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Matching6 min read

How matching works

What happens between you registering a profile and a confidential introduction landing in your inbox — how CapitalConnect maps mandates to opportunities, what the matcher actually scores, and where the human judgement sits.

CapitalConnect is an introduction layer. It sits between investors looking for exposure and Zimbabwean sponsors looking for capital, and its single job is to route the right introduction — not to broker the deal, hold money, or give advice. Getting a good match out of it starts with understanding what the engine is doing on the inside.

Two profiles, one map

Everything begins with a profile. An investor states a mandate: ticket size, the sectors they want exposure to, the structures they can hold (direct equity, SPV, fund, debt), and the jurisdictions they are comfortable contracting in. A sponsor states a raise: how much, for what, in which sector, at what stage, and what they are offering. The matcher overlays the two and looks for genuine overlap.

What the matcher actually scores

  • Ticket fit: does the investor's cheque size cover a meaningful slice of the raise? A USD 250k investor and a USD 20M raise are rarely a match.
  • Sector fit: the sponsor's sector against the investor's stated appetite — mining, energy, fuel, agriculture, infrastructure and so on.
  • Structure fit: can the parties hold the deal the same way? An investor who only does SPV co-investments and a sponsor who only wants direct equity need reconciling first.
  • Jurisdiction and compliance fit: the contracting layer the investor needs (often a US or regional holding entity) against where the asset sits.
  • Stage fit: early origination versus a shovel-ready deal with a data room.

The output is a shortlist with a cohort label and a recommendation, which you can save to your portal. A high score is a strong signal of fit — it is not a recommendation to invest.

Where the human judgement sits

The engine narrows the field; a person makes the introduction. Before any two parties are connected, the introduction is compliance-screened across the group perimeter (sanctions and AML checks live at the US parent). Only then is a confidential introduction routed — and that is the moment the paperwork matters.

What turns a match into an introduction

  • An Investor–Sponsor NDA is put in place so both sides can speak freely — the sponsor's deal information and the investor's mandate and identity are both protected.
  • Where an introducer earns a success fee, an Introduction Agreement records the scope of the introduction and the fee that becomes payable if a transaction completes.
  • From there the parties run their own diligence and, if it goes well, move to a term sheet.

A match is a starting point for a conversation, not a vetted investment or a guarantee that a deal exists. Each party is responsible for its own due diligence and advice. CapitalConnect introduces; it does not advise on, or warrant, any transaction.

This guide is general information only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Engage qualified counsel in the relevant jurisdiction before taking any action.