The InReturn East Africa Fund reviews around 200 potential investments per year coming from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. From this deal flow the target is to invest on average in 4 companies per year with the goal to invest in 15 to 20 SMEs.
Portfolio Companies across East Africa:
Horizons Office Limited
Bringing life into your work & work into your life.
Horizons Office Limited is a provider of serviced offices in Kenya. Operations began in 2009 by offering short- and long-term rentals for fully serviced offices. Currently the company occupies some 5,200 sq ft of floor space at Luther Plaza in Nairobi where more than 20 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operate.
Serviced offices enable enterprises to hit the ground running without having to undergo the time and capital-intensive process of setting up offices on their own. Horizons Office offers tremendous flexibility in terms of space and lease period at very competitive rates. These services allow clients to focus on their core business, removing a significant hurdle for many SMEs.
InReturn has entered into a partnership with Horizons Office to finance the expansion of the business. This partnership will see Horizons Office complete fit-outs in early 2012 for two wings at the new ultra-modern 14 Riverside Office Park in Nairobi, occupying a further 8,000 sq ft and comprising 32 new office suites. A further expansion at another location is scheduled for the latter part of the year. As a result of this partnership, 13 new permanent positions will be created within the company. The partnership is also a unique opportunity for InReturn to help provide an essential service for the SME space as a whole.
Equator Shipping Line Ltd, Uganda
Equator Shipping Line (ESL) is a provider of logistics and ferry services on Lake Victoria. With increased economic integration in the East African region, lake transport is expected to handle higher volumes of cargo. With the liberalization of the sector, water transport will require additional investment in form of more ships and professionalised services, which are currently not available. ESL is based in Kampala, Uganda. The company is run by an experienced and seasoned management team, with a long track record in shipping and (financial) management. ESL has the ambition to become a leading shipping and logistics provider in East Africa. InReturn’s investment is used for charter and buying of new cargo ships. ESL will provide quality employment to 100 people and will adhere and comply to a corporate social responsibility policy.
Hurlingham Eye Care Services Ltd
http://hurlinghameyecare.co.ke/
Hurlingham Eye Care Services (HECS) is a medical practice in Nairobi, Kenya. Until 2010 the company focused on eye consultations, supplying glasses and contact lenses , eye surgeries and other medical eye treatments. The main shareholders are four respected eye surgeons, three Kenyans and one German who built a very successful laser clinic in Germany. End 2010, HECS opened the Eagle Eye Laser Center (EELC) and started performing eye laser surgery and and treatment of glaucoma and cataracts . InReturn and HECS have made substantial investments to grow EELC into a one stop eye care centre with two fully equipped operating theatres in which all common eye related treatments can be performed. The company is the second laser clinic in East Africa and is now equipped with the most state of the art equipment in the broader East African region. The company will eventually create 30 jobs, make different eye surgery more affordable for a larger audience and the promoters are pursuing mid-long term opportunities to be able to operate in the rural areas.
Vipingo Stone LTD
http://vipingostonemining.com/
Vipingo Stone is a quarrying company located in Kilifi, 80 km north of Mombasa, The company produces machine-cut coral stones, the most commonly used construction material in this coastal region. InReturn’s investment allowed Vipingo to set up their operations. InReturn also provides business advice to help management build a solid business. Since early 2011 Vipingo has been producing and selling stones and their production levels have been increasing steadily. Currently the company employs 30 people, who all have protective closing, insurance, a good remuneration package and a healthy meal a day. The company expects to expand its operations in 2012.
Hydro Power Development Company
In December 2010 InReturn signed an agreement with a Kenyan engineering consultancy company for the development of a series of micro hydro power plants in central Kenya that will generate and distribute power to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). The main promoter is a power engineer with a long track record in the power industry. The turbines will be manufactured and installed on the site by a leading micro hydro power company. InReturn has currently financed the pre-development stage. It is expected that the actual development of the first site will start end 2011, at which date we can disclose more information. Social Impact of this investment is renewable energy, 20 direct jobs and local communities involved in maintaining and sharing in the profits of the company.
