The multilateral African Development Bank (AfDB) recently introduced an online service called Mada Business Linkage to facilitate partnerships among companies in Madagascar, including to match firms with suppliers and subcontractors. The Madagascar-based technology company Ingenosya built the platform, which businesses can use for no
Tag: Madagascar
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Lending $22m to Sahanala to Boost Sustainable Fisheries, Agricultural Value Chains, Mechanization of Farms in Madagascar
The EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) recently agreed to loan EUR 20 million (USD 21.9 million) to Sahanala, a farmer-owned social enterprise in Madagascar, for a project to: (1) mechanise farms to increase agricultural yields; (2) develop enterprises that process grains, oils and animal feed for domestic sales; and
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Aequitas Impact Fund Loans $1.7m to Sipem Banque to Boost Microfinance in Madagascar
The Canadian NGO Desjardins International Development (DID) recently informed MicroCapital that its subsidiary FONIDI Management has lent EUR 1.5 million (USD 1.7 million) from the Aequitas Impact
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPEC Fund Donating $1m to UNCDF to Boost Energy Access, Reduce Emissions, Starting in Madagascar, Tanzania
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development recently granted USD 1 million to the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to co-finance clean cooking, energy access and renewable energy through the Climate Finance and Energy Innovation Hub (CFEIH). CFEIH was created in 2022 by the OPEC Fund, UNCDF and the Austria-based
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: WeLight Madagascar Raises $20m from EDFI ElectriFI, EIB, Triodos for Off-Grid Solar Development
WeLight, which operates in Madagascar and Mali, recently raised EUR 19 million (USD 20 million) from the Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) of Belgium-based European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) and three funds managed by Netherlands-based Triodos Investment Management to build solar mini-grids in Madagascar. These commitments complete the fundraising phase of a EUR 28 million (USD 30 million) project to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Baobab+ Borrows $5.1m from Symbiotics to Boost Solar Electrification in 6 Countries in Africa
Symbiotics, a Switzerland-based investor focused on small businesses in low- and middle- income countries, recently extended a loan of EUR 5 million (USD 5.1 million) to Baobab+, a French energy and technology company, with the objective of increasing electrification rates in Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. Founded in 2015, Baobab+ provides access to solar energy and digital technology with the goal of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFAD Lends Soafiary $3.6m to Boost Direct Sourcing from Smallholder Farmers in Madagascar
The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently extended a loan of EUR 3.5 million (USD 3.6 million) to Soafiary, an agribusiness in Madagascar, to support the firm’s effort to “grow sustainably and reorient [its] business model, by increasing from 30 to 70 percent its direct sourcing from small-scale farmers,” potentially increasing grower incomes by
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Incofin Lends $1.5m from Fairtrade Access Fund to Lafaza to Support Vanilla Farmers in Sava Region of Madagascar
Belgium’s Incofin Investment Management recently lent USD 1.5 million from the Fairtrade Access Fund (FAF) to Lafaza Trading, a company with offices in Madagascar and the US that buys vanilla and other spices “directly [from 1,000] smallholder farm owners who use organic and sustainable agricultural practices.” Lafaza works with farmers to help them
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Off-Grid Market Development Fund Granting Up to $28m to Solar Distribution Firms in Madagascar, Depending on Results Toward Goals
The Off-Grid Market Development Fund (OMDF), an initiative of the Malagasy government, recently signed contracts with 12 solar companies in Madagascar, whereby the firms are receiving a total of USD 2.5 million upfront. The firms can obtain an additional total of USD 25.5 million if they reach their distribution goals, which entail the delivery of “900,000 quality solar lanterns and market-entry solar home systems by June 2024.”
OMDF has a total volume of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Government of Madagascar, IFC, Local Insurers Partner on Agricultural Insurance, Seeking to Lower Risk of Lending to Farmers
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently announced a partnership with the government of Madagascar to boost farmers’ access to insurance that protects their crops from climate-related disasters. The project will engage Malagasy insurance companies to create