Matteo Stefanel
Managing Partner
Matteo has a successful track record in private equity and investment banking spanning 25 years and focusing specifically on Growth Markets and Financial Services.
He is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Apis Partners LLP, which manages Apis Growth Fund I and Apis Growth Fund II – two private equity funds focused on investing in financial services companies in Africa and Asia, as well as a number of smaller investment vehicles focused on Fintech investments more globally.
Formerly a partner at The Abraaj Group where he was responsible for a number of Abraaj’s investee companies (10+), including Network International (payments), Saham Finance (insurance), and Jordan Ahli Bank (banking).
Matteo has been a board director of over 25 companies and completed over 110 transactions in Europe (including CEE), South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, throughout his career at Abraaj, at MIG ($7.4bn AUM) where he was briefly CIO, and at Deutsche Bank as MD and co-Head of Emerging Markets in the Financial Institutions Group.
Matteo has twice been a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Financing and Capital (2012-14 and 2014-16).
Matteo graduated from Queens College, the University of Oxford, with an MA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
He is married, with three children.
Profile
Hometown
Milan, Italy
Currently located
Milan, Italy & London, UK
Areas of expertise
Financial Services and Technologies, Portfolio construction, Option theory and BS applications, Celtic history
Languages
Italian, English, French, Spanish (basic)
Education
University of Oxford – The Queen’s College MA (Oxon) PPE
Q&A
When I’m able to find spare time away from my work at Apis, I enjoy skiing, sailing, scuba diving and fine wines…not all in the same day, but never say never!
Financial Services is a key enabler of expansion in Growth Markets. The ability to remove the inefficiency and friction of the use of legacy instruments such as cash, through financial inclusion, has a multiplier effect on GDP growth which results in a better life for the people in these markets. In my mind, therefore it is imperative that governments, the international community and enablers of investment such as Apis focus on driving financial services, with the help of innovation and technology, as a cornerstone of building better lives for people across the world. This was the key driver that pushed my co-founder and me to start Apis.
Prior experience
Apis Partners
Managing Partner / Co-founder
The Abraaj Group
Partner
MIG
Deputy CIO
Deutsche Bank
Co-head of EM Financial Services
DLJ/Credit Suisse
EM Financial Services
Wasserstein Perella & Co.
Financial Services
Education
University of Oxford – The Queen’s College MA (Oxon)
PPE
Get in touch
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