Activant Capital is a US-based investment company that partners with high-growth companies to transform commerce infrastructure. Founded in 2015, the global company says it partners with startups that show the potential to achieve escape velocity and transform an entire industry. Deliverr, Bolt, and Jokr are among its portfolio of over 35 top private and public companies. “We’re always looking to learn about new perspectives, new research, and new ideas,” it noted on its site.
Activant has announced the opening of a new office to deepen its commitment to data, research, and due diligence. It currently has offices in Greenwich, Connecticut and last year built one in Berlin, Germany. The most recent is the office in Cape Town, South Africa, and with it, Activant claims it wants to expand its research and due diligence capabilities.
Using Activant’s proprietary software platform Aristotle, the research team will create in-depth market maps highlighting emerging companies, competitor analysis, and macroeconomic trends to provide a comprehensive view of the three key sectors – fintech, e-commerce, and supply chain.
The company claims the research will help in establishing a comprehensive database of market trends, finding new deals, and evaluating portfolio businesses’ strategic growth plans. “Activant has always been a thesis-led firm;” it says, “we can find, invest in, and support the best founders and companies. Our Cape Town team allows us to double down on this thesis-first approach.”
Activant Capital Research Management Team
- Steve Sarracino, co-founder and general partner of Activant, believes that the city’s talent pool, high quality of life, and time-zone proximity to Berlin make it a perfect site for the company’s expansion.
- Robert Lamprecht joins Activant as Research Director, bringing with him more than two decades of experience in public equities and analysis, which gives him a unique perspective on private market analysis. Prior to joining Activant, he was the CEO of Renaissance Capital, where he oversaw global institutional clients in South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Lamprecht was previously Managing Director at Bank of America, where he held significant leadership positions such as Head of EMEA Sales and Head of South African Equity Sales. He is a native South African with an MBA from the University of Cape Town Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Economics from the University of South Africa.
- JJ Brink and Jonathan Vickery, both South African natives, have joined him in South Africa, with plans to expand the team in the following two years.
In a saturated and ever-changing world, high-impact research is crucial for successful investing. With a new staff and a new environment for tech innovation in Africa, Activant is pleased to have a presence in South Africa to continue contributing to the success of its portfolio.
