FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank

We’ve just released the newest edition of our digital magazine Future-minded: Financing Future-Proof Agribusiness: https://lnkd.in/eC__KDiq Agri and forestry businesses play vital roles in ensuring food security and championing nature-based solutions. However, they often must navigate challenging paths to attain sustainable, long-term growth, particularly in developing countries. In this edition of Future-minded, we look at the different ways that we as FMO can provide support, and invite you to join us on this journey. ? Travel with us to Ukraine, as we interview Kees Huizinga of Kischenzi Farms, and learn more of the immense struggles he’s faced due to the war and how he’s become more self-reliant through biogas digesters and solar panels. Then head to Vietnam, where we utilize our #marketcreation approach to help companies like Camimex Group become investment-ready. Or join us as we visit HPW Fresh & Dry in West Africa, a leader in the global dried fruit market that’s improved the lives of countless as the largest employer in the Adeiso region of Ghana. And that’s only the beginning. ? Join us as we demonstrate how, together, we can empower some of the most innovative and impactful agribusinesses to overcome the challenges they face and thrive in the face of uncertainty. Dive into Future-minded now: https://lnkd.in/eC__KDiq

We're supporting the expansion of affordable Internet access in East Africa through our latest investment in our existing #VenturesProgram client Mawingu: https://lnkd.in/efGWDqmb Mawingu is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provides low-cost access to Internet across rural and peri-rural unconnected communities in #Kenya to businesses and consumers. Today, they announced the aquisition of Habari, a Tanzanian-based ISP with over 25+ years of providing Internet/ICT solutions in the country, allowing Mawingu to provide increased digital connectivity across East Africa, particularly in regions that have not been a priority for larger ISPs. Mawingu has raised USD 15 mln in debt & equity financing, with FMO contributing USD 2 mln through our Ventures Program, which focuses on start-up and scale-ps with inclusive and innovative business models. Marieke Roestenberg, FMO Ventures Program Manager, said, "We are proud of the scaling trajectory that?Mawingu’s?inclusive business model has?demonstrated?in Kenya and are confident the company will be able to replicate and further strengthen its proposition internationally.” Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/efGWDqmb

Excited to announce that together with partners British International Investment, Proparco, and ILX, we've provided a USD 90 mln loan to Robust International Commodities Limited: https://lnkd.in/eMgmPkfj This investment, which we're leading, will support sustainable growth and create economic opportunities for smallholder farmers in Africa. A trusted partner with extensive experience, Robust specializes in sesame and cashew nuts, sourcing from East and West Africa. This investment is expected to enhance processing capabilities, creating jobs and strengthening agricultural exports in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique. ? Together, we’re advancing SDGs related to job creation (SDG 8) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and look forward to achieving more impact together! Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/eMgmPkfj ? #SustainableDevelopment #Agriculture #EconomicGrowth #ImpactInvesting #Africa #Partnerships #SDGs

Considering a new career opportunity in the development finance space this weekend? Look no further! Here are some of our recent vacancies as we continue to expand the talent within our organization to maximize our impact. ???ICT- Business Analyst Regulatory Reporting ?? Project Manager HR ?? Portfolio Manager: Public Investment Management & Blending For more information on these and other job openings, click here: https://lnkd.in/giGden3w #Hiring #Vacancies #JobOpenings #ImpactInvesting

This week at COP29, the UK Government pledged ￡48 million in additional funding to Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF), a #blendedfinance program established in 2021 by the UK Government and FMO to combat #deforestation: https://lnkd.in/gATRPsAN ? One-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation, agriculture and other unsustainable land uses, with valuable natural resources being cleared away at a rapid pace to make way for grazing animals and to grow crops. Tropical forests specifically are home to two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity and 80 percent of global terrestrial biodiversity. Wildlife such as orangutans, tigers and jaguars are under threat, and 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. This is precisely why MFF has been investing in tropical forests since its inception. ? This new funding is in addition to the UK government's initial commitment of ￡150 million.?The additional financing will enable the MFF program to scale and generate greater impact for climate, nature and people.?It will be used to catalyze private capital into sustainable forest enterprises across the tropical forest belt, with the ultimate goal of?safeguarding forests, improving restoration efforts, and generating sustainable opportunities for the communities most reliant on these critical carbon sinks. Learn more about MFF here, or through the launch video below: https://lnkd.in/eh8ka9-f Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Together with Trade and Development Bank Group - TDB Group, we're boosting African agriculture through a landmark $400 mln syndicated sustainability-linked loan to ETC Group: https://lnkd.in/eAxwihW7 Established in 1967 in Kenya, ETG is a global conglomerate with its roots deeply embedded in Africa. Active across various industries, ETG is focused on supply chain optimization, agricultural trading and processing, and developing local African economies. Through the sustainability-linked loan (SLL), we've partnered with other DFIs and impact investors to support and incentivize ETG to reach its sustainability goals (such as GHG emissions reductions and gender-oriented support services to women farmers) while accessing favorable financing terms. In short, this groundbreaking SSL is the largest of its kind in the African #agriculture sector and one of the first in the DFI sphere. We're thrilled to have signed this deal with ETG, one of the most influential organizations with such a broad influence on African smallholders, and look forward to the added value we will jointly contribute. Many thanks to TDB as our co-arranger, and to all lenders and participants involved, including DEG, FinDev Canada, Proparco, The OPEC Fund for International Development, FMO Investment Management, and ILX. Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/e4xbxFgG

Together with EDFI ElectriFI - The Electrification Financing Initiative, we're supporting clean, reliable power to rural communities in Kenya through our latest investment in Hydrobox: https://lnkd.in/eYNCHR63 Hydrobox builds, owns, and operates state-of-the-art minigrids in underserved regions in Kenya, providing small businesses, households, and larger clients with green energy. By using both hydro and solar PV power (hydro is maximized during rainy season, while solar power is utilized during drier periods), Hydrobox can ensure reliable access to energy year-round. The USD 9 mln investment (with our financing provided through the Access to Energy Fund, a Dutch government fund) will support 8 hydro projects across 4 minigrids, providing over 10,000 people/2,500+ households with power, all by harnessing the power of local rivers. Through this investment, we're contributing to the reduced dependency on fossil fuels while providing energy that has minimal impact on the environment. We're pleased to support an early-stage company like Hydrobox and jointly maximize its impact to drive social and economic development across Kenya! Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eYNCHR63 EDFI Management Company

What companies and projects does FMO invest in? We've published our Monthly Transaction Overview so you can read more about which #projects we supported in October 2024. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eV4V35YT #ImpactInvesting #PioneerDevelopScale #DevelopmentFinance

If you're a #venturecapital or #privateequity investor new to climate investing, our Climate Investment Playbook is a must-read. The climate investment market has grown rapidly in recent years, and must continue to increase to mitigate the #climateemergency, as is being discussed in #COP29. We're seeing that climate adaptation and resilience solutions are becoming a more prominent focus for investors, with the World Economic Forum estimateing that climate adaptation could be worth $2 trillion per year by 2026. For investors new to field, it can be challenging to navigate the world of climate impact management, with few frameworks/methodologies tailored to VC or PE investors in #emergingmarkets. That’s why we published this guidance with British International Investment, explaining the steps investors can take to integrate #climatefinance into their investments, aligning it with key international frameworks. Discover how you can maximize your impact through our Climate Investment Playbook below.

If you're busy looking for career opportunities in the development finance world this weekend, here are some of our recent vacancies as we continue to expand the talent within our organization to maximize our impact. Here are some potential roles to consider that we are hiring for: ???Business Control Associate ??Project Manager HR ??ICT Business Analyst ??Senior Project Manager ??(Senior) Environmental and Social Officer For more information on these and other job openings, click here: https://lnkd.in/giGden3w #Hiring #Vacancies #JobOpenings #ImpactInvesting