Welcome
At Corniche Growth Advisors we provide dedicated senior expertise and “go further” by starting with a deep understanding of the business, while validating strategies through market engagement and execution.
We partner with our clients and work together at the executive and/or board level to tackle difficult growth and value-related opportunities and challenges. As a boutique advisory firm, we are able to provide the hands-on, flexible, senior attention to mid-market and growth companies that larger strategic consulting firms and investment banks find hard to match. Corniche understands the complicated intersection of strategy development and delivery, as well as capital needs and returns. This, combined with our access to growth capital, gives our services a unique edge.
Team
David Keast
Ian Buchel
Vamshi Lingampally
Sectors
"All things disruptive" with a focus on Fintech, Insurtech and Telco.
With a competency in “all things disruptive”, we focus on the broader Fintech, Insurtech and Telco sectors, where we have a deep knowledge of the ecosystems, structures, trends, value drivers, underlying technology and where we have senior relationships with key decision makers.
Fintech
Our coverage of Fintech includes the Payments, Stablecoins/Crypto, Banking, Alternative Lending, Wealth Management, Capital Markets, Regulatory (Regtech) and Property (Proptech) sectors. We have a strong focus on Payments including all types of mobile payments…
Insurtech
Our coverage of Insurtech includes companies with enabling technologies, business models and/or platforms that can transform or improve efficiencies in functions such as pricing, user acquisition, marketing, policy administration, brokering and claims for the insurance industry…
Energy/Climatetech
The global shift toward decarbonisation and energy security is reshaping how power is generated, stored, distributed and consumed. Corniche covers the enabling technologies and the software layer driving that transition…
We cover cross-sector themes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and many others.
We cover various horizontal themes that span virtually every tech sector where we see the competitive edge that these themes bring to a particular value proposition or go-to-market strategy, and in these cases may engage in other sectors such as Medtech, Mobility etc.
AI
AI is permeating every possible application in every sector, and coverage now extends beyond classic machine learning, deep learning, NLP and vision to the current wave defining the category: large language models (LLMs), small language models (SLMs) built for efficiency and edge/on-device deployment, and world models that let systems reason about and simulate physical and dynamic environments…
Web3
Web3 is one of the fastest-evolving layers of the disruptive technology stack, spanning blockchain protocols and Layer 1/Layer 2 infrastructure, digital asset custody and wallets, tokenisation of real-world assets, decentralised finance (DeFi), stablecoins and payment rails, NFTs and digital identity, and the DAOs and governance tooling reshaping how organisations are structured and funded…
Other themes
There are many other themes that cut across sectors such as Software as a Service (SaaS) cybersecurity and privacy, digital infrastructure and sovereignty and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Services
Comprehensive growth services encompassing the entire process from strategy identification, development, validation and execution. Strategies for every growth opportunity and challenge: Capital Raising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Go-To-Market and Cross-border. We get the business done.
Capital-raising strategies
- Defining the client strategy in terms of capital needs.
- Setting robust scenarios around the capital needs, including various structures of investment to achieve desired outcomes (alignment of shareholder interests, etc.).
- Writing the Investment Memorandum in partnership with the executives (they need to “own” it).
- Identifying likely investors with specific knowledge and experience, be it geography, industry or a criterion such as BEE (in South Africa).
- Establishing the approach strategy and competitive environment if appropriate (sometimes bilateral negotiation is sufficient).
- Project managing the capital raising process, including presentations, due diligence, meetings, etc.;
- Helping with the negotiation of final contracts.
Go-to-market strategies
- Identifying and developing strategies for new business models, new market segments, new channels, new customer types and new geographies.
- Developing winning strategies through research, analysis, studies, market engagement, financial modelling and business plans.
- Identifying, engaging and testing feasibility of potential customers, channels and partners, as well as validating and executing on the business development.
- Identifying and developing strategic partnerships for branding, marketing, channel, market-entry and technology leverage.
Mergers & acquisitions
- Running a well-defined M&A process.
- Identifying buy-side or sell-side targets for acquisition, merger or exit.
- Preparation of the Information Memorandum and valuations.
- Preparation of merged business plans and financials.
- Conducting challenge or defensive due diligences.
- Managing target engagement throughout.
- Support in deal negotiation and closing.
Cross-border strategies
- Targeting investors in multiple jurisdictions in an international capital raise
- Targeting investors in a particular market where a client is looking to expand into that market and/or externalise their company out of its local market
- Targeting acquirers in multiple jurisdictions in an international sale (outright or majority sale)
- Buy-side acquisitions as a means of expanding geographically into new markets
- Developing strategic partnerships of various types including joint ventures in order to enter a new market
- Expertise in working across multiple jurisdictions and working with our partner network where required
- Global reach particularly US, Europe/UK, SE Asia & HK and Sub-Saharan Africa
- Particular strength in the Africa to/from Europe/UK corridor
Blog
Latest industry insights.
The rise of the technical Founder/CEO in European Tech
The Independent Chair: The Missing Piece in VC and PE-Backed Boards
