Quarterly Letter, EIP
Quarterly Letter from Co-Chair, EIP, Q1 2024
Dear Sponsors, Board of Advisors, Members, and Readers,
I’m Khadijah, one of the co-chairs for EIP alongside Gaius. With this letter, I am eager to share the exciting updates for Q1 2024.
EIP Batch 2024 Graduation
In January, we hosted a graduation party for our beloved EIP Seniors, and the 2024 batch representatives shared their experiences in EIP and how being in Z Club has positively impacted their lives overall. We are excited to see what the future holds for our Seniors, and we wish them all the best.
Additionally, although we have bid farewell to them, they will always be a part of Z Club through our newly launched “Z Club Alumni”!
Z Club Alumni Networking Dinner
In February, Z Club hosted our very first Alumni Networking Dinner, where many of our Alumni came to network with our members. We are delighted to see that Z Club has built a close-knit community where everyone can learn from each other!
Sessions with Investors!
Session with Mr Pulak Prasad
Our members had the opportunity to learn from Mr. Pulak Prasad, the author of “What I Learned about Investing from Darwin”, and the founder and CEO of Nalanda Capital, an investment firm specializing in investing in listed Indian equities, overseeing approximately $5 billion in AUM. Mr. Pulak Prasad generously shared his approach to investing and how he started his journey, beginning with an engineering background, consulting, and then pivoting to Private Equity and starting his own firm. Thank you, Mr. Pulak Prasad, for your generous sharing with our members!
New Stock Initiations in our Portfolio!
Nintendo
As Gaius mentioned in our Q4 letter, Team Dream decided to seize the opportunity to invest in Nintendo due to its diversified business segments, including its IP-related income and its success in card games. The team also believes in its upcoming growth and potential revenue streams following the acquisition of Dynamo Pictures to expand their CGI movie production.
Nintendo (TYO:7974) develops, manufactures, and sells home entertainment products, video game platforms, playing cards, console hardware systems, and software globally.
AutoZone
Team Aurora entered as an investor in AutoZone, a seller of spare parts, recognizing its defensive growth potential in aftermarket vehicle products and further strong expansion in developing countries such as Mexico.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) is a retailer and distributor of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. It has a strong presence in the US (6,300 stores) and a growing presence in Mexico (740 stores) and Brazil (100 stores).
Intuitive Surgical
Team Aurora has also decided to invest in Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), a leader in robotic surgery with strong growth prospects and minimal debt.
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) is a developer, manufacturer, and leader in producing robotic products designed to enhance clinical outcomes for patients through minimally invasive surgery. It is well-known for pioneering robotic-assisted surgery, notably the da Vinci Surgical System.
Big Lots
Team Viridi Terrae initiated an investment in Big Lots as the team sees an opportunity for Big Lots to pivot back towards being a close-up retailer, which is what they were popular for back in the 2000s.
Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) is a home discount retailer in the United States, offering various discounted home products from furniture and appliances to groceries.
Exit of Old Positions
GDS Holdings
Team Dream decided to exit their investment in GDS Holdings for various reasons, including the surge in their new debt to fund their expansion in Southeast Asia.
GDS (NASDAQ: GDS) is the largest developer and operator of carrier-neutral, offering colocation and managed services in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and now expanding into Southeast Asia.
Conclusion
Overall, I believe that Q1 2024 has been an exciting quarter for our EIP members as we experienced many things such as bidding farewell to our EIP Seniors, attending Z Club’s first Alumni Networking session, and learning from the experts themselves through the Meet-the-Investor sessions. In Q1, we also embarked on many new and exciting investment opportunities that we strongly believe in! Stay tuned for our next exciting updates!
Warm regards,
Khadijah Syahidah Pinardi
On behalf of EIP