RSSMENA VC & Priv. Equity Archives
June 08, 2008
MENA Investment, amusing posts
First, there is United States Vigorously Backs Palestine Investment Conference, which is so fundamentally risible that I have a hard time thinking anyone would swallow this, were it not for the fact I have a friend working on a fund looking to leverage OPIC. Good fucking lucking, mate, I tell him. Given my understanding of their new bloody rules, even were he to succeed, and I think it not bloody likely, he'd be unable to invest in anyone given their political restrictions.
Never mind the crazy idea that investing in West Bank is even possible in the current situation. But then the same clowns thought Iraq was possible.
Then US behind UK at Entrepreneurial Investments in the Middle East.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 13, 2007
Emerging Markets Financing and Aid, experienced bollocks
Although I would very much like to delve into the guts of this, sadly - well not sadly as this is life - general interest and client confidentiality requires circumscription.
However the main point of this comment is a disgusted practitioner's cris de couer as to the sheer idiocy of various "business development programs either pimped by EU or US or ... well you bloody well can guess the actors. I should add that I do not think that these programs are not ipso facto pissing money down a rat hole... as I think some American Senator said in the 90s. Even as a .. well highly value added oriented actor entirely willing to admit that I am both a a profit whore and that most aid is shit (due to utterly fucked incentives) - well there having said the necessary.
Aid Development programs run by kids are ... just doomed. Kids, however talented just don't know enough not to propose either to me (and I bloody well as fucking connected enough to hear independently even if said Dev Prog had not openly confessed...)
Continue reading "Emerging Markets Financing and Aid, experienced bollocks"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:11 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 26, 2007
Emerging Markets: PE Profiling in FT Alphaville Blog - Reality versus Sachs (Updated)
The FTcom site's Alphaville Blog section has an interesting series on Emerging Markets Private Equity that profiles some of the key players in the "Anglo Saxon" US-Euro based universe.
Not badly done at all, I would add the observation that those of us who watch such things still are not sure that made the right move in its restructuring to spin off the fund managers Actis and the mid-market to SME focused Aureos, although not from the point of view of privatising the effort. That I think was clearly a good idea, but the precise structure, above all for Actis... Meanwhile the US Emerging Markets Partnership has for reasons I can't quite identify always annoyed me.
Some specific comments on each to follow:
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:43 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
January 15, 2007
More PE Capital into Africa
An interesting note in the WP Citigroup is teaming up w CDC for an Africa fund covering in part North Africa.
I am not, however, terribly convinced that major bank players such as Citi are the right structures to invest in these markets (quite the contrary, the history of the same is not all that encouraging).
Updated: The CDC seems to be on a publicity blitz FIXED LINK
Actually there are some interesting assertions to discuss re the role of PE in developing emerging markets that one can discuss.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:12 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
January 13, 2007
Emerging Markets & Hedges
An interesting item from FT's Alphaville blog on exploding interest in the Hedge Funds world for emerging markets.
It's at once encouraging and frightening as I can not believe that London and NY based funds are truly capable of identifying real value. The last big boom in emerging markets - in the Asian markets c. 97-98 fell flat on, in part, blind piling in by clever people that were (kha) fooled by randomness and taken in by hubris driven by over-estimating own skills
Continue reading "Emerging Markets & Hedges"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 28, 2006
Venture Bank & MENA VC investment
Starting a new category of commentary that might hive off one day, I thought I would share this odd bit of news from the Khalij Times on Bahrain's queer new entity the Venture Capital Bank [an oxymoron really, but what can I say, Machreqi Arab usage in English is usually painful], (well if one can call things published in the Gulf newspapers 'news' in any meaningful sense, perhaps regurgitated PR...Reg-PeR. My new jargon, Reg-PeR news).
Taking the essentials,
DUBAI — Bahrain-based Venture Capital Bank (VC Bank) has announced the first closing of its recently launched $250 million MENA Small & Medium Enterprises Fund, the first Shaiah-compliant fund dedicated to small and medium enterprises in the Middle East and North Africa region.Co-managed by VC Bank and its technical partner, the US private equity firm Global Emerging Markets (GEM), the fund has raised more than the targeted amount for first closing of $75 million. Out of the total amount raised, almost 20 per cent has been committed by investors from USA.
I personally doubt the Fund will actually invest outside Gulf plus Egypt plus Jordan, knowing how the Gulf based funds generally work. Announced first closing at 75 million USD. Interesting part is they claim to have raised 20% from US investors.
Which US investors, well I am sure that is not disclosable.
Continue reading "Venture Bank & MENA VC investment"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
