MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Inter-American Development Bank, Deutsche Bank, Calvert Foundation, Monarch Community Fund Loan $3.6m to “Fund for Small Rural Producers in Latin America” or “Fondo para los Pequeños Productores Rurales en América Latina” (FOPEPRO)

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US-based development finance institution, has arranged a USD 3.6 million syndicated loan to the “Fund for Small Rural Producers in Latin America” or “Fondo para los Pequeños Productores Rurales en América Latina” (FOPEPRO), to provide access to finance for associations of small-scale farmers and other producers in nine Latin American countries.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Loans $10.5m to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) FINCA Guatemala, FINCA Azerbaijan, LAPO of Nigeria; Makes Equity Investment of $350k in ACME of Haiti

Incofin Investment Management, a private Belgian company that invests in microfinance institutions (MFIs) through six investment funds, recently made debt and equity investments in four MFIs: FINCA Guatemala and FINCA Azerbaijan, both members of US-based FINCA International’s network of MFIs; Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) of Nigeria; and Association pour la Cooperation avec la Micro Enterprise (ACME) of Haiti.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Loan $3m in Local Currency Somoni to Microfinance Provider Imon International of Tajikistan to Support Small Businesses

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international financial institution headquartered in London, recently announced that it has committed to loan the equivalent of USD 3 million in the local currency, somoni, to Imon International LLC, a microfinance provider in Tajikistan [1]. The loan marks the expansion of EBRD’s Local Currency Lending Programme in Early Transition Countries (ETC) to Tajikistan for the first time. The ETC Initiative aims to stimulate economic activity in the countries served by EBRD that are deemed to face the most significant economic challenges. With this 4-year loan, EBRD aims to allow the Tajik borrowers, including small enterprises, microfinance institutions and small banks, avoid taking on exchange-rate risks, which can force borrowers to repay much more than expected if exchange-rates change significantly.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) Loans $49m to Support Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Through Raiffeisen Banka Serbia, ProCredit Bank Macedonia, Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a microfinance investment fund incorporated in Luxembourg, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments worth a total of EUR 34 million (USD 49.7 million) in three banks that support micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs): Raiffeisen Banka Serbia, ProCredit Bank Macedonia and Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) Loans $29m to Raiffeisen Bank Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a microfinance investment fund incorporated in Luxembourg, recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments worth a total of USD 29 million in Raiffeisen Bank Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a bank that provides corporate, retail and investment banking services.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) Approves $15m Loan to Peru’s Mibanco for Lending to Micro- and Small Enterprises (MSEs)

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), a member of the US-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, has approved a USD 15 million loan to Mibanco Banco de la Microempresa SA, a private Peruvian bank that provides a range of financial services to micro- and small enterprises (MSEs).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Co-financing $10m in Loans from Mongolian Microfinance Institution XacBank

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international financial institution headquartered in the UK, recently announced it has committed USD 5 million to co-finance up to 50 percent of loans issued by XacBank, a Mongolian community development microfinance institution (MFI).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BlueOrchard Loans $1.1m in Local Currency to Cameroonian Microfinance Institution (MFI) Advans Cameroun

BlueOrchard Finance SA, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based BlueOrchard Microfinance Investment Managers, has announced that it will provide a local-currency loan of XAF 500 million (USD 1.1 million) to Advans Cameroun, a microfinance institution (MFI) operating in Cameroon.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Avendus Capital of India Buys $2.4m in Securitized Loans from Grama Vidiyal Microfinance

Avendus Capital, an Indian investment bank, recently reported that it purchased INR 108 million (USD 2.4 million) in securitized debt from Grama Vidiyal Microfinance, a microfinance institution (MFI) operating in India’s state of Tamil Nadu. Securitization is a process by which lenders pool the receivables from loans for sale to investors such as banks, mutual funds and wealth managers.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), Araratbank Sign $10m Loan Agreement for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Armenia

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a microfinance investment fund incorporated in Luxembourg, agreed to loan USD 10 million to Araratbank at EFSE’s recent annual meeting in Armenia.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Investment Fund Loans $7m to Šiauliu Bankas of Lithuania for Expansion of Microfinance Portfolio

The European Investment Fund (EIF), a public-private partnership (PPP) that supports financial institutions in Europe that serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has agreed to loan EUR 5 million (USD 7.2 million) to Šiauliu Bankas, a Lithuanian bank that provides finance to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Loans $6.7m to Interfisa of Paraguay, Ecofuturo of Bolivia, FIE Grand Poder of Argentina, Locfund

responsAbility Social Investments AG (responsAbility), a Swiss asset management company that invests in microfinance institutions (MFIs) and microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it made debt investments totaling approximately USD 6.7 million through MIVs it manages to Locfund, an MIV with offices in Costa Rica and Bolivia, and the following three MFIs: Interfisa, a financial intermediation company offering loans, voluntary savings and fund transfer services in Paraguay; Ecofuturo, a regulated Bolivian MFI that supports the development of small and micro-enterprises; and FIE Grand Poder of Argentina.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: USAID, VEGA/IESC Announce Second Phase of “Lebanon Investment in Microfinance” Program

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), a government institution that provides economic and humanitarian assistance, and Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance / International Executive Service Corps (VEGA/IESC), a US-based partnership focusing on private sector development, recently announced the commencement of the second phase of the Lebanon Investment in Microfinance (LIM) program, which will provide funding to seven microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Lebanon: Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (ADR); Association d’Entraide Professionelle (AEP); Al Majmoua; Ameen; Lebanese Cooperative for Development (CLD in French); Emkan; and Makhzoumi Foundation.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin VDK MFI Loan Portfolio Loans $5m to Mongolian Microfinance Institution XacBank

Incofin Investment Management (Incofin), a Belgian fund manager that invests in microfinance, recently reported to MicroCapital that it loaned USD 5 million from the Incofin VDK MFI Loan Portfolio to XacBank, a community development microfinance institution (MFI) in Mongolia.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institution (MFI) Janalakshmi Raises $14m in Equity Led by Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI)

Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS), an Indian microfinance institution (MFI), has raised INR 65 crores (USD 14 million) through a third round of equity capital fundraising. Citi Venture Capital International, a US-based private equity investor affiliated with Citigroup, has taken a “significant minority stake” in JFS that reportedly represents its first investment in India since 2008.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FINCA International Announces Launch of FINCA Microfinance Holding With Investments of $74m from IFC, KfW, FMO, responsAbility, Triple Jump

FINCA International, a US-based network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 21 countries, has established FINCA Microfinance Holding (FMH) LLC, with USD 74 million from social investors including: USD 35 million from International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group; USD 15 million from KfW Bankengruppe, a German development bank; EUR 10.5 million (USD 14 million) from Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO in Dutch), a Dutch public-private partnership (PPP); USD 5 million from the responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund (rAGMF), a microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) managed by responsAbility Social Investments AG of Switzerland; and USD 5 million from Triple Jump, a Dutch investment manager and advisory firm for the microfinance sector.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfinance Institution (MFI) TuranBank of Azerbaijan Receives Loan of $7m from IFC to Expand Rural Lending

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group, has agreed to loan USD 7 million to TuranBank, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Azerbaijan, in an effort to help the MFI increase its lending to rural micro- and small enterprises (MSEs).

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Loans $3.9m to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Arvand of Tajikistan, Mol Bulak of Kyrgyzstan, Constanta and Lazika Capital, Both of Georgia

responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss investment company that operates four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments totalling USD 3.9 million in microfinance institutions (MFIs) Arvand of Tajikistan, Mol Bulak Finance of Kyrgyzstan, Joint Stock Company (JSC) Bank Constanta of Georgia and JSC Lazika Capital of Georgia.