OPP.L Regulatory News (OPP)

24 Apr 2007 10:56

Origo Sino-India PLC24 April 2007 24th April 2007 ORIGO APPOINTS SOUTH AFRICAN BASED HEAD OF M&A TO LEVERAGE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Origo Sino-India plc ("Origo") (AIM:OSI), the investment and strategic advisorycompany focussed on the private equity markets of China and India, is pleased toannounce the appointment of John Blake, a South African citizen based in CapeTown, as Managing Director M & A. Reporting directly to Origo's CEO, Chris Rynning, John's primary function willbe to find and close investment and cross border business opportunities in SouthAfrica which have a particular relevance to India and China. Such opportunities in South Africa are well illustrated by the existing pipelineof investment prospects which include: • a textile sector company under pressure from Chinese and Indiancompetition, • a media sector company of interest to Chinese and Indian investors, • a healthcare sector company targeting the pharmaceutical markets ofIndia and China, and • identification of iron ore related opportunities for the Indian andChinese steel industry Commenting, Chris Rynning, CEO of Origo said: "There are significant business opportunities arising between resource richSouth Africa and the resource consuming economies of China and India. Asestablished and well connected investors in China and India, we areadvantageously placed to leverage such opportunities and, with a highlyexperienced senior executive now in place in South Africa, we will be able toindentify such opportunities more quickly than we could from Beijing or Mumbai." END For further information, please call: Christopher Joll/Tim McCall, MJ2 020 7491 7776 Notes to Editors John Blake : • John Blake (37) is a management consultant who holds a BSC (Economics &Applied Mathematics) from Stellenbosch University and a BComm (Accountancy &Economics) from the University of South Africa. • After qualifying with PriceWaterhouseCoopers SA, John worked in seniormanagement positions before setting up Hyperion Capital Services CC in 2003.Hyperion provides consulting and corporate finance and advisory services to arange of clients. In 2005, John joined the board of Smartplan Consulting SA, anestablished provider of business intelligence services to the South Africancorporate sector. Origo Sino-India plc: • Origo is an established and profitable private equity investor andstrategic consultancy business, which provides its shareholders with exposure togrowth opportunities and private equity returns in China and India. • Origo's business model is to generate capital gains from private equityinvestment in growth companies from which it also generates fees for consultancyservices related to further fundraisings, M&A and strategic development. • Origo is aligned with two major institutions which provide a source ofhigh quality deal flow. In China, Origo works closely with China Equity, aleading private equity firm, whose chief executive is on Origo's board. InIndia, Origo has entered into a memorandum of understanding with SBI CapitalMarkets, one of longest established companies in the Indian Capital Markets. Aformer chairman of SBI is on the board of Origo. • Origo has signed agreements with 3 Chinese companies and 7 Indiancompanies to provide both financing and advisory services, 9 portfolio companiesin China - in addition to the investments in RongRun and Rising - and 23potential investments in the pipeline. • At the AIM Placing in December 2006 Origo raised £12.8 million gross ofnew money via a placing of 25,673,238 Ordinary Shares at 50 pence per share.Each Ordinary Share carries a Warrant exercisable at 55p. Seymour Pierce Ltd isthe nominated adviser and broker. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange