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South African firm Silvertree Internet Holdings invested over US$4.5 million into its portfolio companies over the course of 2017, helping them achieve combined revenue growth of 92 per cent.

The Cape Town-based Silvertree is an operating, investment and holding company for African consumer and internet businesses, focused on the execution of simple, proven business models.

Its portfolio – which includes the likes of Faithful to Nature, PetHeaven, DealDey, CarZar and PriceCheck – received US$4.5 million in investment from the company last year, which was partly used to support aggressive growth across the portfolio, helping to achieve organic revenue growth of 92 per cent.

“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,” said Peter Allerstorfer, Silvertree co-founder and managing director (MD).

The rest of the investment was 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 consumer brands.

“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,” said Paul Cook, Silvertree co-founder and MD.

In addition to investing into existing companies, Silvertree also established its Entrepreneur in Residence programme, which offers a route into the ecosystem for people with several years of corporate experience and a desire to build a business. The programme is open to entrepreneurs without an existing venture.

“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!” said Manuel Koser, Silvertree co-founder and MD.

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