga

Partner and Co-Head of Climate Investments

Sola Carrena

Managing Director, Investment Team

Paul Cunningham

Partner, CFO

Luciana Germinario

COO, Member of Executive Committee and Partner

Jamie Hollins

Principal, Investments

Temitope Lawani

Managing Partner, Member of Executive and Investment Committees

Tope Lawani

Managing Partner

Cecilie Nielsen

Managing Director, Human Capital, Portfolio Operations Group

Ogbemi Ofuya

Partner, Investments

Simon Poole

Partner, Portfolio Operations Group

Max Von Trotha

Managing Director - Integration, Portfolio Operations Group

Elias Yazbeck

Managing Director

Zineb Abbad El Andaloussi

Partner

Past deals in SADC

Zola Electric

Venture Round in 2021
ZOLA Electric is a provider of off-grid solar solutions tailored for African markets, specifically operating in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, with an additional office in San Francisco, the company offers solar home kits to individual households through a leasing or sales model. Utilizing the latest solar, battery, and power electronics technology, ZOLA Electric's systems are designed to meet varying energy needs and income levels, allowing customers to make payments via PAYGo micro-financing and mobile money. The company's innovative approach has enabled it to power over 180,000 homes and businesses in rural and urban areas. ZOLA Electric, previously known as Off-Grid Electric Tanzania Limited until its name change in 2018, has received multiple awards, including the UN Momentum for Change Award and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, and has garnered investment from prominent firms such as Tesla and Total.

Africell

Debt Financing in 2021
Africell, established in 2001, is a prominent mobile telecommunications provider in Africa, focusing on connecting and empowering local communities. The company has achieved significant growth, becoming the leading operator in Gambia and Sierra Leone, while expanding its operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where it acquired Orange Uganda. Africell Holdings maintains full ownership of its operations in Gambia, Sierra Leone, and the DRC, and holds a majority stake in Uganda. As of the end of 2016, Africell had approximately 11 million active subscribers. The company offers a range of services, including 2G and 3G voice and data services, and is in the process of deploying LTE services, which are already available in Kampala, Uganda.

Taptap Send

Venture Round in 2020
Taptap Send is a mobile application that facilitates instant money transfers for immigrants sending funds back to Africa at low costs. Launched in the summer of 2018, the platform has successfully processed hundreds of millions of dollars and serves hundreds of thousands of customers. It operates in seven European countries and enables payments to various countries, including Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Zambia, Vietnam, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with plans for further expansion. Taptap Send simplifies the remittance process by allowing users to transfer money directly to mobile money wallets using just a debit card, eliminating the need for physical deposits and saving time for its clients.

Africell

Debt Financing in 2018
Africell, established in 2001, is a prominent mobile telecommunications provider in Africa, focusing on connecting and empowering local communities. The company has achieved significant growth, becoming the leading operator in Gambia and Sierra Leone, while expanding its operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where it acquired Orange Uganda. Africell Holdings maintains full ownership of its operations in Gambia, Sierra Leone, and the DRC, and holds a majority stake in Uganda. As of the end of 2016, Africell had approximately 11 million active subscribers. The company offers a range of services, including 2G and 3G voice and data services, and is in the process of deploying LTE services, which are already available in Kampala, Uganda.

Zola Electric

Series D in 2018
ZOLA Electric is a provider of off-grid solar solutions tailored for African markets, specifically operating in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, with an additional office in San Francisco, the company offers solar home kits to individual households through a leasing or sales model. Utilizing the latest solar, battery, and power electronics technology, ZOLA Electric's systems are designed to meet varying energy needs and income levels, allowing customers to make payments via PAYGo micro-financing and mobile money. The company's innovative approach has enabled it to power over 180,000 homes and businesses in rural and urban areas. ZOLA Electric, previously known as Off-Grid Electric Tanzania Limited until its name change in 2018, has received multiple awards, including the UN Momentum for Change Award and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, and has garnered investment from prominent firms such as Tesla and Total.

Zola Electric

Series D in 2016
ZOLA Electric is a provider of off-grid solar solutions tailored for African markets, specifically operating in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, with an additional office in San Francisco, the company offers solar home kits to individual households through a leasing or sales model. Utilizing the latest solar, battery, and power electronics technology, ZOLA Electric's systems are designed to meet varying energy needs and income levels, allowing customers to make payments via PAYGo micro-financing and mobile money. The company's innovative approach has enabled it to power over 180,000 homes and businesses in rural and urban areas. ZOLA Electric, previously known as Off-Grid Electric Tanzania Limited until its name change in 2018, has received multiple awards, including the UN Momentum for Change Award and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, and has garnered investment from prominent firms such as Tesla and Total.

Helios Towers Africa

Private Equity Round in 2014
Helios Towers Africa has operations in Ghana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and a sister company in Nigeria. The number of mobile subscribers in Africa has increased from just 16 million people in 2000 to over 500 million today. Based on these growth levels and without an increase in the sharing of telecoms tower facilities, the number of towers in Africa will need to double from the current number of 75,000, a significant environmental impact.

Bayport Management

Private Equity Round in 2013
Bayport Management Ltd is a financial services provider founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ebene, Mauritius. Through its subsidiaries, the company offers a range of retail financial services across multiple countries, including Mauritius, Botswana, Colombia, Ghana, Mexico, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its product offerings include personal loans, such as payroll and retail loans, as well as savings accounts, flexible deposits, and transaction accounts. Additionally, Bayport provides mobile banking solutions, e-wallets, payment kiosks, and ATM services. The company also offers various insurance products, including credit insurance, education protection plans, and coverage for hospital and funeral expenses. Bayport Management generates revenue primarily through interest income and administration fees associated with its financial products and services.

JCDecaux South Africa

Acquisition in 2009
JCDecaux South Africa (Pty) Ltd provides advertising services for marketers across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its services include the design and printing of artwork, and the display of outdoor advertising.
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