Accelero Capital, the investment and management group, announced today that it has acquired the ownership interest of its largest shareholder, Orascom TMT Investments (“OTMTI”), in a management buyout.
In addition to the changes in Accelero Capital’s ownership structure, the transaction also includes the discontinuation of the management of certain assets that Accelero Capital provided management, consultancy and advisory services to.
OTMTI will remain a strategic investor in the ACDC fund managed by Accelero Capital. ACDC fund was established in 2014 to invest in the development of data center ecosystems around the world based on the design of the state-of-the-art, multi-tenant, SUPERNAP facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada in partnership with Switch, Ltd.
The move comes as Accelero Capital seeks to reposition itself as an independent holding company with diversified sources of capital and a significantly broader investment mandate. Khaled Bichara, co-founder of Accelero Capital, said the buyout would unlock opportunities for new partnerships, funds and sources of growth. With a track record of double-digit returns and a team of executives spanning turnaround professionals, entrepreneurs and CEOs of companies listed on some of the world’s major stock exchanges, Accelero Capital is poised to emerge as one of the leading asset and fund managers in the region in 2017.
Bichara added: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to OTMTI for trusting us to deliver value for five consecutive years. At the core of our success has been a culture of world-class operational excellence and sound fiscal management. We have been able to turn around public and private companies alike, restoring growth and profitability in markets across the Middle East, Europe and North America. Moving forward, we will continue to aggressively source turnaround and high growth opportunities with an industry agnostic approach and a focus on fundamentals. We are very excited about the next chapter of our journey and look forward to partnering with investors as well as companies to transform businesses and unlock their growth potential.”
Naguib Sawiris, Chairman of OTMTI said: "Accelero has enjoyed an outstanding period of growth under its management guidance and I am confident that this success will continue over the coming years. We will remain a strategic investor in ACDC fund and we will continue to support Accelero in all possible ways we can."
Since the company’s formation five years ago, Accelero Capital has managed client investments of over $550 million as well as raised over $225 million for direct deployments and acquisitions through its investment funds. The company has closed deals worth over $5 billion and successfully exited some of its investments in high-profile acquisitions by the likes of Samsung and Rocket Internet. The group’s management team has led companies listed on the London, New York, Swiss and Cairo Stock Exchanges.
About Accelero Capital
Accelero Capital is an investment and management group with holdings in telecommunications, digital media and technology, but rapidly diversifying into other industries. Accelero Capital’s team has an unparalleled track record in strategic, operational and financial management. The company was established by former Orascom Telecom, Wind Telecom, VimpelCom and LINKdotNET top executives. The Accelero Capital team leverages its expertise and sector know-how to identify high-growth assets and assets with turnaround potential.
Funds in Accelero Capital’s Portfolio
ACDC Fund
Established in October 2014, the ACDC Fund was created to exploit, through SUPERNAP International, the SUPERNAP technology in building data center ecosystems around the world. SUPERNAP International is a partnership between Switch in the United States and ACDC Fund. SUPERNAP International has been locating, analyzing and investing in building data center ecosystems worldwide based on the design of the state-of-the-art, multi-tenant, Tier IV Gold-rated SUPERNAP facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. The SUPERNAP technology fundamentally changes the way data centers are engineered and used worldwide. SUPERNAP International is the developer of SUPERNAP Italia and SUPERNAP Thailand, with several other locations in the pipeline.
A15 Fund
Established in February 2015, the A15 Fund was created to invest in A15, an entrepreneurial company that invests in digital products and technology brands. It focuses on opportunities for growing the digital world in the Middle East. A15 is the curator for innovative digital start-ups, with clients from all segments, whether B2B such as agencies, operators, enterprises, SMEs, or B2C catering for all interests and age groups. The company invests in several businesses in the digital field using technology to offer products and services to the end consumer. A15 has 17 investments for which about 1000 employees are working in 16 offices to serve more than 20 promising markets in the Middle East region. The team has extensive experience and a proven track record in investing in digital media and technology in the region and beyond.
About Orascom TMT Investments (“OTMTI”)
Orascom TMT Investments S.à r.l. ("OTMTI", formerly Weather Investments II S.à r.l.) is a company incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg. OTMTI is an experienced investor and strategic shareholder in telecommunications and technology companies. OTMTI is the majority shareholder of Orascom Telecom Media & Technology S.A.E. ("OTMT"), a company listed on the Egyptian and London Stock exchanges, and is also indirectly the majority shareholder of Italiaonline S.p.A., a company listed on Borsa Italiana; and of Dada S.p.A, a company listed on the STAR segment of the Milan Stock Exchange. Furthermore, it indirectly owns the entire corporate capital of ITnet S.r.l. OTMTI is also an investor in pre-selected funds focusing on high-growth industries such as the SUPERNAP data center technology.
In recent years, OTMTI started using its vast accumulated experience in launching, re-launching and growing telecommunication networks to expand into other high-growth high-yield sectors such as Energy, Transport and Logistics, and Financial Services and Infrastructure.
For further information please contact:
Noha Khalil
Investor Relations, Accelero Capital
noha.khalil@accelerocapital.com