The fifth iteration of this event will promote partnerships between investors and project developers to work toward universal energy access. The event will include sessions such as: (1) Integrated Energy Planning & Smart Subsidies to Achieve
Category: Green Energy
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: African Development Bank (AfDB) Disbursing $1.6m for Green Finance in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire
The African Development Bank (AfDB) recently announced green finance facilities in partnership with the government of Benin’s La Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Bénin (CDC) and the government of Côte d’Ivoire’s Banque Nationale d’Investissement (BNI). The aggregate value
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Tunisie Leasing and Factoring Borrows $7.5m from BII-Symbiotics Green Bond Program for SMEs in Tunisia
Symbiotics Investments recently issued a loan of USD 7.5 million to Tunisie Leasing and Factoring (TLF) “to further expand its renewable energy and energy-efficient machinery and equipment offerings” for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Tunisia. Symbiotics sourced the funding
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp West Africa Summit; June 12-13, 2023; Accra, Ghana
This event will focus on mechanisms through which entrepreneurial partnerships in regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa, can solve global issues. The organizers expect approximately 80 speakers and 300 delegates discussing topics such as: (1) Agriculture; (2) Climate Change and Clean Energy;
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Enlit Africa Forum on Energy, Power and Water; May 16-18, 2023; Cape Town, South Africa
The 2023 edition of this annual event will cover topics relating to energy and water in Africa, including how to invest in support of climate resilience and energy security while aligning short-term successes with host nations’ long-term visions. The opening-day keynote is titled
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oxfam, Goodwell Launch Pepea, $23m Fund to Invest in SMEs in East Africa
Two Netherlands-based organizations, the NGO Oxfam Novib and for-profit Goodwell Investments recently partnered to create Pepea Fund, with EUR 20 million (USD 22.8 million) from Oxfam Novib to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. Goodwell Investments will
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AMK of Cambodia Borrowing $7.5m for Green Microfinance via Bond Issue from BII, Symbiotics
Symbiotics Investments, a Switzerland-based investor focused on smaller businesses in low- and middle- income countries, recently disbursed USD 7.5 million to Cambodia’s AMK Microfinance Institution to fund its ongoing lending for electric two- and three-wheeled vehicles as well as new products, such as
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD Loaning $5m to ING Finansal Kiralama for Leasing for Energy Efficiency, Renewables in Turkiye
The multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently agreed to provide an unsecured loan approximately equivalent to USD 5.5 million to the Türkiye-based Internationale Nederlanden Groep (ING) Finansal Kiralama, which is controlled by the Netherlands-based ING Group. Also known as ING Leasing, the company plans to use the proceeds to finance
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Navigating the Future of Impact Investing in Asia; May 9, 2023; Hong Kong, China
Attendees at this conference will debate investing “with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return” in Asia and worldwide. The topics to be covered include: 1) the current status of the sector; 2) methods for
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPEC Fund Donating $1m to UNCDF to Boost Energy Access, Reduce Emissions, Starting in Madagascar, Tanzania
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development recently granted USD 1 million to the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to co-finance clean cooking, energy access and renewable energy through the Climate Finance and Energy Innovation Hub (CFEIH). CFEIH was created in 2022 by the OPEC Fund, UNCDF and the Austria-based
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Al-Qutaibi Funding Renewable Energy Products, Climate Adaptation Strategies for SMEs, Farmers in Yemen in Collaboration with USAID
Yemen’s Al-Qutaibi Islamic Bank for Microfinance recently launched its Vendor Finance Department to support farms and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in acquiring technology to produce renewable energy as well as “climate-smart” farming tools such as “solar-fed irrigation systems, greenhouses, and tunnel farming tools.” The bank did this with support from the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: WeLight Madagascar Raises $20m from EDFI ElectriFI, EIB, Triodos for Off-Grid Solar Development
WeLight, which operates in Madagascar and Mali, recently raised EUR 19 million (USD 20 million) from the Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) of Belgium-based European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) and three funds managed by Netherlands-based Triodos Investment Management to build solar mini-grids in Madagascar. These commitments complete the fundraising phase of a EUR 28 million (USD 30 million) project to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bidhaa Sasa Borrows $500k from Spark+ Africa Fund for Distribution of Efficient Cookstoves in Kenya, Uganda
Bidhaa Sasa, a Kenya-based last-mile distributor of lower-emission cooking and lighting products, recently borrowed USD 500,000 from Spark+ Africa Fund, an investor in “modern energy solutions.” Bidhaa Sasa plans to use the proceeds to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Loans Yellow of Uganda $5m for Off-grid Solar Energy in Africa
Oikocredit, a Netherlands-based cooperative, recently lent USD 5 million to Yellow, a Uganda-based supplier of pay-as-you-go solar electricity products and systems, to expand its operations in sub-Saharan Africa. Pay-as-you-go services are those
MICROFINANCE EVENT: SOCAP23; October 23-25, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA
This event will focus on increasing the reach of “investable and profitable businesses” that contribute to solving global issues. Through February 17, those who operate such entities
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DEG Loans Husk Power $750k for Solar Microgrids in Nigeria, India
The German development finance institution Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) recently lent USD 750,000 to Husk Power Systems, an India-based supplier of small-scale electricity generation and distribution networks, to construct
MICROFINANCE EVENT: X Conferencia Centroamericana y del Caribe de Microfinanzas; March 20-22, 2023; Antigua, Guatemala
The tenth Central American and Caribbean microfinance conference is themed “Resilience and recovery of financial inclusion in the new reality.” The first morning is a forum for showcasing new technologies. The remaining two days will cover themes such as digital transformation, gender equity,
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sustainability Week; March 29-31, 2023; London, United Kingdom
This eighth annual Sustainability Week is intended to help businesses, policymakers, investors and NGOs achieve their sustainability goals more quickly. The event offers