SEAF commits capital to Indian cotton seed processor
Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF), the Washington-based private equity firm, has made an investment in Abhay Cotex Private Limited (ACPL), an Indian firm that processes cotton seeds for use in animal feed.
The company, based in Jalna, Maharashtra state, extracts cottonseed meal, oil, linters and hulls through a single-stage process that saves roughly 90% of the water and energy. The materials are then used to produce a high protein de-oiled cake for cattle feed, which it claims can increase productivity among dairy cows by up to 20% within the first four weeks.
The product is distributed domestically and overseas to customers in Thailand, South and East Africa, China, and Korea.
SEAF's capital injection will be used to facilitate ACPL’s second processing plant and also to improve marketing and help obtain licensing for the company's technology, according to a statement.
Bert van der Vaart, co-founder and chairman of SEAF said, "By saving on water and energy costs, and producing superior grade DOC, the company has the potential to greatly boost the productivity of dairy cows at just the time when demand for dairy products in India is increasing significantly.”
SEAF has so far raised over $620 million in committed capital and operates 28 funds that target emerging markets with particular focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises in the agriculture and energy spaces. In India, the firm operates SEAF India International Growth Fund (SIIGF) in tandem with Kotak Mahindra Private Equity.
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