Enexus acted as M&A advisor to Axa, Apis Partners, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Abler Nordic on the majority sale of their shareholdings in Baobab to Beltone Holding, bringing deep Africa-focused deal execution expertise to the transaction

Sale of Baobab Group

Baobab is the leading financial services provider dedicated to supporting small businesses across Africa. By leveraging data and digital technologies, the company broadens access to finance for those underserved by traditional banks. Its comprehensive product suite empowers SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs to grow and thrive, driving economic development across the continent.

To pursue this success story, Baobab’s majority shareholders, including Axa, Apis Partners, the EIB and Abler Nordic, decided to sell their controlling stake to Beltone. This transaction will further enhance Baobab’s ability to expand financial inclusion in Africa by unlocking new opportunities for innovation, digital transformation and sustainable growth leveraging on Beltone’s resources.

About Baobab

Founded in 2005, Baobab Group is a leading microfinance institution serving over 500,000 SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs through its seven subsidiaries (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, DRC and Madagascar). It offers a comprehensive range of products including MSME loans, savings solutions, and mobile payments.

About Axa Group

AXA Group is a global leader in insurance and asset management, serving over 95 million clients across 50 countries. AXA provides a comprehensive range of financial protection and investment solutions, including life and health insurance, property and casualty coverage, and asset management services.

About Apis Partners

Apis Partners is an ESGI-native private equity and venture capital asset manager that supports growth-stage financial services and technology businesses globally by providing them with catalytic growth equity capital. Collectively Apis manages or advises an asset base totalling c.$2.3bn.

About Abler Nordic

Abler Nordic (formerly Nordic Microfinance Initiative) was established in Oslo in 2008 as a public-private partnership investing in Africa and Asia, in companies that offers financial services to low-income households. Abler Nordic currently manages six funds, with total commitments of $470 million.

About the European Investment Bank (EIB) 

The EIB is the European Union’s long-term lending institution, providing financing and expertise to support investment projects in Europe and internationally. Through its activity in emerging markets, the EIB helps mobilize long-term capital for infrastructure and private-sector development, supporting cross border investment Africa. The EIB also works alongside partners to strengthen access to finance and accelerate cross-border investment in Africa across priority sectors.

About Beltone

Beltone Holding is a leading financial services platform in the MENA region listed on the Cairo Stock Exchange. Its diverse offerings include brokerage, asset management, and non-banking financial services. Beltone is majority-owned by Chimera Investment LLC, part of Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group through IHC, the second largest listed group in the Middle East.

Enexus acted as exclusive M&A advisor to Air Liquide, the world leader in industrial and medical gases, on the sale of 12 subsidiaries in Africa to Adenia Partners through its fund Adenia Capital IV, a leading private equity fund in Africa

Sale of 12 Air Liquide subsidiaries

With a presence on the continent for over 90 years, 1,600 employees and 700 million euros invested in the last three years, Air Liquide is a major industrial and medical gas player in Africa.

Air Liquide completed the sale of its shareholdings in 12 subsidiaries across West Africa, Central Africa, and the Indian Ocean to Adenia IV, a private equity fund managed by Adenia Partners. With this acquisition, Adenia establishes itself as a leading player in the industrial gases sector in sub-Saharan Africa under a new brand, Erium. Erium now holds leading or significant market positions in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Togo. This African private equity investment provides the foundation for a pan-African industrial gases platform, preserving operational continuity while unlocking the capital required for long-term growth. . As part of the transaction, Air Liquide will retain an operational relationship with the divested entities through long-term supply agreements and technical support partnerships with Adenia.

About Air Liquide

Air Liquide is a global leader in gases, technologies, and services for the industrial and healthcare sectors. Operating in 60 countries, the Group employs over 65,000 people and generates more than €27 billion in revenue. Since its founding in 1902, Air Liquide has specialized in essential molecules such as oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, which are fundamental to industry and healthcare. Today, the Group serves over 4 million clients and patients worldwide.

About Adenia Partners

Adenia Partners is a private equity firm managing $880 million in assets, with over 20 years of commitment to responsible and sustainable investments in Africa. With a strong track record, Adenia Partners has raised 5 funds, completed over 30 investments, and successfully executed 18 exits.

Enexus acted as M&A advisor to Trigger’s Reports, a security risk management start-up, in its fundraising with Eurofind

Fundraising Trigger’s Reports

Founded in 2017, Trigger’s Reports has developed a unique and price-disruptive solution to make accessible security to the greatest number of people. Through its platforms, companies can assess and monitor security threats and communicate them to their staff. 

Trigger’s Reports already offers its services to over 16,000 users through local and multinational corporates operating in Africa. In order to expand its client portfolio and further invest into R&D to integrate new technological features to its platform, Trigger’s Reports opened its capital to Eurofind. This growth capital investment will support the company’s product development and commercial expansion.

With over 3,000 employees spread over four countries, Eurofind is receptive to the challenges faced by companies to ensure employee-security in certain geographies. Its shareholders therefore provided Triggers’ Report with the necessary equity to achieve its growth strategy.

About Trigger’s Reports

Founded in 2017,  Trigger’s Reports is a start-up based in Dakar which offers an information and alert platform for security risk management. Trigger’s Report platform also enables to geolocate people, vehicles, assets, and offers a wide range of taylormade addons. 

About Group Eurofind 

Founded in 1972, in Ivory Coast, Eurofind is a diversified conglomerate operating in West Africa with activities in steel processing, plastics and chemicals industry, food, agribusiness, and real estate.

Enexus acted as M&A advisor to Groupe Sahel in its fundraising with Forafric, leading to a majority stake in a landmark African cross border transaction

Founded in 2011 by Malian entrepreneur Houd Baby, Groupe Sahel has quickly become a key player in cereal processing in the Sahel region. With a production capacity of 600 tonnes per day through its subsidiaries in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the Group is the only player in the region producing in three different countries. Groupe Sahel has drawn on its local roots and experienced management to build strong brands, such as Lafia, its flagship brand in Mali.

This operation combines the local expertise of Groupe Sahel with the century-old know-how of the Moroccan leader Forafric. This new partnership will enable Forafric to expand in West Africa, while strengthening Groupe Sahel’s production capacity and diversifying its product offering. Together, Groupe Sahel and Forafric aim to play a leading role in addressing the  growing food demand in the Sahel. 

About Groupe Sahel

Groupe Sahel is a company founded in 2011 and specialised in the processing of cereals. The Group operates in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and aims to expand in other West African countries under the brand LAFIA with its slogan “Feeding Africa together”.

About Forafric

Forafric, founded in 1926, is a leading agribusiness company in Africa with activities in Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. With 12 industrial units and two logistics platforms, Forafric is the largest milling company in Morocco, producing a complete range of flour and semolina, as well as transformed products such as pasta and couscous. Forafric exports to more than 45 countries. Pursuing ambitious expansion plans in both Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, the Group is playing an increasing role in fulfilling Africa food security needs.

Enexus acted as M&A advisor to the shareholder of International Drilling Company (“IDC”), a leading African drilling company in its fundraising with Adiwale Partners

Founded in 2011, IDC is a West African drilling company, with a unique positioning between local drillers and international majors. With more than thirty drilling rigs, IDC offers drilling services to the mining majors as well as to companies active in the construction and water sectors. IDC’s equity raise from Adiwale Partners, a leading West African private equity fund, will enable the company to expand further in West Africa, including in Sahel countries. 

About IDC

Created in 2011 (www.idc-drilling.com/) is one of the leading African companies offering drilling services to the mining, construction, and water industries with four subsidiaries in West Africa (Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso). IDC has been a member of the Senegalese Chamber of Mines (Chambre des Mines du Sénégal, CMDS) and the Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Mines (Chambre Des Mines de Côte d’Ivoire, CDMCI) since 2011. 

About Adiwale Partners

Adiwale Partners (www.adiwale.com) is an independent private equity fund manager founded in 2016 and based in Abidjan. It manages Adiwale Fund I, a 60 million euros fund. Adiwale Fund I offers growth capital and operational support to mid-size companies looking to strengthen their core activities and expand in West Africa and beyond. The fund invests primarily in consumer goods and services, business services and manufacturing.

Enexus acted as M&A advisor to BBOXX in a USD 50M equity round led by Mitsubishi

BBOXX, a next generation utility, successfully closed a $50 million Series D funding round. Mitsubishi Corporation led the round followed by ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies (affiliated to ENGIE Group), impact investor Bamboo Capital Partners, Dutch impact investment fund DOEN Participaties and Canadian growth equity firm MacKinnon, Bennett & Company (MKB).

Ranked among the top five African start-up funding deals of 2019 (WeeTracker), this cross-border transaction marked a key milestone in supporting BBOXX’s scale-up across the continent. 

About BBOXX

BBOXX is one of Africa’s leading off-grid energy suppliers. The company provides electricity to over 500,000  people and has installed more than 100,000 solar home systems in East, Central and West Africa. 

About Mitsubishi Corporation

Mitsubishi Corporation is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses together with its global network of around 1,800 companies. The Group has eight business units that operate across various industries including environmental energy, materials solutions, mineral resources, urban development & infrastructure, mobility, food, smart-life creation and power solutions industry.