CrossBoundary Group

Are you curious about what fuels our work at the CrossBoundary Group? At the heart of CrossBoundary is our purpose to unlock capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in markets that are often overlooked. We're not just advisors; we're a driving force—navigating the investment landscape in underserved markets and directly deploying capital through our investment platforms. None of this would be possible without our strongest asset: our people. The CrossBoundary team comprises a unique set of individuals who come from diverse backgrounds but share core qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. They're genuinely excited about making a considerable impact on underserved markets across the globe. Together, ten core virtues shape our culture and guide our actions: We expect excellence We can all belong here We act like the owners we are We are relentlessly curious We prioritize results We authentically care We think deliberately We act with humility We are biased to action We never compromise on integrity We invite you to watch and learn more about the values, virtues, and people that define the CrossBoundary Group. #peopleandculture #investmentadvisory #impactinvesting

Distributed energy resources present a huge opportunity to unlock unrealized benefits in African industry. In recent decades, governments in Africa have gradually moved to liberalize energy sectors to improve service delivery and service a diverse customer base. While energy sector planning and policy remain largely in the domain of national governments and regulators, there’s an emerging trend of decentralizing energy approvals in a few African countries. Our regulatory team has noticed this decentralizing trend in three key markets: Kenya, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In our latest article in CrossBoundary Quarterly, Henry Carr and Albert M. Nganga explore these markets and the effects of the decentralization of energy approvals. Decentralizing energy approvals could have a positive impact on the speed and accessibility of distributed energy resources. To truly harness unrealized benefits in African industrial sectors, both federal and local authorities need to work together to ensure clear and beneficial energy approvals. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dQXzWYCF

Congratulations to AgDevCo on its $9.5m investment in Agventure Limited, a leading Kenyan agribusiness that champions regenerative agricultural practices and is a key canola oil producer in Kenya. 🇰🇪 Facilitated by Prosper Africa and the USAID Kenya and East Africa Mission, CrossBoundary Advisory conducted a market assessment and competitive analysis. This work, done through the USAID Africa Trade and Investment Activity program, helped secure AgDevCo's debt investment in Agventure. This funding will support: 🔹 Expansion of canola oil production under the Kenyan Pure Mountain brand 🔹 Increased sourcing from local out-grower farmers 🔹 Development of Agventure Seed's platform providing high-quality certified seeds The investment aligns with AgDevCo's vision for a thriving commercial agriculture sector that benefits both people and the planet. 🌍 #SustainableAgriculture #Kenya #AgriInvestment Image credits: Agventure Limited

Our latest CrossBoundary Quarterly is out now! This edition examines localization and decentralization—two forces influencing investment dynamics in underserved markets. Drawing from CrossBoundary's global practice areas, our team provides unique insights into how these forces are reshaping markets and opening new avenues for sustainable growth. 🔹 Jake Cusack, Matt Tilleard, and Thomas Flahive, our Managing Partners, explore how embedding localization into CrossBoundary's DNA drives our organizational strategy and market approach 🔹 Nneka Chime, Partner and co-head of Africa Advisory, delves deep into the fundamental question of what authentic local presence means in today's investment landscape 🔹 Kate Wharton, Managing Director of our Natural Capital practice, discusses the critical role of local partners as "boat captains"— essential navigators steering projects from conception to successful completion 🔹 Albert M. Nganga and Henry Carr from CrossBoundary Energy examine how decentralizing energy approval processes across Africa can catalyze industrial growth and deliver economic benefits across Africa Beyond these insights, the Quarterly highlights key milestones from our recent work, demonstrating tangible impact across the markets we serve. To discover how localization and decentralization are creating new opportunities for investors and stakeholders alike, download the CrossBoundary Quarterly: https://lnkd.in/dpSiBkd6 #Decentralization #Localization #EmergingMarkets

Southern Africa holds immense potential for carbon markets, but the journey from potential to reality varies dramatically across the region. In collaboration with the USAID Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (USAID CFDA), we assessed the state of carbon regulations and nature-based carbon projects in six countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Key findings from the assessment: ◼ South Africa leads with 93% of the region's carbon credits and Africa's only active compliance market ◼ While 21 nature-based carbon projects are registered across the region, none have issued credits yet. Primarily due to financial, methodological, regulatory, and market challenges ◼ Namibia shows promising progress with a draft Carbon Market Framework awaiting Cabinet approval ◼ In South Africa's compliance market, current credit supply meets only ~30% of domestic demand Scroll below to learn how Southern Africa can unlock its full carbon market potential, driving both climate action and economic growth. Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/eNDjckEk #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction

Bridging continents through clean energy innovation! We were proud to support and join Power Africa's Clean Tech Energy Network (#CTEN) roadshow across North Carolina, witnessing first-hand how U.S. innovations could contribute to Africa's energy transformation. The journey included stops to visit with U.S. cleantech leaders, researchers, and innovators working to meet rapidly growing energy demands worldwide. From advanced grid solutions to cutting-edge storage systems, each visit reinforced #CTEN's core mission: building bridges between U.S. innovation and African energy opportunities. A major highlight was the 12th annual Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition at Duke University, where our Principal, Roukaya El Houda, served on the judges' panel. This year's challenge focused on Zembo, Uganda's pioneering e-mobility company building the country's largest electric motorcycle battery-swapping network. Congratulations to the winning all-female team from Syracuse University - Aakanksha Maheshwari, Trang Nguyen, and Vaijayanthi Kadhiravan! Your solution was truly impressive. 🏆 Special thanks to all the companies for their time and valuable insights: AEG International, Babcock & Wilcox, Duke Energy Corporation and Duke University, Smart Wires Inc., the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, Trilliant , Net Power, Schneider Electric, RTI International, and Windlift. 🤝 #CleanEnergy #Innovation #Africa #Sustainability #PowerAfrica #Energy #CleanTech

CrossBoundary Advisory and the East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA) recently convened leading ecosystem players in Kampala for the EAVCA Uganda Chapter 2024 Q4 networking event. 🇺🇬🇺🇬 EAVCA plays a pivotal role in private capital within East Africa. It is a business membership organization representing private capital providers supporting businesses and enterprises to achieve their goals, catalyzing development, and creating meaningful jobs across the region. The gathering brought together investors, entrepreneurs, advisors, legal experts, accountants, development partners, and government agencies. Their discussions highlighted the promising trajectory of Uganda's private capital ecosystem and its expanding role in regional growth. ➡ Most notably, we witnessed remarkable enthusiasm from stakeholders to accelerate capital deployment toward innovative entrepreneurs and businesses in the region. We're honored to be part of this journey alongside our esteemed partners. #InvestmentInUganda #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #EastAfrica

Today, we celebrate Africa Industrialization Day - a day to highlight the power of industry to transform African economies and create a sustainable future. Industrialization is at the heart of Africa’s economic transformation and our work enables Africa’s industrial backbone to thrive through clean and reliable power.   We work in several industrial sectors, including cement, mining, steel, and packaging, which variously contribute to fostering growth in Africa's industrial sector. For example: - At National Cement Company in Nakuru, Kenya, we developed a solar PV facility featuring bifacial solar modules and single-axis trackers. This setup optimizes energy production, integrating seamlessly into the factory’s 10kV distribution system. The clean energy generated supports critical operations from kilns to packaging, reducing emissions while powering infrastructure development - We have implemented solar PV systems for Maisha Packaging Company at their Nakuru and Lukenya plants, providing 15–16% of their energy needs from renewables. These systems ensure reliable, cost-effective power while enabling the production of high-quality, recyclable industrial bags essential to Kenya’s economy - We are helping Nigerian Breweries Plc achieve their sustainability targets with clean energy solutions. Supplying a mix of roof- and ground-mounted solar as well as battery storage solutions, we will provide two of their breweries with ~20% of their power requirements from renewable energy We’re committed to ensuring energy is reliable, clean, and affordable. What are your thoughts about supporting African industrialization?   #AfricaIndustrializationDay #RenewableEnergy #SustainableDevelopment 

Last week, Albert M. Nganga, our permitting and regulatory manager, moderated a session on decentralized energy solutions at the PowerElec Kenya conference. The session highlighted important aspects of DER optimization and included experts Eng. Maxwell Ngala PE, MIEK, PMP® from RTI International, Ombajo Vincent Gedion, PMP® CEM® MBA from Collective Energy Africa, Raylen N. from Sunwoda, and Michael Bekker from Canadian Solar. Key takeaways include: 🔋 Advancements in DER technologies: - Significant progress in battery technology is paving the way for smaller, cost-effective, and higher-capacity systems, driving substantial growth in East Africa - Integration of diverse technologies, including AI for demand management and operational monitoring, is boosting the performance and reliability of energy systems 🏛️ Policy and governance synergy: - Kenya's devolved governance structure is a strong enabler for localized energy solutions, with the Constitution providing a solid foundation for policy development - Harmonizing national and county laws is crucial, especially for infrastructure like EV charging networks and battery-swapping stations 🌐 Regional and integrated planning opportunities: - Expanding energy planning beyond national borders to align with COMESA and regional frameworks can enhance scalability and collaboration ⚡ Unbundling of KPLC: - Panelists discussed the efficiency gains from allowing private companies to participate in electricity distribution - The need for KPLC to adopt cost-reflective tariffs was emphasized What were your takeaways from the conference?