Emerging Market Investment Opportunities

Family offices are eager to invest in sports, but only in specific sectors, according to new Goldman Sachs data 👀 Out of 245 family office decision-makers surveyed: • 50% said they are already invested in sports or plan to be • 71% of those prioritize major-league men’s teams as the top investment Beyond that, here’s where family offices see the most opportunity 👇 Top sports investment targets according to Goldman Sachs: • 📺 Streaming tech (31%) • 🏟 Venues & real estate (31%) • 🎮 Gaming (26%) • 🏆 Events & tournaments (25%) • 🥋 Emerging sports (25%) • 🎫 Ticketing (22%) • 🎮 Esports (20%) • 👩🦰 Women’s established leagues (19%) • 👩🦰 Women’s emerging leagues (16%) • ⚾️ Men’s minor leagues (16%) • 👕 Apparel (16%) • 🤑 Betting (15%) Three takeaways that stood out to me: ➊ Women’s sports are still far down the list, meaning there’s massive white space for those who truly understand the growth trajectory ➋ Betting ranks lowest, yet the upside is enormous as legalization expands ➌ Venues & real estate could quietly outpace most of these sectors over time thanks to new revenue streams, diversification, valuation drivers, and tax incentives Sports is transforming into a serious asset class, and family offices are positioning accordingly. Subscribe to the Vetted Sports weekly newsletter to get more industry news, trends, and updates 📩 www.vettedsports.com

Africa's official solar statistics have already broken their annual record. On top of that, the real market is probably far larger. The chart shows annual grid-connected solar additions. By the end of June, Africa had already installed more grid-connected solar than in any previous full year. Capacity already under construction is set to more than double that amount and even more is slated for the rest of the year. But that is only part of the story. Research from Ember suggests official project databases are missing a huge share of what is actually being installed across the continent. Solar panel imports from China have surged, but many of those panels end up on factory roofs, mines, warehouses, farms and homes where they are harder to track than large utility-scale projects. Several factors are driving this shift: ✅ Falling equipment costs have made the economics of solar increasingly attractive across the continent. ✅ Where businesses rely on expensive diesel, solar and batteries can often pay for themselves within a few years, while the cost of the panels alone can be recovered in months. ✅ Distributed systems can be deployed far faster than waiting for new power stations and grid expansion. That means that this record only reflects the grid-connected part of Africa's solar boom. Much of the continent's fastest growth is happening behind the meter, making it far harder to capture in official statistics. Africa's energy transition is increasingly happening from the bottom up, driven by households and businesses making economic decisions rather than waiting for national infrastructure programmes. The result is a solar boom that is both harder to measure and likely much larger than the official data suggests.

Seven years ago, The Rockefeller Foundation made a bet: that a small amount of patient, risk-tolerant capital could unlock investment that private markets weren't yet ready to make on their own. The Rockefeller Foundation’s Zero Gap Fund's 2025 State of the Portfolio report shows the results. $30 million in charitable capital has helped mobilize $1.05 billion in private investment, a 35x return reaching people in underserved communities through food security, climate adaptation, healthcare, and U.S. jobs. Behind those numbers are real people. A growth equity fund has reached 362 million consumers across Asia and Africa through financial services and healthcare access. An employee-ownership model has converted six companies into worker-owned businesses, creating more than 1,500 new employee owners. And in Ukraine, a technology investment fund is supporting more than 5,100 jobs even as the country's economy absorbs the shock of war. As wealthy nations pull back, cutting more than $40 billion in aid last year alone, the UN estimates the world now needs $4 trillion a year to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals. Philanthropy alone can't fill that gap. But it can invest courageous capital, prove what works, and build the kind of partnerships that get private capital moving toward the world's pressing challenges. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/e4H7zjXk

Embedded Insurance: there is a lot to learn from the Asian insurance industry. (BestOfH2) McKinsey explores that InsurTech trend through Asia to highlight why this region is well positioned to embrace it at scale. It starts with reminding us of the market opportunity: "By 2030, embedded insurance in Asia is expected to grow to become a $270B market in terms of GWP, according to McKinsey analysis". Then, it drafts the big picture of the opportunity depending on customer segments and levels of integration. And it lists why this is the right moment for a take off (including a few words on the regulatory environment). Adding a personal note here: there are two trends to keep in mind while learning from that ecosystem. Super Apps have been a reality there, making it more obvious to embrace the Embedded Insurance trend by adding insurance solutions to these customers' journeys already concentrated. And there is little legacy or historical infrastructures to compete with, making the innovator's dilemma less a reality to slow down the adoption of new solutions. Finally, the report details 3 major go-to-market strategies that it considers are the best move to consider for any player interested in Embedded Insurance. #insurance #insurtech #venturecapital 

Most large-scale energy initiatives follow the same pattern: start with big commitments, roll out connections, figure out the policy later. Nigeria did the opposite. And that’s why it’s working. Instead of treating private investment as an afterthought, Nigeria built the policy framework first. And that made all the difference. What Nigeria Got Right - 1. A Structured Energy Compact – Nigeria created a clear, integrated policy that combines grid expansion, mini-grids, and decentralized solutions into a single plan. Other countries still treat off-grid power as an afterthought. 2. Private Sector Was Built Into the Model – Most African energy plans rely almost entirely on government spending. Nigeria understood that public money alone won’t be enough, so they de-risked the investment landscape for private players. 3. Policy Stability That Investors Can Trust – The biggest deterrent to energy investment is regulatory unpredictability. Nigeria structured clear rules around licensing, tariffs, and long-term market participation, giving businesses and investors the ability to plan long-term—not just react to political cycles. The Results Speak for Themselves - - Nigeria is now the leading mini-grid market in Africa. - Private capital is flowing into the energy sector at scale. - The policy model is structured for real expansion—not just short-term funding cycles. Now compare this to many other Mission 300 countries - - There’s no clear strategy to integrate decentralized and centralized power. - Investment risk is still too high for private capital to flow at scale. - The policy landscape remains too unstable for long-term planning. Nigeria isn’t perfect. But it’s one of the few places where energy policy is being built for growth, not just for the next round of funding. If Mission 300 countries want to make real progress, this is the playbook - - Stable, investment-friendly regulation - A clear plan that integrates all forms of power - Long-term market structures that attract capital at scale Energy access is an industry, not a one-time intervention. And Nigeria is proving that when the policy is right, the investment follows. #NigeriaEnergy #Mission300 #SmartInvestment #EnergyForGrowth

Want to hear about a $4.7B opportunity that's about to change everything? After months of deep research across Queensland's Bowen Basin, our team at Coreo has uncovered something extraordinary. While 58 mining operations have been managing their waste streams separately, we've proven there's a transformative alternative, and the numbers are staggering. The opportunity: A Multi-Mine Circular Resource Recovery Facility that could unlock up to $4.7 billion in 10-year net present value while diverting over 110,000 tonnes of waste from landfill annually. This isn't just another sustainability project. It's a complete reimagining of how an entire industry can collaborate to turn so-called waste into wealth. From timber pallets to mining tyres, from food scraps to diesel filters, we've identified 23 circular solutions that transform today's disposal costs into tomorrow's revenue streams. The validation speaks volumes: the The World Bank is preparing to tender for this work based on our comprehensive prospectus. When global institutions recognise the scalability and impact potential of a regional Australian innovation, you know something special is happening. To every stakeholder who poured their expertise into this 104-page blueprint: this recognition belongs to you. We've proven that rigorous analysis, stakeholder collaboration, and systems thinking can unlock value that others said was impossible. Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from asking the simplest question: What if we stopped working in isolation? The future of mining isn't just about what we take from the ground – it's about what we choose to give back to the system.

To me, the African startup ecosystem felt more inspectable than inspirational this week. Why? 1. Operator-led angels are organising first... XA Africa rebrands to A54 (https://lnkd.in/eZVASZb7 ) and Kenya’s Angel Leads Programme (https://lnkd.in/eyUKQDNa ) which both signal that syndication discipline now comes before cheque writing. 2. Founders are being rewarded for evidence... MAX raises $24 million after hitting profitability in Nigeria (https://lnkd.in/eeSMVHfd ) shows that margins speak louder than momentum. Regulation is no longer theoretical. 3. Nigeria doubles capital requirements for digital asset platforms to ₦2 billion (https://lnkd.in/e3wHGt_c ), turning compliance into a competitive advantage with infrastructure moving upstream. 3. Stablecoin settlement and FX reform are becoming ecosystem prerequisites, not edge cases. So if you are building or backing startups in Africa, the question has become simple. What can be verified today? #AfricanAngel #TomiDee #WeMove #StartupEcosystem #POEMDDR

Cold emails are often dismissed as noise. They shouldn’t be. Most cold emails will not lead to anything. But a few come from remarkable entrepreneurs who simply do not have a network yet. And missing those few can change everything in a world governed by Power Law. Staying open to cold outreach ensures we do not overlook true talent that does not come with a warm introduction. 💡 In this article, I share two stories: • one cold email we missed and how we improved from this painful miss • one cold email that sparked a partnership and eventually an investment Both had something powerful in common: discipline, clarity, authenticity, and the quiet confidence of founders who know why they are building. Whether you are an entrepreneur crafting your outreach or an investor deciding how to respond, I hope you will learn something meaningful from this piece. ✨ For founders: an investor’s view on cold emails that open doors ✨ For investors: why being open-minded keeps you from missing your next fund returner ✨ For both: how small moments of empathy build better ecosystems And as AI makes it easier to send a thousand “personalized” messages, I end the article with a personal view: authenticity still matters. In fact, it matters more than ever. If you are curious about how a few lines of text can shape the future of a company, I hope you will take a moment to read it. 👇 Full article: “The Cold Email VCs Want”

Private Equity: A Long-Term Winner with Big Opportunities Today Private equity has always been a top performer in long-term portfolios. The latest data reinforces what we already know—it delivers better risk-adjusted returns than public markets. But today’s environment is creating an even bigger opportunity. Secondaries and middle-market buyouts are where the real value is right now. Why Private Equity Wins Over Time Private equity isn’t just another asset class. It consistently outperforms public equities by combining active management, operational improvements, and long-term capital discipline. It also has lower correlation to public markets, making it a powerful portfolio diversifier. More importantly, private equity firms aren’t forced into short-term earnings cycles like public companies. They have time to drive real value creation, making them more resilient in downturns and better positioned for long-term growth. Where’s the Best Opportunity Today? Right now, secondaries are offering high-quality private equity stakes at discounts. Liquidity pressures are forcing some investors to sell at 10-20% below NAV, creating a rare buying opportunity. These deals allow investors to capture strong returns with faster capital deployment. Middle-market buyouts are also gaining traction. Large-cap deals face pressure from higher interest rates and expensive valuations, but mid-market companies offer lower entry multiples and strong cash flow visibility. The best opportunities are in healthcare, industrials, and tech-enabled services, where companies have stable revenue and pricing power. How to Position for 2025 • Secondaries provide premium assets at a discount—a smart way to buy into private equity with reduced risk. • Mid-market buyouts offer strong entry points and long-term value creation. • Sector focus matters—defensive growth industries like healthcare, infrastructure, and tech-enabled services are outperforming. • Operational improvements, not just financial engineering, will drive the next wave of private equity returns. Private equity isn’t just about growth anymore—it’s about strategic value investing in a changing market. The best opportunities today aren’t in chasing high multiples—they’re in finding mispriced assets and driving operational upside.