Valhalla Capital Partners signs joint venture agreement with a Finnish wastewater pioneer
South Africa based investment holding company, Valhalla Capital Partners has signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JV) with Finnish wastewater treatment technology pioneer EPSE Oy (Ltd.). The joint venture will start operations on 1 October 2024. The agreement was signed by Lesibana Fosu, CEO of Valhalla Capital Partners (Pty) Ltd and Jouni Jääskeläinen, CEO of EPSE Oy (Ltd.), which is based in Helsinki, Finland.
The agreement that was signed is for a JV that covers Africa, to disseminate EPSE’s innovative water treatment technology. Utilising the EPSE™ method, the technology will be used with local partners involved in water treatment solutions on the African continent. EPSE’s technology removes metals from water, creating recyclable water and environmentally friendly precipitate. The method can be applied to all wastewaters containing dissolved metals. Such effluents are typical byproducts of the continent’s robust mining and diverse industrial sectors.
In addition to Valhalla Capital Partners, the agreement includes the Finnish company EPSE and two other companies. They are Prosep, a water treatment company based in Johannesburg and Titan Resources, a Houston, Texas based mining consultancy led by Blaine Wilson who has worked globally in the mining industry and brings a wealth of knowledge on how water impacts mining and vice-versa.
Speaking on the announcement and the significance it holds for multinational partnerships in Africa’s mining and infrastructure sector, Valhalla Capital Partners, CEO, Lesibana Fosu commented that, “this is an exciting venture to bring a leading European company that has a global footprint into Africa’s water treatment functions. The Joint Venture Agreement will aid multiple players in various countries on the continent towards opportunities that aid sustainable business practices and enhancement of their operational efficiencies.”
“There are a number of opportunities that have been identified in Zambia and the DRC, as well as the rest of the continent which we look forward to developing in the name of a greener water footprint on the continent. These will include partnering with a range of existing agencies and institutions.”
Water is becoming increasingly important globally and the effects of climate change will be felt in areas already suffering from drought and extreme events, like Africa. As Steve Evans, CEO of Prosep states, “clean water and responsible use of water resources are important to countries across the African continent. This agreement will enable progress towards water and metals recycling, locally.”
Africa also has a large mining and industrial sector struggling to cope with scarce resources and a large population. EPSE will enable water recycling and provide the industry with the opportunity to operate sustainably in terms of wastewater management and recycling.
Valhalla Capital Partners will raise financing for the expansion of the JV, not only in South Africa but across the continent. The activities of the JV will consist of projects where samples from individual mines will be processed by EPSE, and solutions will be implemented locally in partnership with Prosep.
The market has already been mapped and half a dozen potential mines have been identified; a set of samples are on the way to EPSE’s laboratory in Finland, while other arrangements for the JV operations are underway. In the long term, activities will be local and EPSE’s aim is to train local people. “EPSE wants to transfer technological know-how as quickly as possible to ensure that large-scale water-usage in Africa is successful, and is clean and environmentally sound,” Jääskeläinen said. He added, “this is a great partnership for Finland and Africa.”
About Valhalla Capital Partners
Valhalla Capital Partners, targets dynamic sectors, including agricultural innovation, infrastructure development, particularly water, renewable energy, fintech, and healthcare, aiming to create sustainable, scalable value. Its commitment is to the African continent, supporting visionary mid-cap, privately owned businesses with high-growth potential. Beyond capital, Valhalla Capital Partners provides operational expertise, strategic guidance, and access to our global network.
All of its investments deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns while positively impacting local economies and communities. Our track record includes building strategic infrastructure in East Africa and driving fintech innovation in West Africa, demonstrating our ability to transform businesses.
About EPSE
EPSE Oy (Ltd.) is a privately owned Finnish company committed to environmental sustainability and a circular economy. Our expertise lies in the advanced treatment of industrial hazardous processes and wastewater containing soluble metals. We strive to mitigate climate change by minimising the environmental footprint of wastewater management.
Through innovative techniques, we recover valuable metals and other materials, promoting resource circularity and reducing waste. Our solutions contribute to the ESG goals of reducing emissions, preserving natural resources, and fostering responsible waste handling in industrial processes. EPSE Team consists of world class professionals in the fields of chemistry, water treatment, marketing and business development. In addition EPSE’s advisors include specialists in international commercialising, contract law and different legislations.
