Investment Strategy Project

Project: The Plebys management team was planning to raise a new investment fund (Plebys II) that would invest in technology-based ventures targeting BOP markets. These technologies were expected to address significant problems in the target markets related to health (potable water, waste water and sanitation, medical grade water, agricultural water and micronutrients) and energy (micro utility power) with a remote services model. Raising a fund of approximately $100 million from Limited Partners (e.g., endowments, multi-national corporations, overseas development organizations, and other institutional investors) required the Plebys management team to address a number of key issues, one of which was the quality of potential deal flow for the fund. The SGE Immersion team undertook a systematic review of “shelf technology” available in university and MNC research organizations to build a shortlist that would be suitable investment candidates for the fund and also developed a template for screening potential technology acquisitions.