Investcorp, a Bahrain-based alternative investment firm, said Monday it had distributed $1.2 billion in aggregate dividends to its GCC-based investors over the past 12 months, yielded from several value realization initiatives across asset classes, including recent exits from its private equity platform in the US.
Investcorp pointed out that these investment realizations reflected the firm's private equity strategy of investing in top mid-market business services companies with long-term growth drivers, strong cash flow, and minimal capital intensity, coupled with proven resilience throughout economic cycles.
“Investcorp is focused on selecting companies that we believe are well placed to outperform their peers and adapt to changing market conditions, in addition to demonstrating innovation and setting the pace in their sectors," said Mohammed Alardhi, executive chairman at Investcorp.
Alardhi added that the firm could identify businesses based on their growth potential since the launch of its growth strategy in 2015, leading to substantial returns for investors.
Investcorp is a closed corporation, meaning its shares are held by a select few investors who, according to the head of the company's private wealth Yusef Al Yusef, seek alternative investment opportunities with attractive risk-adjusted returns.
In January, the firm announced it was planning to invest up to $1 billion in the real estate market in the GCC region over the next five years.
Founded in 1982, Investcorp specializes in alternative investments across private equity, real estate, credit, absolute return strategies, GP stakes, infrastructure, and insurance asset management. The firm manages $50 billion in assets—including assets managed by third party managers—with 14 offices in the US, Europe, GCC and Asia, and approximately 500 employees from 50 nationalities.
In 2022, the firm sponsored two NASDAQ initial public offerings (IPOs) via Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), generating gross proceeds of over $600 million in aggregate. It also launched the first GCC-based institutional blockchain and Shariah-compliant fund. Additionally, the firm held the final close of the Investcorp Strategic Capital Partners Fund with capital commitments of $620 million.
In 2021, Investcorp was delisted from the Bahrain Stock Exchange, a move it said would give it the agility to expand faster. In 2017, Mubadala acquired a 20% stake in Investcorp, which previously backed companies including Tiffany & Co. and Gucci.
Investcorp ranked 2nd on Forbes Middle East's Top 30 Asset Management Companies 2022.
The Manama-based firm has completed more than 70 private equity transactions in North America since its establishment, and its investments in the continent make up over $21 billion of its overall $50 billion assets under management. It has also deployed more than $22 billion in transaction value.
