KKR Invests in Afriflora, Forms Partnership with Baring Private Equity Asia, Hopu and Boyu to Invest in COFCO Meat (Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa)
Source: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., The Wall Street Journal, Asian Venture Capital Journal | Author(s): Simon Clark, Tim Burroughs
Global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) has invested a reported US$200 million in Afriflora, a rose grower and distributor with a main growing facility in Ethiopia. The transaction was structured through KKR’s European fund. Afriflora grows about 730 million flowers a year for export to Europe. Separately, KKR and private equity firms Baring Private Equity Asia, Hopu Investment Management and Boyu Capital have formed a partnership with China-based pork company COFCO Meat. The private equity consortium will invest a reported US$270 million in COFCO Meat for a 70 percent stake, with KKR contributing US$150 million of the total. The company intends to use the investment to build and manage industrialized hog farms and meat processing plants in China.