The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has recently disbursed a loan of EUR 4 million (USD 5.2 million) to Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina and AMD 375 million (USD 911,600) to Inecobank of Armenia [1]. Continue Reading »

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Atlantic Bank, a Belizean bank majority-held by Sociedad Nacional de Inversiones, SA of Honduras, recently launched the second phase of a project with the aim of improving access to financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belize with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Continue Reading »

The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently launched the Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF), a USD 20 million credit line supporting energy efficiency projects for households and private enterprises in the Kyrgyz Republic. Continue Reading »

Absolute Portfolio Management (APM), an Austria-based firm that invests in microfinance and other sectors, recently notified MicroCapital that it loaned the equivalent of USD 13 million during April 2013 through two of the funds that it manages to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia and Tajikistan. Of this amount, USD 7.5 million was issued in local currency. Continue Reading »

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has notified MicroCapital that it recently disbursed two loans totaling the equivalent of USD 16 million to Agricultural Cooperative Bank of Armenia-Credit Agricole Bank (ACBA), a microfinance bank partially owned by French bank Credit Agricole. Continue Reading »

The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to loan up to EUR 85 million (USD 111.5 million) to two units of French-based Société Générale Group to finance the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bulgaria. Continue Reading »

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group, recently issued ZAR 884 million (USD 97.1 million) in microfinance bonds to Japanese retail and institutional investors in an effort to expand financial access to poor people in developing countries. Continue Reading »

LeapFrog Investments, a Mauritius-based investor in insurance providers operating in emerging markets, recently announced plans to invest USD 4.3 million to take a stake of undisclosed size in Bima, a Sweden-based mobile microinsurance provider that operates in emerging markets in Africa and Asia. Continue Reading »

ResponsAbility Social Investments, a Swiss investment company, has notified MicroCapital that it recently disbursed loans totaling USD 8 million to Banco Pichincha of Ecuador, a commercial bank that offers financial services to corporations; retailers; and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. Continue Reading »

Hasal Microfinance Bank Limited, a Nigerian microfinance institution (MFI), reportedly has provided NGN 6 million (USD 37,900) in asset financing to the Integrated Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, a group of rice farmers based in the Nigerian state of Nassarawa, for farming equipment intended to boost productivity. Continue Reading »

The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently launched an energy efficiency credit line valued at USD 100 million to be on-lent via local private banks to benefit individual Russian households, housing associations, management companies, maintenance service providers, condominiums and energy service companies (ESCOs). Continue Reading »

Citrus Pay, a Mumbai-based digital payments service provider, and Ezetap Mobile Solutions, a Bangalore-based mobile payments service provider, have developed electronic payment platforms that address internet security and connectivity challenges, both of which have discouraged Indian consumers from using digital payment methods. Continue Reading »

Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperation Federation Limited, a microfinance bank established by the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, recently agreed to loan INR 16.9 billion (USD 308 million) to self-help groups (SHGs) in Andhra Pradesh during the fiscal year ending March 2014. Continue Reading »

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a Canada-based nonprofit that aims to alleviate poverty through financial investment via 227 partner institutions in 56 countries, and its Morocco division, MEDA Maroc, are launching the “Financial Solutions Youth” project in an effort to support Moroccan microfinance institutions (MFIs) in improving access to financial services for youth. Continue Reading »

Ghana Association of Microfinance Companies (GAMC), an association with 560 member microfinance institutions (MFIs), and Star Microinsurance Services Limited, a Ghana-based insurance provider that serves approximately 550,000 clients, recently signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the provision of microinsurance products to clients of various MFIs. Continue Reading »

Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft GmbH (DEG), a German development finance institution; the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the commercial arm of the US-based World Bank Group, and the African Capitalization Fund (ACF), a US-based investment fund managed by IFC subsidiary IFC Asset Management Company, recently placed an equity investment totaling approximately GHS 46 million (USD 23.3 million) in UT Bank Limited, a publicly-traded Ghanaian bank that offers microfinance services and was formerly known as Unique Trust Financial Services. Continue Reading »

Caspian Advisors Private Ltd., an Indian investment management and advisory services company specializing in the socially-responsible arena, recently launched the Caspian Impact Investments (CII) fund, which is targeted to raise USD 40 million for projects in the areas of microfinance, small business financing, affordable housing and agriculture. Continue Reading »

The African Guarantee Fund (AGF), a Kenya-based organization that aims to increase financial access by underwriting commercial bank lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, recently reached an agreement with Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA), a bank based in Kenya, for a KES 200 million (USD 2.3 million) guarantee and with Kenya-based bank Investments & Mortgages Limited (I&M Bank) for a guarantee of KES 100 million (USD 1.2 million) to support the banks’ on-lending to SMEs. Continue Reading »