MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Impact Investor Symbiotics Spins Off Consultancy Tameo

Symbiotics Group, a Switzerland-based impact investing firm, recently launched an independent research firm Tameo, which aims to “promote the growth of the impact investing industry by increasing transparency and supporting evidence-based decision-making via independent solutions.” The new firm will provide investors and investment managers with: (1) impact measurement, labeling, reporting and verification services; (2) the publication of benchmarks, indexes and

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: Symbiotics Introduces $10m Bond to Fund Affordable Housing in Colombia via Hipotecaria Compañía de Financiamiento

Symbiotics, a Switzerland-based impact investing platform, recently agreed to issue a 4.5-year, senior, unsecured loan of COP 35.8 billion (USD 10.5 million) to La Hipotecaria Compañía de Financiamiento (HCF), a Panama-based mortgage lender, from the proceeds of a social bond Symbiotics is launching for this purpose. The goal is to increase access to

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ADA Microfinance Launching 10-year “Smallholder Safety Net” Program Targeting Agricultural Value Chains, 3m Households; Partnering with 5 Impact Investors

ADA Microfinance, a Luxembourg-based NGO, recently announced a new program called the Smallholder Safety Net Upscaling Programme (SSNUP) to assist: (1) smallholder farmers in accessing insurance and implementing agricultural practices that increase productivity in a “climate-smart” manner; (2) actors in agricultural value chains in adopting “more sustainable environmental and social business practices;” and (3) boosting investment in agricultural value chains. The investors Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation, Incofin, Oikocredit, responsAbility and Symbiotics have agreed to participate by

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Greenlight Planet Secures $90m in Debt, Equity for Pay-as-you-go Solar in Africa, South Asia

Greenlight Planet, a for-profit social business with offices in Kenya, India and the US, recently secured USD 90 million in debt and equity to expand its sales of pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar products. The investors are

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Symbiotics Launches $6.7m Bond for Samunnati, Provider of Microfinance, Market Access, Technology to Agricultural Sector in India

Symbiotics, a Switzerland-based investment company, recently launched a bond issue intended to raise INR 500 million (USD 6.75 million) for Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Private Limited, a for-profit non-banking financial company in India. The proceeds will flow

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Symbiotics Raises $7.8m for Pan Asia Bank of Sri Lanka in Sale of “Green Bonds” to Investors Including SEB

Symbiotics, a Switzerland-based manager of international investments in small business, recently issued a four-year loan of LKR 1.42 billion (USD 7.75 million) to Sri Lanka’s Pan Asia Banking Corporation for on-lending to projects with reduced effects on the environment in sectors such as energy and agriculture. Symbiotics raised the money through an issue of “green” bonds. Of the bond buyers,

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Symbiotics 2013 MIV Survey Report: Market Data and Peer Group Analysis

Published by Symbiotics Research and Advisory; 2013; 31 pages; available at: http://www.microfinancegateway.org/p/site/m//template.rc/1.9.62223

Symbiotics SA has conducted the seventh annual survey of microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) which draws on survey responses from 84 MIVs representing approximately 93 percent of the global MIV market asset base. This paper presents an analysis of the financial and social performance of the microfinance investment industry based on data from December 2012.