ImpactAssets, a US-based nonprofit company specializing in impact investment, recently released its “2011 ImpactAssets 50,” a list of investment fund managers that “achieve financial performance with positive social and environmental impacts,” including 22 microfinance-focused funds. Continue Reading »

responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), a Swiss asset management company that invests in microfinance institutions (MFIs) and microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it made debt investments totaling approximately USD 6.7 million through MIVs it manages to Locfund, an MIV with offices in Costa Rica and Bolivia, and the following three MFIs: Interfisa, a financial intermediation company offering loans, voluntary savings and fund transfer services in Paraguay; Ecofuturo, a regulated Bolivian MFI that supports the development of small and micro-enterprises; and FIE Grand Poder of Argentina. Continue Reading »

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), a government institution that provides economic and humanitarian assistance, and Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance / International Executive Service Corps (VEGA/IESC), a US-based partnership focusing on private sector development, recently announced the commencement of the second phase of the Lebanon Investment in Microfinance (LIM) program, which will provide funding to seven microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Lebanon: Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (ADR); Association d’Entraide Professionelle (AEP); Al Majmoua; Ameen; Lebanese Cooperative for Development (CLD in French); Emkan; and Makhzoumi Foundation. Continue Reading »

Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS), an Indian microfinance institution (MFI), has raised INR 65 crores (USD 14 million) through a third round of equity capital fundraising. Citi Venture Capital International, a US-based private equity investor affiliated with Citigroup, has taken a “significant minority stake” in JFS that reportedly represents its first investment in India since 2008. Continue Reading »

FINCA International, a US-based network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 21 countries, has established FINCA Microfinance Holdings (FMH) LLC, with USD 74 million from social investors including: USD 35 million from International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group; USD 15 million from KfW Bankengruppe, a German development bank; EUR 10.5 million (USD 14 million) from Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO in Dutch), a Dutch public-private partnership (PPP); USD 5 million from the responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund (rAGMF), a microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) managed by responsAbility Social Investments AG of Switzerland; and USD 5 million from Triple Jump, a Dutch investment manager and advisory firm for the microfinance sector. Continue Reading »

Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs), which have seen new lending from commercial banks dry up since the “Andhra Pradesh crisis” broke in late 2010, instead have been accessing funds from social and philanthropic investors including: International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group; ACCION International, a US-based nonprofit organization; MicroVest Capital Management, a US-based family of microfinance investment funds; Shore Capital, a UK-based investment banking company; Aavishkaar Goodwell India Microfinance Development Company Limited, an India-based financing company; and BlueOrchard Microfinance Investment Managers, a Swiss manager of microfinance funds. Continue Reading »

Incofin Investment Management (Incofin), a Belgian fund manager that invests in microfinance institutions (MFIs), recently reported that the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union’s financing institution, has appointed Frankfurt School of Finance, a bank training and consultancy institute in Germany, to provide technical assistance (TA) for Incofin’s Rural Impulse Fund II (RIF II). RIF II is a EUR 97 million (USD 139 million) fund that invests in MFIs targeting rural areas in developing countries. In order to improve the outreach and impact of its investees, Incofin has integrated a technical assistance facility into the fund. EIB has contributed EUR 1 million (USD 1.4 million) to the facility to support investees located in countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). According to Incofin, the total TA budget of RIF II will amount to approximately EUR 2.5 million (USD 3.6 million).  Continue Reading »

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group, has agreed to loan USD 7 million to TuranBank, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Azerbaijan, in an effort to help the MFI increase its lending to rural micro- and small enterprises (MSEs). Continue Reading »

responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss investment company that operates four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments totalling USD 3.9 million in microfinance institutions (MFIs) Arvand of Tajikistan, Mol Bulak Finance of Kyrgyzstan, Joint Stock Company (JSC) Bank Constanta of Georgia and JSC Lazika Capital of Georgia. Continue Reading »

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group, reportedly will provide local-currency loans of USD 7 million to FINCA Azerbaijan and USD 6 million to FINCA Kyrgyzstan, two microfinance institutions (MFIs) that are members of US-based FINCA International’s global microfinance network. Continue Reading »

Triodos Investment Management, a Netherlands-based manager of four microfinance investment funds, recently reported to MicroCapital that its funds have added five microfinance institutions (MFIs) to their portfolios; KixiCrédito of Angola; Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Limited of Ghana; Arnur Credit of Kazakhstan; Belarusian Bank for Small Business (BBSB) of Belarus; and Kompanion Financial Group Microfinance Closed Joint Stock Company of Kyrgyzstan. Continue Reading »

Triodos Investment Management, a Netherlands-based manager of four microfinance investment funds, recently reported to MicroCapital that its funds have added three Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs) to their portfolios; Cooperativa Mixta Mujeres Unidas Limitada (COMIXMUL) of Honduras; Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas (CACMU) of Ecuador; and Institución Financiera de Desarrollo (IFD) Sembrar Sartawi of Bolivia. Continue Reading »

Triple Jump, a Netherlands-based advisory service and manager of three microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently announced plans to open an office in Mexico City, Mexico, to serve the region of Central America and the Caribbean. Continue Reading »

responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund (rAGMF), a microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) managed by responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has loaned the equivalent of USD 2.8 million to four microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Cambodia and Indonesia. responsAbility is an investment company based in Switzerland that invests in MFIs and other MIVs. Continue Reading »

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group, and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions (Swiss Re), a reinsurer and financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland, have partnered to further develop the Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) [1]. Index insurance is a product that covers farmers against presumed crop failure based on measurable factors such as if rainfall is below a predetermined threshold. GIIF was launched by IFC in 2009 as a regional platform intended “to develop agricultural insurance systems in West African countries including Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso” [2]. Continue Reading »

responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss investment company that operates a number of microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made local-currency debt investments worth a total of USD 7.5 million in Peruvian microfinance institutions (MFIs) Edpyme Raiz, Financiera Confianza and Asociacion Benefica Prisma (Prisma). Continue Reading »