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Premier Invest Returns as AEW 2026 Silver Partner to Advance African Energy Investment and Dealmaking
International investment firm Premier Invest will participate as a Silver Partner at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 12‒16. Returning to Africa’s premier energy event following a landmark year of institutional expansion and transaction growth, the firm will once again leverage AEW as a platform to connect global capital with bankable African energy opportunities, reinforcing its role as one of the continent’s premier deal originators and financial advisory firms.
Operating through Premier Investment Holding (PIHL) and its regulated investment management subsidiary Premier Investment Partners, Premier Invest specialized on cross-border financial advisory, mergers and acquisitions, structured finance, private credit, and debt restructuring. Led by Founder and Managing Partner René Awambeng, the firm has built a strong presence connecting institutional capital from the Gulf and Middle East with high-growth energy and infrastructure opportunities across Africa.
Premier Invest returns to AEW following a standout performance at AEW 2025, where it served as the event’s official Deal Room sponsor. The company facilitated investment discussions around an aggregated $13.4 billion portfolio of bankable projects spanning upstream, midstream, downstream and renewable energy sectors. Throughout the week, Premier Invest connected project developers with major financiers and industry stakeholders, including Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation, Shell, Trafigura and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization, strengthening AEW’s position as Africa’s premier energy investment marketplace.
Since then, the firm has continued expanding its institutional platform. Earlier this year, Premier Invest entered a strategic partnership with CBC Bourse, the investment banking subsidiary of the Commercial Bank of Cameroon, strengthening its capabilities in sovereign advisory, capital raising and debt restructuring across the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. The company also advanced the rollout of its $500 million Sports & Infrastructure Fund, designed to finance infrastructure, transport and smart-city developments that support long-term economic growth across the continent.
These milestones build on a transformative 2025. Premier Investment Partners secured authorization from the Abu Dhabi Global Market Financial Services Regulatory Authority, enabling the firm to establish and manage institutional investment funds while expanding beyond transaction advisory into regulated asset management. The company subsequently consolidated its operations under the PIHL structure, strengthening its integrated offering across investment management, advisory services and trade finance.
“Premier Invest has become a leading catalyst for energy investment across Africa by connecting international capital with commercially viable projects. Its continued leadership of the AEW Deal Room is helping transform investment opportunities into real projects that strengthen Africa’s energy future,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
At AEW 2026, Premier Invest is expected to engage governments, developers, financiers and investors on financing solutions for projects across the energy value chain. As a Silver Partner, the company continues to strengthen Africa’s investment ecosystem while helping unlock the capital needed to advance the continent’s next generation of energy developments.