Silk Invest Limited

Silk Invest Limited

Silk Invest Limited was founded in 2007 by Walid Shihabi and has operated from London for over 17 years, targeting investment opportunities in frontier and emerging markets that are typically underserved by global allocators. The firm was established during a period when Western institutional capital increasingly sought higher-yielding, non-correlated assets outside of traditional developed markets. Silk Invest's strategy spans private credit, private equity, and infrastructure finance, with a particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. The firm structures its investments as direct deals and co-investments alongside other specialist investors, often focusing on sectors such as energy, logistics, and financial services. Notable cited positions include projects in renewable energy in East Africa and infrastructure development in the Middle East (per public record, various years). The team size and exact AUM are not publicly disclosed, but the firm's operational footprint remains concentrated in one London office. Silk Invest has maintained a low public profile, with limited press coverage and no historical fundraising disclosed through conventional data vendors. No recent operational event has been recorded within the last 24 months. Silk Invest's structural differentiator lies in its narrow geographic mandate and emphasis on frontier markets that most multi-family offices avoid. By specializing in regions where capital flows are less efficient, the firm aims to capture illiquidity premiums while operating with a lean, research-intensive model — a governance choice that enables concentrated exposure to high-growth, high-risk geographies.