71 posts found.
Selected Category: Africa
How investing in digital infrastructure and solutions helps reduce the gender gap
Finnfund’s Digital Infrastructure and Solutions team was established only a couple of years ago, but we have a great spirit of getting things done and we have achieved a lot already during our first years of operation. We have identified three needs or issues that our investments seek to solve: 1) access to basic mobile […]
Read moreNovember 29, 2023
Finnfund’s investment bridges the digital divide in South Africa with help of technology from Nokia
Approximately 80 % of homes in South Africa remain unserved by fast and affordable broadband internet. Fiber access is expensive and limited to affluent suburbs, perpetuating the digital divide. Moreover, micropayments are prohibitively expensive due to high bank transaction fees leading to a cash-based mindset. Finnfund has decided to invest 2 million euros in the […]
Read moreNovember 16, 2023
EU and Finnfund launch the Africa Connected Programme to mobilise more than €1 billion for Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital infrastructure
At the Global Gateway Forum, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Finnfund CEO, Jaakko Kangasniemi, have officially signed the Africa Connected Programme, a landmark agreement aimed at mobilizing more than €1 billion in sustainable investments for digital infrastructure and digital service platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finnfund becomes a first-time implementing partner of EFSD+ […]
Read moreOctober 26, 2023
The global economy has shown remarkable resilience, but low-income countries are suffering from the scars of recent shocks
The global economy has undergone unusual crises and volatility over the past years. According to the IMF’s just-released outlook, the global economy has shown resilience and continues to grow but at a slowing pace. The recent slowdown is more pronounced in advanced economies than in emerging and developing countries. Overall, global growth in 2023-24 will […]
Read moreOctober 23, 2023
Finnfund invests in Metier Capital Growth Fund III to foster growth companies and job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Finnfund, a Finnish development financier and impact investor, has announced a USD 15 million commitment to Metier Capital Growth Fund III. The fund has a geographic focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and is expected to make eight to twelve equity and equity-related investments into mid-market companies with high growth features in sectors, including ICT and manufacturing […]
Read moreOctober 4, 2023
Connecting the dots: How to bridge the investment gap in the clean energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa?
A knowledge sharing and networking event between Finland-based development funders was organised to showcase and provide insights on financing for and working with local companies in the region. It also provided an opportunity to forge new partnerships and to explore how financing could be brought closer to the local companies. EEP Africa, Finnfund and Finnpartnership […]
Read moreSeptember 28, 2023
Event: Clean energy in Africa – closing investment gaps
Join us on 28 September in Helsinki or online! What does the clean energy sector look like today in Sub-Saharan Africa? What are the biggest opportunities and bottlenecks? What lessons are there for Finnish and other companies and actors interested in or already involved with the market? What type of funding is available for companies […]
Read moreSeptember 20, 2023
Finnfund and DFC commit 15 million US dollars in equity and loan financing to Kentegra Biotechnology to boost the expansion of pyrethrin production in Kenya
Kentegra Biotechnology was founded in 2017 and has quickly grown to become the leading pyrethrin producer in Kenya. Finnfund, the Finnish development financier and impact investor, and the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a development finance institution and agency of the United States federal government, participated in the funding round, which gathered equity […]
Read moreAugust 22, 2023
Regardless of the dark clouds over Kenyan economy, the banking sector is performing relatively well
Finnfund’s strategy places a strong emphasis on Africa, with half of the investments in the continent. Kenya is one of the important markets in East Africa and that is why we opened a regional office in Nairobi in 2022. The Kenyan economy is experiencing challenging times and Finnfund’s Economist Nea Tiililä took a closer look […]
Read moreAugust 14, 2023
Finnfund invests in Evolution III to foster the availability of clean energy and climate mitigation in Africa
Finnfund, a Finnish development financier and impact investor, has announced a USD 20 million commitment to Evolution III Fund, a Pan-African equity fund aiming to foster the availability and accessibility of clean energy and increase energy efficiency. Riikka Molander, Associate Director & Head of Funds at Finnfund said: “Our investment in Evolution III Fund marks […]
Read moreMarch 20, 2023