MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: GSG Studying Feasibility of $1b Latin America Impact Fund of Funds (LIFF)

The UK-based Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) recently announced the launch of the Latin America Impact Fund of Funds (LIFF) Task Force, a group of Latin American impact investors that will estimate the potential of LIFF, a fund of funds that would supply debt and equity capital to social impact funds in 20 Latin American countries.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Base of Pyramid Asia (BOPA) Invests $2.5m in Equity in Indian Microfinance Institution (MFI) Sambandh Finserve

Base of Pyramid Asia (BOPA) Private Limited, a microfinance investment firm in Singapore, recently invested USD 2.5 million to buy a stake of undisclosed size in Sambandh Finserve Private Limited, an Indian microfinance institution that is organized as a non-banking financial company.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oman India Joint Investment Fund (OIJIF) Buys $23m Equity Stake in India’s Annapurna Microfinance

The Oman India Joint Investment Fund (OIJIF), a private equity investor associated with the governments of India and Oman, recently placed an equity investment of INR 1.6 billion (USD 23 million) in Annapurna Microfinance Private Limited, a non-deposit-taking microfinance institution (MFI)

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility-managed Private Equity Vehicle Acquires 51% Stake in Bank Lviv, Lender to SMEs, Agricultural Firms in the Ukraine

A private equity investment vehicle managed by responsAbility Investments AG, a Switzerland-based asset manager specializing in impact investments in developing countries, recently paid an undisclosed sum to buy a 51-percent

MICROFINANCE EVENT: VC4A, ABAN Present “Africa Early Stage Investor Summit;” November 11-12, 2018; Cape Town, South Africa

Co-hosted by the Netherlands-based Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A) and the Mauritius-based African Business Angel Network (ABAN), this year’s gathering is the fifth edition of the summit. The event will

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: 4Di Capital, Accion Venture Labs, Lireas Holdings Invest Equity in Insurance Technology (Insurtech) Firm Lumkani of South Africa

Lumkani, a South Africa-based technology firm specializing in fire insurance and detection equipment, recently received equity investments of undisclosed amounts from the South Africa-based venture capital

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Invest Places $10m in Bozano Growth Capital Fund to Take Equity Positions in Mid-sized Healthcare Firms in Brazil

IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, recently executed an equity investment of USD 10 million in Bozano Investimentos, a Brazil-based private equity and asset

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Bank’s IDA Loans $15m to Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Project in Djibouti for MSME Guarantee Fund, Training, Business Plan Competitions, Online Resource Portal

The International Development Association (IDA), a unit of the World Bank, recently issued a credit of USD 15 million to the Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Project to facilitate financial, educational

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: G7 Nations Triple OPIC Target, Pledge to Mobilize $3b for 2X Challenge for Women Entrepreneurs

Seven development finance institutions (DFIs) from the G7 group of seven large economies recently pledged to raise an additional USD 2 billion by 2020 for the “2X Challenge: Financing for Women” initiative, which was unveiled by the US-based Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) with a target of USD 1 billion in March 2018.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Nordic Microfinance Initiative (NMI) Raises $105m from DNB, Ferd, IFU, KLP, Norfund for Fund IV for MFIs in Africa, Asia

The Nordic Microfinance Initiative (NMI), a Norway-based public-private partnership that supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries, recently debuted its fourth fund with a total of USD 105 million in commitments from the following organizations: Norway’s Den Norske Bank;

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Social Finance Global Network, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) Launching Social Finance India; Seeking to Raise $2b for Education, Other Double Bottom Line Investing

The UK-based Social Finance Global Network (SFGN), an group of nonprofits supporting impact investing, and the UK-based Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), which has 19 country members plus the EU, recently announced the debut of Social Finance India. This new NGO is seeking to raise USD 1 billion each for the India Impact Fund of Funds (IIFF) and

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Accion Venture Lab, YourNest Invest $1.3m for Equity Stakes in Digital Lender CredRight of India

CredRight, an online lender to individuals as well as micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India, recently received equity investments totaling INR 90 million (USD 1.3 million) from Accion Venture Labs, a fund of US-based NGO Accion, and YourNest, a venture capital firm

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): “8th Annual Impact Investment Survey,” Sponsored by US Agency for International Development (AID), UK Department for International Development (DFID)

Following is a summary of a paper published by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), May 2018, 53 pages, available at:
https://thegiin.org/assets/2018_GIIN_Annual_Impact_Investor_Survey_webfile.pdf

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) recently collected “229 respondents’ perspectives on the growth and development of the impact investing industry” as part of its Annual Impact Investment Survey.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Bank Donating $13m to Support Angel Investors, Networking for Startups in Gaza, West Bank

The US-based World Bank recently announced it will disburse grant funds totaling USD 13 million over seven years to launch the “Innovative Private Sector Development Project,” which is designed to improve networking and financing opportunities for firms operating in the Palestinian Territories.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Buys $3m Equity Stake in Digital Lender, Payments Provider Moni of Argentina

IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, recently invested USD 3 million in Moni Online, a financial technology (fintech) firm whose app allows users – who are primarily in Mexico and Argentina – to pay bills as well as apply for and receive loans with

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: responsAbility Sells Equity Stake in Mibanco of Peru to Microfinance Institution’s Majority Shareholder, Credicorp

ResponsAbility Investments AG, a Switzerland-based asset manager specializing in impact investments in developing countries, recently sold its entire equity position in Mibanco, a microfinance bank in Peru, to Credicorp Limited, a banking institution with subsidiaries operating mainly

MICROFINANCE EVENT: 8th Global Housing Summit: “Breaking the Mold – New Ideas for Financing Affordable Housing”; May 29 – June 1, 2018; Washington, DC, USA

Event Summary: This event will review how technology, government policies and other factors are affecting the financing of housing for people with low incomes. The program on May 29 includes a visit to the World Bank’s headquarters and pre-conference sessions such as the

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) Conference; June 4 – 7, 2018; Singapore

Summary of Event: This sixth iteration of this event centers on maximizing social impact in Asia through investing and philanthropy. The topics are to include “strategic philanthropy,” investing in education and healthcare, investing with a gender lens, government policy implications, and