LeapFrog Investments Closes $1Billion Fund To Invest in Africa and Asia – urbangeekz

Impact-focused private equity (PE) firm LeapFrog Investments has closed its fourth fund, raising $1.15 billion.
The fund includes $808 million in primary commitments and up to $210 million in pre-allocated co-investments to accelerate healthcare and financial services in growth markets.
The impact-focused investment firm invests in exceptional financial services companies across Africa and Asia.

Meet LeapFrog Investment’s Fund IV Investors
Institutional entities such as Temasek, AIA, and Prudential Financial are the cornerstone investors for Fund IV. Development finance institutions like the European Investment Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation also participated in the fund. 

Other notable contributors are Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Van Lanschot Kempen, Eli Lilly and Company, the Ford Foundation, and the IMAS Foundation.
The fund also draws new investors from diverse markets, including Singapore, China, Japan, Austria, Norway, Oman, and Turkey. These partnerships aim to expand LeapFrog’s impact investing footprint globally.
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Leapfrog Investments’ fourth fund aims to support 100 million emerging consumers and producers in building better lives. It has already reached 24 million (a 40% increase since investment). The fund will initially support five companies in Africa and Asia. All five investees have achieved strong revenue growth over the past year.

One of the investees is Africa’s Sun King, the world’s largest off-grid solar financier. The Kenyan-based company designs, distributes, installs, and finances solar home energy products for people without access to reliable electricity. 
Sun King’s products include Solar lights, Solar fans, and Solar home light systems. It has provided 118 million people across Africa access to solar energy. The alternative energy platform has also saved low-income households over $7.2 billion in energy expenses that would otherwise have paid for biomass, kerosene lamps, and diesel generators.
Scaling The Impact of Champions of The Future
“What LeapFrog’s team has achieved in this fundraising cycle is phenomenal, attracting world-class institutional investors, many from new marke`ts, to our distinctive Profit with Purpose strategies,” Andy Kuper, Founder and CEO, LeapFrog Investments said.  
Recent years have seen one of the most challenging fundraising cycles for private equity this century, with capital raised in 2023 the lowest in the past six years. 

Nevertheless, LeapFrog has distinguished itself through deep local sourcing and industry insight, distinctive value creation, authentic impact management, and ultimately robust results. 
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“We will continue to build this magnet for forward-looking global investors. Together, we are in a unique position to pursue strong returns and positively change millions of lives,” he added.
“LeapFrog’s mission is underpinned by our committed, commercially astute, and socially responsible limited partners,” Dominic Barton, Chairman, LeapFrog Investments, said. 

The chairman stated that Fund IV will be instrumental in scaling the impact champions of the future in financial services and healthcare. In addition, it will build future prosperity and economic resilience for emerging consumers.
LeapFrog Investments had earlier launched a $500 million climate investing strategy to fund companies combating climate change in Africa and Asia and providing green tools and technologies to low-income people.

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