Armajaro

Armajaro is an investment firm based in London. The company specialises within the cocoa and coffee markets, managing investments in soft commodity and equity hedge funds. Armajaro is run by Anthony Ward and employs over 2,000 people through its subsidiary companies.

Armajaro also has investments in wine production and wine distribution as well as cocoa processing.

Armajaro employs a full-time meteorologist and has its own weather stations to help anticipate yields of commodities around the world.

History

Armajaro Group was founded by Anthony Ward and Richard Gower in May 1998. That November, Armajaro Securities Ltd gained Financial Services Authority authorisation. Armajaro, in 2001, acquired a wine producing estate in Paarl, South Africa. The company established subsidiaries in Lagos, Nigeria and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and got into the asset management business in 2002.

Ward, the manager of the hedge fund, has been dubbed "CHOCFINGER" by fellow traders for his exploits. The nickname is a reference to both the Bond villain Goldfinger as well as a British confection.