Catalyst Principal Partners LLC (Catalyst) has announced its acquisition of a significant minority interest in Kensta Group (Kensta).
Kensta Group is a 52-year-old third generation family business, with headquarters in Kenya and operations in five East African countries. Since inception, Kensta, through its various investments has played a pivotal role in the east African printing and packaging Industry and has been instrumental in changing the face of office automation and IT managed services. Kensta Group manages a diverse set of companies within East Africa namely Transpaper (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda), Express Automation (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda), Vivid Printing Equipment, Fusion Inks, Zenith Rubber Rollers and Phiramid (Zambia).
“The primary goal of this partnership between Catalyst and Kensta is to enhance and grow Kensta’s well-established business model and existing presence in East and Central Africa through vertical and geographical expansion. We have confidence in the committed and skilled management team that adopts its business to new trends to deliver market needs and taps into regional prospects while providing opportunities to potential entrepreneurs.” Catalyst Managing Director, Rajal Upadhyaya, commented on the deal.
Catalyst’s equity funding and expertise in value creation provides Kensta with a unique opportunity to restructure and stimulate growth through existing and new distribution channels, development and innovation. Together, Catalyst and Kensta aim to focus on strategic investments in attractive sectors and target critical geographic and value-chain development, aimed at broadening and augmenting Kensta’s business for the benefit of its customers, employees and investors.
“This partnership provides significant value to Kensta, our dedicated team of professionals and our customers. Catalyst’s investment in Kensta is an affirmation of our potential and growth trajectory as we enhance our business, regional presence and product portfolio. Our aim is to continuously innovate and confidently undertake business expansion to provide powerful, cutting edge and agile solutions that will benefit our customers, our employees and our industry, whilst creating positive economic impact and long term value for our stakeholders and the communities in which we work.” said Priyesh Shah, CEO of Kensta.
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Notes to the Editor:
About Catalyst Principal Partners: Catalyst Principal Partners LLC (www.catalystprincipal.com) is a Nairobi based Private Equity firm focusing on investing in high growth mid-sized companies across Eastern Africa. The firm’s sector focus includes consumer goods and retail, financial and business services, healthcare, industrials, manufacturing and value-add processing, technology and telecommunications. Catalyst has invested in a regionally diversified portfolio of nine high-growth companies performing in line with the investment strategy. Portfolio companies held include: Chai Bora (Tanzania), ChemiCotex (Tanzania), Effco Solutions (Tanzania), Zenufa Laboratories (Tanzania), Jamii Bora Bank (Kenya), Orbit Chemical Industries (Kenya) and Yes Brands (Ethiopia). In October 2016 Catalyst successfully exited Goodlife Pharmacy.
About Kensta: Kensta Group (http://www.kensta.com) is a compilation of companies bringing together an extraordinary diverse range of print and digital mediums. Through more than fifty years of dedication to consistency, reliability and adoption of new technologies, Kensta Group has evolved from being a provider of back-end services for the print industry to a driver of new communications opportunities and now, digital printing and IT solutions. Under its print and digital divisions, Kensta Group operates a number of companies within East Africa namely Transpaper (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda), Express Automation (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda), Vivid Printing Equipment, Fusion Inks, Zenith Rubber Rollers and Phiramid (Zambia). Over the past 20 years, Kensta has undertaken a rapid regional expansion strategy and diversified its portfolio of companies in line with industry transformation, whilst remaining a market leader and innovator in its tradional market segments.
Kensta prides itself as a business that creates a wealth of opportunities for its stakeholders by providing; its customers and potential entrepreneurs with exciting new opportunities and ideas to invest in; its people with continuous knowledge and growth opportunities and its partners with access to new frontier markets.
Kieran Day, Vandana Harris and Hamilton Harrison & Matthews were the advisors to Kensta while Anjarwalla & Khanna were advisors to Catalyst.
For further information, please contact:
Lisa Kimathi | Associate Consultant | africapractice Ltd
Email: lkimathi@africapractice.com | Office +254 20 2396898/9 | Mobile: +254 737 335540
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