The SEAF Morocco Growth Fund (SMGF) investors comprise of Caisse Centrale de Garantie, BMCE Bank of Africa, Wise Venture Capital (USAID), the SEAF group, Caisse Marocaine des Retraites, and Asmainvest. SMGF is part of the Innov Invest program managed by the Moroccan Caisse Centrale de Garantie to promote entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth in Morocco. The Fund is managed by SEAF Morocco Capital Partners, the Moroccan subsidiary of SEAF that is registered with the Moroccan Capital Market Authority.
million dollars
years from first close plus 1+1
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MAD
Region: Africa
Location(s): Morocco
Status: Fundraising
Committed Capital: $25 Million
Investor(s): Caisse Centrale de Garantie, BMCE Bank of Africa, Wise Venture Capital (USAID), the SEAF group, Caisse Marocaine des Retraites, and Asmainvest
Managing Director: Meriem Zairi
Meriem leads the SEAF Innovation Funds Initiative in the Maghreb Region, investing in innovative startups and tech-enabled SMEs based in the Maghreb region. Prior to joining SEAF in 2017, Meriem spent more than 15 years in private equity in Europe and Africa. From 2002 – 2009, Meriem acted as investment director at Montagu Private Equity, formerly HSPC Private Equity, in the pan-European MBO Investment Fund that had more than €4bn in AUM. This provided Meriem with extensive deal and structuring experience in various sectors across Europe, including media, food, health, distribution and the automotive industry. Beginning in 2010, Meriem served as Investment Director for an African Infrastructure Fund where she successfully raised and closed a pan-African infrastructure fund. Following her experience in private equity, Meriem became an entrepreneur and cofounded two companies in Morocco active in the agribusiness sector. Meriem is a President of the CGEM’s (the Moroccan employers’ organization) Commission in charge of startup and entrepreneurship private sector initiatives in the country. She also serves as an advisor for various development finance institutions, advising on their program design for the region. Meriem graduated from ESSEC Business School with an MSc in Management and a major in Finance.
Abdelouahid Benlamlih serves as the Vice President of Investments on SEAF’s Morocco team, helping to managed SEAF Innovation Funds investing in innovative startups and tech-enabled SMEs in the MENA region. Prior to joining SEAF, Abdelouahid was an Investment Director in a leading private equity house in Morocco active in capital development and buyouts segment managing €75mn+ fund investing in high growth SMEs in the Maghreb Region. Abdelouahid has extensive deal experience investing in companies in various sectors such as construction, logistics, agriculture, healthcare, advertising & media, FMCG, consumer banking and IT hardware. Abdelouahid holds a Master of Science in Management with a major in Finance from HEC Paris. He also holds an Engineering Degree (MSc) in Computer Science from ENSIAS Engineering School in Morocco.
Sidi Mohammed Zakraoui serves as the Vice President of Investments on SEAF’s Morocco team, helping to managed SEAF Innovation Funds investing in innovative startups and tech-enabled SMEs in the MENA region. Prior to joining SEAF, Sidi Mohammed was Portfolio Director at Endeavor, a major emerging markets focused high impact scale-up accelerator, where he identified over 1000, screened more than 300, and monitored and advised over 30 high growth scale-ups in segments such as fintech, cleantech, consumer internet, enterprise software & services, digital media & adtech and agribusiness. Additionally, Sidi Mohammed has experience in strategic advisory & technology consulting with BearingPoint in Paris and was involved in Digital Transformation MasterPlans and Cloud-based Greenfield Tech investments and deployments. Following his graduation, Sidi Mohammed co-founded two digital ventures: a pioneering mobile development and marketing company in France and a digital classifieds platform in Morocco. Sidi Mohammed graduated from EM Lyon with an MSc in Management and a major in Entrepreneurship & Innovation.