The Swiss investment manager BlueOrchard recently raised an additional USD 14.6 million from undisclosed investors for its BlueOrchard Sustainable Assets Fund (BOSAF), an infrastructure debt fund active in “growth markets.” Among BOSAF’s outstanding placements are:
Tag: UK
MICROFINANCE EVENT: AFSIC: Investing in Africa; October 9-10, 2023; London, UK
The tenth edition of the Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC) will promote investing in the continent with presentations on trends in environmental protection and sectors such as agriculture and financial technology (fintech). In addition to country-specific investment and networking meetings, the agenda includes sessions titled: (1) Banking in Africa – for
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Grow to Zero Conference; June 26-27, 2023; London, UK
Themed “Catalysing Finance for Impact,” this event will cover ways of leveraging blended finance, carbon markets and digitisation to enable transition to net-zero emissions and other forms of sustainable development. The agenda features sessions such as: (1) Challenges to 2030: How to Finance
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: Technology for Change Asia; March 20-21, 2023; Singapore
The third iteration of this annual event will focus on how technology “can be applied to long-standing social challenges to connect with the consumer.” The event offers virtual sessions on March 20 and in-person sessions on March 21 on topics including: (1) Unlocking the Power of
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Financial Inclusion That Works for Women; March 2, 2023; London, UK
This event will review the 2022 edition of the European Microfinance Award, which was themed “Financial Inclusion that Works for Women.” Sam Mendelson of the Luxembourg-based European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) will discuss
MICROFINANCE EVENT: FinovateSpring; May 23-25, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA
This event focuses on financial technology (fintech), with 60 demos on the agenda as well as sessions such as: (1) Why Reimagining
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: EBRD Offering AgriAcademy Graduate-level Education Courses in Ukraine to Boost Agriculture Sector
The multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is rolling out a remote, free-of-charge learning platform called AgriAcademy with a target of educating 10,000 agri-food workers in Ukraine. The goal is
MICROFINANCE EVENT: FinovateEurope; March 14-15, 2023; London, UK
This event will focus on financial technology (fintech) that can help financial services providers and their clients to prosper. In addition to 35 product demos, the agenda includes
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Fintech Summit; November 2-4, 2022; Cape Town, South Africa
The eighth edition of this event offers attendees 21 sessions presented by stakeholders representing fintech [financial technology] firms and investors overseeing total capital of USD 4.5 billion. The detailed event program is yet to be announced, but it is to include
MICROFINANCE EVENT: AFSIC – Investing in Africa; October 10-11, 2022; London, UK
The Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC) is an annual event that covers country-specific investment opportunities as well as the following broader themes: “Banking, Agriculture, Sustainable Growth, Infrastructure, Education, Informed Investing, Power and Fintech [Financial Technology]”. While the agenda for this year has not been released, last year’s sessions included: Investing in Greener and Affordable Housing in Africa, Investment Returns in Africa’s Education Sector, Pan African Healthcare Governance, Analysis of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: One World Connect, Philippine National Bank (PNB) Partner on Online Remittances
One World Connect, a UK-based company that facilitates remittances from the UK and Australia to the Philippines, recently announced a partnership with Philippine National Bank (PNB) to expand the options the firms offer recipients in the Philippines. Users can now receive money transfers in cash at 700 PNB branches or directly into their PNB accounts, whether denominated in pesos or US dollars. For example,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Chipper Cash Raises $100m in Equity to Expand Cryptocurrency, Peer-to-Peer Services, Distribution of Payment Cards in Africa, UK
Chipper Cash, a US-based financial technology (fintech) firm active in Africa, recently raised USD 100 million in a Series C round of funding that it plans to use to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Energy Catalyst Community Seeks to Boost Commercialization of Solar, Wind, Battery, Payment, Other Innovations in Africa, Asia
Energy Catalyst, “a UK government-funded programme designed to accelerate access to sustainable energy” in Africa and Asia, recently launched its Energy Catalyst Community, offering a set of documents on commercializing energy innovations. The next phase of the project will allow companies funded by Energy Catalyst to collab
MICROFINANCE EVENT: FinovateFall; September 13-15, 2021; New York, New York, USA
FinovateFall is one of a series of conferences focusing on financial technology (fintech). The event includes demonstrations of new fintech products, networking opportunities and approximately 120 speakers. Although the agenda for this year has yet to be announced, the 2020 agenda included sessions such as Keynote presentations by Pablos Holman, inventor at the Intellectual Ventures Lab; Sarika Sangwan, Global Head of strategy and marketing at Pinterest; and a panel discussion of post-Covid innovation. Details regarding an option to participate virtually are under development.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Stanbic IBTC of Nigeria to Borrow $75m from CDC Group for On-lending in Sectors with Significant SME Supply Chains
The CDC Group, a development finance institution owned by the UK government’s Department for International Development, recently agreed to lend