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Helios Investment Partners

Europe, England, United Kingdom, London

Description

Helios Investment Partners is a prominent Africa-focused private equity firm, headquartered in London, with a significant and long-standing presence on the continent. Established over 18 years ago, the firm has solidified its reputation as a leading investor, strategically deploying capital across a diverse range of sectors including financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure, energy, and consumer goods. Helios's core strategy revolves around identifying and partnering with market-leading companies, providing both financial backing and strategic guidance to foster growth and contribute to Africa's economic development.

The firm manages substantial capital, with funds totaling over US$3.6 billion under management, enabling it to make significant investments. Helios typically seeks to acquire substantial minority stakes or control positions in its portfolio companies. Their investment approach is characterized by deep local market knowledge, active operational engagement, and a long-term perspective, aiming to capitalize on Africa's favorable demographic trends, increasing urbanization, and rapid digital adoption.

Helios boasts an impressive track record, having completed over 100 investments across 14 African countries. Notable past and current investments include stakes in key players like Fawry, a leading Egyptian digital payment platform, and M-KOPA, a Kenyan pay-as-you-go solar energy provider. The firm is recognized for its rigorous due diligence and its ability to navigate the complexities of African markets, leveraging a robust network of local partners and advisors to drive sustainable value creation and growth within its portfolio.

Investor Profile

Helios Investment Partners has backed more than 47 startups, with 7 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 21 rounds, about 45% of its total and boasts 8 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Private Equity, Debt Financing, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on Financial Services, Payments, Energy.
  • Led 5 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $50M – $200M.

Stage Focus

  • Private Equity (40%)
  • Debt Financing (15%)
  • Series B (13%)
  • Series A (6%)
  • Series D (6%)
  • Seed (6%)
  • Series Unknown (6%)
  • Post Ipo Equity (4%)
  • Secondary Market (2%)

Country Focus

  • Nigeria (30%)
  • United States (13%)
  • United Kingdom (11%)
  • Egypt (9%)
  • The Netherlands (9%)
  • Kenya (6%)
  • Singapore (4%)
  • Lebanon (4%)
  • India (4%)
  • Gibraltar (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Financial Services
  • Payments
  • Energy
  • Fintech
  • Mobile Payments
  • Telecommunications
  • Banking
  • Oil And Gas
  • Finance
  • Renewable Energy
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Helios Investment Partners frequently co-invest with?

FMO
Europe, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, The Hague
Co-Investments: 2
Nclude
Africa, Al Qahirah, Egypt, Cairo
Co-Investments: 2
African Infrastructure Investment Managers
Africa, NA - South Africa, South Africa, Cape Town
Co-Investments: 3
PV
North America, California, United States, San Jose
Co-Investments: 2
Gemcorp
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
CDC Group
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
Checkout.com
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
GGV Capital
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
A15
Africa, Al Qahirah, Egypt, Cairo
Co-Investments: 2
Future Shape
Europe, Ile-de-France, France, Paris
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Helios Investment Partners often collaborate with?

RH
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 1
LR
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 1
PA
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Shared Deals: 1
PR
North America, California, United States, San Mateo
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Helios Investment Partners?

SUN Mobility

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

SUN Mobility is a manufacturing company that engages in the designing of electric vehicles, smart batteries, and swap point infrastructures.

AutomotiveCharging InfrastructureElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Series UnknownJul 29, 2025
Amount Raised: $60,000,000
Galatea Bio

Miami Lakes, Florida, United States

Galatea Bio’s mission is to drive groundbreaking discoveries in healthcare by pairing genetic diversity with cutting-edge data analytics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Big DataBiopharmaBiotechnologyHealth CareLife ScienceMachine LearningMedicalPharmaceutical
Series UnknownMar 27, 2025
Amount Raised: $8,000,000
SeamlessHR

Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

End-to-end, modern cloud-based HR platform for institutions across the globe.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Bookkeeping and PayrollHuman ResourcesSaaS
Series AJan 20, 2025
Amount Raised: $9,000,000
Raya Foods

Sadat City, Al Buhayrah, Egypt

Raya Foods is a subsidiary of Raya Holding

3D PrintingAgricultureFood and BeverageManufacturing
Private EquityOct 20, 2024
Amount Raised: $40,000,000
M2P Fintech

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

M2P Fintech is a fintech solutions company that provides API infrastructure for payments, lending, and banking services.

Developer APIsFinancial ServicesFinTechMobile PaymentsPayments
Series DSep 19, 2024
Amount Raised: $70,000,000
M2P Fintech

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

M2P Fintech is a fintech solutions company that provides API infrastructure for payments, lending, and banking services.

Developer APIsFinancial ServicesFinTechMobile PaymentsPayments
Secondary MarketSep 19, 2024
Amount Raised: $31,800,000
Paymob

Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Paymob is a digital payments enabler for emerging markets, helping small and large enterprises accept payments online and in-store.

Financial ServicesFinTechMobile PaymentsPayments
Series BSep 11, 2024
Amount Raised: $22,000,000
Conduit

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Conduit is a better way for global businesses to simply and cheaply move money with faster speed, better visibility and fewer steps.

Financial ServicesFinTechInformation TechnologyPayments
SeedAug 12, 2024
Amount Raised: $6,000,000
Nomba

Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Nomba is a tech company that offers financial software solutions.

BankingElectronicsPaymentsRetail
Series BMay 2, 2023
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
IXAfrica DataCentre

Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya

IXAfrica DataCentre provides internet facilities and smart IT solutions like cloud computing, industry software development, and colocation.

Data CenterInformation TechnologyInternet
Series UnknownNov 10, 2022
Amount Raised: $50,000,000