Day: October 5, 2022

While deal sizes in corporate venture capital and mergers & acquisitions continue to grow, strong momentum for corporate venture building is surfacing in the MENA region.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Stryber, the leading independent corporate venture builder in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, published the Bi-Annual Corporate Venturing Report MENA. The report focuses on corporate venture capital (CVC), mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and corporate venture building (CVB). “Awareness is rising that relying on one source of revenue is unsafe and capital needs to be invested in diversification. Interestingly, we found that the average CVC deal size in MENA has slightly surpassed that of Europe last quarter” said Rayan Aebi, Managing Director of Stryber MENA & South Asia.

The most important report results (excerpt)

Corporate Venture Capital (CVC)

• CVC deals declined in terms of number and volume in both quarters of H1 2022, while average deal size increased to USD $35m in Q2 2022
• Saudi, Israel and Egypt ($141m) lead for the largest CVC deal volume in MENA
• EdVentures (Egypt) is the most active CVC in MENA with 4 deals
• Foodics (Saudi Arabia) accounted for the largest CVC round, followed by Rain (Bahrain) and Vayyar (Israel)
• Healthcare focused CVC’s are expanding into MENA as telemedicine and remote patient monitoring gain traction in the region

M&A

• Number of M&A deals and deal volume increased in H1 2022 compared to H2 2021, but a 19% QoQ decrease in deal volume in Q2 2022
• UAE, Israel and Bahrain led the list of the largest accumulated M&A deal volume by country

CVB

• Number of active CVBs in H1 2022 remains stable at 19 units – 1 additionally founded Internal VB (IVB) in Q1 2022, increases the number of active IVBs to 7 in H1 2022
• ADQ-backed Further Ventures emerged as the most active VB in the region, disclosing two fintech ventures while other venture units operate in stealth mode
• As interest grows in the metaverse and new spheres of development, excitement for CVB is surfacing in the MENA region

Download report: Stryber Corporate Venturing Report MENA H1

Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com)

Data collection

CVB: Data collection through manual and secondary research.
CVC: Data basis on Crunchbase database.
M&A: Data basis on Pitchbook database, secondary Magnitt database.

About Stryber

Stryber combines approaches from the venture capital and start-up world and fosters success and growth for its corporate clients by setting up and building new lines of business that deliver substantial growth. Founded in 2016 by Jan Sedlacek and Alexander Mahr, Stryber is the leading independent corporate venture builder in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. While traditional companies typically struggle with successful business model innovation, Stryber teams in Abu Dhabi, London, Kyiv, Munich, Valencia, Singapore and Zurich build up a portfolio of strategically aligned ventures within a few months. Stryber’s customers include sovereign wealth funds and well-known companies from a wide variety of industries, including banking, insurance, retail, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, crypto, real estate. www.stryber.com

Press contact

Charlotte Sachs
Lead Marketing & PR
Mobile: +49 1731839365
E-Mail: charlotte@stryber.com
www.stryber.com

Venture capital set to grow to over $4tn in global AUM, while North America will drive the largest share of global asset flows

LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Preqin, the global leader empowering the alternatives community with essential data and insights, has published its  Future of Alternatives 2027 report. The report, published every two year.

0s0, shows that private capital invested is set to double by 2027, while retail interest in alternatives is predicted to fuel the next wave of industry growth.

Despite a challenging macroeconomic outlook, demand for private capital continues to show resilience, with total global assets under management (AUM) expected to almost double to $18.3tn by the end of 2027, from $9.3tn at the end of 2021. While the compound annual growth rate is expected to slow compared to recent years (to 11.9% annually between 2021-2027, from 14.9% between 2015-2021), investor demand remains strong as investors continue to seek alternative sources of returns in an uncertain economic environment. When hedge funds are included, alternative assets AUM are expected to reach $23.3tn by the end of 2027, up from $13.7tn at the end of 2021 (growth of 70.7%). Across the broader industry, hedge funds are likely to act as a drag to overall growth.

Retail investment set to drive the next frontier in private markets

While private capital allocations have increasingly become a core part of institutional investor portfolios, high net worth investors have for the most part remained allocated to traditional investments. A lack of products that are tailored for retail participation has been one of the key barriers, but that is beginning to change, as the industry innovates, and the regulatory environment evolves. Preqin expects growing retail investor interest in private investments – especially among high-net-worth investors – to be one of the key drivers of private markets growth in the future, particularly as a higher portion of institutional investors are approaching their current target allocation to alternative assets and may be forced to revise their target based on market conditions.

Christoph Knaack, CEO of Preqin, says: “Private markets have been in a super cycle over the past decade. Due to lower risk adjusted returns in most traditional public asset classes, investors have had to look further afield to find alternative sources of return. However, the deterioration of the macroeconomic climate over the past year, from rising inflation and interest rates to geopolitical threats, means investors are now operating in a more challenging environment.

“Against this backdrop, we expect to see more sustained growth in the asset classes which have historically performed well in more volatile markets, and which are able to provide inflation protection, such as infrastructure, natural resources, and private debt. Continued demand for these asset classes, coupled with a growth of retail investor interest in building allocations to alternatives, will drive private capital AUM to new heights over the next five years.”

Key findings from the Future of Alternatives 2027 report include:

• Venture capital leading as fastest growing asset class: Venture capital (VC) is forecast to be the fastest growing asset class in the next few years (+19.1% growth per year, from $1.46tn end-2021 to $4.17tn by 2027), followed by infrastructure (+13.3%), and private debt (+10.8%). North America will be the main driver for VC funding – annual fundraising in the region is expected to grow from $118bn at the end of 2021 to $223bn by the end of 2027. Fundraising in Europe is also expected to grow to $30.5bn by the end of 2027, up from $21.3bn at the end of 2021.
• Risk-off environment set to slow growth in previously strong assets: Despite the forecast that VC will be the strongest growing asset class, the rate of AUM growth will slow considerably. Similar trends are evident in private equity markets, which are impacted by the rising cost of debt and weaker valuations. Similarly, hedge funds could struggle, with a return to outflows. A more challenging outlook is expected for real estate, with rising interest rates and inflationary concerns slowing expected AUM growth to 8.4% per year.
• North America to lead the way in AUM growth: North America is set to be the fastest growing region globally for private capital, with AUM in the region expected to grow at a rate of 12.7% per year between 2021-2027. APAC markets are expected to see growth of 10.0% per year, with AUM set to almost double to $2.08tn – up from $1.17tn at the end of 2021; Growth in Europe (10.9%) is expected to be slightly higher than APAC, and AUM in the region will reach $4.1tn by the end of 2027, up from $2.2tn at the end of 2021.

Performance boosts VC growth, and inflation-proofing expected via private debt and infrastructure assets

Strong annual performance is expected to be one of the drivers of AUM growth across VC markets, with the asset class expected to return +14.6% annually from 2021-2027. This comes despite headwinds from a deteriorating macro environment, which is expected to hit current valuations, reduce the number and value of exits, and increase the cost of capital.

Private debt markets are proving resilient against a tough backdrop of weaker macroeconomic fundamentals, with a forecasted AUM growth of 10.8% annually. This is largely due to the prevalence of floating rate exposure in direct lending compared to traditional fixed income products, building in some resiliency and inflation protection for investors. With US dollar strength and increased interest rates on offer, international investors are expected to flock to North America for private debt opportunities, given it remains the home of the world’s foremost reserve currency.

Infrastructure is forecasted to perform strongly with a predicted 13.3% of annual growth in AUM (reaching $1.88trn of assets by 2027), closing the gap to real estate in AUM terms – rising from 76% of real estate AUM in 2021 to 88% in 2027. European infrastructure is expected to lead the way, with AUM annual growth of 17.8%, reflecting the region’s growing need to invest in energy generation capacity, reducing a reliance on Russian supplies.

Other findings from the Preqin Future of Alternatives 2027 report include:

• Hedge funds: Hedge funds are bottom of the AUM growth table, with 3.45% annual growth forecasted from H1 2022 to 2027. This year has been challenging for the hedge fund industry resulting in a forecasted decline in AUM in the short run, but a recovery is expected over the next few years.
• Private equity: Global private equity fundraising is expected to see modest growth over the period following declines of 21% and 3% in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while performance is expected to soften compared to that seen in recent years, as macro-economic factors have deteriorated significantly.
• Natural resources: Investor demand for natural resources will continue to grow as the global energy crisis continues and the prospect of a fresh commodity super cycle boosts the recovery of the asset class, with predicted AUM growth of 6.2%, to reach $297bn by the end of 2027.

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About Preqin

Preqin, the Home of Alternatives, empowers financial professionals who invest in or allocate to alternatives with essential data and insight to make confident decisions. It supports them throughout the entire investment lifecycle with critical information and leading analytics solutions. The company has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for almost 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 professionals globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed. For more information visit www.preqin.com.

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company (“AG&P”), a leading downstream LNG and infrastructure development company, today announced the appointment of Sandeep Mahawar as the Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group. Mr. Mahawar comes with over 25 years’ experience in the LNG and natural gas industry and will be focused on developing and optimizing AG&P’s LNG and downstream projects and driving market development strategies.

Mr. Joseph Sigelman, Chairman and CEO of AG&P Group, said, “As AG&P continues to develop downstream LNG terminals and associated city gas networks in key markets across South, Southeast Asia and beyond, we are privileged to welcome Sandeep Mahawar as our Chief Commercial Officer for our LNG business. Sandeep has earned great respect from his years of experience building great businesses and AG&P is excited to see his leadership in action in the years ahead during this most exciting and revolutionary time in our industry.”

Mr. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group, said, “I am truly impressed by the talent and dedicated team at AG&P that has demonstrated a proven operational track record in India and the Philippines. I am honored to join the team as it continues its momentum of completing the first LNG terminal in the Philippines and assist with all AG&P’s initiatives to support the energy transition goals of the region and the new and emerging markets.”

Mr. Mahawar previously served as Senior Vice President and a member of the Senior Management team at Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd (“SLNG”), primarily responsible for leading the transformation of Singapore into an LNG Hub and ensuring energy security. Since joining SLNG in 2013, Mr. Mahawar took on managerial responsibilities within commercial, operations, finance and strategy divisions, and worked closely with the SLNG Board to align company strategy with business execution. Through Mr. Mahawar’s 9-year tenure, under his leadership, SLNG expanded its portfolio of infrastructure services and recorded significant growth in both revenue and operating profit since the start of commercial operations.

Prior, Mr. Mahawar was with BG Group, a UK headquartered multinational oil and gas company acquired by Shell in 2014. He was responsible for driving cross-functional projects, including M&A and global commercial and business expansions and worked across Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa for over 15 years.

Mr. Mahawar also served as Chairman of the ASEAN Gas Consultative Committee in 2016 by the ASEAN Council of Petroleum (“ASCOPE”) to represent Singapore and as the Vice Chairman of one of its subcommittees on Gas Advocacy from 2017 to 2020. He was a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and the Chairman of its Singapore Chapter. In 2021, for his long-term, exceptional contributions to Singapore’s LNG sector, Mr. Mahawar received the ‘Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Standards Council Commendation Award’.

About AG&P Group

Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) develops LNG import and regasification facilities as well as downstream city gas networks. AG&P also provides engineering and project management services for LNG and other infrastructure. AG&P is part-owned by Osaka Gas, JBIC (the Japan Bank of International Cooperation) and Asiya, a publicly-traded Kuwait fund, as well as its management.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914386/Sandeep_Mahawar_Chief_Commercial_Officer_AG_P_Group.jpg

Renaming of the mobile application makes it easier for it to be found by those interested in learning about Islam, allowing Islam Divine to reach a much wider audience than before

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Divine, the community project that leverages space technologies to broadcast the Quran audio from space, and an initiative under the I AM PART OF global charity foundation established by entrepreneur Shukhrat Ibragimov, today announced that it has renamed its mobile application (app) from “Divine Live” to “Islam Divine”, with aims to make it easier to search for and be found by users on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The name change comes along with new features, updates and enhancements to the user interface (UI). There is now a day/night switch within the app, as well as various wallpapers that users can choose from. The overall design of the app has also been revamped and incorporated with dark and cool colours inspired by Islamic art.

The updates also ensure that it is accessible to new users. For those new to Islam, or keen in accessing more information on it, the developers have added a chat, where users can get answers to any questions they have on Islam. More information has also been added on the Salah – daily obligatory prayers – so that new Muslim converts will have adequate knowledge before performing the Salah.

Users who are more well-versed in Islamic teachings also have much to gain from the new app updates. They can now save and copy content from the Quran, Dua and Hadith, available on the app. The new bookmarking feature allows users to save their spot in the religious text and pick up where they previously left off.

Divine was founded in 2021 to dispel misconceptions and stereotypes of the teachings of the Quran and to present a better understanding of what the Quran is for young and new Muslim communities, and the world.

By hosting information in terrestrial servers in space, Divine is able to transmit the teachings of the Quran to a wider audience due to the large coverage area afforded by the satellite. The Quran files are transmitted from space to several platforms built for the Divine project, including the Divine official site; as well as the Islam Divine app, which is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Through the Divine platforms, users can view the real-time location of the satellite that carries the Quran multimedia files and receive transmission details such as the orbital information of the satellite carrying the payload. Divine is creating a new frontier of accessibility by bringing technology beyond the Internet to enable all to have simultaneous access to the teachings of Islam from a single source.

Divine is operated and managed by Eurasian Space Ventures (ESV), a private company registered in Kazakhstan which aims to serve as an international hub for space projects and related organizations looking to capitalize on the well-established space infrastructure and ecosystem in the country.

About Divine

Divine is the one and only project in the world which deploys space technologies to transmit the Holy Quran directly from a satellite flying over you. It is a multifunctional and educational platform which provides a full understanding of the Holy Quran teachings, the authentic Sahih Al-Bukhari collection of Hadiths, a tutorial on performing Salah as well as a collection of Dua and other relevant material. All information on the website is prepared in different languages under the guidance of the official Islamic Educational Centres in different countries.

For more information, visit https://www.divine.live/

About I AM PART OF

I AM PART OF is a global charity project registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The main mission is to work for the public benefit, the relief and assistance of people in need by building solar powered automatic water wells; farms, Mosques in remote areas of the world; and by providing medical support.

For more information, visit https://www.iampartof.org