Helios Sports and Entertainment Group Reportedly Receives $50M To Invest In African Sports, Media, And Entertainment
Africa’s creative sector just received a significant financial boost.
According to its website, Helios Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been focused on investing in Africa since 2004. It was founded by Tope Lawani, a Harvard Law and Business School graduate who serves as its managing partner, per LinkedIn. Bloomberg reports it is currently targeting sports, entertainment, and media opportunities on the continent. In 2021, it established Helios Sports & Entertainment Group (HSEG) to help provide infrastructure for such opportunities, including investing in NBA Africa, Shoppe Black reports. The outlet shares that the African sports economy will reach $20 billion by 2035.
Portfolio
Helios Sports & Entertainment Group’s portfolio includes a $26 million development in partnership with Zaria Group (co-founded by Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri). The hospitality and development company has a project in Kigali, Rwanda, that has amenities such as a boutique hotel, podcast studio, and sports facilities. Per the outlet, other portfolio businesses include Professional Fighters League (PFL Africa) and Afro Nation.
$50M Investment
Helios Sports & Entertainment Group received a $50 million equity investment from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Proparco, a subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement Group, to advance its efforts. HSEG will target sports, media rights, live events, infrastructure development, retail, and hospitality.
“The sports, entertainment, and creative sectors are scalable industries that should be approached with effective financial tools and a genuine business mindset. This is the message we want to send, as equity investors,” said IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop in a news release. “We are proud to anchor this investment and to signal to other investors that the sector is ready for long-term, strategic capital.”
Lawani commented:
“It is a privilege to receive support from reputable institutions, such as the IFC and Proparco, showing true conviction in both the African creative economy and our ability to deliver as a platform. At Helios Sports and Entertainment Group, we are constantly presented with attractive opportunities driven by Africa’s richness of talent and increasingly sought-after content. We are excited to capitalize on HSEG’s unique market position to create economic value and genuine impact.”
