by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Abler Nordic Sells Equity Stake in Microfinance Institution Baobab Senegal, Retains Holding in Parent Company

Abler Nordic, a partnership of public and private investors based in Denmark and Norway, recently sold its stake in Baobab Senegal for an undisclosed price to the latter’s parent company, Baobab Group, which operates microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Africa and China. Abler, known at the time as the Nordic Microfinance Initiative, bought the stake in 2012. Abler continues to hold a stake in Baobab Group.

“As we hand the baton on, we are very pleased with how the company has grown, the impressive social results they have achieved, and

by Anaya Jhaveri -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: M-Kopa Raises $250m to Expand Financing of Mobile Phones, Solar Equipment in Africa

M-Kopa, a Kenya-based company serving 3 million customers in four African countries, recently announced that it has raised approximately USD 250 million in fresh funds to expand its facilitation of financial and digital inclusion. In particular, the firm finances devices that it sells, such as

by Anaya Jhaveri -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Network International Unveils “Networkpay” Tools for SMEs in Egypt to Accept Digital Payments

UAE-based Network International recently rolled out its “networkpay” brand to bring its “direct-to-merchant” payment systems to Egypt. The service menu includes tools allowing retailers to accept point-of-service and

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Araratbank of Armenia, FMO Ink $10m Risk-sharing Facility to Boost MSMEs

The Armenian bank Araratbank and Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) recently agreed to expand their risk-sharing facility by USD 10 million. FMO’s portion of the commitment is from its Nasira Fund, which guarantees

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Luxembourg Invests $25m in First Close of Green Earth Impact Fund, Managed by BlueOrchard, Schroders

The Luxembourg Ministry of Finance, the UK-based Schroders Group and its Switzerland-based unit BlueOrchard Finance recently announced the first closing of the Green Impact Earth Fund (GEIF) with a USD 25 million commitment from the Ministry of Finance. The fund

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Equity for Tanzania, New Holland to Lease Tractors to Small-scale Farmers

The Italy-based equipment manufacturer New Holland recently collaborated with leasing company Equity for Tanzania (EFTA) to deliver 200 tractors to Tanzania in an effort to enhance mechanization among small-scale farmers, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food security. The effort includes

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OnePuhunan Borrows $10m from MicroVest to Boost Microfinance for Women in the Philippines

MicroVest, an asset manager and subsidiary of US-based DAI Global, has reported lending USD 10 million to CreditAccess Philippines Financing Company, also known as OnePuhunan, a microfinance institution (MFI) that primarily lends to low-income female entrepreneurs and artisans. The MFI was founded in 2014 and is a

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bank of Maldives Borrowing $40m from ADB, JICA, OeEB, for Blue Economy, SMEs, Tourism

The multilateral Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently announced a syndicated funding package of USD 41 million for the Bank of Maldives Plc (BML) to support tourism and other sectors. ADB syndicated the funding, which encompasses

by Renata Samadova -

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

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BIM Borrows $20m from IDB Invest for Locfund Next to Support Lenders to MSMEs in Latin America, Caribbean

Locfund Next, a debt fund managed by Bolivia-based BIM Asset Management, recently accepted a 6-year loan of USD 20 million from IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. The loan is intended to help funders of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their outreach to

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AgCelerant, Bank of Africa, IFC to Support Rice Value Chains in Senegal with Access to Loans, Insurance, Tools, Inputs

AgCelerant, the agricultural technology (agritech) service of Mauritius-based Manobi Africa, recently partnered with the Senegalese unit of the Bank of Africa Group and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) on an effort to

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD Purchases 5% Equity Stake in ProCredit from IFC, Increasing Exposure to SMEs in Europe, Ecuador

The multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently purchased a 5-percent stake in Germany-based ProCredit Holding from the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), along with a

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Arohan of India Raises $11m in Equity from FMO to Expand Microfinance, Including via Technology

Arohan Financial Services, an India-based microfinance institution (MFI) offering credit and insurance services to groups, individuals and other MFIs, recently accepted an equity investment in local-currency equivalent to USD 11 million from the Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO). Arohan plans to use the fresh capital

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Launches Water Access Acceleration Fund (W2AF) with $39m to Invest in Africa, Asia

The Belgium-based investment firm Incofin recently launched the Water Access Acceleration Fund (W2AF), a private equity fund with the objective of reaching 30 million people with access to safe drinking water, primarily in Africa and Asia. In particular

by Renata Samadova -

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

by Renata Samadova -

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