Private Equity
Private Equity – Overview
Our private equity team consists of 20 remarkable and experienced professionals. From an operation focused in our early years on consummating a full range of real estate based transactions, we have grown into a business pursuing transactions throughout the world in a multitude of different industries. We are focused on building businesses from the ground up. Our private equity investments operate in existing or newly created niche markets and are either wholly owned by or otherwise controlled by SOZA Group. Each investment is originated, examined, developed, and organized by our team and advisors. Once developed to the appropriate level, it is then given to an execution team specialized in the start-up and daily management of the newly created entity. In some transactions or projects, such as development of capital markets, we assume two or more roles involving multiple subsidiary or related companies.
Since 2006, our private equity team has developed and continues to develop such transactions and businesses in a variety of industries and geographies in pursuit of the firms’ investment objectives. As a rule, the team does not discriminate based on industry or geography, so long as it is able to objectively discern, within the proposed transaction, unique value drivers given the environment. With that said, our main industries of focus are the capital markets, real estate, insurance & reinsurance, pharmaceutical and medical. Our main geographical areas of investment focus are in developing economies.
Private Equity - Investment Approach
We have a rigorous investment approach, extensive due diligence practices, global reach, substantial transaction and financing expertise and focus on operational oversight. The following are some of the core investment principles of our private equity team.
New Ventures
Investments in new ventures are often the most difficult transactions to analyze and execute, given the risk, complexity, geographic scope and size of the equity investment required. We build and manage businesses which, unlike investments in publicly listed companies, require a higher degree of preparation, proper execution and diligence in oversight due to the unique and additional risks involved in such transactions. Given our network of skilled former senior corporate executives, the size of our capital pool and the depth of our transaction and financing expertise, we believe that we are one of a limited number of firms favorably positioned to participate in this market. These favorable competitive dynamics and our capabilities and organizational strengths make new venture investments particularly compelling opportunities for us.
Partnerships
Partnership transactions, transactions in which we invest capital alongside another entity or entities, represent a signature form of private equity investing for us. However, we generally require that those invited to participate in such transactions provide some other benefit to the transaction in addition to their capital contribution. We believe that teaming up with select or strategic partners enables us to benefit from access to their knowledge base and anticipated synergies and to perform more effectively against the competition.