MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Via InsuResilience Investment Fund II, KfW Seeks to Grow Climate Microinsurance in Africa, Asia, Latin America

German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) recently funded the InsuResilience Investment Fund Private Equity II (IIF PE II) to invest in firms helping people in Africa, Asia and Latin America to manage climate risks. In particular, the fund targets

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LAGreen, UNEP-FI Promoting Green Bonds with Training in 8 Countries in Latin America, Caribbean

The Latin American Green Bond Fund (LAGreen), a Luxembourg-based investor in projects deemed sustainable, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Finance Initiative, a public-private partnership, recently delivered a training series for banks in the Dominican Republic and Latin America to encourage them to invest in bonds that fund impact-oriented projects. Examples of efforts LAGreen has funded in the past include

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Invests $6m in Peer-to-peer Lender Amartha from Inclusive Finance Fund, Microfinance Enhancement Facility (MEF) to Increase Group Lending to Female Entrepreneurs in Rural Indonesia

Amartha, a firm offering peer-to-peer lending and other services in Indonesia, recently gained access to USD 6 million in debt financing from the Belgian impact investing firm Incofin Investment Management in an attempt to boost access to financial services for women entrepreneurs in rural Indonesia. Two thirds of the total invested comes from the Microfinance Enhancement Facility (MEF), and the remainder is sourced from

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IREDA Loans $4m to Husk Power Systems for 140 Solar Microgrids in Rural India

The India Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), a government entity, recently loaned INR 310 million (USD 4.2 million) to Husk Power Systems, an India-based supplier of small-scale electricity generation and distribution networks in rural India and Africa, to construct 140 solar microgrids in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. IREDA is

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BMZ, KfW Creating Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa) with Goals Including to Enable Diaspora Investments via Crowdfunding

Two German institutions, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and KfW, which was formerly known as Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, are launching a foundation called Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa). The foundation has EUR 49 million (USD 55.2 million) to donate in support of

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Assists SOPROCOPIV Coffee Cooperative with Fairtrade Certification, COVID-19 Adjustment in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Incofin, an investment management firm based in Belgium, recently launched a technical assistance project for Solidarité pour la Production et la Commercialisation des Produits Industriels et Vivriers (SOPROCOPIV), a coffee cooperative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The goal is to help SOPROCOPIV become certified by Germany’s Fairtrade International by

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Regional MSME Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA) Raises $24m from BMZ via KfW

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is also known by its German acronym BMZ, recently invested EUR 20 million (USD 24.3 million) in the Regional MSME Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA), which supports micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in 19 countries. The investment, which BMZ issued through Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), a government-backed development bank in Germany, is earmarked for the nine of REGMIFA’s target countries that participate in the G20 Compact with Africa. A total of 12 African countries are active in the Compact with

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FEI OGEF Loans $4m to Bboxx to Expand “Pulse” Electric Power Management, Pay-as-you-go Solar Energy in DRC

The Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (OGEF), a debt fund of the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI), recently lent USD 4 million to Bboxx, a UK-based solar energy installation and financing firm that is active in Africa and Asia. The loan proceeds are slated to help Bboxx meet its agreement with

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Societe Generale’s MobiasBanca, European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) Partner on “My First Card” Financial Education in Moldova

MobiasBanca, the Moldovan subsidiary of France-based Groupe Societe Generale, has been funded by the development facility of the Luxembourg-domiciled European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) to support financial education for youth in Moldova. Through the “My First Card” campaign, youth have been trained to

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Loans $5m to The National Bank (TNB) of the Palestinian Territories for Microfinance

Sanad Fund for MSME recently loaned USD 5 million to The National Bank (TNB), a public-private partnership in the Palestinian Territories, to fund loans from TNB to low-income households as well as micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). In addition

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DEG, agRIF, Daiwa Enter $9m Equity Agreement to Support Rent2Own, a Transportation Company in Myanmar

Deutsche Investitions – und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), a subsidiary of German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW); agRIF, a fund of Belgium’s Incofin Investment Management; and Japan-based asset manager Daiwa Partners recently signed an agreement to make an equity investment totaling USD 9 million

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Germany’s Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Loans $130m to Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME)

Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German development bank, recently loaned a total of EUR 100 million (USD 130 million) to Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), a state-owned bank, for on-lending to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India.