De Beers Ventures created to grasp minority equity stakes

De Beers Group, with robust diamond assets in Africa, has created De Beers Ventures to actively consider the acquisition of minority equity stakes in start-ups and growth companies, it said in a release issued on 22 June.

The new initiative will consider small investments in areas that may include downstream distribution, consumer brands, marketing platforms, security, cutting and polishing, and imaging technologies, it said.

The objectives of the investments will be “to generate returns that are both strategic and financial”, the world’s leading diamond group explained.

According to Tom Montgomery, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, De Beers Group, not all good ideas can be generated or executed by a large corporation.

“We believe that harnessing the energy of entrepreneurs to pursue strategic opportunities that benefit De Beers and the diamond industry can be a cost-effective, risk-reduced way to pursue innovation.” he said

De Beers Group is owned 85% by the Anglo American plc group and 15% by the Government of the Republic of Botswana.

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds.

Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa.