Private equity fund management Aureos Capital (www.aureos.com) has become a founding partner of an emerging markets trade initiative called “Trade Out of Poverty”. Aureos specialises in investing in small and medium-sized businesses in emerging markets, and was a member of UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent curtailed trade mission to Africa.
Trade Out of Poverty aims to improve access of all least-developed and low-income countries to international trade, calling for the removal of trade barriers, simplification of trade rules and investment in infrastructure links to boost trade. It is supported by an All-Party Parliamentary Group co-chaired by Rt Hon Clare Short MP and Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (both recent Secretaries of State for International Development), Rt Hon Peter Lilley MP (former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry), Lord (Michael) Hastings (KPMG Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity) and Sir Menzies Campbell (former leader of the Liberal Democrats).Other backing has come from former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, CAFOD (the Catholic Overseas Aid Development Agency), Oxfam, Sir Bob Geldof and Dr Mo Ibrahim.
Aureos manages $1.3 billion invested in small and medium-size businesses in over 50 countries. It specialises in providing expansion and buy-out capital to small and medium sized businesses across Asia, Africa and Latin America and has extensive experience of helping its investee companies to develop trade with both major developed economies and other emerging markets countries.
Sev Vettivetpillai, Chief Executive of Aureos, will join the Trade Out of Poverty Advisory Council and said in a statement on 25 July: “Aureos has first-hand experience of the challenges companies in developing markets face, and we know that even extremely successful businesses in developing countries can find it difficult to access regional and international markets.
“Aureos can help our investee companies to grow and develop international connections. The benefits can be significant: creation of new jobs, increased cross fertilisation of valuable ideas and access to vibrant growing markets. This leads to greater provision of essential goods and services. Most importantly for us, it creates shareholder value in our portfolios and increases the financial upside for our investors, whose continued support for investment in these markets is critical.
“However, for large-scale transformation more must be done on a national and international level.”
Peter Lilley said: “We are very grateful for the generous support we have received from Aureos, which will go some way to helping us achieve our objectives and enable the world’s poorest countries to trade their way out of poverty.”
Aureos runs 17 regional private equity funds through its network of 28 offices worldwide, by a team of over 90 investment professionals who combine world-class financial and operational expertise with unrivalled local knowledge and experience. Investors in Aureos funds include institutional investors, bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, fund of funds, family offices and foundations and high-net-worth individuals.