8 Miles

Founded two years ago to take advantage of beef export opportunities, Verde Beef is expected to grow “ten-fold” with new funding according its latest investor 8 Miles.

Mark Florman, who will take on an advisory role with the BVCA at the end of the month, will be succeeded by deputy chief executive and former Times assistant editor Tim Hames.

The Brazilian investment bank is busting out of Latin America with plans to raise $1bn for an Africa-focused fund.

The amount raised for private equity investment in Africa last year may have been an improvement on the previous year’s total, but for a continent with strong growth and countless metrics supporting the case for investment, Africa remains a depressingly small market for the industry.

Jacana Partners, a private equity group co-founded by ECI non-executive chairman Stephen Dawson, will join a growing number of firms looking to raise capital for Africa next year.

The amount raised for private equity investment in Africa last year may have been an improvement on the previous year’s total, but for a continent with strong growth and countless metrics supporting the case for investment, Africa remains a depressingly small market for the industry.

Medical foundation the Wellcome Trust, helmed by CIO Danny Truell (pictured), has vowed to triple its exposure to Africa over the next five years.

Sir Bob Geldof delivered a keynote address at PEI’s Africa Forum on Wednesday in which he urged the industry to help make Africa 'one of the polar financial centres of the world'.

Mark Florman’s focus is shifting from Africa to the BVCA