A Firm Born from Conviction, Built for the Long Term
“We started Crestmont because we believed that the world’s most underserved markets were not high-risk — they were simply misunderstood. The opportunity was, and remains, extraordinary.”
— Founding Partners, Crestmont International
From a Single Idea to a Continent-Spanning Platform
Crestmont International was founded in 2009 by a small team of investment professionals who had spent years working inside Africa’s most complex markets — and who saw, clearly, what global capital was missing.
The prevailing narrative framed Africa as a high-risk, low-return environment. But on the ground, the team encountered something entirely different: growing middle classes, infrastructure deficits crying out for private capital, entrepreneurs starved of financing, and sovereign governments eager to partner with patient, credible investors.
The firm launched with a single mandate: to bridge the gap between global capital and local opportunity — not by ignoring risk, but by building the deep local knowledge and networks needed to manage it better than anyone else.
What began as a boutique investment advisory practice has grown into an integrated investment management group with offices across four continents, over $2.4 billion in capital mobilized, and a track record spanning 180+ transactions in 30+ countries.
Fifteen Years of Building, Deal by Deal
From our first advisory mandate in Nairobi to a multi-platform investment group operating on four continents — every chapter has deepened our conviction.
Crestmont International is Founded
The firm launches in Nairobi, Kenya, as a boutique investment advisory practice focused on bridging global capital with opportunities across East Africa.
West Africa Office Opens in Lagos
Growing client demand in Nigeria and Ghana drives the firm’s first expansion — establishing a regional hub in Lagos and extending coverage across West Africa’s largest economies.
London Office Established
A London presence positions Crestmont at the heart of international capital markets, enabling deeper relationships with institutional investors, pension funds, and DFIs seeking African exposure.
$500M in Capital Mobilized
The firm crosses a landmark milestone, having mobilized over $500 million in investment capital across infrastructure, energy, and financial services transactions in 15 countries.
Crestmont Energy is Launched
The firm launches its first direct investment platform — Crestmont Energy — to deploy capital into clean energy infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa, starting with solar and hydro assets.
Development Finance Hub Opens
A Washington DC office deepens engagement with USAID, DFC, MCC, and the broader development finance ecosystem — helping clients navigate and leverage DFI capital for catalytic transactions.
Two New Platforms Launched
Crestmont Access (mini-grid rural electrification) and Crestmont Real Estate (educational and commercial property) are launched, completing the firm’s integrated investment management group.
Fund for Nature Established
Crestmont launches its blended finance vehicle for nature-based solutions and conservation outcomes — mobilizing capital for biodiversity projects that deliver measurable returns alongside environmental impact.
$2.4B+ Mobilized, 30+ Countries
Crestmont International operates as a leading investment advisory and asset management group across Africa and emerging markets — with $2.4 billion in mobilized capital and a 15-year track record of delivering impact with returns.
Principles That Guide Every Decision We Make
Our values are not aspirational statements — they are the operating principles that have governed every transaction, every relationship, and every hire since 2009.
Integrity Without Exception
We hold ourselves to the same standards we expect from the markets we operate in. Our reputation is the firm’s most valuable asset — and every decision is made with that in mind. We do not compromise on governance, compliance, or honesty with clients and counterparties.
Local Knowledge First
Investment success in frontier markets is built on presence, trust, and understanding — not spreadsheets alone. We maintain on-the-ground teams in every market we operate in because local intelligence is the foundation of every good investment decision we make.
Impact and Returns Are Not a Trade-Off
We reject the false choice between financial performance and real-world impact. Africa’s infrastructure deficit, energy gap, and food systems challenge are the investment opportunities of our era. Well-structured capital delivers both — and we have 15 years of evidence to prove it.
Diversity Is a Competitive Advantage
Our team speaks 20+ languages and brings perspectives from investment banking, development economics, law, and engineering. We actively build diverse teams because we know that the best investment decisions come from the broadest range of experience and perspective.
Long-Term Thinking Always
We are not deal-flow optimizers. We are relationship builders and institution builders who think in decades, not quarters. Our clients, the communities we invest in, and the institutional partners we work alongside deserve a firm with that orientation.
Transparency Builds Trust
We communicate openly with clients, investors, and communities — even when the news is difficult. Transparency is not just an ethical commitment; it is the foundation of the long-term relationships that make everything else we do possible.
We See Africa Not as a Risk to Be Managed, but as an Opportunity to Be Seized
The global investment community has long treated Africa through a deficit lens — focusing on what is missing rather than what is present. We built Crestmont on a fundamentally different premise.
Africa has the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, a natural resource endowment unmatched by any other continent, rapidly expanding middle classes in dozens of markets, and infrastructure gaps that represent one of the largest addressable investment universes on earth.
“The risk is not in investing in Africa. The risk is in failing to develop the knowledge, networks, and patience required to do it well.”— Crestmont International, Investment Philosophy
This philosophy has driven every decision we have made since 2009 — from hiring locally and investing in language capability, to maintaining offices in markets that global peers have exited, to structuring deals with 20-year horizons rather than 5-year fund cycles.
Our Investment Approach
Four Continents, One Mission
Our office network is designed around where capital flows matter most — matching local depth with global reach.
East Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
Our founding hub and the heart of our East Africa franchise.
West Africa
Lagos, Nigeria
Gateway to West Africa’s largest and most dynamic economy.
Europe
London, UK
Connecting African opportunity to global institutional capital.
Americas
Washington, DC
Engaging DFIs, policy stakeholders, and impact capital.
From Advisory to Direct Investment
Over 15 years, we have built five integrated platforms — each addressing a distinct capital gap in underserved markets.
The Firm Is Only as Strong as the People Behind It
Crestmont’s greatest competitive advantage is not our deal pipeline or our balance sheet — it is our people. We have built a team that combines world-class investment expertise with genuine local knowledge and a shared commitment to the markets we serve.
We hire for intellectual curiosity, cultural humility, and conviction — and we invest heavily in the development of every person who joins us.
- Multi-disciplinary team spanning finance, law, engineering, and development economics
- Native or professional fluency in 20+ languages across key African markets
- Former leaders from top-tier investment banks, DFIs, and multilateral institutions
- Gender-lens hiring with a target of 50% women across all levels of the firm
- Active mentorship and leadership development for all junior professionals
Let’s Build the Next Chapter Together
Whether you are an investor, a client, a development institution, or a talented professional looking for purpose-driven work — we would like to hear from you.