Vantage Capital Exits Equity Invest
September 2025 – Casablanca, Morocco: Vantage Capital, Africa’s largest mezzanine finance fund manager, is pleased to announce that it has fully exited its investment in Equity Invest, a Moroccan group comprising six companies operating across various segments of the information technology space. The group’s business lines include electronic security, audiovisual multimedia systems, renewable energy, digital payments, e-commerce and hospital management software.
Vantage provided Equity Invest with an €8.0 million mezzanine finance facility in October 2019. The funding enabled the founder, Mr. Ali Bettahi, to secure a controlling stake in one of the group’s flagship subsidiaries, Unisystem Group, by acquiring the shares that were held by a private equity investor. Under Mr. Bettahi’s ownership and with Vantage’s strategic support, the group has consolidated its position in Morocco and also expanded into new markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
Luc Albinski, Executive Chairman at Vantage Capital, commented, “Equity Invest was our first investment in Morocco. The transaction, which consisted of a leveraged management buy-out funded by a structured mezzanine finance instrument, was also a first-of-its-kind in the Kingdom. We would like to thank Mr. Bettahi for his trust, as our partnership enabled Vantage to establish a presence in Morocco – which has since grown to become one of our key markets and where we are proud to have now concluded four investments over six years.”
Driss Benabdeslam, Partner at Vantage Capital, added, “Morocco is rich in ambitious and committed entrepreneurs who require alternative financing solutions, whether to avoid equity dilution, supplement maxed-out bank facilities, or, in the case or Mr. Bettahi, regain control of their businesses. Our mezzanine product is designed for all these needs. We have been delighted to notice the increasing appetite for mezzanine funding in Morocco since our first investment in the country in 2019. As our partnership with Mr. Bettahi comes to an end, we wish him and his group success for their future endeavours.”