REYL & CIE, an independent banking group created in 1973, and Samena Capital, an investment group focusing on principal investments in the Subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa (SAMENA), announced today the creation of a joint venture to integrate complementary business resources. This partnership will combine Samena Asia Managers (SAM), Samena Capital’s profitable and established hedge fund seeding business operating from Hong Kong with REYL & CIE’s wealth and asset management expertise and regulated infrastructure to create a high value proposition for their respective client and investor bases.
The joint venture will capitalsze on the synergies that emerge by joining the resources of both partners to not only augment the ability of SAM to seed new funds, but ultimately to become a best-in-class asset manager. To this end, SAM will expand its operational and fund infrastructure, run managed accounts and develop bespoke products suited not only to mature European investors but also to HNWI, family offices and institutional players in the fast growing SAMENA region.
V-Nee Yeh, Chairman of Samena Capital says, “Samena Capital provides REYL & CIE with an ideal platform to further their ambitions of penetrating the SAMENA region. In return REYL & CIE offers Samena Capital extensive knowledge in mutual fund management and European distribution with strong emphasis on best-in-class processes and compliance, as well as investment expertise that originates from four decades advising European clients. The powerful combination of intellectual capital and complementary geographies is what makes this partnership truly unique. Samena Capital has on-the-ground presence and unmatched access to investment opportunities across SAMENA through its local network of prominent shareholders and management team. SAM is a true reflection of the strength of Samena Capital’s investment model as reflected by the stable and strong risk-adjusted returns of its flagship vehicle, the Samena Angel Fund. Together, we share the same ethos and our joint venture is proof that niche, dynamic players are those who gain the most in the global value-creation game”.
François Reyl (pictured), CEO of REYL & CIE, says: “This win-win joint venture will give REYL & CIE a privileged access to Samena Capital’s first-rate investment specialists and network of leading entrepreneurs in a region which is strategic for its development. It will also set the ground for the elaboration of new services and products for the benefit of both partners’ clients and investors. Samena Capital’s innovative investment model combines the knowledge and ideas of its shareholders with that of its investee companies in order to generate long-term value for its investors. This is consistent, yet complementary, with the disciplined, long-term, client-centred approach that underlies REYL & CIE’s wealth and asset management businesses.”
