Investors in Technology

We’re (not just) investors. We’re (more than) advisors. We’re (beyond) connectors. Ben Franklin Technology Partners combines the best practices of early stage investing with a higher purpose – to lead the region’s technology community to new heights, creating jobs and transforming lives. For over 30 years, Ben has been the leading seed stage capital provider for the region’s technology sectors, investing over $170 million in more than 1,750 regional technology companies, many of which have gone on to become industry leaders. Ben Franklin has also launched university/industry partnerships that accelerate scientific discoveries to commercialization, and has seeded regional initiatives that strengthen our entrepreneurial community.

IP Group's core business is the creation of value for its shareholders and partners through the commercialisation of intellectual property originating from research intensive institutions. Their strength lies in managing this process from finding suitable intellectual property to commercialise to either helping develop businesses and create value out of them, or identifying and establishing appropriate commercial partnerships to do so. IP Group's extensive expertise in this area combined with its inside knowledge of both industry and finance have enabled the group to create a formidable track record of consistently delivering excellent results for their companies, for their partners and for their shareholders.

Oasis500 is the leading seed investment company and business accelerator in the Tech and Creative Industry spaces based in Amman, Jordan. We enable great entrepreneurs to transform their viable ideas or creative talents into scalable businesses. That includes finding those entrepreneurs, investing in their startups, bridging their know-how gap, and eventually helping them get follow-on funding. In the process, we have become one of the most influential players in advancing the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Jordan and the MENA region in general. It all starts with reaching out to those people with the entrepreneurial drive, compelling them to embrace it and submit their startup ideas to Oasis500. Successful applicants are invited to attend our intensive Business and Entrepreneurship workshop aimed at building their entrepreneurial capacity and maximizing their potential of securing funding. Those with more mature pitches may go to the investment stage directly and skip the workshop. Startups that are successful at securing funding from Oasis500 will be accelerated at our facilities for 180 days where the focus will be on driving growth. Startups will have access to the tremendous cumulative know-how of Oasis500 staff, and our wonderful network of mentors. Not to mention the vibrant community that will help them come to terms with their maturing entrepreneurial identity. They will also be introduced to our investors network at a later stage as part of our focused efforts to help them get follow-on funding when needed.

YFM Equity Partners LLP is a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in investments in growth capital, recapitalization, development, expansion, management buy outs, and management buyins. The firm seeks to invest in mid and late venture, mature, and emerging growth companies. It seeks to invest in firms which are not involved in primary industries. The firm invests in small and medium sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) and companies across a range of sectors and has a particular interest in energy, materials, manufacturing, consumer staples, consumer electronics, healthcare, financials, business services, information technology, telecommunications, utility, software and services, internet, computer hardware, computers and peripherals, electronic equipments, instruments and components, retail roll-outs, utilities, consumer brands, and companies with proprietary technology. It seeks to invest in companies based in United Kingdom including; South-West, Yorkshire with a focus on North Yorkshire; South Yorkshire; West Yorkshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Humberside, and North Lincolnshire. The firm also seeks to invest in North West region with a focus on England including Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside. It also invests in the United States. It seeks to invest between £0.1 million ($0.19 million) and £10 million ($14.51 million) of equity in companies with sales value between £5 million ($0.19 million) and €50 million ($71.36 million). The firm seeks to provide £10 million ($16.13 million) for late stage and buyout investments. It seeks to take Board membership in its portfolio company. The firm prefers to hold majority stake. It seeks to exit its investments within five years through sale or listing. YFM Equity Partners Limited was founded in 1982 and is based in Leeds, United Kingdom with additional offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Sheffield in United Kingdom.

IMM Investment Corp. is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in mezzanine investments. It focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investing, corporate restructuring, private equity investing, industry consolidation, management buyouts, spin-offs, recapitalizations, and cross-border investments. Within mergers and acquisitions, the firm invests in strategic mergers, growth through acquisitions, going public via a reverse merger, and strategic divestures. For recapitalizations, it targets family owned enterprise considering whole or partial exit and balance sheet restructuring. The firm also co-invests in buyout transactions. For its growth stage investments, it allocates 20 percent to startups, 40 percent to expansion, and 40 percent to mezzanine. The firm targets companies operating in information technology infrastructure, wireless communications entertainment and contents, franchising, cement, software, electricity, food and beverage, machinery, game software, chemical, paper manufacture, and automobile parts industries. For industries concentration, it sets 40 percent to information technology infrastructure focusing on security, application service provider, and e-commerce solutions; 30 percent to contents, focusing on education, game, and animation; and 30 percent to digital hardware focusing on network and communications equipment, semiconductor, parts and others. The firm also invests in infrastructure, environment, manufacturing, enzyme, biotechnology, and healthcare sectors. It also makes secondary investments. The firm primarily invests in South Korean medium-sized companies located in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do. It prefers to take an active role in management. IMM Investment Corp. was founded in July 1999 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Lever VC is a U.S.-Hong Kong venture capital fund founded by Managing Partner Nick Cooney and investing in early stage companies in the alternative protein sector (plant-based and “clean”/cell-based meat, egg and dairy companies). Lever VC operates globally, with offices in Hong Kong and the U.S. and staff in the US, Hong Kong, Europe, and Israel. Entrepreneurs and startups interested in connecting with Lever VC about possible investment can reach the team and submit information about their company at http://www.levervc.com. Managing Partner Nick Cooney is the Co-Founder and former Managing Trustee of New Crop Capital, a private venture capital trust vehicle investing in the alternative protein space, and is Co-Founder of the Good Food Institute, the world’s largest non-governmental organization working to grow the alternative protein space. The General Partners at Lever VC have deployed over $1.5 billion in capital over the past decade across a variety of sectors, including over thirty deals in the alternative protein space.

Artesian Capital Management (Australia) Pty Ltd is an investment firm specializing in direct and fund of funds investments. For direct investments, it seeks to invest in seed, angel, startups and early stage and late stage, growth and pre-IPO technology companies. For fund of funds investments, the firm seeks to invest in venture capital funds. The firm prefers to invest in Australia, China and South East Asia. Artesian Capital Management (Australia) Pty Ltd is based in Melbourne, Australia with additional offices in Shanghai, China; Sydney, Australia; Singapore; and London, United Kingdom.

Endless LLP is a private equity firm specializing in equity investments and acquisitions in special situations such as the acquisition of non-core businesses from larger groups with financial or operational difficulties, growth capital, management buyouts, refinancing, and financial restructuring. It does not invest in startups, speculative investment in listed securities and consultancy business. The firm does not have any sector specifications but targets property assets, retail, manufacturing and other key regional industries including data processing and outsourced services, services outsourcing, pharmaceuticals, food products, distribution, printing services, engineering services, paper packaging, and printing and writing paper . The firm seeks to invest in turnarounds in middle market companies. It seeks to invest small and medium enterprises headquartered in the United Kingdom including Yorkshire, London, North West of England, and Midlands. The firm invests between £0.25 million ($0.38 million) and £80 million ($121.49 million) of its own capital in companies with turnover of between £10 million ($15.19 million) and £1000 million ($1518.68 million). Within buyouts and turnarounds, it makes equity investments between £1 million ($1.52 million) and £20 million ($30.37 million). It also participates in underperforming investments of other private equity houses through acquisition of the investments and turnaround support. It typically holds its investments for a period of three years but may also consider shorter and longer periods. Endless LLP was founded on December 16, 2005 and is based in Leeds, United Kingdom with additional offices in Manchester, United Kingdom; London, United Kingdom; London, United Kingdom; and Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Moonshots Capital makes seed stage investments in technology startups led by exceptional founders who are building products that “re-imagine” work and personal life in large and growing markets. We bring a disciplined approach to the investment process to identify companies with “moonshot” potential.

Spiral Ventures Pte Ltd. formerly IMJ Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. is the venture capital arm of IMJ Corporation specializing in seed, early, and growth stage investments. It primarily invests in mobile, internet and software companies in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the United States. IMJ Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. was founded on February 1, 2013 and is based in Singapore with offices in Jakarta, Indonesia and Tokyo, Japan.