Development finance

A new national investment bank in the Netherlands may be able to raise over €100bn to fund major transitions in defence, energy and technology, a group of prominent Dutch business leaders say.

InfraCredit has also attracted direct equity investment from two local pension funds, in addition to the UK programme, as part of its listing on Nigeria’s NASD market.

Multinational development banks play a growing and crucial role in unlocking investment for sustainable development in emerging markets, but private capital should step up, write ILX Management’s Manfred Schepers and Luz Martinez.

The funding is intended to support economic growth and digital inclusion by facilitating improved access to computer processing capacity across the continent.

The private equity firm’s third fund, which will focus on driving sustainable development across Africa, attracted commitments from 19 predominantly European institutional investors.  

The fresh investment will help the sustainable agroforestry enterprise create further income-generating opportunities for smallholders in the mountain kingdom, while also arresting land degradation.

The Kuali Fund, which is being managed by impact investor GAWA Capital, has raised €129m at first close to support a range of countries globally to build climate resilience and transition to low carbon economies.

The investment aims to support female-led enterprises and bolster climate resilience across Africa, as part of a broader mission to drive sustainable economic growth, job creation, and financial inclusion in developing markets.

The guarantee will support the expansion of KOKO Networks which supplies bioethanol-based cookstoves and fuel to low-income households, helping to replace charcoal and wood with a cleaner alternative. 

The €400m Fondo de Impacto Social (FIS) has invested €15m into the Global Social Impact Fund II which supports SME’s contributing to the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable communities in Spain.