(UCG Investments) July 3rd, 2012 – UCG Investments (“UCGI”), an investment management firm operating from London, Montevideo and Lima which manages over US$750M of real assets in Latin America, announces the first close of its latest private equity fund, Cypanga Latin American Opportunities. UCGI raised US$25M over a six-week fund raising period from a number of European blue-chip institutions and family offices.

Cypanga Latin American Opportunities is an open-ended investment fund with a mandate to invest in greenfield projects and operating companies in the agricultural, energy, forestry, infrastructure and real estate sectors, primarily in Uruguay, Peru and Colombia. UCGI is the investment management arm of the Union Group, a leading investor in Latin America, which gives the fund access to in-house sector specialists, including prominent experts in natural resources and infrastructure.

Other mandates managed by UCGI include a Special Situations fund, which, since its launch in 2009, has delivered cumulative returns of over 150%.

Commenting on the launch of the fund, Francisco Roque de Pinho, CEO of UCGI, said:
“Our ability to launch a new fund in a challenging capital raising environment underlines the continuing appeal of the region as a prime investment destination. In addition, the quality of investors that we attracted, and the fact that we were able to raise equity for Cypanga so quickly, is a testament to the UCGI track record and the wider investment and operational expertise of the Union Group.”

“We now look forward to investing this capital, utilising our local presence to source the most attractive deals, whilst also looking to raise further equity to deploy in our key target markets.”

About The Union Group:
Established in 2008, the Union Group is a privately owned investment firm with a portfolio of businesses spanning the agriculture, energy, forestry, infrastructure, minerals, oil & gas and real estate sectors. Since its inception, the Union Group has acted as a platform for western investment into those high growth Latin American economies characterised by under-developed natural resources and infrastructure sectors, a stable political environment and robust economic regulation. Union’s growth and excellent track record has been achieved through building a sound business infrastructure combining in-house specialists across each sector with world-class investment and project management expertise. The Union Group is led by its founder and president, Juan Sartori, and has offices in London, Montevideo and Lima.

About UCG Investments:
UCG Investments, the investment arm of the Union Group, manages over US$750M of real assets in Latin America. In addition to managing private equity vehicles including the Cypanga and Special Situations fund which invest opportunistically across Latin America, UCGI is responsible for raising equity on behalf of Union’s operational businesses, as well as financial management and reporting across those companies. For further information about UCG Investments, please visit www.ucginvestments.com.