Published by Money Management – 2nd Nov 2018
Specialist global investment bank, Investec has launched the Investec Emerging Companies Fund 1 (IEC Fund), which will offer investors exposure to emerging companies sector.
The fund would seek to raise $50 to $70 million to invest in emerging and high-growth companies valued between $10 million and $200 million.
Additionally, the fund would aim to provide $1 million and $5 million of growth capital to individual high-growth companies in exchange for a minority interest, partnering with entrepreneurs across a range of sectors.
The IEC Fund would be managed by David Phillips and Hein Vogel with investment committee members including Cliff Rosenberg, Garry Hounsell and Ben Sebel.
The fund, in which Investec would remain the largest investor, would target high net worth individuals (HNWIs), family offices and like-minded investors.
“IEC was established to offer a single point of contact for founders and their early-stage companies looking to access capital, advisory services, or general corporate connectivity,” Phillips said.
“Investec’s experience and broader connectivity, as well as our international reach, can make all the difference to a company at that stage of its lifecycle, and often this can be just as important as the capital we provide.”
Vogel said that as Investec itself was founded as a group of entrepreneurs, that spirit was still engrained globally in the company’s culture.
“It is this heritage that gives us a unique understanding of the needs of emerging companies and their entrepreneurial founders,” Vogel said.
“We are selective about who we partner with and offer bespoke solutions to each of our clients, spanning across capital, advice, and connectivity.”
IEC currently holds 13 companies in its portfolio including ICM Airport Technics, Dresden Optics, MadeComfy, Splend, PulseID and PropelAir. It has also partnered with H@ Ventures, a fintech accelerator business.
