Madrid, August 08, 2024. COFIDES will support Xcalibur Multiphysics Group, a company specialized in natural resource mapping solutions, in a new international project to strengthen its activity in South Africa.
To this end, COFIDES has granted a loan from the Fund for Foreign Investment (FIEX) and its own resources, which will be used to finance the acquisition of 30% of Xcalibur Aviation South Africa, which owns 16 aircraft and in which Xcalibur Multiphysics Group already holds a 70% majority stake.
Xcalibur Smart Mapping, the brand name that encompasses all the group's companies (including Xcalibur Multiphysics Group and Xcalibur Aviation South Africa), is an established world leader in the airborne geophysics and mapping industry, with more than 1,400 projects executed worldwide for leading companies in the mining, oil and gas and energy sectors.
COFIDES has previously financed Xcalibur Multiphysics Group for its expansion into the markets of Colombia, India, Canada and Kazakhstan.
The CIO of COFIDES, Miguel Ángel Ladero, stated: "this operation is further step in the consolidation of a company that, since its inception, has been committed to R&D&I to offer cutting-edge solutions, which are its best letter of introduction in international markets. It is also expanding its range of services to offer solutions for quantifying the natural capital of countries in areas such as biodiversity, water or CO2 capture."
Joaquín López, Corporate Development Director of Xcalibur Smart Mapping commented that "the consolidation of our aviation companies is part of our group strategy and the acquisition of the remaining 30% of Xcalibur Aviation Africa gives us greater flexibility and autonomy. We thank COFIDES for its support since the beginning of our operations and for investing in corporations with a high R&D&I component, which support a fair energy transition through the quantification of natural capital."
ABOUT XCALIBUR
Xcalibur Smart Mapping is a global leader in the ground mapping and airborne geophysics industry, providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions and services for mapping and assessing natural capital, understanding both renewable and non-renewable resources, with over 100 years of cumulative experience.
It is committed to apply technology and smart data to responsibly locate natural capital, help stakeholders create opportunities for growth and integration, and protect biodiversity. All this with the firm purpose of accelerating a just energy transition towards a more sustainable economy, which makes them the partner of reference in the mapping of natural capital.
ABOUT COFIDES
COFIDES is a state-owned commercial company specialized in managing State funds that provides financing for private investments to achieve various public policy objectives. For over three decades, it has been managing resources aimed at supporting the internationalization of Spanish companies, and since 2021, the FONREC, a fund aimed at strengthening the solvency of Spanish companies severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. COFIDES has been assigned the direct management of two new financial instruments: the Co-investment Fund (FOCO), to attract foreign investment to Spain in activities mainly linked to green and digital transitions, and the Social Impact Fund, aimed at reinforcing the national ecosystem of impact investment. Additionally, COFIDES supports the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in managing financial cooperation resources. The Spanish state owns 53% of the capital, while the remaining 47% is held by Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
