OUR STORY

Inside grew out of an idea: to create exceptional financial returns and real, sustainable value for southern Africa through disciplined, transparent investment.

For Jerome Lagesse, a seasoned private equity professional with strong ties to the region, there was clear potential for a fund that reflected the reality of the markets in Southeast Africa, especially Mauritius, Madagascar and Zambia.

Having explored the opportunities in other, comparable regions, it was obvious that only a market-driven approach could capture – and generate – the right prospects.

A UNIQUE CULTURE AND BUSINESS MODEL

Inside’s business model is rooted in a local presence and strong understanding of local ecosystems. It caters to the needs of the “missing middle” – SMEs looking for investment from $1m who are often left behind by traditional private equity and/or traditional lenders.

Right from the start, Inside has held itself to the highest standards of integrity and transparency and adopted a non-intrusive approach to investment. At Inside, we don’t grow for the sake of growing, nor commit to investments for their own sake — we continually work to align our culture and mindset with our motto: “creating value through values”.

By sticking to our founding principles, we’ve built a team whose way of thinking and working aligns with our approach. And we’ve honed in on outstanding yet little-known projects that are both sustainable and focused on returns.