Elena Castro

Pala is a specialist investment manager focused on the mining and metals sector. The firm invests worldwide in private equity as well as in public companies, both in established and emerging markets. They consider investments across a variety of commodities and minerals, including base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, coalbed methane and alternative energy sources. They also invest in mining services and consumables, as well as in mineral processing, mining technology and mining infrastructure. Their investments have included mining operations for gold and diamonds. In emerging markets they target early-stage companies, whereas in established market they tend to invest in larger companies, including in turnaround situations. Pala is a hands-on investor who gets actively involved in their investee companies at the board level. They provide strategic advisory and innovative financing solutions, and stay invested over the long term. The firm invests up to USD 150 million in the form of direct equity, debt and mezzanine financing. The firm's investment approach starts with a top-down macro view of developments within their sector of interest, and they may also invest opportunistically outside of their key sector of focus. Individual investment decisions are bottom-up and based on in-depth fundamental research at the company level.