FAQ's


QUESTIONS


ANSWERS

Who are the founders of I&P ?


I&P was created by a group of entrepreneurs with backgrounds in French and European private equity, business and consultancy. The chairman is Patrice Hoppenot.
Founder shareholders sitting on the Board of Directors are listed under the heading "Structure and management".


Who are the main shareholders of I&P ?

The 21 shareholders of I&P include private individuals, often with business, investment banking or private equity backgrounds, and one private company.


How can I invest in I&P ?

By its nature and statutes, I&P is not intended to receive savings from the general public. Moreover, It is not a fund; it is a private joint stock company.
I&P is looking for informed, motivated shareholders who share, understand and support its objectives.
After three fund-raisings, its investment capacity today is 19 million Euros. This should give it sufficient initial visibility to carry out its policy of investing within a framework of long-term partnerships.

If you are interested in this approach, please contact us.


What is I&P's target for profitability?

I&P has not set itself a precise, profitability target. However, its business is to support entrepreneurs in developing countries and, like them, it must make a profit for itself. Although profitability is not the top priority, it is a strong constraint, and respecting it will be a sign of I&P's operational success.

To achieve profitability I&P is determined to hold operating costs below a ceiling of 5% of shareholders' funds. As part of its drive to hold down cost, I&P makes active use of the services of professional, experienced volunteers.


What type of investments does I&P make?

I&P may position itself as an equity investor and/or a lender, always operating within the framework of a long-term, carefully-nurtured relationship.


What are I&P's investment criteria?

I&P's investment criteria, in both the microfinance and SME sectors, are flexible and pragmatic. The main criteria are the quality of the promoter or management, the potential and economic feasibility of the project and the quality of the relationship developed with I&P. In addition to these project criteria, also taken into account are: 

    • geographical constraints: I&P does not exclude any geographical zone (even if Africa remains a top priority). Still, to avoid the risk of excessive dispersion and in the interests of efficiency, a degree of coherence in the operating regions is required. 

    • the quality of the socio-economic context: I&P prefers to invest in developing countries that are politically and economically stable enough to offer a reasonable prospect of long-term activity.

For more details, see: 

    • Microfinance 
    • SMEs


What is the size of I&P's investments?

The amount of I&P's investments are adapted to its partners' needs. However, it does not make investments of less than 100,000 Euros (for follow-up cost reasons) or more than 750,000 Euros.