Max Penel

Investment Director / Co-Head of Global FinTech

Max joined the PFG team in Sydney in 2017 with a focus on identifying and structuring investment opportunities, and portfolio management. He co-leads PFG’s fintech and asset backed structured credit activities globally. Prior to joining PFG, Max worked in Corporate Finance at KPMG. His work at KPMG spanned across valuations, mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure and projects, and debt advisory services. Previously, Max taught at the University of Sydney in the Business School and founded several small businesses in Australia and China.

 

Max holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney with Distinction and Post-Graduate Diploma in Languages (Mandarin) from the University of Sydney with Distinction.

Max possesses a profound passion for both mountaineering and many water sports, a distinctive combination. Currently, he dedicates his free time to honing his skills in wing foiling and strapless kitesurfing. As a result, when he is not working, he is at what he likes to refer to as “board” meetings.

PFG’s commitment to fostering an innovative culture and the unique contributions from each team member make it a highly collaborative place to work, while also enabling us to find creative solutions that meet the needs of tech companies globally.”

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30+ Year Global Strategic Partner

SVB is a leading American bank providing products, services and strategic advice for businesses at every stage. They operate as a go-to commercial bank for start-ups and established corporations, offering venture funding, private banking & wealth advising. SVB is the largest lender to technology companies globally.

SVB has built its reputation as the financial partner of the innovation economy – helping individuals, investors and the world’s most innovative companies achieve extraordinary outcomes.
PFG and SVB have maintained an official strategic partnership since the late 1980’s. We have collaborated together as co-lenders and extended each other's ability to reach new markets and provide deeper capital to high-growth companies.

PFG and SVB have provided growth debt across the U.S. & Canada, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, where we co-manage a Venture Debt Latin America Growth Lending Fund.

IFC logo

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. IFC works in more than 100 countries, using its capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.

PFG and IFC are strategic partners where we extend IFC’s direct venture and VC funding, collaborating on fintech and tech lending across global growth markets.

10+ Year Global Strategic Partner

Aims to be the partner of choice for the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. They finance projects to advance clean energy, modernize agriculture, strengthen transportation systems and expand access to financing.

IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, is a multilateral development bank committed to promoting the economic development of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through the private sector. IDB Invest finances sustainable companies and projects to achieve financial results and maximize economic, social, and environmental development in the region. With a portfolio of $16.3 billion in asset management and 347 clients in 25 countries, IDB Invest provides innovative financial solutions and advisory services that meet the needs of its clients in a variety of industries.

PFG leads a joint venture with IDB Invest that provides debt capital to emerging innovative tech companies across the region via our Latin America Growth Lending Fund. The initiative brings investment expertise into LAC from top notch global players in this field.