Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners (“ADCP”) is a joint venture between Mubadala Investment Company based in Abu Dhabi and Alpha Wave Global. ADCP was established in April 2019 with committed capital of US$1bn.
ADCP has a dual mandate to achieve financial returns while also contributing to the overall development of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”). We seek to partner with top-tier investment firms and industry leading businesses who would benefit from developing a meaningful and sustainable presence in the ADGM.
Our investment strategy is global, sector agnostic and has scope for both direct and fund investments.
We evaluate partnerships on three key principles:
Potential to meet target financial returns;
Creation of sustainable presence in the ADGM, with a strong focus on investing in local talent and promoting the hiring of UAE nationals;
Scalability through building on the ADGM’s competitive advantages as a financial and regulatory ecosystem; and opportunity to contribute to sector-hubs which are advantageous to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Global Market
About Abu Dhabi Global Market
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an international financial centre (IFC) located in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, opened for business on 21 October 2015. Established by UAE Federal Decree as a broad-based financial centre, ADGM augments Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for business and finance and serves as a strategic link between the growing economies of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and the rest of the world.
ADGM’s strategy is anchored by Abu Dhabi’s key strengths including private banking, wealth management, asset management and financial innovation. Comprising three independent authorities: ADGM Courts, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and the Registration Authority, ADGM as an IFC governs Al Maryah Island which is a designated financial free zone. It enables registered financial institutions, companies and entities to operate, innovate and succeed within an international regulatory framework based on Common Law.
For more details of ADGM, please visit www.adgm.com.
James Munce is the Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. James started his career with PwC auditing private equity and hedge funds whilst qualifying as a chartered accountant before moving to Merrill Lynch (BAML) in 2007. James spent 11 years at BAML building out the award-winning Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions (MLIS) UCITS platform that partnered with top tier investment managers to provide European distribution and infrastructure. MLIS had peak assets of $6.5 BN and James served as both COO and CEO. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners James was the COO of the Australian multi boutique business Fidante Partners with assets of $65 BN across 14 boutique partners.
Bill Watts
General Counsel & Chief Operating Officer
Bill Watts is the General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Previously, Bill served as Of Counsel in the corporate department of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati P.C., where he was a senior member of the investment funds practice, regularly advising fund sponsors and institutional investors on structuring, strategy, and ongoing regulatory considerations. Previously, Bill was Counsel in the corporate practice group at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. Before entering private practice, he spent nearly six years with Morgan Creek Capital Management, LLC, a global investment management firm, serving as the firm's Chief Compliance Officer, Director of Regulatory Affairs, and Corporate Secretary. Bill began his career as a Staff Attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement. Bill has a BA and JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Daniel Jano
Investment Director
Daniel Jano is the Investment Director at Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, Daniel was an Investment Director at Korthi Capital conducting investment research and diligence for a sophisticated institutional and private investor base. Previously, Daniel was a Principal at Partners Capital advising senior partners at leading global investment firms, endowments and foundations, and ultra-high-net-worth families. Prior to Partners Capital, Daniel was at JP Morgan, most recently as a Portfolio Manager and VP on its Global Access Investment Team. Daniel began his career in JP Morgan’s Chief Investment Office as an Equity Derivatives Discretionary Trader and Investment Analyst. Daniel has an MBA with Honors from Columbia Business School and a BA in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University.
Simon Temple
Chief Compliance Officer & MLRO
Simon Temple is the Chief Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. He is highly experienced compliance and risk management professional with a 30 year career in financial markets regulation, corporate governance and complex financial crime investigation. Previously, Simon was a partner with consulting firm J. Awan & Partners Limited and a senior manager with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission where he was responsible for a range of major investigations and related litigation arising from corporate governance and compliance failures. Simon holds a Diploma in Financial Markets (Securities Institute of Australia) and a Graduate Diploma of Business Administration (Melbourne Business School – Mt Eliza Executive Education). He is also a qualified member of the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS).
Maral Sivzattian
Investment Director
Maral Sivzattian is an Investment Director at Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners Maral was a Vice President at Samena Capital, focusing on private equity investments in emerging markets under the firm’s Special Situation Funds. Previously, Maral worked in M&A at Citigroup and at Barclays Capital in London. She also has industry experience having worked with Ruspetro PLC (a London-listed oil & gas producer) and GMS Holdings (a diversified industrial conglomerate in Jordan). Maral holds an MBA from London Business School and a BA in Law and Business Studies from the University of Warwick, UK.
Faisal AlBreiki
Investment Associate
Faisal AlBreiki is an Investment Associate at Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, Faisal worked with Global Ventures on growth stage investments in emerging markets. Previously, Faisal was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, serving clients across various industries in both the public and private sectors. Faisal began his career as an engineer with Occidental Petroleum. Faisal holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. During his time at MIT, Faisal also worked with Zapata Computing, a growth stage, quantum computing software company on business strategy.
Alex Mitchell
Investment Director
Alex Mitchell is an Investment Director at Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, Alex was an Investment Vice President and Strategy Director at SoftBank Investment Advisers in London and Abu Dhabi, focusing on growth equity investments for the SoftBank Vision Funds. Previously, Alex was a Senior Manager at Strategy&, part of the PwC network, leading delivery of commercial diligence and strategy projects with a focus on TMT and Healthcare. Alex holds an MA in Oriental Studies Combined from the University of Cambridge.
Aya Makki
Investment Principal
Aya Makki is an Investment Principal at Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, Aya was an Investment Associate at TowerBrook Capital Partners in London, a private equity firm focused on mid-market investments in Western Europe and North America. Previously, Aya worked in M&A at Rothschild & Co in London. Aya holds an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut.
Sirius Aviation Capital
Sirius Aviation Capital is an aircraft leasing platform established in ADGM to leverage its close proximity to the rapidly growing aviation market in the GCC, Africa, Central and South East Asia.
Freedom Asset Management is an ADGM-based wealth management company seeking investment opportunities for its clients and looking to expand its international product range.
Avenue Capital Group is a global investment firm that was founded in 1995 by its Senior Principals, Marc Lasry and Sonia Gardner. The firm's primary focus is investing in distressed debt and other special situations investments in the United States, Europe and Asia. Headquartered in New York, Avenue’s ADGM office builds on its global offices in Europe, Asia and Silicon Valley.
Olive Rock Partners is an independent private equity firm based in the rapidly growing financial hub of Abu Dhabi Global Market. Olive Rock Partners will focus on strategically and tactically capitalizing on the evolving investment landscape in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries primarily.
Securrency is a platform which enables seamless integration of emerging distributed ledger technology capabilities, with existing banking and exchange infrastructure.
Lookout is a recognised leader in enterprise mobile security. In partnership with ADCP, Lookout has established regional headquarters in the ADGM from which it will grow its product into MENA markets.
Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. Telegram has over 500 million monthly active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world.
The Carlyle Group is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions. Carlyle will open its regional headquarters in ADGM through its partnership deal with Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners.
Vortex Energy is a renewable energy investments platform based in the ADGM, with an international mandate to pursue opportunities arising from the global transition to clean energy generation and net-zero carbon emissions.
