by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: UNI2 Microcrédito of Colombia Raises $3m in Debt from Triodos Microfinance Fund, Triodos Fair Share Fund

Netherlands-based Triodos Investment Management recently disbursed a total of USD 3 million from its Triodos Microfinance Fund and Triodos Fair Share Fund to UNI2 Microcrédito, a Colombian microfinance institution (MFI), to support the growth of the MFI’s loan portfolio. Established in 2014, UNI2 provides microcredit for purposes such as

by Julia Marín -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Triodos Fair Share, Triodos Microfinance Funds to Invest Debt, Equity in India’s Janalakshmi, Kazakhstan’s KazMicroFinance, Kyrgyzstan’s Kompanion

Two microfinance investment vehicles managed by a unit of the Netherlands’ Triodos Bank, the Triodos Fair Share Fund (TFSF), and the Triodos Microfinance Fund (TMF), have agreed to invest jointly in the following organizations: (1) Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS), a Bangalore-based microfinance institution (MFI) that will borrow USD 11.4 million to expand its financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in India; (2) KazMicroFinance (KMF), which is reportedly the largest MFI in Kazakhstan and will sell the Triodos funds stakes totaling 13.7 percent of the organization’s shares; and (3) Kompanion Financial Group, an MFI in Kyrgyzstan that will sell the funds stakes totaling 17.5 percent of the organization’s shares as it seeks to transform from a community development financial institution into a microfinance bank [1] [2] [3]. Kompanion also sold a 17.5-percent stake to Dutch public-private development bank FMO; Mercy Corps, the founder of Kompanion, is retaining 65-percent ownership of the institution. The prices paid for the equity stakes in KMF and Kompanion have not been released.

by Rohan Trivedi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI) Global Fund Invests $2.8m in Triodos Microfinance Fund (TMF)

The Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI), a public-private partnership (PPP) that provides technical and financial support to microfinance institutions (MFIs), has agreed to invest an additional EUR 2 million (USD 2.8 million) in the Triodos Microfinance Fund (TMF), a Netherlands-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) that supports MFIs around the world [1].

by Julia Korn -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI) Global Fund to Invest $5m in Triodos Microfinance Fund

The Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI), a partnership between the Norwegian public and private sectors that provides assistance for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries, has recently announced that its Global Fund will make an investment of EUR 4 million (equivalent to USD 5 million) in Triodos Microfinance Fund, a microfinance investment vehicle based in Luxembourg with total assets of USD 36.2 million.

by Bharathi Ram -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Triodos Bank in The Netherlands Announces Launch of the Triodos Microfinance Fund with EUR 22m in its First Close

Triodos Bank based in The Netherlands announced the launch of the Triodos Microfinance Fund, a new fund that would aim to increase access to financial services for the working poor in developing countries. According to a press release on the bank’s website, the fund was launched with a total investment of EUR 22 million in its first close. Investors include the Netherlands-based insurance company Achmea, the largest fund manager for charities in the UK CCLA Investment Management Ltd. and the UK-based independent grant-making foundation The Waterloo Foundation. Triodos will meet the need for new capital from its existing microfinance partners as well as new partners experiencing strong growth in demand for financial services from low-income population. According to the press release, Triodos is planning a launch to individual investors shortly. The fund is open for institutional investors across Europe. Triodos bank expects the new microfinance fund to grow to EUR 100 million by the end of 2009 and EUR 200 million by 2011.

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Enda Tamweel Raises $30m in Equity for Microfinance in Tunisia from BIO, PROPARCO, Sanad Fund for MSME, SIDI, Triodos, WWB

Enda Tamweel, a microlender primarily held by Tunisian NGO Enda Inter-Arabe, recently raised equity funding of TND 72 million (USD 30 million) in unspecified portions from six new

by Makai McClintock -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: VisionFund Selling Georgian Microfinance Institution (MFI) Credo to Impact Investors AccessHolding, responsAbility, Triodos

VisionFund International, a subsidiary of US-based, Christian NGO World Vision International, recently received approval from the National Bank of Georgia to sell its stake in Microfinance Organization Credo, LLC (Credo), to “a consortium of social impact investors” including Access Microfinance Holding AG (AccessHolding), a holding company based in Germany that specializes in microfinance investments; responsAbility Investments AG (responsAbility), a company based in Zurich that primarily invests in developing economies; and Triodos Investment Management BV (Triodos), a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Triodos Bank.

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FINCA Microfinance Holding Raises $48m from International Finance Corporation (IFC), Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappijvoor Ontwikkelingslanden NV (FMO), responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund, Triodos

The Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) Microfinance Holding (FMH), a for-profit investment vehicle controlled by US-based NGO FINCA International, has announced that it has raised USD 48 million in a second round of investments [1].

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Triodos, Women’s World Banking to Co-Manage $30m Isis Microfinance Fund

Triodos Investment Management, which manages funds that invest in venture capital and social finance, has announced that it will act as co-investment manager alongside Women’s World Banking Asset Management for Isis Fund, an equity fund that aims to increase access to finance for women around the world.

by Kristha Abores -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Triodos Invests in Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Advans Ghana, KixiCrédito of Angola, TYM Fund of Vietnam, Belarusian Bank for Small Business

Triodos Investment Management, a Netherlands-based manager of four microfinance investment funds, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has invested an undisclosed amount of funds in four microfinance institutions (MFIs): Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Limited, KixiCrédito of Angola, TYM Fund of Vietnam and Belarusian Bank for Small Business (BBSB) [1].

by Witt Gatchell -

MICROCAPITAL PAPER WRAP-UP: Over-Indebtedness and Microfinance: Constructing an Early Warning Index; by Vivien Kappel, Annette Krauss and Laura Lontzek; published by Center for Microfinance, University of Zurich, responsAbility Social Investments AG, Triodos Bank and Council of Microfinance Equity Funds

By Vivien Kappel, Annette Krauss and Laura Lontzek; published by Center for Microfinance and the University of Zurich, responsAbility Social Investments AG, Triodos Bank and Council of Microfinance Equity Funds; December 2010; 53 pages; available at:?http://www.triodos.com/downloads/276627/over-indebtedness-report-full-st…

by Diana Baide -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Luxembourg Find Labeling Agency (LuxFLAG) Grants Label to Microfinance Investment Vehicles (MIVs) KCD-Mikrofinanzfonds I Global, KCD Mikrofinanz Fonds II Latin America, Finethic Microfinance SCA, Triodos SICAV II and Wallberg Global Microfinance Fund

The Luxembourg Fund Labeling Agency (LuxFLAG), an independent organization that certifies that microfinance vehicles (MIVs) actually invest in the microfinance sector, announced that it has granted the LuxFLAG Microfinance Label to five MIVs: KCD-Mikrofinanzfonds I Global and KCD Mikrofinanzfonds II Latin America of Luxembourg; Finethic Microfinance SCA of Switzerland; Triodos SICAV II (Triodos Microfinance Fund) of the Netherlands and Wallberg Global Microfinance Fund of Luxembourg.

by Eric McKay -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LOLC Micro Credit Ltd. (LOMC) Receives $14m from Symbiotics and Three Triodos Funds to Expand Microfinance Operations in Sri Lanka

Symbiotics SA Information, Consulting and Services Switzerland, a microfinance investment intermediary, and Triodos Investment Management, a group managing four microfinance funds, recently invested the equivalent of USD 14 million in LOLC Micro Credit Ltd. (LOMC), a Sri Lankan microfinance institution.

by Kenny Kline -

KNOW A MICROFINANCE FUND: Hivos-Triodos Fund (HTF), Incofin Rural Impulse Fund (RIF), Incofin VDK MFI Loan Portfolio, ACCION Latin America Bridge Fund (LABF)

The following microfinance investment funds are profiled in this brief:

Hivos-Triodos Fund (HTF)

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Hivos-Triodos+Fund+%28HTF%29

Incofin Rural Impulse Fund (RIF)

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Incofin+Rural+Impulse+Fund+%28RIF%29

Incofin VDK MFI Loan Portfolio

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Incofin+VDK+MFI+Loan+Portfolio

ACCION Latin America Bridge Fund (LABF)

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=ACCION+Latin+America+Bridge+Fund+%28LABF%29

by Jaclyn Berfond -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Indonesian Wholesale Microfinance Bank Andara is Officially Launched after $5m Investment from Mercy Corps, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Hivos-Triodos Fund (HTF), and CORDAID

Bank Sri Partha, a local commercial bank based in Bali, was officially transformed into Bank Andara, an Indonesian microfinance wholesale bank, after raising USD 5 million in capital from social investors. Bank Andara will operate as a “bank of banks,” with a focus on assisting microfinance institutions such as cooperatives, rural banks, and rural credit agencies.