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About Us

Get to know Acacia SBA

Who We Are

Acacia provides advisory services to fund managers and companies active in impactful sectors across the entire globe, in the global south as well as in developed markets. The company provides business development, corporate finance, structuring, and fund-raising services to companies, fund managers, NGOs, and public institutions.

Acacia has a particular strength in nature-based solutions that span the agriculture, agroforestry, forestry, and ocean sectors. The energy transition and renewable energy is also an important focus sector. Developing viable business models that leverage junior funding sources and derive some revenues from carbon and ecosystem services is a core competence.

Our Mission

The Acacia mission is to enable its clients to achieve lasting positive impact by sharpening their financial and impact propositions and enabling them to access growth capital so that they can achieve their full potential.

Our Vision

Acacia aims to help create solid businesses with sustainability embedded in their DNA, as a foundation stone for stable and prosperous communities. Acacia also works to connect these businesses with investors seeking to fund the businesses that will form long-term foundations for a sustainable planet.

Meet the Team

Discover the passionate faces behind Acacia.

Martin Poulsen

Director

Martin has been active in private equity, SME finance and emerging markets for 20 years. He has worked in many parts of the industry and has developed an excellent network amongst industry participants. Through Acacia, he makes this experience, network and passion for sustainable investment available to clients.

Martin’s most relevant experience includes:

  • Business process re-engineering consultant with Computer Sciences Corporation from 1993 to 1995. Project Engineer with Commonwealth Development Corporation between 1995 and 1997.
  • Investment Manager with Kennet Capital between 1997 and 2002, a leading technology venture capital fund investing in young technology businesses in Europe and the United States.
  • Development Banker and Investor in funds (LP) with the European Investment Bank and the African Dev-elopment Bank between 2003 and 2012, Martin has worked closely with many successful investment mana-gement groups, providing support through Advisory Board and Investment Committee posts. He has been a regular speaker at industry events and served as a member of the EMPEA Africa Council whilst at AfDB.
  • Partner in the Moringa Partnership between 2012 and 2016, a ground-breaking sustainability oriented investment fund investing in agroforestry companies in Africa and Latin America, which raised EUR85m from development finance institutions (DFIs), banks, family offices and foundations.
  • Experienced Advisor and Consultant since 2016.  Martin founded Acacia and has developed a successful business as an advisor to companies, fund managers public sector organisations and NGOs.  Multiple assignments have been conducted with strong and referencable results for clients.  Martin has established Acacia as a key strategic partner over the medium to longer term with Acacia’s clients.

Martin Poulsen

Director

Our Impact in Numbers

400

Million Raised and Mobilized as Capital

50

Innovative Businesses Empowered

16

Clients

What We Believe In

Here’s everything that drives us forward with passion & purpose.

Total Impact

We believe that financial success and impact are mutually reinforcing and go hand-in-hand. Strong performance on environmental and social performance metrics reinforces business performance and profits, reduces risks, and enhances connections with stakeholders, in particular local communities.

Innovation And Best Practice

Disruptive and innovative business models enable companies to distinguish themselves and seize exciting opportunities. With its profound understanding of diverse business models and investor requirements, Acacia facilitates essential connections that empower businesses to accelerate their growth.

The Power Of The Entrepreneur

We aim to support and develop entrepreneurship and private enterprises as a means to achieving success. Acacia works to provide entrepreneurs and businesses operating in all parts of the globe with the support and services that they need.

Connectivity

Through its network of investors and professionals active in all aspects of company growth and investment, Acacia is well-positioned to make links that will make a difference to your business.

Public And Private Sector Synergies

Acacia works at the intersection of the public and private sectors and understands perfectly how to harness the strengths of both for the benefit of its clients.

How We Work

The Acacia business model is focused on strategic value of its advisory services as well as on value generated via transactions. Our objective is to add value by facilitating transactions or by providing strategic value during key periods in your organisation’s development.

Modern businesses require a more flexible approach, and there is a place in most businesses for high-value strategic advice provided by trusted partners over the medium term.

The intensity of involvement will vary over time, requiring flexibility in remuneration models, including periods during which the relationship continues but there is little or no service required.

The Acacia business model is Specifically designed to enable long term flexible strategically valuable relationships to be forged.

In the case of strategic advisory assignment, Acacia’s remuneration reflects time and resources devoted to the delivery of advisory services as well as the strategic value generated for a client. The duration of Acacia contracts is typically over the medium term (6-24 months) and a significant degree of flexibility can be built in to the engagement terms. Once the full value of Acacia services has been delivered, assignments come to an end. And may then restart again at a later date, when renewed advisory services are required.

In the case of a transaction, Acacia’s remuneration is designed to align interests around the completion of a successful transaction.

History

Acacia was founded in 2016 by Martin Poulsen and has a growing list of clients who have found the Acacia approach to be strategically valuable and in tune with the fast-evolving needs of modern business.

Acacia was established on the belief that a new organizational paradigm, underpinned by rapidly developing information and communications technology, is already in place and will grow strongly over the coming years.

Acacia has enabled a growing list of clients to ensure that they are well-positioned to access suitable sources of growth capital and has created successful platforms from which to develop new sustainable finance initiatives.