Semaai, an Indonesia-based agricultural technology firm, recently obtained bridge funding in an equity raise led by Accion Venture Lab, a unit of US-based nonprofit Accion, and XA Network, a Singapore-based venture capital firm, with ongoing investors Beenext and Surge increasing their exposure to Semaai. Although the amount invested by each party has not been released, the goal
Tag: investment
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FMO Lends $10m to Latin American Agriculture Development Corporation (LAAD) to Boost Green Investment
The Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) recently lent USD 10 million to the US-based Latin American Agriculture Development Corporation (LAAD), a funder of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that export agricultural products. The loan is intended to support
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas (ACA) Borrows $80m from FMO, FinDev Canada, Rabobank to Boost Exports of Produce from 50,000 Farms in Argentina
Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas (ACA), a network of 143 agricultural cooperatives in Argentina, recently borrowed USD 80 million from three institutions, led by the Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO). FMO is lending ACA half of the total, and
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Closes India Progress Fund with $77m to Promote Financial Inclusion, Agricultural Value Chains
The Belgium-based investment firm Incofin recently completed the final close of its India Progress Fund with a total of USD 77 million raised to support financial services providers and actors in
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: Yabx Raising Equity to Expand Backoffice Fintech for Financial Inclusion in Nigeria
Verdant Capital, a Mauritius-based corporate finance firm, recently announced that it is raising equity financing for Yabx Technologies, a Netherlands-based provider of software that enables digital lending, to expand its operations in Nigeria. The company helps
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Kwara of Kenya Raises $3m in Equity to Boost Technology for SACCOs, Acquires KUSCCO Software Subsidiary
Kwara, a woman-led financial technology (fintech) company serving credit unions in Kenya, the Philippines and South Africa, recently raised USD 3 million from its previous investors DOB Equity, Globivest and Willard Ahdritz plus a group of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bank of Africa, Sanad Fund Deploying $27m for SME Finance in Morocco
Bank of Africa, which is based in Morocco and serves 32 countries, recently agreed to borrow EUR 25 million (USD 27 million) from the Luxembourg-domiciled Sanad Fund for MSME to on-lend to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco. Sanad is supporting the loan with
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfinance Institution 4 de Octubre Borrows $1.5m from Aequitas Fund for Onlending in Ecuador
The Canadian NGO Desjardins International Development (DID) recently disbursed USD 1.5 million from its financial inclusion fund Aequitas to 4 de Octubre, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Ecuador, to support the MFI’s
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DID Loaning $2m from Aequitas Fund to Faces Microfinanzas for Microfinance in Ecuador
Aequitas, a financial inclusion fund launched by Desjardins International Development (DID), recently issued a USD 2 million loan to Ecuador-based microfinance institution (MFI) Faces Microfinanzas to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AfDB, IFAD Launch M1-200 to Support Agricultural SMEs in Africa
The multilateral African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently announced an initiative to scale up food production in Africa. The program
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Bank’s IDA Lending $15m to Djibouti for Low-income Housing Finance, Policy Reform
The International Development Association (IDA), a unit of the World Bank, recently agreed to lend USD 15 million to Djibouti for a project intended to: (1) scale up an existing partial guarantee fund to boost
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
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Arab Savings & Financial Literacy Conference; October 9-11, 2023; Cairo, Egypt – NEW DATES
This event, which originally was set to begin on May 7, 2023, will focus on the importance of financial literacy and long-term savings in improving household financial stability. It offers in-person and remote access to sessions such as: (1) Reconciling the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Robos, General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF) Partner on Events Promoting Financial Literacy, Savings, Social Insurance, Pensions
The Egypt-based General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF) recently agreed to support Bahrain-based Fintech Robos in its production of the following annual events: (1) Arab Savings & Financial Literacy Conference; (2) the Arab Pension & Social Insurance Conference; and (3) the Arab Actuarial Conference. Fintech Robos CEO Ebrahim K Ebrahim noted that one of the goals of the partnership is
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Islamic Finance & Banking Summit; September 27-28, 2023; Dubai, UAE – NEW DATES
Originally scheduled to take place beginning February 27 in Saudi Arabia (and then May 31 in UAE), this two-day event is organized with the goal of developing strategies for elevating the Islamic finance industry. The agenda offers sessions – in-person and on-line – such as: (1) Economic Growth, FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] & Islamic Banking Developments; (2) Leveraging
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Zanaco Borrows $50m from BII to Support MSMEs, Climate-change Mitigation in Zambia
Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco) recently borrowed USD 50 million from British International Investment (BII), the UK government’s development finance institution, with the goal of funding micro-, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) as well as climate-focused initiatives such as renewable energy generation. BII is looking to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroVest Loans $4.5m to Financiera FAMA for MSMEs in Nicaragua
US-based asset manager MicroVest recently reported disbursing a loan of USD 4.5 million to Financiera FAMA, a microfinance institution (MFI) that was founded as Fundación para el Apoyo a la Microempresa. Established in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Managua, FAMA provides