What We Do
OUR SERVICES
Venture Capital Equity Fund Limited (VCEFL) makes equity investment in early stage and start-up companies which satisfy the investment criteria. VCEFL provides an alternative to debt financing and focuses on early stage, high growth potential companies. VCEFL provides equity funding, on a selective basis, in cash for equity transactions after due diligence is performed. Further, VCEFL partners with stakeholders to develop market opportunities and invest in projects located in Tobago.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has pledged $25 million in seed capital, and with a target fund size of $100 million dollars VCEFL is currently seeking additional investors both local and international. The goal of VCEFL is to manage these investments to provide a successful rate of return to its investors while spurring the Tobago entrepreneurial spirit.
The THA Venture Capital Equity Fund seeks to provide long-term strategic capital appreciation and investment income to investors by investing in a diversified portfolio of common/ordinary or preference, and convertible shares, and other similar forms of equity instruments of national, regional and local public, private, state-owned, listed and/or unlisted qualified investment companies.
What types of business sectors does VCEFL support?
Preferred Investment Sectors
The sectors which have been targeted for development at the national level are being supported by financial resources and fiscal incentives to ensure success. The business sectors which are regarded as a priority by VCEFL and are preferred for investment include:
Agriculture and Agro-processing
High-yield, high-quality crops and livestock, green houses, nurseries, hatcheries, meat processing, aquaculture.
Light Manufacturing
Garment factories, bottling plants, packaging facilities, assembly of small electronics.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Website hosting, computer programming, telemarketing, smartphone app development.
Green Technology and Renewable Energy
Recycling, conservation, alternative energy production.
Niche Tourism
Eco-tourism, sport tourism, medical tourism, fun parks, tour guides.
Creative Arts & Entertainment
Fashion designers, movie/ TV / radio production, performers, musicians and song writers.
Quick Facts
- Venture Capital Equity Fund Limited (VCEFL) is a limited liability company under the purview of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Finance and the Economy.
- Businesses seeking VCEFL investment, must be incorporated or continued under the Trinidad and Tobago Companies Act of 1995.
- The range of investment available is $500,000 to $5 million.
- VCEFL is governed by the Venture Capital Act of 1994, which states that the venture capital company (VCC) cannot be a majority shareholder therefore VCEFL cannot have greater than 50% equity stake in the company requiring investment.
- There are no forms to complete when applying for investment funding. Submission of a business plan constitutes a request for funding.
- Venture Capital Equity Fund Limited (VCEFL) does not provide loans or grants. Instead VCEFL provides investment funding in exchange for equity (shares/ownership stake) in the company.
- VCEFL does not require a monthly repayment to be made on investments. Shares can be repurchased at any time between 5 to 10 years after the investment is made.
- VCEFL appoints a representative to the Board of the invested company to provide management expertise and act as a bridge between the capital provider and the business.