African Private Debt & Growth Capital

1029LP

Nigeria  ·  Kenya  ·  South Africa

Elevating African
Growth Capital

1029 LP is an African-focused investment firm dedicated to identifying and accelerating the exceptional commercial potential within the continent. We provide structured bridge capital, short-term debt, and selective equity solutions to high-potential mid-market enterprises.

By focusing on underserved capital markets where our network possesses deep roots — specifically Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa — we navigate regional complexities with unparalleled local insight to eliminate market inefficiencies and secure superior, risk-adjusted returns for our partners.

Geographic Edge

Deeply anchored in Sub-Saharan Africa's core economic growth engines, leveraging strong local ties to capture proprietary, off-market opportunities.

Sector Specialization

High-impact capital deployment targeted exclusively at highly resilient sectors.

Fintech Agriculture Healthcare Fashion Clean Energy Digital Infrastructure

The Advisory Filter

Moving completely away from blind capital deployment. Our in-house advisory mechanism optimizes a company's commercial infrastructure and brand positioning before committing fund capital — directly securing our debt repayment pathway.

Mission &
Vision

Our Mission

To empower visionary African enterprises by integrating deep commercial brand advisory with structured financing, ensuring portfolio companies achieve premium market positioning, maximize revenue, and guarantee predictable yield repayments.

Our Vision

To serve as Africa's premier advisory-led investment vehicle, recognized for de-risking private debt markets, bridging critical financing gaps, and scaling local ventures into global economic powerhouses.

Our
Values

African Focus & Pride

Dedicating our collective expertise to unlocking the exceptional commercial potential of the African continent and driving regional prosperity.

Positive Social Impact

Fostering sustainable economic growth that empowers local supply chains, creates employment opportunities, and builds regional self-sufficiency.

Deep Market Acumen

Navigating the regulatory and cultural landscapes with an intricate, first-hand understanding of Africa's diverse corporate environments.

Innovative Risk Mitigation

Positioning ourselves as a forward-thinking capital partner, blending rigorous brand diagnostics with structured financial underwriting.

Institutional Integrity

Maintaining an uncompromising commitment to corporate governance, operational compliance, and transparency to preserve and scale investor capital.

Active Operational Partnership

Aligning intimately with portfolio founders, delivering hands-on creative and financial execution rather than functioning as passive lenders.

Market
Opportunity

$300B+

Funding gap for African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) — limited access to international capital despite high business growth rates. Debt markets undeveloped; traditional banks unwilling to lend.

$7B+

Money invested into the VC & PE market in Africa — a market that continues to grow as global investors recognize the continent's structural potential.

Why Africa?

01

Fast-Growing Economies

6 out of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa, creating exceptional conditions for high-yield private capital deployment.

02

Digital Adoption is Surging

Fintech and mobile money are driving financial inclusion at scale, generating a new class of bankable SMEs with verifiable cash flows.

03

Agriculture & Energy Transformation

Growing demand for agri-tech and renewable energy is creating a wave of enterprises with strong collateral bases and state-backed counterparties.

04

Regulatory Support

Governments across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are creating incentives for SME investment, lowering friction for structured private debt deployment.

The Private Debt
Model Works

Contract finance debt investment — 2 cycles of $1.1M each. Invoice discounting facility for an EPC contractor delivering a 2km River Niger underwater pipeline project, awarded by a state oil company. Full capital recycled within 2 months generating 14% annualized yield, secured against 1.5× LTV prime real estate.

Oct 2020
–
Jan 2021

View full deal breakdown & financials

Services
We Offer

01

Private Debt

Providing tailored credit and structured mezzanine solutions to unlock growth capital for underserved mid-market African enterprises. Asset-backed invoice discounting, contract financing, and bridge loans with 2–6 month tenors.

02

Private Equity

Deploying strategic equity investments into high-potential sectors — Fintech, Clean Energy, Healthcare, and Digital Infrastructure — to scale operations and secure regional market leadership. Targeting 3–5x cash-on-cash exit multiples.

03

Brand Advisory

Mitigating downside risk and accelerating portfolio growth through proprietary brand diagnostics and commercial advisory. We ensure portfolio companies achieve institutional readiness and market visibility before capital deployment.

Target Returns &
Performance Scenarios

18–24%

Target net LP IRR (USD) on the combined portfolio. Semi-annual cash distributions backed by yield payments and asset-backed receivables.

8%

Hard preferred return guaranteed to Limited Partners before General Partner performance fees activate.

View all four performance scenarios

Institutional Fund
Terms Summary

Fund Size Target $25 Million USD — First close: $10–15M by Q4 2026
Minimum LP Ticket $250,000 USD — HNWIs, Multi-Family Offices, Regional DFIs
Fund Term 5 years — 3-year investment period, 2-year harvest / wind down
View full terms including management fees & carry

Market
Competition

1029 LP is a major differentiator — equipped with the advisory edge.

vs.

Traditional Commercial Banks

1029 LP Wins on Speed

Traditional banks are impeded by rigid underwriting, multi-month approval timelines, and exorbitant local interest rates (25%+ in NGN). We structure and deploy asset-backed bridge capital in under 14 days.

vs.

Large Pan-African Private Credit Funds

1029 LP Wins on Ticket Size & Alpha

Large funds focus on late-stage corporate debt with minimum ticket sizes of $10M+. We exclusively capture the highly lucrative, completely unaddressed $100K–$1.5M mid-market SME segment. No peer fund offers an integrated, in-house brand and commercial advisory mechanism. We don't just lend — we actively optimize operations to reduce default risk.

Our
Team

Michael Oviosu

Michael Oviosu

Managing Partner — Investments & Risk Strategy

Structured finance and investment professional with deep expertise in digital infrastructure, energy projects, and mid-market transactions across West Africa. Michael developed his advisory foundations at Ernst & Young, working with clients including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citi Bank. He holds an M.S. from New York University and a B.A. in Economics from Syracuse University, and has founded two technology ventures (ShapShap and ParkAmigo) specialising in operational process automation and data-driven risk strategy.

Katy Sadé Adebayo

Katy Sadé Adebayo

Managing Partner — Brand Strategy & Commercial Advisory

Award-winning brand and culture strategist and Founder of Public Ambition. Experience leading high-impact commercial campaigns, corporate repositioning, and strategic partnerships across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia for tier-1 institutions including Zaha Hadid Architects, Mikano, Galeries Lafayette, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Saatchi Gallery. Directs the fund’s proprietary Advisory Filter to systematically scale portfolio company revenues.

Tochi Ugo-Beke

Tochi Ugo-Beke

Chief Compliance & Operations Officer

Background in commodity structuring, energy markets, commercial analysis, and infrastructure finance, with experience across Morgan Stanley, Vortexa, and Nigerian upstream oil and gas. At 1029 LP, his role is to translate ambition into execution — building the operating framework, credit discipline, partnerships, and commercial processes needed to deliver reliable lending solutions in a market where many capable businesses remain underfunded.

Project
Timeline

2025–2026: Foundation & Structuring

Q3 2025

Finalize fund investment thesis

Q4 2025

Target sector parameters and private debt deployment framework

Q1 2026

Core fund structural planning, investment committee alignment, and initial legal architecture

Q2 2026 — Current

Actively soft-circling anchor LP commitments and warehousing initial high-yield private debt opportunities in West Africa to ensure rapid post-close deployment

2026–2027: Capital Activation & Deployment

Q3 2026

Begin interviews with prospective creditors

Q4 2026

Execute first close of Fund I ($10–15M target). Formalize anchor DFI and institutional investor onboarding

Q1 2027

Deploy first close capital into warehoused structured private debt facilities and targeted early-stage equity opportunities

Q2 2027

Roll out proprietary commercial advisory and brand diagnostic frameworks across portfolio companies to protect investor yield

Let's Build the Next
Wave of African Growth.

invest@1029lp.com www.1029lp.com
Schedule a Deep-Dive on Our Pipeline