Gemcorp CEO Delivers Masterclass in EM Private Credit: EM Lens
Feb 24, 2025
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Atanas Bostandjiev, the founder and CEO of Gemcorp Capital Management, specializes in private credit investments in emerging and frontier markets. He discusses innovative strategies for mitigating risk while enhancing performance, emphasizing securitization and local dynamics. Bostandjiev highlights profitable sectors like infrastructure and power, along with the importance of exit strategies. He also dives into how U.S. economic policies influence emerging markets and the critical role foreign investment plays in unlocking growth potential.
GemCorp's tailored investment strategy in emerging markets prioritizes local borrower engagement and customized financial solutions to address capital shortages.
The firm's focus on effective exit strategies and meticulous investment structuring helps mitigate risks associated with currency depreciation and investor access challenges.
Deep dives
Differentiated Investment Approach in Emerging Markets
GemCorp employs a unique and tailored strategy for investing in emerging markets, focusing on direct lending, trade finance, and private equity. The firm aims to address the capital shortage that many emerging economies face by engaging closely with local borrowers and understanding their specific needs. This approach enables GemCorp to provide customized financial solutions for critical infrastructure projects, healthcare, and energy, among others. The firm's local presence and knowledge allow it to redefine how capital is allocated, distinguishing it from typical asset allocators that rely on algorithmic models.
Exit Strategies for Sustainable Returns
GemCorp recognizes the importance of having effective exit strategies when investing in emerging markets, where challenges such as currency depreciation and limited access to deep-pocketed investors can complicate the process. By utilizing self-liquidating revolving debt facilities with defined repayment terms, the company ensures consistent returns without the risk of having to rely on public listings or uncertain refinancing. The meticulous structuring of investment instruments under robust legal frameworks helps mitigate risk and provides a solid exit path. As demonstrated by the firm's track record of investing over $8 billion with double-digit returns, these strategies have proven effective in capturing returns while managing potential risks.
The Need for Foreign Direct Investment
Emerging markets require substantial foreign direct investment to foster sustainable growth, particularly as they grapple with external economic pressures. The effects of inflation and other global economic shifts can be especially pronounced in these regions, emphasizing the need for dedicated capital allocation strategies. GemCorp emphasizes the importance of private capital, positioning itself to fill the void left by traditional public funding avenues, which often fall short. The firm advocates for increased investment from global institutions, highlighting the untapped potential and impact of private credit in driving economic development and local improvement in emerging market countries.
Atanas Bostandjiev, founder & CEO of Gemcorp Capital Management, joins BI chief emerging markets fixed-income strategist Damian Sassower to discuss his firm’s approach to engineering performance and mitigating risk in emerging and frontier markets. Securitization expertise is critical when extending private credit to local operators across emerging markets, with heavy focus on principal protection and repayment. Bostandjiev and Sassower examine loan structuring, deal flow, exit strategies and currency risk, as foreign creditors’ appetite for incremental carry extends to EM.
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