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DP World’s Imperial Closes First Tranche of Three-Tranche Acquisition of Mozambique’s Private Equity-Backed J&J Group at USD300m Enterprise Value

DP World-owned Imperial completed the acquisition of a 51% stake in J&J Group, a Mozambique-based logistics company backed by Alterra Capital Partners and Ethos, at an enterprise value of USD300m. Imperial agreed to acquire 100% of J&J Group in 2021 and will acquire the remaining 49% stake through the second and third tranches of the deal. Read more. Read More

Sudan’s Bloom Raises USD6.5m Seed Round from Visa, Y Combinator, Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, VentureSouq, Others

Sudan-based digital banking startup Bloom raised a USD6.5m seed round from Global Founders Capital, Y Combinator, Visa, Goodwater Capital, VentureSouq and angels. Read More

Multiples Invests in USD30m Round for India’s Niyo

Multiples Alternate Asset Management invested USD30m in India-based consumer-focused fintech Niyo. Read More

Accession Capital Partners Reaches ~USD91m First Close for Credit Fund

Accession Capital Partners reached a EUR90m (~USD91m) first close for its ACP Credit Fund I. The vehicle, which has a target of EUR200m (~USD203m), will provide senior-secured debt to high-growth SMEs in Central Europe that are seeking to grow organically or through acquisitions or to refinance existing bank debt. Read More

AfricInvest and Cathay Capital Reach ~USD111m Final Close for African Joint Venture Fund

AfricInvest and Cathay Capital reached a EUR110m (~USD111m) final close for their joint pan-African venture fund focusing on early- to growth-stage startups in fintech, mobility, healthtech, edtech, AI, digital content and agtech verticals. The vehicle received commitments from EIB, AfricaGrow, FMO, Bpifrance, AfDB, Triodos Investment Management, Proparco, SIFEM, BIO and others. Read More

B Capital Group Reaches USD250m Final Close for Global Early-stage VC Fund

B Capital Group reached a USD250m final close for Ascent Fund II, its first early-stage venture fund. The vehicle will invest in pre-seed through Series A rounds globally with an emphasis on U.S. and Asia. Read More

500 Global Leads Six-figure Seed Round for Palestine’s Modesta

500 Global led a seed round for Modesta, a Palestine-based fashion e-commerce startup, with participation from the Innovative Private Sector Development Project (IPSD) program funded by the World Bank and angel investors, for an undisclosed amount. Read More

I&P Launches ~USD4m Digital Energy Program for Africa and Southeast Asia; Invests in Senegal’s Delta

Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) has launched I&P Digital Energy, a EUR4m (~USD4m) seed financing program funded by the European Commission and implemented by the French Development Agency, Gaia Impact Fund and I&P. The program will invest  in 12  startups and SMEs focused on the energy transition and operating in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia..Separately, I&P, through its fund I&P Afrique… Read More

Glade Brook Capital Leads USD20m Round for Indonesia’s KitaBeli

Glade Brook Capital Partners led a USD20m round for KitaBeli, an Indonesia-based social commerce platform, with participation from InnoVen Capital and follow-on from AC Ventures and GoVentures. Read More

C5 Capital Invests USD50m in Zimbabwe’s Cassava Technologies

C5 Capital invested USD50m in Cassava Technologies, an Africa-focused, Zimbabwe-founded IT provider. C5 portfolio company Haven Cyber and Cassava had previously established a joint venture to scale Microsoft’s cybersecurity products across Africa. Read More

Sorin Investments Reaches USD100m First Close for India-focused Debut Fund

Sorin Investments reached a USD100m first close for its debut India-focused venture fund. The vehicle will invest in Series A to C startups and has a target of USD130m. The fund was co-founded by Sanjay Nayar (KKR) and Angad Banga (Caravel Group). Read More

NIIF To Invest in India’s Navayuga Quazigund Expressway at USD380m Enterprise Value

NIIF agreed to acquire an equity stake in the Indian tunnel road Navayuga Quazigund Expressway (NQEPL) through its NIIF Master Fund at a USD380m enterprise value. Read more here. Read More