OREANDA-NEWS. Senior management at Renaissance Asset Managers (RAM) and Kazimir Partners, two leading emerging and frontier market investment management firms, announce the acquisition, subject to regulatory approvals, by Kazimir Partners of Renaissance Asset Managers from Moscow-based Renaissance Group.

The combined business will be independent and owned by its management and employees. The combination of Kazimir Partners’ hedge fund business and the RAM specialist fund platform will enable the firm to accelerate expansion in Africa and other Frontier markets across product lines and with enhanced distribution and service channels.

Since its establishment in 2003, RAM has gone from strength to strength and its strategy of delivering innovative products has cemented its position as a leading specialist manager investing in Russia, the CIS, Emerging Europe, Africa and Frontier Markets.

RAM’s UCITS funds are already widely distributed across Europe and the Middle East and have recently been registered in South Africa. In the past year, RAM has enjoyed a marked increase in inflows in the funds as investors turn their focus to emerging and frontier markets in the face of developed market woes. In addition to launching new funds in recent months, it recently announced the soft closure of its Sub-Saharan Fund, one of its stable of Africa and Frontier products, after significant institutional inflows. The Sub-Saharan Fund returned 31.4% in 2012[1]. The firm also announced last month that the five-star rated[2] Renasset Ottoman Fund celebrated its seventh anniversary with a fourth consecutive annual award from Euro for the best funds offered in the German marketplace. The Ottoman Fund returned 41.2% in 2012[3].

As investors continue to hunt for sustainable returns and yield, Frontier and Emerging Markets are set to be amongst the most important investment destinations for decades to come. With 10 years at the forefront of providing innovative Emerging and Frontier Market solutions, the firms’ management recognises that now is the time to accelerate the expansion of its successful investment product range and distribution platform.

Barbara Rupf Bee, CEO of RAM said:

RAM’s key aim is to provide clients with well-managed and transparent products in Emerging Markets coupled with excellent service and information provision – combining our efforts with Kazimir Partners allows us to accelerate the pace in broadening our range and leveraging the current platform.

Frank Mosier, Managing Partner & CIO of Kazimir Partners commented:

The result of this alliance is a team of professionals with robust international experience and unparalleled local emerging market expertise. With the leadership, and financial and human resources provided by this transaction, we will have the critical mass to become a market leader in Africa and select Emerging & Frontier Markets across the globe, as well as in Russia and Emerging Europe.

Plamen Monovski, CIO of RAM, said:

Our investment team, staffed with seasoned world-class professionals and backed by a rigorous process, will strive – with renewed vigour – to produce market-beating returns for the benefit of our global client base.