The Amethis Europe Expansion Fund aims to support European small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to expand into Africa, as well as Europe and the Middle East. The fund has been backed by the EIB, Bpifrance and COFIDES.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has invested €20m in the Amethis Europe Expansion Fund, which aims to promote sustainable economic growth and gender equality across Africa, as well as in Europe and the Middle East.
The fund targets European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to expand into these regions, focusing on sectors such as healthcare, financial inclusion, food security, and essential infrastructure, according to the Amethis 2024 Investing with Impact report.
The report highlights several key impact strategies of the fund, including value-sharing mechanisms with portfolio company employees, creation of high-quality jobs, improved working conditions, and greater economic inclusion of women. The fund also says it requires portfolio companies to assess their carbon footprints and implement environmental measures such as waste management and pollution prevention.
The fund has received breached a final close of €143m, backed by private institutional investors, family offices, and public partners including Bpifrance and COFIDES, under the Team Europe framework. The initiative is aligned with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to promote sustainable, high-impact investment cooperation between Europe and Africa, according to the EIB.
“This new investment in Amethis Europe Expansion Fund reflects our commitment to fostering sustainable economic ties between Europe and Africa,” said EIB vice-president Ambroise Fayolle. “By supporting European SMEs seeking to grow on the African continent, we are helping to unlock new opportunities for innovation, quality jobs and shared prosperity.”
Amethis, a partner member of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, manages more than €1.4bn, with seven offices across Europe and Africa. This latest commitment marks the EIB’s fifth investment in an Amethis-managed fund.
“The EIB’s support for this new strategy provides significant resources to help French and European SMEs in their international expansion, particularly in Africa, and create win-win partnerships between the two continents,” said Laurent Demey, co-founder and managing partner at Amethis.
The investment aligns with the EIB’s wider effort to drive sustainable private sector growth across Africa. The bank has identified the continent as a key partner in advancing the global green transition and addressing shared development challenges. In a report published last year, the EIB noted that Africa could “become a catalyst for global change” if backed by investment in infrastructure, education, health and climate resilience.
