Amplio raises EUR50m debut fund

01 August 2008

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Fund

Amplio Partners has launched Amplio Capital Partners, its EUR50m maiden vehicle targeted at companies in the renewable energies sector. The fund has a lifespan of 10 years and Amplio expects the capital to be deployed within the first three years. Amplio anticipates the first closing to be held early in 2009 and the final at the end of 2009. At the time of going to press, the application for FSA regulation for the fund was still in progress. Fund managers Andrea Darvi and Ricardo Sigat have both been building companies in renewable energy and filtration since 2004. Rosenblatt acted as legal council. The minimum subscription is set at EUR250,000 and Amplio will contribute EUR10m. The management fee is 2%.

Investors

The investors are mainly high-net-worth individuals, banks, venture capital firms and funds-of-funds based in Europe and Australia.

Investments

The fund will invest in companies developing renewable energy, alternative fuels, recycling, environmental services as well as specialty care sectors in the UK and Europe. It will focus on expansion deals, but will also invest in early-stage companies with existing technology and contracts. The average investment the fund will be making is EUR10m for a controlling minority or majority stake.

Amplio plans to make two to three investments per year and will co-invest with other venture capital firms to fund bigger deals such as a EUR90m public to private Amplio is currently working on and which has EUR10-15m of Amplio's own money.

At present, Amplio is investing from its own balance sheet and high net worth money and will continue to so until the first closing. Amplio has an existing pipeline for future deals which includes businesses in solar, alternative fuels, filtration, recycling and environmental services. After the first closing of the fund, all capital will be put into the existing pipeline.

One of Amplio's latest investments is SunGem, a developer and operator of large scale solar plants based in Italy and expanding to Spain. So far, Amplio has supported the company with EUR43m.

People

Ricardo Sigat is the manager of the fund. Nigel Frudd worked for Rosenblatt.

Name: Amplio Capital Partners

Target: EUR50m

Contact: Richardo Sigat

Address: Amplio Partners

21 Arlington Street

London

SW1A 1RN

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7355 9547

Fax: +44 (0) 20 7355 9549

Advisers: Rosenblatt (Legal).