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Categories: job creation

Mohizi is a small-scale, women-led plantain chips producer in Côte d'Ivoire that has been able to formalise and grow its business with loans and support from COFINA. Photo: Axel Hallgren/Swedfund

Closing MSME finance gap in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal

Swedfund has invested EUR 20 million in Compagnie Financière Africaine (COFINA), a leading mesofinance institution that provides loans to micro, small and medium-sized businesses in West and Central Africa to enable them to develop and grow their business.

Inside Equity Fund invested in Alpha Polyplast, a Zambian company that specialises in recycling plastic waste, to increase its capacity to recycle plastic waste throughout the country. Photo: Alpha Polyplast

Catalysing sustainable growth through SMEs in Southeast Africa

Swedfund, Sweden’s development finance institution, has invested USD 10 million in Inside Equity Fund II, aiming to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with impactful and innovative solutions in Zambia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.

Photo: Sam Makoji / Getty Images

Investment for enhanced access to finance for MSMEs in Nigeria

Swedfund invests USD 30 million in Access Bank Nigeria Plc to reach underserved MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) at scale. By providing long-term capital and capacity building to unbanked and under-banked companies in Nigeria, the investment is expected to support sustainable private sector development and inclusive growth.

Xurya’s solar systems in Indonesia, South Jakarta. Photo: Xurya Daya Indonesia

Swedfund makes first renewable energy investment in Indonesia

Swedfund, Sweden's development finance institution, has announced an equity investment of USD 10 million in Xurya, an innovative Indonesian solar rooftop company. Xurya enables commercial and industrial companies across the country to adopt solar power with no upfront costs, displacing fossil fuel-based power generation.

Founded by a female entrepreneur, Kinshasa-based DPXL is known for urban signs & billboards. The company has received XSML funding for new equipment and is now looking to expand further. Photo: Sighted Design, DRC

Investing for continued support to SMEs in Central and East Africa

Swedfund invests 15 MUSD in African Rivers Fund IV, an impact-oriented credit fund empowering sustainable growing companies in Central and East Africa to increase access to long term small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing and support for sustainable private sector growth.

Abidjan, the Ivory Coast.

Investment to strengthen small and medium sized companies in Francophone Africa

On December 31, 2023, Swedfund, Sweden’s Development Finance Institution, invested 15 MEUR Joliba Capital Fund I. The investment will enable growth of small and medium sized companies which are key for private sector growth and job creation in the least developed regions of Francophone Africa.

Micro, small and medium-sized companies create 4 out of 5 jobs in emerging economies. Photo from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. Photographer Michael Tsegaye.

Swedish investment to support financial inclusion

Micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSME’s) create 4 out of 5 jobs in emerging economies. Yet, in developing countries, around 200 million MSME’s lack access to finance, especially companies owned by women. Today Swedfund announces an investment up to 15 MUSD in Accion Digital Transformation Fund, focusing on the digital transformation of financial institutions in developing countries.

A female vendor (Micro entrepreneur) in wholesale flower market in Chennai, India.

Swedfund supports Indian micro-entrepreneurs

The limited access to credit for micro-entrepreneurs has been further worsened by the pandemic. At the same time, they are the second biggest employers in India and contribute to about 30% of the country’s GDP. Against that background the Swedish development finance institution, Swedfund, invests 20 MUSD in a long-term, senior unsecured loan to Five-Star Business Finance Limited (Five-Star).

Nurse in Subol Hospital in Lagos Nigeria.

Swedfund supports health entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa

Healthcare infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa is insufficient to meet the healthcare needs of its 1.1 billion population. Swedfund now commits EUR 5M in debt funding to Medical Credit Fund II, a fund that provides financing to small and medium-sized enterprises within the health sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Additional commitment to strengthen the support to African companies

Additional commitment to strengthen the support to African companies

The Swedish Development Finance Institution Swedfund is making an additional investment in African Development Partners (“ADP”) III to further support the development of the private sector in Africa. The fund will contribute to significant social development by creating new jobs and tax revenues through its investments across the African continent. The fund exercises active ownership with a clear

Picture from SOS Médecins de Nuit (MDN), a healthcare clinic based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A clinic funded by African Rivers Fund.

Swedish investments for private sector growth – in DRC, Uganda and Angola

Today Swedfund announces an investment of USD 10m in African Rivers Fund 3 (ARF 3), together with IFC, FMO, BIO and DGGF. African Rivers Fund 3 will primarily provide loan financing to small and medium-sized companies in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), Uganda and Angola.

​Swedfund commits 15 MUSD to renewable energy in Africa

​Swedfund commits 15 MUSD to renewable energy in Africa

Swedfund commits 15 million dollars to Metier Sustainable Capital II, a fund focused on renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to investments in renewable energy, the fund will also invest in projects for resource efficiency in areas such as water and waste management.

​Swedfund supports inclusive growth in Sri Lanka

​Swedfund supports inclusive growth in Sri Lanka

LOLC Group subsidiary and LOFC (LOLC Finance PLC) has signed an agreement with Swedfund, to receive a total of 10 million dollars in a Senior Loan. LOFC is a leading financial institution in Sri Lanka that enables financial inclusion, an increased tax base and job creation. For Swedfund these are important tools to reduce poverty and support democratic development.

Swedfund invests in healthcare through Quadria Capital Fund

Swedfund invests in healthcare through Quadria Capital Fund

Today, 7 out of every 10 new hospital beds in Asia, are built by the private sector. With an investment of USD 15 million in Quadria Capital Fund II, Swedfund will reach the healthcare sector in South and South East Asia, through investments in areas such as healthcare services, pharma and laboratory businesses in countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Swedfund invests in resource efficiency in India and Bangladesh

Swedfund invests in resource efficiency in India and Bangladesh

​Over the past year Swedfund has assessed a number of investment opportunities in the resource efficiency space in order to broaden Swedfund’s scope within climate and further align Swedfund’s mission with the Paris Agreement. Swedfund, as one of several European development finance institutions, has now invested in South Asia Growth Fund II (SAGF II).

Maria Håkansson, CEO, Swedfund and Ketaki Sheth, Chairperson of the VCB Board, during the signing in Nairobi. To the left Dr Yogesh Pattni, CEO, VCB. To the right Jonas Armtoft, Senior Investment Manager, Swedfund.

Swedfund invests in Kenyan bank with SME focus

​The Swedish Development Finance Institution, Swedfund, invests 5 million USD in the Kenyan bank Victoria Commercial Bank, VCB. The loan is directed at the bank’s small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, and is part of Swedfund’s mission to reduce poverty through sustainable business.

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