Cape Town-based Silvertree Internet Holdings, has over the course of 2017 channelled $4.5m into companies in its investment portfolio, a move that has seen it achieve organic revenue growth of 92% over the prior year, across the portfolio.
Peter Allerstorfer, Silvertree co-founder and MD, said, “A focus on offering the customer the best possible product, backed with smart marketing spending, has once again helped our portfolio achieve a strong year of growth.”
The rest of the investment has been used to grow Silvertree’s stake in its portfolio companies through share purchases from other shareholders, as it focuses on being the leading shareholder across its portfolio of iconic consumer brands.
Silvertree builds an open-ended relationship with portfolio companies, with the expectation of providing further funding for future growth. More importantly, non-financial investments include: operational and strategic support; synergies and Silvertree-level agreements with key service providers; assistance with compliance, finance and legal requirements; functional top-up support in key areas such as marketing, technology and operations; and much more.
Paul Cook, Silvertree co-founder and MD, said, “We believe in execution over ideas: while innovation is important to what we do, absolutely vital is the ability to get things done. We find that the most effective entrepreneurs spend most of their time in the details, day to day, striving for perfection. Our job is help provide the tools to make that a little easier, and 2017 has been a year of doubling down on our existing portfolio as they grow and face new challenges.”
In addition to investing into existing companies, Silvertree’s Entrepreneur in Residence programme (https://silvertree.holdings/entrepreneur-in-residence/) offers a route into the ecosystem for young, hungry leaders with several years of corporate experience and a desire to get hands-on and build a business. The programme is open to entrepreneurs without an existing venture.
Manuel Koser, Silvertree co-founder and MD, said, “Silvertree’s ‘For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs’ approach puts seasoned entrepreneurs together with the next generation of business builders, to create big wins. We believe Silvertree offers the best ecosystem for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for a platform on which to build something great!”
