The 5 most popular stories on Africa Private Equity News the past week
Here are summaries of the five most widely read stories the past week on Africa Private Equity News.
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Here are summaries of the five most widely read stories the past week on Africa Private Equity News.
1. TLG Capital in Kenyan education deal
TLG Capital, a private credit fund focused on investing in sub-Saharan Africa, has partnered with the Development Bank of Kenya to close a $6.5 million investment into Kenya-based Ark Junior School and Playstreet Kindergarten, collectively known as the Ark Group.
Ark currently operates two schools in Nairobi and one in Kitengela, serving over 850 students. Read the full article
2. Knife Capital announces two South African deals
Knife Capital, through its KNF II fund, has made new Series A investments into two South African startups: Sticitt and Optique.
Founded in 2018, Sticitt is a fintech startup transforming the way South African schools manage money. By streamlining all school-related transactions into a simple, digital platform, Sticitt currently serves 841 schools, supports over 75,700 users, and has processed R6.3 billion (about $359.8 million) in transactions.
Founded in 2017, Optique aims to make eye care more accessible and affordable through a digitally enabled model. The company operates 19 franchise-owned branches across South Africa, along with an online store. Its offering includes R99 (about $6) eye tests, interest-free payment plans and transparent pricing. Read the full article
3. West Africa: Forestry company Miro secures fresh investment
Miro, a forestry and plywood manufacturing company operating in Sierra Leone and Ghana, has secured a new funding round led by Lagata, a forestry-focused investor with a specialisation in sub-Saharan Africa.
Lagata is providing the largest portion of the capital, while existing shareholders are also increasing their commitments. These include British International Investment, FMO and Finnfund – the development finance institutions of the UK, the Netherlands and Finland respectively – as well as French impact investor Mirova and a UK-based family office. Read the full article
4. Sahel Capital backs East African avocado processor
Sahel Capital has extended a $1 million loan facility to Persea Oil through its Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa, comprising $500,000 in working capital and $500,000 for capital expenditure. Read the full article
5. Suzuki’s corporate venture capital arm in Kenya deal
Suzuki Global Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Suzuki Motor Corporation, has invested in Cordia Directions, a Japanese start-up that operates the Peach Cars used-vehicle sales platform in Kenya.
Peach Cars facilitates the trading of used vehicles in Kenya and the wider East African region. Read the full article
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