Zephyr Management is a venture capital and private equity firm focused on middle-market and growth investments, including venture, growth equity, buyouts, and turnaround opportunities. It provides capital to small and medium enterprises across sectors such as financial services, business services, manufacturing, education, logistics, agriculture and food, packaging, telecommunications, distribution, environmental and facilities services, travel and publishing, healthcare, and consumer products. The firm typically takes both majority and minority stakes in companies with revenues roughly $30 million to $300 million and EBITDA between $2 million and $50 million, investing from about $0.2 million up to $75 million per deal. It targets opportunities in emerging markets and globally, with offices in New York, Bangalore, Nairobi, London, Mexico City, and the Cayman Islands.
Bharti Enterprises is a prominent business group based in India, known for establishing successful operations in sectors such as telecom, insurance, retail, and food. The company launched its telecom services by offering mobile services in Delhi, and its flagship entity, Bharti Airtel, has become one of the leading telecom providers globally, ranking among the top four wireless operators. Bharti Enterprises operates under the 'Airtel' brand in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, including India, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria, among others, and also has mobile operations in Jersey and Guernsey. In recent years, Bharti Enterprises has diversified its portfolio to explore emerging business opportunities within the Indian economy.
Verod Capital Management, established in 2008, is a Nigeria-based private equity firm with an additional office in Ghana. The company specializes in mid-market investments, focusing on growth capital and buyout transactions. Verod targets a diverse range of sectors, including financial services, business services, education, healthcare, agri-business, consumer goods, light manufacturing, and technology. It primarily invests in West African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with a typical investment size ranging from $3 million to $20 million. Verod seeks majority or significant minority equity stakes in portfolio companies, aiming to hold these assets for four to seven years. The firm is known for its active, hands-on management approach, working closely with management teams to enhance governance, business practices, and profitability, ultimately positioning companies for successful exits.
GAIA Impact Fund is a venture capital firm that specializes in renewable energy, focusing on building long-term partnerships with startups in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. With a strong environmental and social focus, the firm supports businesses that provide sustainable and affordable energy to local communities. GAIA Impact Fund also works to promote technological innovations and business models that facilitate the widespread adoption of renewable energy in regions where energy mixes are highly carbonized.
Private Infrastructure Development Group is an infrastructure investment firm that provides finance for infrastructure projects to support economic growth. Founded in 2002 and based in London, it focuses on infrastructure development in sub-Saharan Africa and in South and Southeast Asia, with offices in Nairobi, Singapore, and Casablanca. The firm mobilizes private capital to fund and implement projects across transportation, energy, water, and related sectors.
African Export-Import Bank is a multilateral financial institution established in 1993 to promote and facilitate trade among African countries and between Africa and the global marketplace. Headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, the Bank offers a range of financing programs, advisory services, and guarantee products aimed at enhancing intra- and extra-African trade. These services include short-term trade guarantees, working capital and supply chain finance solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, and various bonding facilities for export contracts. The institution serves a diverse clientele, including governments, corporations, and financial institutions, providing additional services such as sovereign and corporate advisory, capital markets assistance, and trade information. With an authorized share capital of five billion US dollars, the Bank plays a crucial role in the development and diversification of trade across the continent.
Acumen is a nonprofit organization established in 2001 and based in New York City, with additional offices in Mumbai, Nairobi, Karachi, and Accra. The organization is dedicated to poverty eradication by raising charitable funds to invest in early-stage companies that provide essential services such as clean energy, healthcare, education, agricultural inputs, formal housing, and safe drinking water to low-income communities. Acumen has made significant investments totaling $128 million in 128 companies across 14 countries, impacting the lives of over 308 million individuals. The organization collaborates with notable partners, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Google.org, to address critical challenges faced by underserved populations.
Triodos Investment Management is a financial institution based in Driebergen-Rijsenburg, Netherlands, that specializes in impact investing and funding services. Established in 1990, it focuses on sectors including energy and climate, emerging markets, arts and culture, and sustainable real estate. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Triodos Bank, the firm is dedicated to managing investments with a positive social and environmental impact. The executive management team oversees the assets of the firm, ensuring alignment with its commitment to sustainability and responsible investment practices.
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.
Gemcorp Capital is an independent investment management firm established in 2014 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with additional offices in Africa and Asia. The firm specializes in investments across emerging markets, focusing on various sectors and asset classes, including macro, public debt, private debt, and equity strategies. Gemcorp's team consists of 25 professionals, many of whom have prior experience at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, bringing a wealth of knowledge in emerging markets. The firm is dedicated to thorough investment processes, encompassing deal origination, structuring, and comprehensive due diligence, alongside robust operational controls to manage risk effectively. Additionally, Gemcorp provides investment advice and engages in co-investment opportunities, reflecting its commitment to creating value across its investment activities.
Omidyar Network, established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, is a global impact investing firm that combines philanthropy and venture capital to catalyze social change. It invests in for-profit and non-profit organizations across sectors such as digital society, emerging technology, education, financial inclusion, governance, and property rights. The firm focuses on early-stage investments, typically committing between $1 million to $10 million in for-profits and $0.5 million to $5 million in non-profits. Omidyar Network operates globally, with a significant focus on India, and seeks to create opportunities for people to improve their lives and make a difference in their communities.
The Currency Exchange Fund is a currency risk management product for investors active in frontier and emerging markets. Their unique fund focuses on currencies and maturities covered regular market.
FEI OGEF is a venture capital firm established in 2018 and located in Port Louis, Mauritius. The firm focuses on providing local currency financing solutions to companies that deliver affordable solar energy to off-grid communities in the region. By investing primarily in the energy and technology sectors, FEI OGEF aims to address the challenges of energy access while promoting sustainable development through innovative financing models.
Founded in 1997, DOB Equity is a Dutch-based impact investor focused on making strategic investments in small to medium-sized companies across East Africa. The firm aims to generate positive social and economic impacts through its investments.
Inspired Evolution Investment Management is a Cape Town-based private equity and venture capital firm focused on sustainable environmental and energy technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa. It targets equity investments across multiple growth stages, often as a lead investor seeking significant minority or majority stakes and board representation. The firm concentrates on clean energy and resource efficiency, including energy generation, water treatment, waste management, green chemistry, and related sectors, with additional exposure to sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, and green real estate. The geographic focus spans Southern Africa and broader Sub-Saharan Africa, with activity in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and neighboring states. Inspired Evolution operates through a multidisciplinary team to deliver returns aligned with social and ecological outcomes, and maintains offices in Cape Town and internationally in Grand Baie, Mauritius; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Nairobi, Kenya; and London, United Kingdom.
Oikocredit is a financial institution established in 1968 and based in the Netherlands. It focuses on empowering individuals and communities by providing funding to the microfinance sector, fair trade organizations, cooperatives, and small to medium enterprises. Oikocredit aims to create sustainable opportunities for people in need, enabling them to improve their own circumstances through access to financial resources.
Gramercy Funds Management LLC, founded in 1998 by Robert Koenigsberger, is a hedge fund manager based in Greenwich, Connecticut, with additional offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico City, and Silicon Valley. The firm specializes in emerging markets, providing investment solutions that encompass both alternative and long-only strategies. Gramercy is known for its expertise in distressed debt, but it has adapted its investment approach to include a broader range of instruments as the market has evolved. With a strong emphasis on fundamental analysis and bottom-up stock selection, the firm manages client-focused portfolios for a diverse clientele, including pension plans, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. Gramercy’s investment professionals possess extensive experience in emerging markets, supported by a dedicated research team that enhances their decision-making capabilities through deep local insights and market knowledge.
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) serves as America's development bank, focusing on financing solutions to pressing challenges in the developing world. DFC collaborates with the private sector to invest in projects that foster job creation in emerging markets across various sectors, including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, and support for small businesses and women entrepreneurs. The corporation is committed to adhering to high standards that prioritize environmental sustainability, human rights, and worker rights in all its investments.
Trine is a company focused on crowdinvesting to support solar energy projects in emerging markets. It operates a crowdfunding platform that connects investors with local solar entrepreneurs, facilitating financial support for solar installations that address energy deficiencies in underdeveloped countries. By funding the initial costs of solar systems, Trine enables investors to receive returns through interest paid from the electricity generated. The company aims to democratize investment opportunities, allowing individuals to earn returns while contributing to the eradication of energy poverty and improving living standards in affected communities. Through its expertise and organizational structure, Trine plays a vital role in channeling finance to sustainable solar energy initiatives.
FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, is a financial institution based in The Hague, Netherlands, founded in 1970 through a collaboration between the Dutch government and various financial entities. It focuses on supporting the private sector in developing countries and emerging markets across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe. FMO provides a diverse range of financial products, including long-term project financing, private equity, loans, guarantees, and mezzanine financing. Its investment portfolio is primarily allocated to financial institutions, energy, agribusiness, food and water, and private equity. By offering capital, expertise, and networks, FMO aims to foster sustainable economic development and empower local businesses and projects.
Sumitomo Corporation is an integrated trading company based in Tokyo, Japan. It engages in a diverse range of business activities, leveraging its corporate strengths to facilitate the sale of various products and services within Japan, as well as import and export operations. The company also participates in trilateral trade and invests in both domestic and international markets. Through its multifaceted approach, Sumitomo plays a significant role in enhancing trade and business connectivity in Japan and beyond.
Shell is a global energy company operating in over 70 countries, employing approximately 87,000 people. It explores for, produces, refines, and markets oil and natural gas, while also manufacturing and marketing chemicals. The company aims to power progress responsibly by meeting the world's growing energy demand while transitioning towards cleaner energy solutions.
Acumen Fund is a non-profit organization established in 2001, headquartered in New York with additional offices across Africa and Asia. It focuses on eradicating poverty by investing equity and debt in enterprises that provide affordable access to essential services such as water, energy, housing, healthcare, and education for low-income individuals.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956, is a member of the World Bank Group dedicated to fostering private sector development in emerging markets. It provides financial services, including loans and equity investments, ranging from $1 million to $100 million, with a focus on projects that drive economic growth and social impact. IFC invests across various sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education, technology, and financial services.
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) is a Lagos-based accelerator and incubator established in 2011 and positioned as Nigeria's first open living lab and pre-incubation space. It serves as a multi-functional venue where technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors, and hackers collaborate to co-create solutions to social challenges in Nigeria. The organization focuses on startup funding, innovation support, and design for ventures operating across the creative economy, healthcare, technology and society, and education sectors.
Established in 1948, British International Investment is a UK government-backed development finance institution and impact investor. It focuses on long-term economic growth and sustainability in emerging markets by investing in infrastructure, health, agribusiness, and other sectors.
Founded in 2007, AHL Venture Partners is a venture capital firm specializing in growth capital investments. It focuses on sectors such as energy access, financial inclusion, agriculture, and climate across Eastern and Southern Africa, with offices in Vancouver, Nairobi, Lusaka, and Accra.
Satya Capital is an independent investment firm focused on providing long-term growth capital to African businesses. It partners with entrepreneurs to build world-class companies, investing between $20m and $150m across sectors such as Consumer & Retail, Healthcare, TMT, and Financial Services.
Established in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates, this foundation is dedicated to enhancing healthcare, reducing extreme poverty globally, and expanding educational opportunities. It operates regionally with offices in Seattle, Washington D.C., New Delhi, Beijing, and London.
Vodafone Group is a multinational telecommunications company offering mobile and fixed-line services, including voice, messaging, data, broadband and television. It provides converged offerings under brands such as GigaKombi and Vodafone One, and serves business customers with IoT connectivity, cloud and security services, IP transit, and international voice and messaging. It operates mobile and fixed networks across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and provides mobile money through M-Pesa in Africa. The company also offers machine-to-machine solutions, roaming, and carrier services, and sells services through branded stores and partners. It is headquartered in Newbury, United Kingdom, and dates back to 1984.