Amethis Investment Fund Manager, an alternative investment fund manager dedicated to responsible long-term growth across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, together with its partner Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, have announced the final closing of Amethis Fund III S.C.A., SICAV-RAIF1, (AFIII) in line with its target at €406m.

Amethis’ Co-Founders and Managing Partners Luc Rigouzzo (pictured) and Laurent Demey, said: “We warmly thank our investors, both longstanding and new, for their continued trust in Amethis and its teams. Together with the entrepreneurs we are committed to supporting, we are building a mutually empowering collaboration that creates lasting value, fuels innovation, and contributes to the sustainable growth of the African continent.”

AFIII is the third vintage of Amethis’ flagship pan-African strategy that targets around 10 investments in African small and mid-sized companies with a clear impact-driven orientation, in majority or minority, around the continent’s growth sectors (manufacturing & distribution (including agribusiness), business services (including logistics and technology), healthcare, infrastructure & energy related services) with tickets ranging from €25m to €40m.

With AFIII, Amethis has strengthened its impact strategy, with targeted and measurable improvements in areas such as employment quality, gender equality, environmental performance, and responsible governance. 

The Fund is classified as “Article 9″2 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and was the first fund to pursue this approach on the African continent. 

This impact fund is structured with an ESG-linked carry mechanism, meaning that a portion of the investment team’s carried interest is contingent upon achieving predefined impact and sustainability objectives. 

This alignment of incentives reinforces Amethis’ commitment to generating both financial returns and tangible, positive outcomes for local economies and communities.

AFIII has benefited from the support of numerous private investors (including large corporates, foundations, and international family offices), among them several financial institutions from North, West, and East Africa. 

Alongside them, the Fund has also received backing from leading development institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Bpifrance, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Swedfund, FinDev Canada, British International Investment (BII), Proparco, KFW DEG, AfricaGrow managed by AllianzGI and advised by DEG Impact and the Development Bank of Austria (OeEB).

Khady Koné-Dicoh and Jean-Sébastien Bergasse, Senior Partners in charge of the AFIII strategy at Amethis, added: “We are proud of the renewed trust shown by our Fund II investors and of our ability to continue this momentum with a team that has strong on-the-ground experience and a strategy fully aligned with the realities and opportunities of the African continent.”

The deployment of AFIII is well underway, with already four investments signed or closed and one additional transaction in the final stages under exclusivity. Amethis’ investment teams are currently assessing several opportunities across the African continent through a highly rigorous process designed to select only the most compelling deals, those that offer both strong impact potential and attractive financial returns.

Amethis aims to build strong bridges between global investors and African companies and entrepreneurs, helping channel capital where it can generate both sustainable growth and meaningful impact.

François-Xavier Vucekovic, Chief Investment Officer of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, said : “ Amethis Fund III exemplifies our shared conviction that long-term, responsible investment can unlock extraordinary potential across Africa. We are proud to support a platform that not only delivers strong value creation but also empowers visionary entrepreneurs and builds resilient, future-ready businesses throughout the continent. “