• GFH and Schroders Capital complete first co-investment in the Healthcare Sector
  • Strategic partnership to significantly boost GFH’s global private equity footprint across Europe and the Americas

Manama, Bahrain, 24 October 2021: GFH Financial Group (“GFH” or “the Group”) today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Schroders Capital which has $70 billion of assets under management and is the private markets investment division of Schroders, the global asset management group which manages $968 billion of assets on behalf of its clients. As part of this strategic partnership, GFH will work with Schroders Capital to invest in select private equity and venture capital deals on a discretionary basis.

The partnership will significantly strengthen GFH’s global private equity investments platform with access to attractive buyout and growth companies in Europe and the Americas. Under this strategic arrangement, GFH will invest in select investments alongside Schroders Capital, across a range of defensive and downturn resistant sectors such as healthcare, education, technology and consumer.

One of the key co-investments undertaken is a global healthcare education provider, which has clear leadership positions across several European countries, as well as in Latin America. The company, which has a large network of 35k students across 10 countries with 140 sites worldwide, has implemented strong digital capabilities and is solidly profitable with tremendous growth potential.

Commenting, Mr. Hammad Younis, CIO of GFH, said, “This strategic partnership with Schroders Capital strongly aligns with GFH’s vision of building a robust European and American private equity investment platform, an area where we continue to focus and expand both organically as well as inorganically through partnerships, JVs and acquisitions of GP stakes. We believe Schroders is the right partner for us given their market leading position and strong track record across private market strategies, particularly high growth segments such as healthcare and tech.”

Mr. Younis added, “Consistent with GFH’s philosophy of investing in resilient, ESG impact sectors, we’re also pleased to sign our first co-investment with Schroders in the healthcare space. We’ve long identified healthcare as an important strategic area for growth and we believe that Covid has been a catalyst to further capital allocation to the sector in order to build a safe and sustainable world.”

Rainer Ender, Head of Private Equity, Schroders Capital, said, “We are pleased to work with GFH on attractive private equity and venture capital investment opportunities, and are looking forward to collaborating on further investments. The investment opportunities remain extensive and I am sure that by working together we can take advantage of some exciting private equity and venture capital deals.  We are already looking forward to giving GFH the opportunity to benefit from attractive buyout and growth companies in Europe and the Americas.”

 

-ENDS-

 

Media contacts:

 

GFH Financial Group

Nawal Al-Naji

Manager- Corporate Communications Department

Tel: +973 17538538

Email: nalnaji@gfh.com

Website: www.gfh.com

FinMark Communications

Zahraa Taher

Tel: +973 39630997

Email: ztaher@finmarkcoms.com

 

Schroders

Andy Pearce, PR Manager

Tel: +44 20 7658 2203

Email: andy.pearce@Schroders.com

 

About GFH Financial Group B.S.C:

GFH is one of the most recognised financial groups in the Gulf region. Its businesses include Asset Management, Wealth Management, Commercial Banking and Real Estate Development. The Group’s operations are focused in the GCC, North Africa and India. GFH is listed in Bahrain Bourse, Boursa Kuwait and Dubai Financial Market. For more information, please visit www.gfh.com

 

Schroders Capital

Schroders Capital provides investors with access to a broad range of private asset investment opportunities, portfolio building blocks and customised private asset strategies. Its team focuses on delivering best-in-class, risk-adjusted returns and executing investments through a combination of direct investment capabilities and broader solutions in all private market asset classes, through comingled funds and customised private asset mandates.

The team aims to achieve sustainable returns through a rigorous approach and in alignment with a culture characterised by performance, collaboration and integrity.

 

With $70 billion* assets under management, Schroders Capital offers a diversified range of investment strategies, including real estate, private equity, secondaries, venture capital, infrastructure, securitised products and asset-based finance, private debt, insurance-linked securities and BlueOrchard (Impact Specialists).

 

*Assets under management as at 30 June 2021 (including non-fee earning dry powder and in-house cross holdings)