Spain Oman Private Equity Fund Invests in Symborg
Posted on 10/14/2020
Spain Oman Private Equity Fund (SOPEF), the investment fund managed by MCH Private Equity has completed its fourth transaction through the investment in Murcia, Spain-based Symborg SL. Symborg was established in Murcia in 2009. SOPEF’s entry has been a minority investment through a capital increase. The company remains in the hands of the founding partners.
Symborg is specialized in biotechnology research and development with agricultural innovation. Over the last years, Symborg has evolved from its first products based on mycorrhizal fungi to the development of biofertilizers such as BlueN, which allows the plant to naturally nourish itself with nitrogen, reducing the use of nitrogen fertilizers through a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.
Spain Oman Private Equity Fund – SOPEF was constituted in 2018 with the ultimate objective of supporting the international development of Spanish companies through the acquisition of temporary minority stakes. The fund’s investors are COFIDES, FIEX and the Oman Investment Authority and count with a total capital commitment of 200 million euros. The fund is managed by MCH Private Equity Investments, one of the leading Iberian private equity firms focused on mid-sized companies.
The Compañía Española de Financiación al Desarrollo (“COFIDES”) is a state-owned company which offers financial support to Spanish companies investing abroad. It is the exclusive manager of FIEX and FONPYME funds on behalf of the Secretariat of State for Trade attached to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. Shareholders include Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America.
Oman Investment Authority (OIA) was established in June 2020 by merging the ‘State General Reserve Fund’ and ‘Oman Investment Fund’, under the Royal Decree No. 61/2020.