Aureos Capital: aims to raise $400m for smaller companies in Africa

Aureos Capital, one of the most experienced private equity groups in Africa, is aiming to raise $400m for a ground-breaking bet on the potential of smaller companies to build businesses spanning the continent, writes Barney Jopson in London.

The group, domiciled in Mauritius, is among a handful of emerging market specialists active in Africa and already runs three funds, dedicated to east, west and southern Africa, which total $140m.

The new pan-African fund is a significant strategic gamble because Aureos is betting on companies' ability to overcome regulatory and physical barriers that have long impeded trade among African countries. It plans to begin marketing the fund in the final quarter of this year and wants to secure commitments by the end of next year.

Growth500.com is an investment portal for fastest growing small, medium, and large businesses in East Africa.

Growth500.com is an investment portal that seeks to fulfil this gap by providing essential business, industry, and market information collected from the fastest growing small, medium, and large businesses in East Africa. We want to make it simpler, quicker and more affordable for businesses, investors, and other stakeholders to find business and industry performance information.

Growth 500 will provide businesses, investors, and other stakeholders with the following benefits:

* Compare business performance with other fast growing businesses of similar size in the same industry both nationally and regionally.

* Attract strategic investors and venture capitalists to invest in fast growing businesses based in East Africa for possible mergers and acquisitions.

* Provide performance-related information to boost the buying and selling of shares to individual and institutional investors through private placements and/or IPOs.

Corporate branding services in Africa

TANGAZA.BIZ is a technology consultant providing world-class services, customer interaction in varied application areas and focused on BPO & Knowledge industry. TANGAZA.BIZ assists in the identification and development of business opportunities in the emerging BPO & Knowledge Services markets.

Getting Business Done.

Getting Business Done
Businesses and projects don't fail from a lack of reports, charts, graphs or stats. They fail from a lack of clear communication and transparent information. Actionize takes a fresh, simple and integrated approach to contact and project management. It improves the communication and collaboration between all the people working on your internal and external projects.




















LINK: http://www.actionize.com/

Affiniscape: a leading source for technology, revenue services and affinity programs in the association industry.

Affiniscape is the leading source for technology, revenue services and affinity programs in the association industry. Committed to delivering superior offerings, Affiniscape collaborates with its partners to help them increase revenue, improve efficiency, and increase member loyalty.

With more than 100 combined years of deep industry expertise, business resources and a proven track record, Affinscape can mobilize the right people, talents and technologies to help association realize the value of their network. Our offerings reflect success with more than 850 association partners making us the most trusted brand in the industry.

Affiniscape even provides affinity programs and revenue services to help associations generate non-dues revenue and participate in the buying power of the Association Network.

Start a business in New York City with guidance.

TrueNYC targets those individuals who would like to start a business in New York City, but need some guidance.
• In addition, individuals who have already started their own business can learn from listening to other successful entrepreneurs.
• The hope is that you can use this advice on your road to success.

Is New York Tech Valley a Sillicon Valley of the East?

New York’s Tech Valley – a region that stretches from the Canadian border near Montreal to just north of New York City – is brimming with opportunity and excitement. Tech Valley offers rewarding career and business prospects, world-class educational and research facilities and a fantastic quality of life.

Climate & Geography.
Tech Valley’s climate is as varied as its geography, providing a wealth of recreational fun and making the region a beautiful and exciting place to live.



Getting Around.
Once you’re in Tech Valley, you’ll move about effortlessly whether by car, public transportation or train.

Getting Here.
Over land or through the air, you’ll find it easy to get to Tech Valley. But watch out, you may never leave!

History.
Tech Valley has a history of discovery, invention and innovation dating back to the early 1600s. And it continues today with cutting-edge research and invaluable breakthroughs in nanotech, biotech, alternative energy and other exciting fields.

Key Facts.
The very basics of living in Tech Valley, including an overview of the currency system, immigration laws and time differences.

National Recognition.
Tech Valley is home to some of the best schools, hospitals and companies in the nation. See where they stack up.

People & Culture.
Tech Valley welcomes a diversity of peoples, cultures and lifestyles creating full and lively experiences for everyone in Tech Valley.

Invest in Tanzania

Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) was established in 1997 by the Tanzania Investment Act No. 26 of 1997 to be "the primary agency of Government to coordinate, encourage, promote and facilitate investment in Tanzania and to advise the Government on investment related matters". All Government departments and agencies are required by law to cooperate fully with TIC in facilitating investors.

TIC is the focal point for investors. It is a first point of call for potential investors. It is an efficient and effective investment promotion agency, a "One Stop Facilitative Centre for all investors", engaging in the business of marketing Tanzania as an investment destination.

As a primary agency of the Government in all investment matters, TIC is charged with the following functions: -

* Assist in establishment of enterprises e.g. incorporation and registration of enterprises;
* Obtain necessary licenses, work permits, visas, approvals, facilities or services;
* Sort out any administrative barriers confronting both local and foreign investments;
* Promote both foreign and local investment activities;
* Secure investment sites and assist investors to establish EPZ projects;
* Grant Certificates of Incentives, investment guarantees and register technology agreements for all investments, which are over and above US$ 300,000 and US$ 100,000 for foreign and local investments respectively;
* Provide and disseminate up to date information on existing investment opportunities, benefits or incentives available to investors; and
* Assist all investors whether or not registered by TIC.

In order to strengthen and expedite facilitation services, 8 Senior Officers from Government or its Executive Agencies have been permanently stationed at TIC to serve investors under the general direction of the TIC Executive Director. Presently these officers include those from: -

* Lands Department
* Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA)
* Immigration Department
* Labour Division
* Directorate of Trade
* Business Registration & Licensing Agency (BRELA)

For further information, please contact;

The Executive Director
Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)
P.O. Box 938
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
Tel: 255 22 2116328
Fax: 255 22 2118253
Email: information@tic.co.tz

Where America Stands: Entrepreneurship

Micro-multinationals are small companies with a presence and people in multiple countries:

When most people hear the phrase “multinational corporation,” they think of large, established firms with subsidiaries in major markets around the world. But a new breed of entrepreneurs is now creating “micro-multinationals” that are global from day one. Vast.com, for example, has 25 employees across five time zones, four nations and two continents. Its executive team is in San Francisco, its CTO is a Serbian who lives in the Dominican Republic, and its development team is in Belgrade. According to the CEO of Vast, “We are building a company in a way that wouldn’t have been possible even two years ago.”

The report goes on to note that not only is a global attitude and approach the right move to find staff to grow the business, but it is seen increasingly as a prerequisite for getting venture funding:

Particularly since the bursting of the IT bubble, venture capitalists have encouraged start-ups to implement global strategies to reduce costs and get to market faster. According to a USA Today survey of venture-backed software startups created since 1999, nearly 40 percent have employees outside the United States. And the global firms received more than twice as much funding from venture capitalists as firms with U.S.-only operations.

Entrepreneurs could not have created many of these companies if they had been unable to leverage global talent. And as these companies grow, they create more jobs in the United States. * * *

The ability of even small start-ups to go global offers unprecedented opportunities to U.S.-based entrepreneurs. But it also means that having a supportive environment for entrepreneurship will become even more important. Entrepreneurs can increasingly choose to develop and finance their new ideas anywhere in the world. Regions whose regulatory systems do not support the creation and growth of new businesses will find entrepreneurial activity (and the jobs that it creates) moving elsewhere.

I’ve observed this trend blossoming in the past few years, particularly among technology and Internet businesses. This idea of the world transforming into one global village is happening before our eyes. The numbers of companies that can be characterized as micro-multinationals is still small, but they are out there.

In fact, in my role as entrepreneur-in-residence (official title Executive Editor) of Creative Weblogging, I participate in a startup that runs 110 content-based websites, in five languages, with writers from over two dozen countries. If it were not for the ability to tap into the talent of people in countries outside the U.S., the Creative Weblogging group would look very different today. Creative Weblogging has benefited hugely from the ability to (1) find skilled highly-qualified people in parts of the world where the U.S. dollar goes farther, keeping costs low, and (2) to develop a global audience by hiring local writers who know the culture and the language.

Download the report here: Where America Stands: Entrepreneurship (PDF).

Opportunity Alert provides a forum where companies can present their projects

Opportunity Alert provides a forum where companies can present their projects, search for the best business partners, and begin a discussion with companies from around the world.

How It Works

Skemma : a 100% web Business Process Management software

Skemma is a 100% web Business Process Management software (BPM) that lets companies improve their overall performance by automating communications between internal areas, clients, vendors and existing systems.

Skemma is...

* Highly secured data
* Seamless integration with other systems
* Full control over the organization
* Continuous business performance improvement
* Extremely easy to use interface
* Huge ROI

Texas startups with a focus on entrepreneurship, venture capital, open source and Web 2.0 technology.

The Texas Startup Blog is authored by Alexander Muse and features profiles of Texas startups with a focus on entrepreneurship, venture capital, open source and Web 2.0 technology.

Atlantic Coast Regional Fund a $200 million regional fund focused on 28 countries on near the African Coast of the Atlantic Ocean

AFIG is currently raising the Atlantic Coast Regional Fund (“ACRF”, the “Fund”), a $100 to $200 million regional fund focused on 28 countries on or near the African Coast of the Atlantic Ocean from Morocco to Angola (the “Region”). The Fund will target strong growth companies operating in West and Central Africa, preferably with a regional scope. ACRF will consider investments in all sectors, with particular focus on industrial firms, financial institutions and companies investing in infrastructure and other related sectors.

Target companies will be mature and cash-flow generative companies operating in sectors with high entry barriers and/or enjoying market dominance. In addition, target companies will exhibit a proven track record in terms of managerial competence, satisfactory and measurable performance and a solid business plan. ACRF expects to generate a net Internal Rate of Return of 20% - 25% in US$ terms, resulting in returns in excess of two times invested capital.

Geographic Focus The Region targeted by ACRF is defined as follows:
* Western Africa encompassing the 15 Economic Community of West African States (“ECOWAS”) countries, plus Mauritania and Morocco
* Central Africa encompassing the 6 CEMAC countries, plus the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Angola.

DirectMatches: deploys a multi-matchmaking system that helps people to locate business contacts, finding friendship and dates online.

DirectMatches.com is an innovative system for meeting people. The inventive combination of person-to-person marketing along with our original concept of a social and business network produces a new kind of service. Driven by a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, the company markets a broad range of highly developed matchmaking technologies.

DirectMatches is the first in the online business and social networking industry to deploy a multi-matchmaking system that helps people locate everything from business contacts to finding friendship and dates online. It is the first business and social networking service with a contact management system that operates on a "dynamic basis", where members are able to select from dedicated networking communities.

Sumaria Group: one of the largest private sector groups in Africa.

Sumaria Group is one of the largest private sector groups in East Africa. It has business interests in consumer products, plastics, pharmaceuticals, Coca-Cola bottling, dairy products and agro-processing.

The Group started operations in Dar es Salaam in 1957 as a small trading company. Over the years, it moved from trading to manufacturing to become to a dominant player in the Tanzanian market space. The success came about from understanding the need of the local consumer and providing good quality products at the right price. The strategic thrust in the future is to replicate this success in the Pan-African market.

The Group is moving in the right direction. Today the Group has companies in Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Uganda making it one of Tanzania's first multinationals.

Poised for further growth, the Group continues to forge ahead in the true spirit of enterprise and excellence.

Aureos Capital : an independent private equity fund manager focused on the emerging markets.

Aureos Capital Limited is an independent private equity fund manager focused exclusively on the emerging markets. Aureos specialises in providing expansion and buyout capital for low to mid-cap businesses with prospects for strong growth and profitability across Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America.

Established in July 2001, Aureos has to date raised and managed US$570m in 24 funds worldwide. Ten of these funds have been raised since 2001, with approximately US$395m of committed capital. In addition, Aureos manages 14 funds previously sponsored and administered by CDC Group plc.

Building on Aureos’ strong track record established over 16 years of fund management in some of the world’s most challenging markets, Aureos is in the process of complementing its current portfolio by raising US$500m of additional capital over the next two years.

SoftLaw Citator is the software offering Kenyan legislation and its amendments electronically

SoftLaw Citator is the first software of its kind, offering Kenyan legislation and its amendments electronically. Citator runs on an Intranet and allows users of an organisation to quickly access the Laws of Kenya over their local network. Users benefit from a periodic amendment service that ensures their Laws are always up-to-date.
oftLaw Limited, a fully Kenyan-owned company, was formally incorporated in 2003. The vision of the founders is to provide our consumers with products that create easier, faster, and cheaper ways of doing business.

SoftLaw is progressively growing to establish itself as the leader in the provision of business support services. Being relatively new to the industry and young, we are more committed, we try harder, and we care more for our clients and our partners. Our motto “inspired” defines the driving force of our ideas and the client reaction we desire for those ideas.

ICTvillage.com is an industry-driven online portal and business lobby to make Kenya the ICT hub of Africa.

ICTvillage.com is an industry-driven online portal and business lobby to make Kenya the ICT hub of Africa. Our goal is to bring the ICT industry in Kenya (from small enterprises to large multinationals) together to fulfill the following goals by 2010:
• US$10 billion revenues.
• 1 million direct ICT jobs.
• 3.5 million computers in Kenya.
• 7 million internet users in Kenya.
• US$100 million ICT venture fund.
• US$1 billion ICT Equity Fund.
• #1 outsourcing destination in Africa.
We believe that the ICT industry in Kenya should be at the forefront of proactively implementing all the various ICT-related development and investment initiatives that have been initiated by the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Information & Communications, such as:
• Fibre Connectivity,
• Technology Parks,
• Digitization Campaign,
• Outsourcing Destination,
• ICT Venture Funds,
• ICT Skills Set Database.

Postapay is a Money Transfer Service operated by the Kenya Post Office.

Postapay is a Money Transfer Service operated by the Kenya Post Office. Our network of 500 Postal locations is supported by a remittance platform provided by and supported by Afripayments LLC. This open EFT platform allows PostaPay to connect seamlessly with multiple Money Transfer Companies and Agents throughout the world.

All transactions and payments processed by PostaPay comply with the applicable regulations, in accordance with the international rules and codes of the applicable legal bodies. PostPay is regulated under the Legal framework set out by the Central Bank of Kenya and FINCEN.

The company has two (2) main money transfer services as follows:

* Online Transfer:
This allows customers to send money in the comfort of their house or offices using either debit card, credit card or ACH direct debit. Our advanced platform is highly secured and reliable.
* Offline Transfer:
This uses our network of trusted Agents, located in most countries throughout the world. To make a transfer, just visit an PostaPay affiliated Agent Location, fill a simple form and hand funds over to Agent. Funds are available for collection within minutes after transfer is effected by Agent.

ICTPark.com to make Kenya the BPO hub of Africa.

ICTPark.com represents a consortium of local, regional, and global organizations working together to make Kenya the BPO hub of Africa. We believe that Kenya is ideally suited to become the premier African provider of BPO services to the global economy by 2010, especially if Kenyans at home and abroad collaborate to leverage our resources strategically.

Our goal is to have a network of community driven ICT-facilities located in urban and rural areas all over Kenya that will create jobs for young people and generate wealth for local communities. To achieve this goal, ICTPark.com and its consortium members will provide the following services to start and/or support call centres and back-offices in Kenya:

* Templates for preparing business plans.
* Information and assistance with finances.
* Guidance on suitability of premises.
* Advice on equipment and connectivity.
* Referrals to consultants, lawyers, auditors, and other professionals.
* Networking with ICT suppliers and other vendors.
* Introduction to research and technology expertise.
* Guidance on staff recruitment and training.
* Advice on securing outsourcing contracts.