Independent investment bank Fieldstone Africa has opened a second office in Africa. The East Africa headquarters in Nairobi becomes the company’s fifth site globally after London, Johannesburg, Berlin and Washington, DC.

Over the last 20 years, Fieldstone Africa has been involved in over US$12bn-worth of transactions in energy, infrastructure and related large capital projects throughout the continent.

Catherine Adeya-Wedya is the senior representative of the East Africa office.

Speaking at the launch of the office, Fieldstone Africa chief executive Jason Harlan, said that the firm has identified East Africa, and Kenya in particular, as a vital location to serve the company’s existing clients and help local firms tap into its global network of resources and expertise.

“We foresee an Africa of regions, and of those regions, few, if any, present a more compelling case than East Africa for growth. It is a privilege to be here in Nairobi to take part and assist in that development. We are quite active in the region and have come to the conclusion we must be here all the time,” he said.

“As an independent investment bank, we offer objective advice tailored to help our clients achieve optimal financial and strategic results based on their specific needs.”

The launch comes as Fieldstone Africa and its subsidiary, Fieldstone Africa Investment Resources (FAIR), are involved in several energy projects in the region. The projects “evidence the shift in the energy paradigm to a broader mix of renewable and off-grid solutions complementing the centralised power production”, says a statement issued by the company.

In June this year Fieldstone Africa introduced an investment index for renewable energy in Africa to assist investors, developers and financial institutions in comparing the relative merit of renewable efforts in different countries.

The Fieldstone Africa Renewables Index (FARI) takes into account real-world experience as well as legal, regulatory and technical measures.