AMETHIS FINANCE A REMPORTÉ LE PRIX 2015 « OUTSTANDING FIRST-TIME GP FROM PRIVATE EQUITY AFRICA »
Amethis Finance (“Amethis”), the Pan-African investment fund co-founded by Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey in partnership with the Group Edmond de Rothschild, is proud to announce that it has won the award for the Outstanding First-Time by Private Equity Africa .
Paris, March 30th, 2015
The Private Equity Africa Awards have been structured to exclusively celebrate the achievements in the market, focusing solely on the best-in-class achievements of investors and advisors in the industry. Private Equity Africa is hosts incisive events that allow industry professionals to share knowledge and information. In addition, Private Equity Africa also publish a magazine dedicated to Africa’s private equity industry.
This award recognize the swift and efficient execution of Amethis Finance, a genuine game-changer in the African private equity landscape. Indeed, since its inception in December 2012, Amethis has successfully raised €400m from a unique base of investors and has already invested more than 50% of its commitments in performing and promising African companies.
By realizing one of the biggest fundraising ever for a first-time fund dedicated to Africa, Amethis has emerged as a key player with a differentiated shareholding structure. Indeed, Amethis has a unique shareholder base, almost entirely private and mixing classical institutional investors with successful private entrepreneurs. Amethis is proud to have gathered a large pool of private investors whom many access Africa for the first time.
In addition to the recognition of this successful fundraising, this award also acknowledge the hard work realized by Amethis’ investment team which has closed 11 transactions (8 equity investments and 3 debt investments) in less than three years. Amethis has therefore already invested more than 50% of its equity commitments and in the yardstick of a promising pipeline, could have credibly invested 75% of its commitments before year-end.
Finally, this award also highlights Amethis’ portfolio performance, with the 2013 vintage already showing a cash multiple of 1.4x, thanks to a team composed of 14 skilled professionals with an excellent track-record in the African space. This portfolio performance also confirms Amethis’ strategy, suited for the continent’s needs, centered toward diversification and positioned on Africa’s bottlenecks areas supporting urbanization and consumer growth.
Accepting the Awards, Luc Rigouzzo, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Amethis Finance said, “This distinction is a very positive signal for us and our partner the Group Edmond de Rothschild which validate and recognize Amethis rapid execution and differentiated positioning in the market. We are very proud and will continue to focus on delivering strong performance to our investors and portfolio companies in the future”.
Amethis was also nominated for the deal of the year (Fidelity, Ramco and CDCI).
About Amethis Finance
Founded in 2012, Amethis Finance is a financial company dedicated to Africa, with a total balance sheet of €400m. Amethis Finance has been created by a team of experienced investors and bankers, led by Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey, and by La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild.
They have been joined by a large group of private shareholders with a real entrepreneurial will to extend their reach to Africa, combining financial institutions and family offices. Amethis Finance is a “one stop shop” which provides all long-term financial instruments (long-term debt, equity investment and arrangement capacity), with high objectives in terms of development, social and environmental criteria as well as governance.
Amethis Finance successfully reached its final close in June 2014, mobilizing €400 million in assets. Amethis realized one of the biggest fundraising ever for a first-time investment fund dedicated to Africa showing increasing interest of US and European investors for the continent.
Amethis unique shareholding structure is composed of 55 investors of which only 3 are state owned while most of the investment funds dedicated to Africa have been financed by development finance institutions (DFI) so far. Amethis has managed to bring to Africa European, US and African institutions, together with close to 40 European and US entrepreneurs and family offices.
About Edmond de Rothschild
As heir to the traditions and values that have ensured the success of the Rothschild family for 250 years, the Edmond de Rothschild Group has established itself over time as a leading player in European finance. Its activities are grouped around two major areas: Private Banking and Asset Management.
The Group offers wealthy families, entrepreneurs, and large institutions a full range of solutions combining a culture of tailored solutions, stability, performance, and innovation.
The Edmond de Rothschild Group’s offering is characterized by strong convictions, with the desire to guarantee to each of its customers:
- a unique, close relationship, underpinned by the know-how and the variety of expertise of a large international group;
- autonomous, experienced teams, who anticipate economic trends and innovate to establish long-term performance;
- the recognized stability, strength, and independence of a family-owned financial group.
Information (The telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives.): :
Luc Rigouzzo
Managing Partner
Mail : luc.rigouzzo@amethisfinance.com
Tel: +33 (0) 1 56 68 85 64