Origination & Facilitation of Infrastructure Projects Across Africa
Acorn originates and structures opportunities, and facilitates strategic connections between project owners, EPC contractors, and financing partners to advance bankable projects across Africa.
OUR OPERATING MODEL
Acorn operates through dedicated local facilitation partners in each project jurisdiction, ensuring strong on-the-ground execution, while international structuring and financial alignment are coordinated centrally.
A structured approach to originating, aligning, and advancing bankable infrastructure and industrial projects across Africa.
1. Project Origination
Identify and structure opportunities with governments, project owners, and local stakeholders.
2. Partner Alignment
Connect project owners with international EPC contractors, investors, and financing institutions.
3. Structuring & Coordination
Facilitate project structuring, stakeholder coordination, and alignment to enable execution under EPC, EPC+F, PPP, and BOT frameworks.
Submit a Project
Have a project opportunity?
Submit it to connect with qualified EPC contractors, investors, and financing partners.
ACORN Groups LLC facilitates the engagement required to move projects from concept to execution across Africa
All submissions are handled confidentially and reviewed on a project-by-project basis. Selected opportunities may require a protection agreement prior to further engagement.
Leadership & Operations
Assefa Teka
Founder & Director
Entrepreneur with international experience across Canada, Ethiopia, and the United States. Leads strategic partnerships, project origination, and cross-border collaboration for infrastructure and development initiatives across Africa.
Muna Haddis
Partner Finance professional with international experience in investment analysis and financial structuring. Plays a key role in project evaluation, financial coordination, and partnership development across Acorn’s portfolio.
Addis Gebrehiwot
Executive Assistant
Provides operational coordination, administrative support, and communication management across Acorn’s activities.
Operating Model
Acorn Groups LLC operates as a facilitation and partnership platform, connecting:
• Project owners
• EPC contractors
• Investors and financiers
• Government stakeholders
We structure collaborations under EPC, EPC+F, BOT, and PPP frameworks, ensuring alignment and efficient execution.
Network & Strategic Partners
Acorn works with a flexible network of local facilitators, technical advisors, and international partners, enabling effective project development across diverse markets.
Why Acorn
After spending many years in Canada, I returned to Ethiopia and traveled across several African countries. What I observed was clear — while the potential is enormous, there remains a significant gap in infrastructure, industrial development, and project execution compared to North America.
This realization led me to initially establish a company in Dukem, near Addis Ababa, focused on assembling tractors and heavy equipment. However, I quickly understood that sustainable development requires more than local effort alone — it requires access to international expertise, technical know-how, and capital.
Along this journey, I was also involved in facilitating partnerships with international companies on practical projects, including collaboration on equipment supply and installation such as elevator systems. These experiences reinforced the importance of combining local knowledge with international expertise to successfully deliver projects on the ground.
My approach evolved.
I began exploring ways to bring experienced international companies, particularly from Canada and other developed markets, to work alongside local partners. The goal was not only to develop projects, but to ensure knowledge transfer, build local capacity, and create long-term value.
Through my travels and engagements, I also identified a consistent gap:
Many governments and private project owners have viable opportunities, but lack access to the right international contractors and structured financing solutions. At the same time, capable international companies are seeking reliable entry points into African markets.
Acorn Groups LLC was established to bridge this gap.
Acorn focuses on connecting project owners with qualified international EPC and EPC+Finance partners, facilitating collaboration, aligning stakeholders, and supporting the structuring of bankable and executable projects.
The vision is simple:
To create synergy between local opportunity and global capability — bringing together capital, expertise, and execution to support sustainable development across Africa.
What We Do
We facilitate the following:
• Bid and Tender Identification
• Financing Alignment with Financial Institutions, DFIs, and Capital Partners
• Project matching with EPC Contractors and Delivery Partners
• Opportunity Monitoring and Pipeline Development
• Joint Venture Structuring and Strategic Partnerships for Large-Scale Projects
Sector Connectivity
We operate across key infrastructure and industrial sectors in Africa, including energy, transportation, housing, water, and natural resources.
Our role is to align the right partners, technical expertise, and financing structures to advance high-impact, bankable projects.
Partner to Deliver Africa’s Infrastructure
Partner with ACORN Groups LLC to advance impactful infrastructure projects across Africa. Together, we can deliver sustainable solutions .
Case Studies
Selected Engagements Across Africa
✔ Green Energy – Djibouti: Engagement support for a utility-scale wind power initiative with international EPC partners.
✔ Housing – Kenya: Alignment of regional contractors and financing partners for affordable housing development.
✔ Solar Energy – Ghana: Introduction and coordination between a solar developer and development finance institutions (DFIs).
✔ Infrastructure – DRC: Facilitation of early-stage discussions for large-scale infrastructure opportunities with international contractors.
✔ Road Infrastructure – Uganda: Support for partnership structuring on a national road development project.
✔ Project Finance – Zambia: Investor alignment support for a major energy expansion initiative.
✔ Oil & Infrastructure – Niger: Strategic support for EPC engagement in petroleum and infrastructure opportunities.
✔ …And ongoing engagements across multiple sectors and regions in Africa.
Operating Across Complex Markets:
Infrastructure development across Africa requires strong local alignment, trusted networks, and effective coordination between stakeholders.
ACORN Groups LLC facilitates engagement between project owners, government entities, EPC contractors, and financing partners to move opportunities forward efficiently.
Through established regional relationships and structured coordination, we help bridge gaps between local project environments and international execution standards.
Platform Synergy :
ACORN operates as a project facilitation platform connecting infrastructure opportunities across Africa.
Our work is aligned with ICAN Mine Metals Ltd (ICAN), supporting the development of resource-driven and infrastructure-linked opportunities in key regions.
Together, we strengthen the connection between natural resources, infrastructure development, and international investment engagement.
Advance Infrastructure Opportunities Across Africa
Partner with ACORN Groups LLC to connect high-impact infrastructure projects with the right EPC contractors, partners, and financing channels.
We facilitate the engagement that moves projects from concept to execution.
