Inspired Evolution's III Fund Injects $20M into Cold Chain Expansion in East Africa

Inspired Evolution Co-Founders & Managing Partners: Wayne Keast and Christopher Clarke

Evolution III Fund, managed by Inspired Evolution, has committed $20 million to Cold Solutions East Africa Holdings (CSEAHL), a temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics platform.

CSEAHL is an investment vehicle owned by the ARCH Cold Chain Solutions East Africa Fund, which is managed by ARCH Emerging Markets Partners. African Rainbow Capital, through its subsidiary ARC Guernsey, is the controlling shareholder of ARCH Emerging Markets Partners.

Anthony Ngugi, investment director at Inspired Evolution, commented: “It’s been a pleasure to work on this transaction, which aligns with our investment theme of resource efficiency. It’s also highly impactful – contributing directly to improved food security in East Africa by strengthening the region’s cold-chain ecosystem.”

Wayne Keast, managing partner at Inspired Evolution, added: “Cold Solutions East Africa reflects the type of climate-resilient, scalable platform that embodies Inspired Evolution’s investment philosophy. By driving energy efficiency and sustainability into regional supply chains, this initiative tackles food waste at scale while reinforcing resilience in the face of climate change.”

Suki Muia, investment director at ARCH, commented, “We are excited to welcome Inspired Evolution to the cold chain strategy and look forward to collaboratively rolling out and growing the cold chain network in East Africa. The $20 million additional commitment to the fund by Inspired Evolution will facilitate the roll out of the remaining four facilities in Kampala, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, and Mombasa, complementing the flagship Tatu City facility that is already operational.”

Marlene Jennings, CEO at ARCH, added, “This partnership with Inspired Evolution underscores the importance of mobilising climate-smart capital into critical infrastructure for Africa’s food systems. Cold Solutions East Africa is not only addressing post-harvest losses but also enabling farmers, businesses, and consumers to access reliable and efficient cold storage. We look forward to working closely with Inspired Evolution to accelerate the rollout of facilities that will have a lasting impact on regional trade and food security.”

Source: Africa Private Equity News