Black fund manager Infinite Partners gains digital edge with Standard Bank support

Johannesburg - In a move that bolsters inclusive, digital and holistic solutions in South Africa’s private equity space, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) has supported the acquisition of e4 by black fund manager, Infinite Partners. The transaction will see e4 obtain the necessary capital for advancing to the next stage of its expansion.

e4 is a leading provider of software as a service (SaaS) to financial institutions, focused on digital processes and “proptech” solutions which cater for the digitisation of bond origination, lending and conveyancing processes in a single managed workflow.

Notably, the Standard Bank team, in its capacity as mandated lead arranger and sole funder, developed an innovative structured financing solution so that the Infinite management team could increase their direct participation via a meaningful equity stake.

“We provided additional financing for the Infinite Partners founders and management team to increase their economic participation in the underlying transaction, which indicates their commitment to being part of the success of the business. This was designed as an innovatively structured equity linked instrument that distinguished the overall Standard Bank offering from that of competitors,” says Jameel Nagdee, Executive, Structured Capital from Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking, the mandated lead arranger and sole funder for the deal.

The innovative equity funding structure will also provide e4 shareholders with a platform to expand its services into the UK property and banking market, and ultimately to globalise technology that was established and developed on the African continent.

“We are very excited about what it means for all stakeholders. We also value the important role that Standard Bank played in understanding our unique needs, alongside the bespoke solutions required to bringing this partnership to fruition,” says Edward Pitsi, CEO of Infinite Partners.

Standard Bank will continue providing working capital and transactional banking services to e4.

“The transaction demonstrates the capability of the Standard Bank Structured Capital team to provide a holistic solution to clients across all stages of their journey based on their specific needs,” concludes  Nagdee.