Richard Flett

Overview

Horizon Equity Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in equity investments in development capital, initial public offering/listing, growth capital, acquisition finance, black economic empowerment through leveraged recapitalization, management buy-outs, leveraged buyouts, public-to-private transactions purchasing preferred or ordinary shares in publicly listed companies, and PIPES in small and medium sized enterprises. It also provides loan funding for acquisitions and mezzanine debt for buyouts and recapitalizations. The firm will not invest in seed and start-up enterprises and sectors such as real estate, mining, primary agriculture, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, pornography, indentured labour, and armaments. It seeks to invest in all stages of the development cycle including early stage, emerging growth, middle market, mid venture, late venture. It typically invests in cleantech, alternative energy, business process outsourcing, communications, payment technologies, retailing and distribution, logistics, food processing, industrial manufacturing, information technology, command, control and communication equipment, food, beverage, and tobacco, financial services, telecommunications( diversified telecommunication services), electronics, transaction technology, manufacturing, engineering, healthcare. The firm invests in companies based in Southern Africa with a focus on South Africa, but can also consider investments in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa in conjunction with a local co-investor. It primarily invests between $0.41 million and R100 million ($10.16 million) in unlisted companies with enterprise value between R20 million ($2.03 million) and R200 ($20.33 million) million. The firm usually obtains 10 percent to 49 percent stake in the company. In general, the firm seeks to invest as a minority shareholder and will take majority positions only in special cases. It can also organize and lead syndications with other venture capital firms for larger investments. It seeks to take syndication with co-investors. The firm would take a board seat in its portfolio companies. The firm holds the investments for a period of three years to seven years. It would exit through trade sale to another corporation, listing on the JSE, listing on an international stock exchange, sale to a financial institution, and sale to management or other shareholders. The firm will select investments that have the potential to be exited internationally, whether by trade sale, listing or sale to an international financial buyer. Horizon Equity Partners was founded in 1996 and is based at Sandton, South Africa.