Leopard launches second 'cub'
Leopard Capital, a private equity firm focusing on Asia's frontier
markets, is planning to launch its second vehicle, the Leopard Sri Lanka
Fund, early next week with a high profiled investor Forum scheduled for
November 20 and 21.
The inaugural Leopard Sri Lanka Investment Forum 2009 will showcase
the potential growth sectors and influential Sri Lankans who will
spearhead Sri Lanka's development. The conference will also introduce
some of Sri Lanka's leading foreign investors who invested in Sri Lanka
during the difficult period and are now well placed for the acceleration
ahead.
The firm sees an upturn in the investment cycle for Sri Lanka with
the conclusion of the war. which plagued the nation for 30 years.
Leopard Sri Lanka Fund will provide expansion capital and strategic
guidance to mid-market Sri Lankan companies, and also help companies to
expand their businesses into other frontier economies.
Initial plan is to raise US$ 100 mn. The fund will be led by
Colombo-based investment professionals, Chairman of the Sri Lankan
operation Ranjith Fernando. The Sri Lankan operations would be managed
by Nirosh de Silva and G. Ramanan.
Chairman Fernando said that this is a achievable target with our
experience as bankers and fund managers. Most importantly everybody
internationally wants to support Sri Lanka as they have fond memories of
the country. Fernando said that Leopard's maiden vehicle, Leopard
Cambodia Fund, has so far raised more than $30m. The fund will be closed
with US$ 50 mn. Both countries Cambodia and Sri Lanka have an abundance
of agricultural land and Cheap labour, but Sri Lanka stands out in
entrepreneurship and the political situation. He said that the fund will
invest in mature companies to grow and diversify as they find it
difficult to raise funds through the banks.
In addition an investor who wants to invest in Sri Lanka has to
either invest through BOI which means that he has to start a company or
invest in stock options, but only a fraction of the companies are listed
on the CSE. SG
|
