UK-based Frontier Markets Specialist Investment Manager Sturgeon Capital Continues to Expand into Central Asian Markets

Leading Frontier Markets Investment Manager Sturgeon Capital continues to expand its corporate footprint in Central Asia with the acquisition of a 33% equity stake in Tashkent-based market leading brokerage and investment banking firm Orient Securities.

“Our new partnership with Orient Securities marks the completion of our third of several planned acquisitions in leading investment banking businesses across key Central Asian markets. Via Sturgeon Holdings Ltd, we will continue to invest in strategic acquisitions in Central Asia in order to strengthen and develop our corporate infrastructure. Via our growing Central Asia-focused fund range we will continue to capitalise on investment opportunities in what is one of the fastest growing regions of the world today, yet ironically, one of the least explored from an investment perspective. We intend to be a first mover in these markets.” said Clemente Cappello, CEO of Sturgeon Capital.

Orient Securities is a strategic partner of Orient Capital Management, the leading independent Uzbek investment banking firm. Founded in 2006, Orient Capital Management is headed up by former Deutscher Investment Trust and Allianz AG executive Anvar Irchaev. “Our partnership with Sturgeon Capital strengthens our ability to capitalise fully on the numerous attractive opportunities we are seeing in the private equity space in Uzbekistan. Together with Sturgeon Capital we will continue to strengthen our links to international professional investors and to build on our reputation as one of the leading brokerage and investment banking businesses in the Uzbek market today.” said Irchaev.

Taco Sieburgh Sjoerdsma, CFO of Sturgeon Capital and Chairman-designate of Orient Securities stated: “This acquisition is one of three that we have made in similar market-leading investment banking and brokerage businesses in the region, and is part of our wider corporate and product development strategy through 2012 and 2013. In our fund range we plan to introduce single strategy vehicles, focused on Central Asian investment opportunities, with different liquidity profiles. Whilst the public equity market in Uzbekistan is still in a relatively early stage of development, the private equity opportunities we are seeing from Orient Securities and in the Uzbek market in general are very attractive”.

Sturgeon Capital is an independent investment manager authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority, and specialises in investing in Central Asian markets. Building on the expertise developed investing in Central Asian listed equities, private equity and fixed income opportunities via the Sturgeon Central Asia Fund since 2006, Sturgeon Capital is set to launch a UCITS IV Central Asia Listed Equities Fund in Q3 2012. The new Fund will invest in mid-large cap Central Asia-linked companies listed on developed market equity exchanges in the UK, Europe, US, Australia, Hong Kong and Canada and will provide investors in the Fund with weekly liquidity.

For more information, please contact Sturgeon Capital’s London office on +44 (0) 207 255 1005 or email Paul Henderson, Business Development on ph@sturgeoncapital.com. Alternatively visit www.sturgeoncapital.com and register for access.