Matt Cape (51) is an experienced entrepreneur and company director. With 25 years of experience in international business, Matt’s career has focused on commodity markets. Starting as a shipping and trade analyst, he proceeded to build a number of businesses reporting on commodity trades and the analysis of the companies operating within these markets. Matt has established and successfully operated companies in India, South-East Asia, Europe and North America. Following the sale of Petromedia Group – which he was a founder and CEO – to S&P Global in 2015, he has continued his career with a focus on trade finance. Partnering with Johannes and two further professionals in late 2015, the team developed a distinct trade finance strategy – titled ‘Neutral Principal’ – and established a fund managed from Singapore in 2018. The strategy continues to deliver strong and consistent returns, but significantly has an implied risk rating of at least “AA”. Matt and Johannes exited in 2020, recognising an opportunity to induce a similar trade finance strategy and fund it at scale. Matt holds an MBA from the Judge Business School (Cambridge), and he is of British origin.

Johannes Hainlein (50) is a hands-on and enthusiastic multiple entrepreneur, investor and experienced finance professional. Johannes has over 25 years of experience in Corporate Finance Advisory as well as acting Principal (since 2000) for a wide variety of alternative investments ranging from company and asset acquisitions to complex restructuring and turn-around cases, as well as alternative assets investment portfolios. He has been active as co-founder for several technology-driven and trade finance-related ventures morphing to become businesses. Johannes lead the development and investment strategy & execution of a European multi-family office since 2004 engaging in corporate acquisitions internationally, alternative fund and real estate investments, and he was entrusted with the private office affairs of the lead family members. In close cooperation with the principals, he guided the family office successfully through the financial crisis and its aftermath. In 2015, Johannes partnered with Matt developing the successful trade finance investment strategy titled ‘Neutral Principal’. Together they continue to push boundaries whilst remaining realists. Johannes studied Business, French and Spanish at European Business School, and he is of German origin.